Writing a Series

Have you ever wondered how a writer becomes involved in writing a series? Have you ever wondered how they can start writing a series and just take the book from one sold-out novel to the next or from one best seller to the next?

The reason the more successful series are so successful is because the writer took the time to sit down beforehand and plan out the series from the starting gate so to speak. The writer had a rough outline of how the first book would fit into the second and how the third book in the series would spin off of the first two. The more successful series are well planned from the conception of the first idea of book one.

Writing a series is very challenging for all parties concerned. The writer must be in tune with what the publisher and editor will want and the editor must be in tune with what they can expect from the writer in all stages of the work in progress. The writer will need to gain experience from each stage to successfully take the book from one book in the series to the next and be able to blend them all together while keeping a reader’s attention guaranteeing future sales for the work in progress.

Thoughtful planning is crucial for a successful series to take place and the best thing to do when planning a series is to listen to the advice of your editor and your publisher. Pick up a couple of series to see how the authors of different series was able to take the reader from one book and story to the other while not losing a reader who missed the first book or missed one book in the series.

Writing a series is fun and can lead to one of the most successful works in the author’s lifetime. If in doubt, look at the series of Nancy Drew, Harry Potter and the Hardy Boys and you’ll know that books in a series is a profitable venture.