I’m at a point where I’m wondering if I need to stop labeling my books A Bone Secrets Novel. My publisher loves series titles and even though my books are all stand alones with different main characters, I wonder if I’m hurting future sales by having a series title. At my request, my books are not labeled with numbers. I believe when a reader sees a book labeled #4, they pass it by because they automatically think, “I haven’t read the first three and will be lost if I buy this book.”
But when readers see my series name, A Bone Secrets Novel, do they think they need to read the earlier books first? What ties my books together is the variety of forensics professions that I highlight in each book. And my main character had a secondary role in a previous book. Now I just wrote a book that has no forensics; it’s FBI centered, but the main character has been a big secondary character in three previous books. Should it have the same series name?
By using a new series title, would I open my books up for new readers? I’m toying with the idea of a similar series title, like A ____ Secrets Novel.
Sue Grafton’s Alphabet series, JD Robb’s In Death series, and JR Ward’s Black Dagger series are all going great guns. Proof that a series works. BUT I think these are more the exception than the rule; there are plenty of series that have fizzled.
A benefit of writing a series is that if a reader gets one out of order and loves it, they often go back and buy the rest of the books. But wouldn’t they consider buying your backlist anyway?
Decisions, decisions.
When do you give up on a series? What is your favorite series that you grab as soon as you see it without reading the back cover?
Kendra Elliot is the best-selling author of the romantic suspense novels HIDDEN, CHILLED, and BURIED. ALONE coming January 2014. She lives in the rainy Pacific Northwest, but dreams of living at the beach on Kauai.
I have given up on several series. Sue Grafton’s Alphabet series after letter T I think. I just couldn’t get into the book. I gave up on Elizabeth George’s books, not because I didn’t like them but because I got away from reading heavier books due to life. I will automatically buy the In Death books, because I read everything JD Robb/Nora Roberts writes. I have started small series in the middle of them because I’ve picked up the book and been intrigued by the blurb on the back. More often than not I will go and buy the books I’ve missed in the series if I have enjoyed the book I picked up.
You stuck with Sue’s for a long time! I haven’t read any of them. I’m way behind on JD Robb.
I give up on a series when the heroine is turned into a ghost cough:ward:cough: So a very poorly written and disappointing entry in a series is enough to make me say ‘enough’.
If a book I was looking at says for example, A Bone Secrets Novel, I will go the the author’s website and do a bit of research to see if they stand alone or need to be read in order – yes, I am an anal-read-in-order gal! If I was in a bookshop and read that on the cover – yes, I would pop it back until I was able to do some online research!
Ghost! Yes! How weird was that?? And that’s exactly what I needed to know, Willa. I think a lot of people shop that way.
Interesting question. I am writing three series right now. I write them because I like to write series that are connected. Continuing characters get to keep living and growing. Loyal readers seem to like returning.
With Cardwell Ranch, they are loosely tied via the Cardwell family.
With the Whitehorse, Montana series, all the books take place in or around Whitehorse. Some of the books though were tied together more closely as six-book mini series with small cliffhangers from each book.
With the Beartooth, Montana series I have continuing characters as well as the town connecting them.
They are all stand alone books. But I think there will be those readers who feel they have missed something and not want to start at the beginning of the series. It’s a tough decision.
Given how many writers are doing series from Patterson to George, I’d say there must be a lot of readers who like them.
Have you ever had a later book in a series outsell the first? And I agree that readers love series.
I have had later books outsell the first a lot. But then the first books in the series gradually catch up. So series are good for sales.
I love series. I am also a read in order girl, so I might buy the book when I pick it up in the store, but will definitely figure out where it falls in the order.
Good to know, Toni, thank you!
When a series gets to the point that I can *insert H/H name here* and essentially be reading the same book, I quit. It’s happened. As a reader, I tend to want to start at the beginning, even if the books are stand alone. If I grab a book in the middle, and I enjoy it, I’ll go back and scarf up the backlist, so I want to KNOW it’s part of series. But I’m weird like that. 😀
As an author, I have fans of my Moonstruck series who bug me almost daily for more, even after six books–and I hadn’t “plotted” for more. My new series is starting slow, but that’s okay. I have faith in it. In the meantime, yeah, there are now more Moonstruck books on the drawing board. 😆
It’s great when fans want more. Especially when they’ve connected to a certain character and want to know more about that one’s life. I know exactly what you mean by the *insert H/H here.* Good luck with both series!
Series are good to a point. I like series that have stand alone books more then just a continuation of the same character over and over. I have stopped reading some series where I just got tired of the main characters who did not seem to learn from past books.
And short series are always good, as long as you know there is a true conclussion.
I do the same thing with television series. Best example is CSI I stopped watching it 3 years ago because I could tell you who did it after 20 minutes as the plots although different follow a pattern.
I’m always stunned by writers who can write about the same character for dozens of books. Keeping a character and the storyline fresh isn’t easy. “Series are good to a point.” I’m trying to figure out where my point is!
Personally, I think series should have a defined arc. The Lucky series that I’m writing now I know when the last book is and what the conclusion of the series will be. I do believe there is “series burnout” both for the writer and the readers.
My next series is set in Sonoma and I’m currently writing the first in that series, Crushed. and I know there will be four books in the series. I love continuing characters, but I also think they need to grow and change and then we all need to move on at some point.
My tolerance seems to be around six or seven books then I want something new.
