The Big Mistake With Writing A Series

Authors hear that editors love writers who have a series. In fact, I mentioned it yesterday! Yes, there are some great benefits. Readers love to dive into your first book and then want to know more about another character in your story. You have them hooked and they are off to get your next book. Woo hoo! You are on a roll. This is what we want, right?

However, so many authors screw this up big time! Let me explain why.

When authors write that first book, they have often already decided that they are going to write a book 2 and 3. So, as they are writing that fantastic book 1, that should be there to hook the reader and suck them in, they end up spending far too much time trying to set the stage for book 2 and 3. They seem to think that if they don't do this here, there won't be enough to make them want to read more. And that is a problem.

As they spend all of this time on the other stories, they are forgetting the central story arc of book 1. This is word count they are losing for the characters who deserved their own book. Now, when the editors and agents are reading book 1, they will see a story that is lacking the depth they really wanted.

I always like to think of it this way. If you have ever seen those competition cooking shows you will get this. The chef is being tasked to cook a single dish. But in an effort to showcase that single dish or ingredient, they add another dish on the side. Seems like a good idea, but when that second dish is not that strong, the judges slam dish 2  and that reflects on dish 1, which was the one that was supposed to be the most important. 

Make sense?

The secret is this. If you think there can be some potential for a book 2 or 3 (or more) have those ideas in the back of your head. Have those characters in the first book but have them only on the page long enough to support book 1 and then get them out of the scene as fast as possible. Show their personality enough to make us like them, but don't worry about their plot. We don't care about that. We just want to like them.

I hope that helps!

One Too Many

We have all been there before. You had those cookies for dessert, but you felt "just one more" would be fine...

and then it wasn't.

Maybe some of you over the weekend went to a New Year's Eve party and had "just one more" and that would be fine...

and then it wasn't.

The list goes on and on, and I am sure all of you can add in your favorite example. Today, however, I want to talk about the issue with writing novels, specifically, when you are thinking about writing a series. 

First of all, let me dispel the belief that all of your books need to be a series because "Hey, I heard that editors want to have a series." That is not true! Would editors like to buy books in a bundle (2 and 3 book deals for example)? Yes! This is purely from a financial perspective. If your first book sells AMAZINGLY WELL! Then if they had to buy a second book from you, there would be an expectation that the second book would receive a higher advance. Get three books and those later two could be at a discount rate for the publisher. 

What those publishers would like are books that are similar. Potentially a similar theme or a similar time period. If it is a series, then go for it. 

But what does this have to do with the idea of "one too many?"

Over Christmas, I was given a copy of a follow up book to one I had read and sort of liked. As I started into it, I realized the author should have stopped while they were ahead. The second book was repetitive, forced and simply trying too hard to be like the first book. 

I see the same thing when authors want to write about characters in a family, or a small town, or the more stereotypical, ranch setting. They start out writing about the 3 brothers (I know cliche, but it works), but then they move on to a daughter of the first brother who got married, then to the cousin who moves on the ranch, then then best friend of the cousin twice removed. Arrrrrgggghhhh!!!!! You have to stop.

There are multiple problems here. At some point, your readers will get lost. They will have no idea who those other characters are that you keep mentioning. NOTE: We are facing this right now with the latest Disney Plus release about Boba Fett. Our entire family is lost except for my son who kept up on the entire first 6 movies, the add on movies, the extensions and so forth. The rest of us sat there and thought, huh?????

The other issue with doing too many books around the same town or family is that we really don't learn much more. We had it all covered in those first couple of books. What more is there to learn? 

Look, if you like to write about small towns, move to a different small town for that next series. Disassociate yourself from that first town. Secondly, limit yourself. When you decide to write the series, pick those three characters, and tell their story. Once you are done with them, move to a new town or a new family. 

You will find that the stories work much better, the editors are going to like you more, and your readers will not end up like me saying, "Come on, this was too much!"

