Writing a book is a major accomplishment. It takes hundreds of hours to write a single manuscript. Discipline, consistency, and willpower are essential if one is to sit in front of a computer screen and write a story from start to finish. It’s hard work, to say the least.
Now imagine writing an entire book series. It’s a daunting task, but there are a few benefits to writing a book series that is critical for an author’s growth.
- A book series increases your sales- This is probably a no-brainer, but many authors write one book and forget about the back end of future transactions. The first book is a great way to market the second and third books. It acts as the hook in the series. People become dedicated to the characters and want to know their fates. Keep in mind that hardcore readers will buy all three books at once. The period between books is an eternity to avid readers, especially die-hard fans if you are an established author. Also, publishers make more money off of a book series. If they like the initial book and want to publish it, they will want to publish the other two books.
- A series of books helps you establish yourself as an author- Multiple books give you more authority and helps you build a better portfolio. This also gives you more credibility.
- You can build a bigger audience with a book series- The more books you have out there the greater chance you have at reaching a lot of people. One book in circulation isn’t as good as three books in circulation. A person may read the second book and be compelled to search for the first and third books. It opens up so much more when you have multiple books.
- It’s easier to write the second book- When you write the first book you can set up the infrastructure for the second book. You can just build from the ideas in your first novel. The previous story will give the backstory for the next book. When you eventually set out to write the next book you’ll already have an idea of where to start and what to write. Also, book series have recurring characters so it saves you some of the stress of having to generate an entire list of new characters. You walk in the door with at least a quarter of the foundation for your project. A lot of stuff may change, but that’s good. Change is good.
In conclusion, although it is a very daunting task, the benefits of writing a book series far outweigh the cons.
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