by Melodie Campbell
This month, I will have the privilege of interviewing both Ian Rankin and Linwood Barclay, at separate conferences and festivals. Both are world-renowned crime writers (and wonderfully witty men besides.) As I read through their latest books in order to prepare for being the hostess with the mostess (naughty thoughts aside – that’s a different genre) it occurs to me that they are strikingly different writers in one significant way.
Ian Rankin is best known for his spectacular Rebus police procedural series books now into twenty-plus books.
Linwood (also best-selling and prolific) writes primarily stand-alone novels.
Two great crime writers, two completely separate approaches.
So I got to thinking: Why Write Series Books? And more importantly: Are there reasons why you wouldn’t?
I write primarily series books – three series to date, including The Goddaughter mob caper series. I have half a dozen stand-alones, which gives me something to compare to. One of those six was intended to be a series, but Covid quashed that. No matter, I’m onto another series, this time set in the past.
Why am I writing a series? It’s dead simple. Because my agent wants me to.
Why does she want me to? Here goes:
WHY WRITE SERIES BOOKS?
First and foremost: Money. Publishers love to market a good series because (hopefully) there is an audience built in from the first book. The branding is established. People who bought the first book will buy the second (assuming they liked the first.) And in years to come, people who buy the new release at a festival or launch will hopefully go back and pick up the backlist. (I made a lot of my income from readers picking up my backlist.)
Readers get attached to the characters and want to be with them again for another adventure. And writers? Well, I adore revisiting the characters I came to love in the first book. Sometimes, it’s like they’ve become my friends, welcoming me back to their worlds with open arms. At times, I can’t believe they aren’t real. Nico the metrosexual mob B&E artist from The Goddaughter series, not real? Are you kidding me? Surely, he’s just over the border in The Hammer, breaking into houses, criticizing and editing the décor of all those posh living rooms. He didn’t get the title of The Lone Rearranger for nothing.
You’ve heard writers declare that characters will sometimes take over a book and tell their own story. True, some characters are the bane of my existence, ungrateful whiny creatures who permeate my brain and insist that I tell their stories rather than move on to new projects. So before you decide to write series, make sure you like your characters enough to live another twelve round with them.
BUT SOMETIMES YOU CAN’T
Let me put it this way. Some genres lend themselves to series better than others. Literary does not tend to be a genre for series books, for instance. (Note my point on character arc below.) Where we do tend to find series books is in Mystery, Romance and Fantasy/Sci-fi.
Let’s look at those genres specifically.
SERIES BOOKS IN MYSTERY AND ROMANCE
Series in Mystery and Romance are different from series in Fantasy Sci-fi, because of the rules of the genres.
In Romance, there must be a HEA (happy ever after.) The book must end with the story of the couple getting together romantically. However, you can write a story about their friends…secondary characters who come forward to have their own stories. (This is common in Paranormal Romance. A vampire series may feature a clan of vampires, each of whom finds their own love in successive books.)
In Mystery, the crime must be wrapped up at the end of the book. BUT, you can have the amateur detective or PI or same group of cops go on to solve more crimes in future books.
Example: Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot or Miss Marple. Sherlock Holmes.
Big plus in Mystery: Series books lend themselves to television series! (Especially in Britain, the lucky ducks.) And you don’t need me to tell you that’s where the money is.
That takes care of Mystery. But what about Thrillers?
For that, we need to go back to the differences between Mysteries and Thrillers. Here’s a definition commonly used:
Mystery fiction is a puzzle story
It starts with a murder (or crime) and emphasizes the solving of the crime. The protagonist’s job is to discover who committed the crime and why. The reader and the detective both receive the same information at the same time (anything else is not playing fair.)
Suspense fiction is driven by a ‘character in jeopardy’
A Suspense or Thriller is one in which the main action (crime or murder) has not yet taken place and the culprit may be known or at least suspected. The emphasis is on the tension built by the anticipation of the outcome.
Of course, there is by necessity suspense in mystery novels, and some crossover between the two subgenres of crime. However, it’s easy to see that Thrillers don’t lend themselves to series as easily. If a Thriller is about a character in jeopardy, then it could be stretching the imagination to have the same in character in jeopardy over and over again. Usually, Thrillers are standalone novels. (Think of all the domestic noir, ‘girl on a bus/in the doorway,’ type of novels.)