A Word Of Caution When Writing A Series

I often see in query letters authors writing about how they know a series is the way to go and their book is going to be part of a series. While this is true in many ways, when I do see this, I am immediately worried that I will see a flaw in the writing. 9 times out of 10, that mistake is there.

Here is what I see...

Because authors are thinking about that series, instead of the individual project, the focus for that first book is not there. Instead, the author spends the majority of the time trying to "set things in place" for the later books. They keep those secondary characters in play for way too long. They spend time developing sub-plots that will be used for later plots. And the end result is the focus is just not there.

There is nothing wrong about thinking ahead, but remember that if that first book does not sell, the later books, that you spent so much time prepping in book 1 will not sell.

The solution is simple.

First of all, bring in those secondary characters and use them ONLY as support for the primary characters in book 1. Give us enough of a glimpse of something that makes them interesting and then get them out of the picture fast. Bronwyn Scott does this with her historical romances. For her, she simply gets those characters out of town so they are not likely to walk in later on the main characters. They often don't return until the end of story if she wants to create a bridge to the next book.

If you want another author to study, check out Andrew Greely. He takes it to a new level by connecting characters from different series. He does the same thing Scott does, he brings the character into another series, quickly serves as a plot device to advance the other series and then disappears.

Secondly, those sub-plots for the later books are not inserted at all. Putting those plots into the wrong book often confuses the reader.

My simple recommendation is focus on one book at a time. Jot down notes for those future books and keep those in a journal AWAY from that central storyline. It is good to think ahead, but don't ruin your chances with that first book.

A Series Is Not Always The Way To Go

Authors are always hearing that a series is the best way to success. With this in mind, they begin to craft that perfect series with book #1, trying their best to incorporate all of the characters they plan to use for those later books. They start weaving in all of the back story information so these characters really have great ground work when their book shows up. While this sounds like a great idea, it is not always the best approach, especially for someone who is just starting out.

Now, don't get me wrong, using a series is indeed a great way to keep your readers hooked. Established authors are always finding a way to keep you hooked with the characters around the Triple H Ranch, or the Winkersham family in New Market. We love seeing those familiar names. But again, this is not an approach I would ever recommend to a new author.

Here is the issue. You write the first book and immediately launch into book 2 as you market that first book to editors and agents. You might even have three books done by the time you start getting any initial feedback on that first book. But here is the problem. Book 2 and 3 rely on Book 1 to succeed, especially if you have all tied together so nicely. If Book 1 doesn't sell, the others will not either. End of story.

The other issue is the time you spent on book 1 trying to lay the groundwork for the other books. Too often, writers suck up too much of the word count on that first book on a gamble for the later books. If you are trying to impress those editors and agents, this might not be the best approach.

So, how does a new author make this series thing work? There are two approaches.

First, go ahead and think of how you can use those characters later on. Mention them but always keep them in the background. Focus all of your attention on those primary characters. Should something come up later, you can always go back and pick up those characters.

Secondly, look at a series as a thematic series. Could all of these be bad boy ranchers? The Rakes with something to hide? I think you can see where I am going to with this. If that first book sells, bring that character into book 2. Use those characters as a resource for the new book.

Just something to think about for a Monday.

Writing A Series Is More Than Just Common Characters

I often get submissions from authors who tell me at the end of the query that "this story is part of a series." They go on to say that the other stories will talk about "the other brothers in the family" or something very similar to this. As an agent, it is always great to see that an author is thinking toward the future of their writing career. They are seeing a path to things beyond that single book they finished. Unfortunately, for too many of these authors, they are really missing the point of a series.

While there will be common characters or settings in a series, this is not what ties the stories together. Authors need to be thinking of an over-arching theme. That theme just happens to include common characters or settings.

When we are talking about themes, these need to go beyond simply "these are stories about life in a small town." Look, just because your stories are set in a small town does not mean this is the big take away for the readers. To understand this, let's examine some definitions.