I’m stunned that you know there will be four books in your series. It’s hard for me to see beyond the book I’m currently writing. And I never lock myself into anything when I think the road could possibly change. I admit this has caused me some issues when I won’t commit to a character or storyline, wondering if something better will suddenly pop in my head. For the first time, I think I know who and what my next book will be about…unless that changes!
I think I just see the stories/series in full arcs. The themes are very important to me (I’m really writing more women’s fiction than mystery, to be honest–the dead bodies are just devices to keep the narrative drive). And, when I full render that theme, I’m ready to move on. So, I do figure it out in advance…..sort of anal retentive but consistent with my personality.
Unfortunately, I tend to read some series far longer than I should. I hate to give up on something and always think the next book will be better. A certain series in your photo is one of them. I have the latest, but I gave up on the one before it and didn’t like the previous 2 or 3, but the latest couple intrigued me. Making me more willing to give it another try.
I do enjoy series though, especially when the main characters remain the main characters instead of there being a new couple in each book with the previous couples hardly ever mentioned…is that a true series? Not to me. If characters were great once, why wouldn’t it be great to see more adventures with them, especially in mysteries as sleuthing duo/group?
That’s my definition of a series, too: same main characters. But I think it’s grown commonplace to call it a series when the main characters rotate into place from their previous role as secondary characters. I often call mine a “related” series because I have different main characters in each one. I’m behind in the above pictured series…I can’t remember where I left off. But something just hasn’t been the same in the last few books. And the new series hasn’t hooked me.
I am happy to read a book in the middle of a series. Sometimes book 1 is not always the strongest work, even though it comes first. I have burned out on several series after the plots became repetitive. I find this happens more often when the main character is the same throughout books.
It’s so hard to keep those plots fresh sometimes!
I never read a book that is part of a series–or even just a connected world–out of order except by accident.
I do tend to like the limited series. I agree that six or eight seems to be a good number. Otherwise repetition seems to set in and things get stale.
As to your note about numbering – I would love this! It bugs me to have to go digging online to see the order of a series I’m interested in. For connected world book I would love to see a page in the beginning or end that listed all the books in the world in the order they were written.
I think you’re right about the six or eight. Few series stay fresh after that.
I usually am super excited by a series, and then at some point I fall off the wagon. I still love the characters Roarke and Eve from the J. D. Robb books, but I went on hiatus . Just recently I started rereading them.
I am a fan of Julie James’s contemporary romance series FBI/ US Attorneys. Book number 4 is due in March or April. I am hoping it will be just as good as the others. But by book 4 there is definitely a possibility I will be burned out. 4-6 sounds like a good number to me. But what if an author wants to quit, but fans want the author to continue the series?
Julie James writes great contemporaries!
A fan can’t push an author to write a book. It takes soooo much time and effort and brain power. If the author’s heart isn’t in it, it won’t happen unless the publisher is snapping their fingers for the book. But I know a lot of authors who’ve picked up old series once they were emotionally ready again. Or self-published a continuation of an old series that lost support of the publisher.
I read more series than stand-alones. If I buy a book and find outbit’s not this first in series I will go back and get the first books. I have to read things in order. It drives me crazy not to. I’ve found some of my fave authors by picking up a random book of there’s and then going back and getting all there books in order. I give up on a series when it seems like its getting repetitive like the Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich…
I’m the same way. I like to read them in order. I think the last series I read out of order was Stephanie Lauren’s Cynsters. I think I started on like number ten. But I went back and bought every one but couldn’t find them in order, so I read them as they came! Before Amazon made ordering so easy.
I LIKE BOOKS THAT STAND ALONE. If I like the book, I look to see what the author has also written. IF ITS A SERIES I feel I must start with the first book. SO THANK YOU FOR WRITING BOOKS THAT STAND ALONE.
I try to make my books stand alone. Because characters do show up in multiple books, you’ll know more about what makes them tick if you read them in order, but I try not to leave anyone confused.
I’ve given up on several, but won’t name them, let’s just say that for me when the plots and characters start to blend into one, I move on or worse the characters don’t grow and move one.
Karin, I hope you do more historicals!
Debra Webb’s The Faces of Evil, so far 6 books and a novella, but there will be 12; Laura Griffin’s Tracers series and there are 8 books so far; Christy Reece’s Last Chance Rescue series and there are 10 to date; Allison Brennan’s Lucy Kinkaid series and book 8 is coming out next month;Lena Diaz’s The Nursery Rhyme Series which has 3 books; Melinda Leigh’s two series, She Can and there are 3 books so far; the Midnight series only has 2 to date;and, your Bone Secrets series. I am sure that there are others that I can’t remember! I love series. I think as long as they are connected and characters from earlier books appear sometimes, it’s great. Actually, in some ways, I think a series can be beneficial. If I like the series, I will automatically get it. But, there also are authors whose books that I will automatically get as well.
Part of the challenge of a series, I think, is to find ways to challenge the main character in new ways while carrying forward familiar elements readers will enjoy (region, occupation, etc.).
I’ve read series that focus consistently on one main character (or two) as well as those that seem to shift the main character into secondary roles as the series progresses. If the new characters are sufficiently compelling I’ll stay with it.
I do see quite a few series out there, but I’ve also noticed what appears to be a rise in the trilogy. Perhaps a trilogy is one way to avoid the potential for series burnout.