There are always exceptions to the rule. But generally, if you want to write *series* crime books, you’ll probably want to make your series about a police detective, amateur detective, or private eye, and not about the same unlucky protagonist in continual trouble, book after book.
SERIES BOOKS IN FANTASY/SCI-FI
In Fantasy particularly, successive books carry on the story of the people who were in the first book. They simply move forward in time. Think Game of Thrones. Or my own series starting with Rowena Through the Wall. A better name for these books might be ‘sequels’, although the industry does use the name series.
Big plus in Fantasy/Sci-fi: World-building
My first series, that Rowena one, was epic fantasy. What started as one book ended up a trilogy, a terrific bonus. The world I created had different rules of physics than our world, and specific rules of magic. Once I had gone to all that trouble of world-building, it was a huge relief and time-saver to be able to use the same world for more than one book. Some of my audience stated they loved the world I had created, and wanted to return to it again and again. I wrote short stories set in that world, and plan to return to it shortly. (The 4th book of the Trilogy? Stay tuned! smile)
Seems easy, right? Well hold on right there. Writing series books is hard. Here’s why:
WHY WRITING SERIES BOOKS IS HARD:
- Filling in backstory. In successive books, you have to become really good at giving backstory such that you don’t bore your reader of the earlier books, yet still make it such that new readers to the series can keep up with what’s going on. It’s quite a skill that you learn by doing. See how I handle this in Rowena and the Viking Warlord. Three books in, a lot has happened and needs to be conveyed to a new reader quickly.
- Ramping up the tension. You need to make each successive book more ‘tense’/funny – whatever it is that made your first book outstanding. Readers expect that each successive book will give them ‘more’ danger, more laughs. The expectations are huge and daunting.
- Character arc: We generally expect a character to be changed by his experiences by the end of a book (the ole ‘character arc’.) Sequels mess with the character arc. One fault readers may find in a long-running series is the protagonist never changes. Hopefully, readers will forgive this if they love the character enough. It’s a Catch 22 for authors, in that readers may pressure you for more books in the series, when you yourself are feeling it should wrap up.
- Continually coming up with endings: One problem with series books published by a traditional publisher, is the author never quite knows when a series is going to end. In most cases, we don’t receive 8 book contacts. More likely, if you get a contract for multiple books, it will be for two or three at a time. In my case, whether there will be a 7th Goddaughter book depends on sales figures for the 5th. Thus, I had to make sure the 6th Goddaughter book had a wrap-up ending that would satisfy readers, in case it ends up being the last of the series. Each book from here on in will need to have that. It gets harder and harder.
Frequently Asked Question: Should you tell your agent that your book is the first of a series?
This is hotly debated by authors and agents. My agent definitely wants to sell mystery series. She made that clear from the start to me. In her approach to publishers, she tells them that the book she is selling now is complete on its own, but could be the first of a series. My previous agent (who passed away several years ago) also felt that he could sell a book with a series promise easier than a stand-alone.
Publishers will often ask for an outline for the next book and a blurb for the third. Sometimes you can wangle a two or three-book deal, before you’ve even started writing the second book. It’s awfully nice to sell future books before you’ve written them. For that reason alone, I’ve always told my agent if I intend something to be a series.
Thankfully, some smaller publishers do not require you to have an agent to submit to them. If you are attempting to bypass an agent and sell directly to a publisher, check their guidelines to see if they welcome series in your genre before addressing that in your query letter. If you can’t find that info in their Writers Guidelines online, check out the publisher’s recent releases.
Here’s a Tip
In my advanced writing classes, I have an assignment where I send students to a local bookstore to check out what is being published in their genre right now. They are required to write down publishers and a description of their recent releases. Now students have a list of books to compare their work-in-progress to, and can isolate publishers that might be worth targeting.
Final thoughts on writing series books:
Simply put, I love it! You know the hardest part for me? Letting your series characters go, when the series comes to its organic end. I’ve said goodbye to two casts of old friends, and it’s wrenching. But maybe they aren’t really gone…maybe they’re merely taking a sabbatical while waiting for that special moment to take over my life again.
by Melodie Campbell (@MelodieCampbell) May 15, 2022
What about you, scriveners? Are you writing books in a series? Are you writing book one hoping it will turn into a series? As a reader, how do you feel when a book ends with a cliffhanger, pushing you to read the next book in a series?