I am working from information found on a great website on literary devices. Theme is defined as a main idea or an underlying meaning of a literary work that may be stated directly or indirectly."

This page goes on to also note a big difference between theme and subject, which is where far too many authors end up. "It is important not to confuse a theme of a literary work with its subject. Subject is a topic which acts as a foundation for a literary work while a theme is an opinion expressed on the subject. For example a writer may choose a subject of war for his story and the theme of a story may be [the] writer's personal opinion that war is a curse for humanity."

Should you decide to write a series, then take the time to really explore what that over-arching theme will be to tie the books together. Don't just fall into the trap of using the approach so many authors take "I just finished Stephen's story but his brother Dave really wanted to tell his story."

This concept is also a great way to understand the concept of series writing that you find at many publishers including Harlequin and Entangled. Each of the series these publishers have work around a common unifying theme. These are not simply common characters or plots, which far too many people seem to think. It is the message that ties it all together.

What you will also find is that keeping this theme in mind will also add a lot of depth to your stories. You now have a purpose and a message to build your story around, and not simply random characters. Your story now has meaning!

Planning Sequels Before Finishing The First Book

"I heard that editors and agents love to hear that authors have a series for the book they are pitching." This is a common statement a lot of authors make and one that, unfortunately, lead many authors into some pretty bad writing.

Let me first say that yes, a series is great, IF, the premise is good an IF the first book sells and IF... in other words, there are a lot of ifs here. Sure, there is nothing better than having your readers get hooked on the characters or theme of a first book and want to read more and just keep coming back. But in reality, writing a series can be extremely difficult to do, and yes, a lot of writers mess this up.

One of the biggest mistakes authors make is the way book #1 is plotted out. Instead of focusing in on the characters and the events of the first book, they spend far too much time "laying the seeds" for the characters and the events in the second and third stories. Yes, we do need to see those characters show up, but if they are infringing on the story of the main characters in book #1, they are there too much.

Those secondary characters need to make "cameo appearances" and that is all. They need to buzz into the room, make a quick impression and get the heck out of the room.

In many cases, a series will often show up by accident. As you are writing and focusing your attention on the book at hand, you will notice that some of those other characters got interesting. Great! Jot down a few notes and get back to work on that current book. Don't obsess and don't start planning those other books yet.

Now, if you do want to start with planning a series, you can take several different approaches. The one most people try to do is the family series. They grab three siblings and let it rip. The nice thing about this approach is that a lot of the ground work can be set up and planned in the first book. You don't have to reinvent the wheel. Please note, this does not mean you ignore it in the later books. You will have to bring it back up in every book. Remember, your readers may read the books out of order. You simply do the planning early on.

The other approach you can take is to think of it thematically. A good example of this would be the latest series by Bronwyn Scott. In this case, she grouped it all together around the idea of The Grand Tour. 4 guys on the tour, and all experiencing different things. Yes, they showed up together in the prologue, but after that, they were on their own.

For me, I personally recommend that new authors work on one book at a time. Sure, think that a series might be there, but skip it for now. We can always tweak something along the way if the series idea comes up. But for now. take it one step at a time.

Know Your Line - Writing For Harlequin (or any other series line)

Motivational speakers say, "If you don't know where you are going, you will end up in a place you
don't want to be." When it comes to writing for a series this statement is amazingly true. You have to know and fully understand that line if you want to be successful! Today, I am simply going to focus on writing for Harlequin, although if you are a serious author, this would also include writing for any other publisher.

Series writing, sometimes also referred to as "category" writing is pretty simple to understand. Individual lines with a specific theme, voice or style. Please note, I am not say similar plots. This is all about the voice (why is that Meghan Trainor song running through my head now?). I should also note, this is not simply about the word count or the title. An author writing for this line is crafting his or her own unique story, but at the same time, working within the parameters of the particular line.

There is a lot of freedom within the lines, despite what many writers on the outside perceive. The parameters are pretty dang flexible, while at the same time, pretty clear and to the point. Your story has to meet those parameters.

