Writing a Series - Pros and Cons
- authorvalpenny
- Oct 25
- 2 min read
I write two series of books and chose to write my books in series in order to develop my characters. However, I have also written stories with standalone characters and, indeed, all my books can be read in any order as standalone novels.
There are certainly advatages and disadvantages to writing a series or standalones books. I want to explore those here.
Advantages:
For me the big draw for writing a series was the opportunity for character development because writing a series of novels allows me to delve into my characters, their back stories and allow them to evolve going forward. It gives me time and space to explore their motivations, histories, and relationships. I hope this makes them more three-dimensional and engaging for my readers.
I also hope this gives me a loyal readership because if readers enjoy a book in one of my series, they’re likely to seek out the rest of the novels. This can lead to a dedicated fan base that eagerly anticipates each new release. I am lucky, because I believe that has happened for my novels.
Writing series of books also makes my marketing easier. This is because marketing a series can be easier than marketing a standalone book as each book in the series can promote the rest, especially if the covers reflect the continuation of the stories. It allows me to offer promotions, discounts, and bundles to encourage my readers to buy several books.
Disadvantages:
Of course, writing a series of books is a longer committment because it can take a long time to complete the series. I need to know the story arc of the series rather than just one book. Also, I need to maintain consistency throughout the series.
There is also a risk that if a reader doesn't enjoy the first book they read, they will not want to persue other novels in the series. This can lead to fewer sales for later books in the series. so far, that doesn't seem to have happened in relation to my work.
Writing a series can be challenging because as the author I need to maintain my readers' interest throughout multiple books. If my plot or characters become stale, rmy eaders may lose interest in the series. I must work at character development and maintain interesting plots to make sure my readers are rewarded for their loyalty.
I love writing series, but I also enjoy the freedom of creating different characters and scenarios in my standalone short stories.
I'm in full agreement, Val. I, too, have 2 series on the go and, indeed, I retired two of the characters from my espionage series and put them in my new cosy crime series. You're right, it's satisfying to see the characters develop. I learned a lesson from Ian Rankin, who says he inadvertently resurrected, in a later book in his series, a policemen who'd been killed off in an earlier book! I keep a card index with a card for each character, including physical descriptions, birth dates, etc. Wishing you lots of success with your books. Denise