Series? Stand Alone Books? What Should You Write? Guest Post by Alex J. Cavanaugh

Guys! Today we have a super star in our midst! Alex J. Cavanaugh, the Ninja Captain himself, is here to help us understand the differences between a series and standalone books. Don't forget to check out his latest release, Dragon of the Stars.

Take it away, Alex!

The Differences Between a Series and a Stand Alone Book
Thank you for having me today, Julie!
What is the difference between a series and a standalone book? Which is better? Now that I have written both, I can offer some tips. (Although technically, I have written two standalone books, as I never intended to write a sequel to my first book.) There is a distinct difference and advantages to both.
Let me show you advantages and disadvantages:
Series –
Disadvantages:
Making the following stories fresh and newKeeping the timeline and details straightMaintaining excitement throughout the series
Advantages:
Characters and world are familiarBuilt in fan baseCan expand on the world and charactersLess research
Standalone –
Disadvantages:
Starting from scratch with world buildingNew characters to developMore difficult to pitch, including to fans
Advantages:
Fresh start and no boundariesStory wraps up with one book – no cliffhangersCan pour everything into just one book
As you can see, they both have their good and bad points. Which one we write depends on what we are trying to accomplish. Do we want an expanding universe? Do we want the freedom of exploring new ideas? It’s all up to the writer.
It’s the difference between a movie versus a television show. A movie is (usually) self-contained. The storyline wraps up at the end and the character arc is complete. With a television series, the overall story is never-ending. The writers can continue for as long as fresh ideas come to them.
With my Cassa series, while I didn’t originally intend to continue past the first book, I was able to come up with fresh new stories that would stretch the main character, Byron. Each book concludes a character arc, but I was able to throw things at Byron that continued to force growth.
Dragon of the Stars was written as one contained story. The changes in the main character, Aden, are so profound that any further growth would be subtle. I could send him on more adventures, but the key moments in his life are held within this one story. Thus, it needs to stand on its own.
Which one is best for you? Well, how far do you want to take the story?
Dragon of the Stars By Alex J. CavanaughScience Fiction – Space Opera/Adventure/MilitaryPrint ISBN 9781939844064 EBook ISBN 9781939844057What Are the Kargrandes? http://whatarethekargrandes.com/
The ship of legends…
The future is set for Lt. Commander Aden Pendar, son of a Hyrathian Duke. Poised to secure his own command and marriage to the queen’s daughter, he’ll stop at nothing to achieve his goals.
But when the Alliance denies Hyrath’s claim on the planet of Kavil and declares war on their world, Aden finds his plans in disarray. Entrenched in battle and told he won’t make captain, Aden’s world begins to collapse. How will he salvage his career and future during Hyrath’s darkest hour?
One chance remains–the Dragon. Lost many years prior, the legendary ship’s unique weapon is Hyrath’s only hope. Can Aden find the Dragon, save his people, and prove he’s capable of commanding his own ship?
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Alex J. Cavanaugh has a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree and works in web design, graphics, and technical editing. Online he is the Ninja Captain and founder of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group. He’s the author of Amazon Best-Sellers CassaStar, CassaFire, and CassaStorm. Blog * Twitter * Insecure Writers Support Group 
Awesome, right? Thanks so much, Alex! Friends, have you written a series? A stand alone book? Which do you prefer?