If you are someone who wants to write for this company, it is beyond crucial that you spend a lot of time reading these stories. Even more important, you spend the time reading the line you want to write for. It has to become a part of your thinking and mentality.

The idea of this extensive reading is to really figure out the voice and the tone of that line. Again, this goes far beyond simply the plots and the characters. Yes, certain plots and characters work better for each line, but this does not mean you have to be limited to that idea.

Now, if you are someone who thinks this is only for romance, I want you to think about authors who write the follow up stories to lines and authors such as Louis Lamour, Star Wars, Ian Fleming, Star Trek and so forth. These books are still coming out despite the fact that the author might be dead or these are just spin offs of an original movie. To truly write these for these series, an author has to invest a lot of time reading and understanding the voice. This is not an easy task.

I bring this up because I see far too many submissions by authors who tell me they are going to write for a particular series line, but really don't get it. Sure the page count might be there. Sure there might be a sheik and a doctor in the story, but the story just doesn't fit. It is because the author has not taken the time to learn the line.

And one final note. Although I might be talking about Harlequin here, this same approach goes for any other publisher. Everyone is different. Everyone has a unique voice and tone. You better know it, or expect a rejection letter.

Why Writing A Series Might Not Be The Best Approach

I am always hearing authors giving the advice to other authors to "write a series because editors love to have a series." While there are indeed times this approach works, for new authors, it might not be the best approach to take. When I work with new authors, I will often work for a common theme approach, but but when it comes to a linked series, I try to steer these authors away from that approach.

Let's understand why we hear that editors like these multiple book concepts. For established authors in the business, this approach is great because you can hype up the whole series in advance and have the readers ready to buy everything the moment it comes out. Consider:

  

These three books came out and have done amazingly well. Readers were ready to see what these bad boys of the Ton were going to do to up the ante with the ladies. The key, however, was the fact that readers were already aware of Bronwyn Scott and the books could be marketed in advance as part of the Rakes Beyond Redemption series. 

When we hear new authors getting those multiple book contracts, the editors also have a great benefit here (although the author does as well). If that first book does amazingly well, then the next books in the series can come in at a discount price for the editors. No, this is not a way to "scam some more money from the authors." This is a business gamble the publisher is making. Remember an advance is nothing more that a gamble the book will sell. If the book doesn't sell enough to recover from the advance, the book is going to be considered a failure. For the author, this is a great gamble because if the first book does poorly, they have A) a chance to see if the second book does better; and B) they will be getting that advance even with lower sales.

But let's get to the craft side of why writing a series can often be a bad approach.

First of all, I see far too many authors who start thinking about that series from the beginning. This, on one level is good because it does add in the plotting elements and those second books have much of that initial ground work in place so the writer doesn't have to start from ground zero. Unfortunately, many authors spend the time in the first book, not developing the characters who are on stage at that moment, but setting the stage for the later books. The end result is the story is often flat and dull. If you try to market that book to an editor, you are unfortunately not sending your best book out first.

The second issue is that writers are often trapped by the parameters they established in the first book. When they start into book 2 or even book 5, things have changed. They might want to take a plot one way, but those parameters are preventing taking that book in the direction it should go. Remember the story dictates where things go. It shouldn't be a prior book making those decisions.

Finally, and this one really hurts the readers, if the stories in book 2 or 3 depend on that prior book, you are forcing readers to read your stories in order. But think of it this way. You are at a conference when book 3 is being released. What do you have at the book signing? Book 3. What do you have in the book store? Probably book 3. Will the readers buy the book because you hype it up? Probably, but they will not like you because they simply don't know what the heck is going on with the first book.

Again, going back to the Bronwyn Scott series. These books can be read in any order. The guys do meet up with each other, but their encounters don't rely on a prior book to make sense. This is key.

