Would you read a book series?

[Lorraine]

Not only do I love series, but I tend to choose books that are part of a series instead of a standalone, it's like reading one long novel. The longer the better.

[Martyn]

Sheri C wrote: "My time is limited and a book series is a big commitment."

Most series I read have a first book that can be read as a stand alone, so if that book fails to draw you in, you don't need to read the series.

[SheriC]

Martyn V. wrote: "Most series I read have a first book that can be read as a stand alone, so if that book fails to draw you in, you don't need to read the series.
"

Martyn, I think that's true for many series, especially in the mystery and thriller genres where each book is its own story, tied together with recurring characters. I've seen it in fantasy as well, where the tie-in is the constructed world. I'm willing to take a risk with part one of a series, when that first book is a stand-alone. If I like the world and characters, I'd be willing to continue investing in the series.

What I'm adverse to is exactly what several respondents in this thread described, where the contained story is planned as a trilogy, which by its very nature introduces plots and story lines that are meant to draw you in but are left unresolved at the end of the first book. According to the discussion here, some of this is driven by the ebook format, where some people are willing to buy a short cheap incomplete book but not a longer, more expensive, fully completed story. I'm just not one of those readers.

The problem is, how can you know in advance if Book #1 of the series is a stand-alone or a story fragment? That's not usually something I find in a synopsis or book review, which is why I don't take risks with unknowns and depend on information from trusted people who have already read it.

[Paganalexandria]

Harrison wrote: "Definitely a bit cynical. A sly way to make money? I wish. I write for the love, any money that comes in is great, but it is very little and may never compensate the years or money invested to brin..."

I read a lot of series, but totally get the original posters point on the recent serial craze. I refuse to buy, or support those single books that are being split into 8 parts, and charged separately for each 20 page section. I don't care about the why, reasoning, or explanation for it. It's ludicrous.

[Amber]

I had no idea this one-book-in-eight-parts thing was going on. I thought that a series should be written in a manner that allowed a reader to pick up any book in the series and have a full experience that was neither clogged with backstory nor dependent on reading the rest of the series. I have given up on reading series in which the author swamps the reader with backstory, loved those that don't. Nevada Barr is the best I've read for making each book stand alone. There is the flow of the protagonist's life from book to book, but each plot and setting is unique. Oddly enough, the less the author tries to make me have to read the rest of the books, the more I want to.