How many books does it take...?

[Joe]

Curious for some opinions as to how many books you like to see in a series before you're willing to get invested. Given how many books that get self-published all have [Series #1] after the title, and how few seem to actually ever see sequels, are you hesitant to pick up a series before you see a few books?

There are no wrong answers here, I'm just asking for opinions. How do you view series as a reader?

[Jim]

I usually wait until all the books of a trilogy or series have been published before purchasing them, so I can read them in sequence, one after another.

There were two exceptions to that self-imposed rule:

The Dark Tower Series Stephen King. Thirty years passed from the publication of the first book to the publication of the seventh and final book of the series.

The Game of Thrones series. I've read the first five books. Still waiting for the author to finish writing the promised sixth and seventh.

[Samantha]

Typically, I also wait until I see a few. Mostly due to the fact that if there is too much time between publishing the continuations I tend to forget details about the story. I like to find a series that is either completed, or near completion, and then read them back to back! :)

[J.D.]

As a reader, at least 2 with a third in the near future. I hate to get invested in characters and a storyline and have it just end or have to wait a long time.

But as a writer, I understand how long it takes to write, edit, & polish a manuscript. I think a year between each installment is enough time. Longer than that and people have moved on and lose interest.

My book #2 is being released on Tuesday (Yay!) and I'm already into book #3. I've noticed a TON of books that were released in 2012 or earlier that claim to be part of a series, yet there is only one. :/

[Joe]

J.D.W. wrote: "My book #2 is being released on Tuesday (Yay!) and I'm already into book #3. I've noticed a TON of books that were released in 2012 or earlier that claim to be part of a series, yet there is only one. "

Nice! Congratulations and good luck! I just finished the rough draft of my third earlier today. My goal is to get them out with 6-9 months between, and having 2 already complete gives me a good head start.

[Lenita]

I'm at about the same spot. #2 came out this year. I'm working on number 3. It will take a little longer than 9 months.

[Effie]

I think the situation is that with all the promotion we need to do, it keeps us from writing. I've been itching to sit down and write the second in my saga, but I have been doing nothing other than trying to get my book noticed and reviewed. There are only so many hours in a day, and like many of us, we have day jobs. I plan to start writing in a couple of weeks, hopefully without distraction.

[Joe]

That's something I've been wondering, too, Effie: whether releasing more books in the series works as better promotion than all the self-promoting we usually do.

[J.D.]

I've always heard the way to sell your first book is by releasing your second book. And so on...

[Theresa]

J.D.W. wrote: "As a reader, at least 2 with a third in the near future. I hate to get invested in characters and a storyline and have it just end or have to wait a long time.
...My book #2 is being released on Tuesday (Yay!) and I'm already into book #3."

Congrats J.D.W. I wish you the best of luck! I have realized I have more patience with a series than I did when I was younger now that I am writing my own.

I am final editing/polishing book 2 for a scheduled Halloween debut as long as all goes well. Book 3 ... well, that is still at least a year, maybe a little more out. It still needs several rounds of edits before it is ready.

[Effie]

My very good friend, Alison Caiola, wrote Seeds of a Daisy. It took a while to get it to a high ranking, but it got there. Promoting the second book in the series, and doing a giveaway for a brief time for the first book, made her sales soar. The people that got the book for free purchased the second book. Many who didn't end up getting the first one for free bought both. She did very well with it and it continues to do well.

[Lenita]

That's good to hear. I'm planning on doing something similar.

[[deleted user]]

With the exception of Game of Thrones, by the time I hear about a series, it is usually well-established. But if I get a good recommendation, I would start reading with even one book.

[Effie]

I think you need to make the first book survive as a stand alone. My book is the first in a saga. But I tie up the story. If I didn't write another one, the reader would be satisfied. If you leave the reader hanging for a very long time, it's frustrating, and eventually they will lose interest.

[K.P.]

i feel sorry for SIGNET (the most unlikely beginnings). i originally had 6 books carefully planned and written and each book was to come out every july. its been two years but the gremlins love to hate on that particular series and eat it constantly. i have rewritten that damn series in more ways than i can count... -_-

i write multiple series and have them rotting on my HD as i edit them and getting around to releasing them into the wild. at least they are already complete... just saving for ISBNs for them all (i have 80 altogether... so i have quite a bit of time. and no i couldn't afford a block lolz)

[Joe]

Depending on how you're publishing, you can get ISBNs for free.

[Kristofer]

Yeah the release of the second book seems where people are seeing the most success. I am completing limited promotion up on my first that released August 1st an am going to start writing the second here in a couple of days. Once that is done, the first one will be free, and hopefully it will take off from there.

Now I am just trying to decide if I should get involved in Kindle Unlimited and shun the other sales outlets. Sales have been LOW through everything except Amazon.

[Joe]

I had the same experience, Kristofer. Had zero sales through the other channels so I said "why not" and just went full KDP Select.

I'm hearing a lot of good feedback on releasing a second book and making the first free for a few days when the second goes live. I think I may move up my release date for the second book.

[K.P.]

i buy my isbns so they will be published by my company majestik multimedia. when i first started i used free ones (cs and lulu) until i could afford it. also stores i solicited to sell my books refused ones made with free isbns.
so thats why my releases are slow... i tend to wait until i have sold a few copies to buy my next one. so far im doing well able to push 4 a year.

[Joe]

I can imagine, they were pricey when I looked them up.

[K.D.]

Remember going to book stores and looking for a new book, picking one that sounded good, reading it and waiting a year or more for the sequel? I think we have been spoiled by the sheer abundance of books to be able to say that we'll wait until a series is complete before giving it a try. I am about to release my first novel NYV: PUNK, over 300 pages, and am busting my hump to get the next installment finished quickly for just that reason. I'm 14k words in and am trying very hard to make sure that the quality doesn't suffer from the shortened deadline.