My recommendation is simple for new authors. Write your one book. Think of it as a stand alone novel. Make sure to give your undivided attention to the hero and heroine. But, if there is a need for a follow up, keep that on the back burner. Don't plan it. Don't push for it. Write that one book at a time.

Why Harlequin Is Not Just The Minor Leagues For Single Title

Time and time again, I hear the same comments from authors to other authors at Harlequin (or any other series line). "Oh, you write for Harlequin? Ohhh. (note the tone in the typing)." "I used to write for Harlequin but that was just to learn how to write real stories." "So, you write for Harlequin? What formula do you follow?" In all honesty, I just cringe when I hear these comments for many of of these writers clearly did not get how to truly write for Harlequin or other series line.

I'll just come right out and say it. It takes a real author to be able to write for a series line, and certainly a strong writer to be successful at this.

First, think about the demands of writing for a series line, and let's begin with the word count. There are limits here. You have to be able to tell the same story the single title authors are doing in 90,000-100,000 words in 1/2 the space. This requires focus. This requires a command of the language and utilizing just the right words to say what a paragraph would have normally done in the larger formats. Instead of throwing in secondary characters to get the back story across to the reader, the author has to find a way to bring that back story into play strictly with the characters he or she has available, without detracting from the central story arc.

Secondly, we have to have focus. In essence, I like to equate the series lines to writing a short story. You have one story arc and you have to enhance it and grow that story so it is the most powerful thing possible. One example, outside of publishing, that I think makes the point clear surrounds food. When we go to  a potluck, we have so much food on our plate that by the time we are done, we really don't remember what we ate. Instead, we walk away from the table bloated (but telling ourselves we are full) but not really satisfied. On the other hand, think of a fine dining restaurant or elegant cooking. In this case, I am going to turn to a local chef here in the Pacific

Northwest, Graham Kerr. After his run as the Galloping Gourmet, his focus turned to stressing great food by enhancing the flavor and the color. You don't need a lot, but what you have is packed with flavor and excitement!

Now, when we talk about series writing, in that small amount of space, you have to use your storytelling skills to really pack a wallop of a story!

Next, and I think this is a big one! When you write for a series line, you are also working with the additional constraints of following an established theme of the line. Please note I am not saying a formula. This is that myth that I think far too many authors have bought into. When readers follow a series, they are expecting a certain theme or common idea that will resonate throughout all of the books. These authors don't want the same story over and over again, which is what that formula mentality would have created. What they want is the message and the theme.

Let me explain it this way. In many ways, there is no difference between authors who write for a series line and authors who want to write for publishers that produce books by deceased authors, such as Louis Lamour or Ian Flemming. We can even add in authors who want to write the latest Star Wars or Star Trek novel. I can probably add in here writers for your favorite TV series. The followers of all of these books or television shows expect something when they  read the book or see the show. They want that common theme.

Finally, and I think this is a big one. We know in publishing, one of the biggest keys to success is name recognition. We know the more your readers see or hear an author's name, that sales increase. Look, whether we like it or not, readers are inherently lazy! Harlequin and other series publishers know just this so they do what they can to increase the name recognition of their authors, and they do so with volume! I hear single title authors cringe when they have to produce more than 2 books a year. Some even cringe at one. And yet, those series authors are doing a heck of a lot more, while, need I remind you, maintaining that common theme of the line, maintaining jobs and a family life, and still doing aggressive marketing.

Please don't get me wrong. I am not someone who says single title books are bad and only those series books are great. I am also not saying that I haven't read some pretty bad series titles. A good book still requires great characters, great plots and great storytelling. What I am saying, however, is that there are many in the publishing business that might want to stop and consider before throwing stones of the talent necessary to tell these stories.

I would also add that the editors for these lines are bringing their A-Game! For these brave souls, they are able to work with such a diverse group of authors from all around the world and still maintain that common theme of the line they work with.

In simple words, I tip my hat (if I were wearing one right now) to those working with series titles.

Should I Write A Series?

