Robert
asked
R.J. Anderson:
It seems like many of your newer series are topping at two books instead of three. What is the main factor for publishers on deciding that? Is it related to the cost of a third book or the additional time to write a third book? I suppose if you "simply" doubled the size of the 2nd book to include the content of the 3rd book, the only people that would love it are your fans. Or imagine: Book 2, Parts 1 and 2. :)
R.J. Anderson
Hi, Robert, thanks for asking! I can't speak directly for any of my publishers, as I only know what they tell me and they don't always choose to disclose all their reasons and rationales for offering two-book contracts rather than three. All I can do is try be flexible and take nothing for granted when it comes to planning out a proposed series!
As it happens, I have never sold more than two books at a time. My first two faery books were sold to both the US and the UK with the understanding that I wanted to write a third book to round off the series but that would depend on the sales figures of the first two. Ultimately the UK was pleased enough with the success of KNIFE and REBEL to offer me another two-book contract which enabled me to write ARROW and SWIFT (and a little after that, NOMAD); but my US publisher wasn't interested in any more books, which left ARROW without a North American home until Enclave Books bought the US paperback rights to all three and published them as a trilogy a couple of years ago.
In the case of ULTRAVIOLET/QUICKSILVER, I only ever planned two books from the beginning, so there was never a third to publish... even though a lot of my readers who are used to trilogies were quite puzzled by that, and I still get the occasional note asking about it.
As for the POCKET FULL OF MURDER duology, I did originally propose three books but the publisher wasn't sure how the first two would sell, so they offered a two-book contract instead. As a result I smooshed my ideas for Book Two and Book Three into one, which became A LITTLE TASTE OF POISON. I don't really feel anything important was lost in the process, though -- I managed to wrap things up just the way I'd wanted to, even if I didn't get there by the route I'd originally imagined.
In short, publishing is a tough and uncertain business, and unless you are already a well-known and successful author and/or have a really fabulous high-concept idea that your publisher feels confident will be a hit, it's unlikely they'll offer a three-book contract right out of the gate. I've also seen people who *did* get contracted for a trilogy have the third book pulled out from under them at the last minute, which I think would be MUCH more awful than only being offered two books in the first place! That's never happened to me yet and I hope it never does.
As it happens, I have never sold more than two books at a time. My first two faery books were sold to both the US and the UK with the understanding that I wanted to write a third book to round off the series but that would depend on the sales figures of the first two. Ultimately the UK was pleased enough with the success of KNIFE and REBEL to offer me another two-book contract which enabled me to write ARROW and SWIFT (and a little after that, NOMAD); but my US publisher wasn't interested in any more books, which left ARROW without a North American home until Enclave Books bought the US paperback rights to all three and published them as a trilogy a couple of years ago.
In the case of ULTRAVIOLET/QUICKSILVER, I only ever planned two books from the beginning, so there was never a third to publish... even though a lot of my readers who are used to trilogies were quite puzzled by that, and I still get the occasional note asking about it.
As for the POCKET FULL OF MURDER duology, I did originally propose three books but the publisher wasn't sure how the first two would sell, so they offered a two-book contract instead. As a result I smooshed my ideas for Book Two and Book Three into one, which became A LITTLE TASTE OF POISON. I don't really feel anything important was lost in the process, though -- I managed to wrap things up just the way I'd wanted to, even if I didn't get there by the route I'd originally imagined.
In short, publishing is a tough and uncertain business, and unless you are already a well-known and successful author and/or have a really fabulous high-concept idea that your publisher feels confident will be a hit, it's unlikely they'll offer a three-book contract right out of the gate. I've also seen people who *did* get contracted for a trilogy have the third book pulled out from under them at the last minute, which I think would be MUCH more awful than only being offered two books in the first place! That's never happened to me yet and I hope it never does.
More Answered Questions
Mohammed Ibrahim
asked
R.J. Anderson:
I'm a future fan.. but first need to actually read your books. Don't get me wrong, I want to read your Swift series, however couldn't find it on Scribd.com . Is it actually true that your books are not there on Scribd?!? If true, that would be sorely disappointing. Yours Respectfully, Hopefully Waiting..
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