Writing a large SFF series

sandree said:

It is odd that developing a series right off the bat seems to be a liability for traditional publishing, while for self publishing it appears to be the preferred route to success. If you are open to self publishing, check out https://writersanctum.com. There are lots of indie writers there with huge series. How is the quality of these books? I think it varies a lot and there are certainly “pulp” fiction writers there but maybe some better writing. It is quite surprising how much money some of these authors are making.

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A big series is a liability for authors seeking agents? Weellll, from what I've seen it's more a Yes-and-No thing. Starting out with a gigantic series in a pitch, probably not. But having the other books ready to go helps you if the agent thinks they can get a series contract. It helps if self-pub is your preferred or fallback option.

The common wisdom is that writing a series 'too diffcult to publish' is a waste of time. But fashions and trends shift every year, so your 'difficult' series can become just the thing. In the art world, I've learned that I can't sell what I haven't made. For me, finishing a physical work of art or a manuscript is never a waste of time.