It isn't uncommon for me to open a submission to find that the author has added the line to the query, "This is the first of a 3 book series." This isn't a shock to me. Writers are frequently told time and time again by other authors that "editors love having books in a series." As I said yesterday, however, this is not a fixed rule and writers (especially new authors) cannot go into every book with this idea in mind.

Let's take a look at the positive and negative side of things.

THE NEGATIVES
This is a big one for new authors. When they start drafting that first book in their potential series, more time is spent setting up things that will happen in later books than focusing the attention on the book that is happening at that moment. The result of this is that we see more of secondary characters and their issues and traumas than we do of the protagonist. These characters really do steal the show and we don't want that.

Do they need to be introduced in the earlier books? Sure! But they have to remain simply the supporting cast to that first book and that is it. Let us learn their personalities and give us some nuggets to work with, but that is it.

The second big negative comes to sales. If the author has spent all of this time building up that 3 book series, or maybe they have actually written the entire three book series, what happens if the first book doesn't sell? That time you spent on the other books is now gone from your life. Please understand I am not just talking about published authors here; I am talking about unpublished authors as well. If you submit to an agent this three book series and we don't like book 1, we are not likely going to say, "Hey, send us the sequel even though we hated the first one."

We have to remember that published authors who do write a series have the added luxury of knowing their established followers might cut them some slack and hold out for that second or third book. They'll look at that weaker first book as "just a bad writing day," and move on. New authors just don't have the flexibility here.

THE POSITIVES
All of these do come from sales. If you can hook that reader in the first one, then you will have them wanting to come back for more. Of course, this does work for non-series books as well. Essentially we are saying, if the readers like your writing in book 1, they will read whatever you throw at them for later books.

As an agent, seeing someone who has carefully planned out a series and who can see things in both the big picture and on the individual level is a great thing. This means we have someone who probably has a lot of productivity in them and we can look to the future and really think through their career.

THE ADVICE
I really do recommend for a lot of newer authors to think really one book at a time. Keep those books at a "stand-alone" level for as long as you can, but....

• Know where the story could go if there is a chance for a follow up.
• Think of the books as a common "theme" and not so much the same setting or characters
• Remember that your authors might not be reading the books in order so keep things flexible
• Let the series come naturally and don't force it.

Potential Pitfalls Of Writing A Series

Before I go to far with this one, let me stress one thing. I am not against series writing. I like a great series with those characters that repeat time and time again and come back for a visit. Unfortunately, for many new authors, I see a huge struggle with writing and planning a series, and most of these problems show up in BOOK ONE!

What we generally see from these beginning authors is an effort to spend far too much time "setting things up" for the later books. They spend huge word counts on giving us the back story for the secondary characters, or creating subplots for those other characters that simply are not the central focus of the Book One story arc.

So what is the problem with this approach? The story itself becomes overly complicated and choppy. There is a huge sense of a lack of continunity in the story. As a reader, this becomes a huge challenge as we try to determine what these other characters and storylines have to do with the main plot. It isn't until the end of the book (if we made it that far) that we find out the other stories will show up in later books.

As stronger approach is to bring those characters into the storyline of Book One but they should only breeze in and out. They may show up to dinner, they may be in Whites having a brandy. They may have been in school together. It doesn't matter how you bring them in or, at some level, how long they stay around. Here is the key though. They do not talk about their own personal problems or stories. This is not the time and place for them to bring in their own personal problems. We simply need to like them for who they are and not what they do.

Just remember to "keep an eye" on your main storyline. If these other characters and plots have nothing to do with the main storyline, then it goes away.

Have a great weekend!

Scott

Writing A Linked Series - Why some work and some don't

Dear Scott,

I am submitting to you a paranormal series called "The Revenge of the Alien Vampire Bunnies." Book 1 is 89,000 words and is titled, "From Fuzzy to World Dominion." I envision this series to be 6-8 books in length....

Wait right there!!!

