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What the heck have I done? Ugh...
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Erin
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May 17, 2017 01:06AM
It seems that according to some of my reviews I have mistakenly given the impression that my Blaque Beauty novellas are a series and not a collection. In a book world heavy on series it is my fault for not making it crystal clear the all the books in the collection are stand alones with a completely different storyline and set of characters each time. Aside from changing the title on Amazon what to do? And change it to what? I still want people to be able to see that there are more books in the collection. Ugh. The second novella will be released soon and I'll probably have people saying why is she on a Montana ranch now?? From the first novella I've got people who want to know what Marlee and Marc get up to next. He!!, I'd like to know too!
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That being said- I am not the norm- people get attached to characters and want to revisit them as if they are real people. Look at spinoffs on tv and movies. It's a phenomen. But, the recapp of the story has to be done delicately otherwise it's so boring to keep recounting what happened in the last books- if it can be done in the least amount of words, it can be pulled off. In addition, they readers get annoyed if it is not a stand-alone as well- A most delicate balance.
Erin wrote: "It seems that according to some of my reviews I have mistakenly given the impression that my Blaque Beauty novellas are a series and not a collection. In a book world heavy on series it is my fault..."I have the same issue with my Det. Louis Martelli, NYPD, series. The books really are NOT a series in the sense they must be read in order. The fact is, they can be enjoyed in any order, and I say so on my Website.
The beauty of billing your books as a series, however, is that Amazon will let you group them as such on their site and will feature the series as a separate Webpage. Under these circumstances, a reader viewing one of the books in your series will be tipped off to the fact there are others. Take a look here, for example:
https://www.amazon.com/Shadows-Detect...
Do you see the series being touted with its own Webpage? There's a separate "series" page for both Kindle and paperback.
Just my opinion - too many people confuse 'series' with 'serial.' What you describe, standalones which can be read in any order, are a series. Those which are NOT standalones and should/must be read in order are serials.I usually end up reading series out of order. The only series I can recall off the top of my head that I have read in order is Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series. That's due to the length of time between books. As for serials, which are almost exclusively ebooks, if the storyline is intriguing enough, I may read one (usually the first and which is usually free), but not the rest. As soon as I hit the cliffhanger, I'm done. Reading the reviews on Amazon, it's evident I'm not the only one.
Sandy wrote: "Just my opinion - too many people confuse 'series' with 'serial.' What you describe, standalones which can be read in any order, are a series. Those which are NOT standalones and should/must be rea..."Excellent point! I remember the serials we used to see in the movie theaters when I was a kid...you always wanted to come back the following Saturday to see what happened to the hero. Like you, there's no way I'd buy into one of those today.
You are correct about the difference between series and serials. I've read plenty of series that are standalone books featuring the same characters, they show the history but are ok to read out of order. I have a thing about reading in chronological order so I tend to follow from the beginning rather than dive in halfway through.
I wouldn't worry too much about it Erin. Most people will be able to tell from the blurb that the new book has nothing to do with the old book aside from being part of a thematic collection. I'm sure your readers will be okay with it :)And hey if there's a market for more Marlee and Marc...that's not a bad thing right?
While I would LIKE to read series books in order, it's not always possible, Here are some examples of where I came into a series. JR Ward's Black Dagger Brotherhood - #14
Lora Leigh's Breeds - #29
Sherrilyn Kenyon's Dark Hunter - #24
Sherrilyn Kenyon's The League - #6
Each of these is a standalone with enough in it to entice me to go looking for others in those series. Amazon is handy, but I like to patronize my local bookstore (which is over an hour's drive away) when I can.
As Eldon says, I wouldn't worry about it. If someone picks up #4 and likes it, they'll go looking for others.
I think a simple note at the bottom of your blurb on the Amazon listing would clear it up. "Book 2 in the Blaque Beauty Collection. Each book is a STANDALONE novella, CLIFFHANGER FREE with an HEA."