I see submissions like this all of the time. Writers have been told time and time again that a series really sells. Readers love stories like this. Hey, it worked for Harry Potter, right? Unfortunately, for many authors, writing a linked series is often the death of the writer. The successes they read never make their appearance.

So, why is it that we hear that series writing is so successful? The answer is two-fold. First, the authors crafted a fantastic stand-alone first book and it did well. Secondly, we simply fell in love with the characters and wanted to learn more.

The success of those first books is crucial. Writers, unfortunatly, have set in their head this over-all series that when it comes to the first book, the focus is not there. Instead, the writer is looking too far into the future and the end result is that book 1, instead of being a strong start, is nothing more than a slow beginning and an information dump for things that are going to happen in the later books. Writers take far too much time trying to establish relationships and to set up secondary characters for the later books. As a result, those characters become too dominant and over-shadow the storyline for the protagonists in the first book. We don't end up loving the characters enough because there simply become too many issues to think about.

The other issue is that because the first book isn't that strong, all of that hard work for the later books is a complete waste. At nationals, I had an author pitching a 6 book series. Wow, that's a big challenge. But here is where the pitch falls apart. The first book really wasn't a stand alone. We needed to read the other books for the things that were set up in book 1 to make sense. Needless to say, this story becomes a "sorry, but I can't take it." The story was simply too co-dependent on the other books in the series.

What you will find is that a strong series just happens. You write a strong book and focus your attention that book alone. Secondary characters pop up and you have fun with them in the story. They pass in and out of the storyline doing exactly what supporting characters should do - support!

Now, when you pitch the book, you can discuss that if the editor or agent likes the additional books, there are potential spin-offs from the other characters or the unique location.

So, is series writing bad? No. Is the approach that many authors take for writing a series bad? Yes!

Scott

Planning a Series Can Be Dangerous

"...I am planning this book to be a part of a 3-5 book series..."

It is almost a certainty that 1 out of 5 submissions that cross my desk have a statement such as this. Writers want desperately to have a series of books that are all interconnected with one another. They have heard, as have I, many professionals talk about the selling power of a series. While this is true, planning a series is not as easy as you may think.

In many cases, I end up rejecting stories that are a part of a series simply because the writes have spent so mucgh time making sure the pieces are in place for the later books that the first book becomes nothing more than the opening chapters to the other books. In simple terms, book 1 is an information dump.

The other thing we often see is a first book that has inserted too many characters. While the number of characters is not a major problem, the issue comes from secondary characters that are too invasive. The writer again is working too hard to make them likeable because "they have their own story they want to tell." Again, too much information in the beginning.

Now, let's return to the selling power of a series. Why does a series work so well? The first book is so amazing the readers want to see a lot more. The readers beg for more. All of the information dumping a writer does simply ruins our desire to read more.

My simple solution? Don't plan on a series. Think of ways it could expand, but don't plan on it.

Have a great weekend. Don't shop too much today. If you do go shopping, don't forget to go out and buy a book. No used books, buy these new. Support your local author.

Scott

Should I Write a Three-Book Series?

We hear this all of the time. Publishers will offer 2 and 3 book contracts to authors with their first book. This is fabulous. We love it when someone loves our work. So, if this is the case, should a new author start out planning for this? Should new authors write a series? In my humble opinion, I would say no.

Sure, as readers we love to see a series. We love when characters come back time and time again for a little visit or a chat. One of my favorites is Andrew Greeley who does this not just with one series but with serveral. Characters jump back and forth between each series. It's great. But for a new author, that series approach is probably not the best option.

But why Scott? Why?

The simple fact is that a publisher, when they release a book of a new author is taking a chance. It is a gamble to see if what the author did, and what they did will work. The hope is, the author is a huge success and they can move on. However, time and time again, there are those books that just don't make it. For whatever reason. Now, when this happens, no one is going to want to read the next book in the series. We won't just "hope" the next one is better.

For a new writer, I strongly encourage him or her to think about how this book could go to a series, but the second and third book should be stand alone novels, also with potential spin-offs. In this way, when I pitch something, and something just doesn't work, I have some additional ideas that might catch the attention of the editor. As for the editor, if he or she signs that person, they have even more options to work with.

There is another level to this that just came up recently with a new author. This person did have a series, and had already self-published the first book. Please note I said self-published. Now she was trying to find a home for books 2-5. The problem is that, although she had the rights to the later books (obviously since they had not been bought yet), the characters and settings were still attached to the prior book's contract. In the end, there was nothing that could be done.

Look, a series is great, but remember, wasting time on a project that needs to have the first book sell to be worth anything simply is poor time management.

Scott

An extension from Chuck Sambuchino's blog

Guide to Literary Agents: "Thursday, June 18, 2009
Don't Put All Your Eggs in One Basket By Writing Only One Book
Posted by Chuck


At a recent writers' conference in New York, I was asked by someone in the audience to give my best pieces of advice. Thinking fast, I ended up throwing out four tips. One of those tips was 'Don't put all your eggs in one basket.'

In my mind, if you have written only one novel or memoir, you are setting yourself up for disappointment."

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I have to say, Chuck is so right on the money with this one, but I think I want to extend on this thought a bit.

I see a lot of authors putting all of their eggs into a single series and hoping for the best. This goes for both new and old authors. While this idea does sound appealing and yes, there are indeed successful authors doing this and yes, readers like to follow familes or lines, there is a limit. This line can only go so far.

This weekend I was at a swim meet and there was some 50's music playing. It got me thinking about HAPPY DAYS and then it got me thinking about how the show really died out in the end. Then it got me thinking about all of those other shows that were set in schools or a specific time period. (Where are you going to with this, Scott?) The point is, the show could only go so far before we got tired of it.

Think of it...

90210 - Hey they got out of college. What next?
HAPPY DAYS - Life around the Cunninghams just wasn't fun anymore as we watched Fonzie come home from work teaching at a high school?
The Wonder Years - Once we established the relationship, there was nothing left.
Cosby Show - Ugh, all of the kids are in school and gone. Nothing happening around the house.

The thing is, work with that series but know when you are planning to stop. At the same time, start thinking about new ideas and new directions to take your writing. No, this does not mean another series with the characters doing the same thing. Your reminder on this one? Joannie Loves Chachie horribly failed.

Scott

Writing a series

Editors love doing three and four book contracts so write a series...

I hear this all of the time from writers. While the first part of this idea is correct for the most part, using the series approach is always a tough one. I have talked about this before but I want to give you a new twist on this style of writing.

When you are writing a series, obviously you are planning on having the same characters continue to the next several books. This is great for the readers since we have hopefully fallen in love with the secondary characters in book 1 enough to want to know more. But here is the problem. When writers begin this series, they try too hard to get all of the pieces of the puzzle in the first book so that the other stories already have the back story needed to work out the other plots.

When a writer does this, the story simply becomes too cumbersome. We have information that we as readers really don't need until later books, and the author is asking us to keep this information in our heads until we get to book 2. Ugh, what if we don't even make it to book 2? What if book 2 gets restructured by the editor and now that information isn't necessary? What if when you are writing book 2, the story takes a different approach?

I think the second issue with trying to link a series this much is that it becomes repetitive to the reader. We see this a lot with siblings. There are three sisters and they are all going to have their season. Guess what? Book 2 and 3 will be the same as 1 with the exception of a slight plot twist. Seen it done it.

A recommendation I always make to new writers is to think of each book 100% as a stand alone story. When pitching to an agent or editor, discuss how you have other stories in this genre that would also tie in great, due to the voice, style or issue, but still keeping the ideas individual. If you do have stories that are linked, work with the secondary characters that play a significant role in the lives of the main character and then, when their story comes up, get them away from the first characters. Create their own story. Again, by taking this approach, you can really think of a unique story that is linked not by plot but by theme.

Scott