About Melodie Campbell
Called the “Queen of Comedy” by the Toronto Sun, Melodie Campbell was also named the “Canadian literary heir to Donald Westlake” by Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine. Winner of 10 awards, including The Derringer (US) and the Crime Writers of Canada Award of Excellence, she has multiple bestsellers, and was featured in USA Today. Her publications include over 100 comedy credits, 16 novels and 60 short stories, but she’s best known for The Goddaughter mob caper series. www.melodiecampbell.com
You can find links to buy all of Melodie’s books at Melodie’s website.
BTW, the Goddaughter books are short as well as wildly entertaining. They fit in a pocket or purse and make great little gifts!
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featured image is from the Open Clip Art Library, which is in the public domain
Melodie—What a great post! Lays out the territory — and tells writers everything they need to know. Thanks so much!
Thank you for this interesting and information-rich article, Melodie.
I’m not a serial writer but I have toyed with the idea. And, on that note, any advice for…
You intend to write a series but you run dry half way through the 2nd or 3rd book.
Good Sunday morning Melodie, Anne, and Ruth. Good stuff you’ve covered here. From a long term financial point, a series seems to be the best bet, for sure. I recently completed an eight-part based-on-true-crime series with each book capable of standing alone. Now, I’ve switched focus on a newly-started series where the main character arcs from episode one through to the end. I did this on some advice I got where the most successful series follow the main character’s quest – with all other characters acting in a supporting role, coming and going along the road. We’ll see how this goes.
You bet you have to continue ramping up the tension – and the story – with each book. It is nice the world-building is already established though.
And I just had a fourth book in a trilogy come out, so right back at you, Melodie!
Melodie, thanks for this great rundown on series. You definitely hit the highs and lows, do’s and don’ts.
I didn’t expect to write a series but that’s what happened with my Tawny Lindholm Thrillers with Passion. I solved the problem of an “unlucky protagonist” by putting her to work in #2 as an investigator for the attorney who saved her from prison in #1. Their rocky relationship and their families provide lots of characters to get into trouble.
The biggest challenge is trying to make each book better than the last. #7 was published in March and readers are already asking when #8 will be done. No pressure, right? I’m struggling to build a really strong plot b/c I never want to disappoint readers.
Great information, Melodie. I’m relatively new at this — three published novels in a cozy mystery series. I decided early on that my main characters could complete a transformation in the first and second books, but after that I’d have to provide secondary characters who go through that arc. I’m not sure how many books will round out the series. I’ll just have to see how it goes — each one is something of an experiment.
I don’t like a series book to end in a cliff-hanger. It makes me feel like I’ve been cheated. I prefer each book to stand on its own.
Haven’t really written a series per say (got a trilogy that has one out…so, yeah) but I do enjoy reading series. The three that were reading pre-pandemic didn’t really have cliffhangers pushing me to read the next one. Instead they were more like a day/month in the life of the MC. Each one had the main character story arc, almost like sub-plot in some aspects, with the mystery cropping up along the way.
The ones in question that I were reading, and none of the books ended on a cliffhanger, were one that was set in late 15th century/early 16th century, one was set in post WWI and finally Sue Grafton’s Alphabet series.
Got hooked on all three, but none had a cliffhanger at the end to prod me along to the next.
Your agent is right. Series create reader loyalty. I get emails every week asking when the next Detective Emilia Cruz mystery is coming out. FYI, Amazon helps with tools to promote a series, from a dedicated series page to the new A+ content that allows an author to create a series showcase.
Great post. My first book was to be a standalone, but I’m now editing the first draft of book 4. It began as a D and D scenario I wrote, but has grown. Although there is to be a 5th book, I’ve already published 3 prequels, and have a 4 th ready for editing.
With my other hat, I have a series following a family through the ages, starting with Roman Britain. I’ve 2 of these books published, the second one being in Viking Britain.
I enjoy writing series, especially my fantasy ones as I, like you, really enjoy being with these people. And yes, they do have minds of their own and insist on things.
Thank you, Ruth!
Ah. I don’t start writing a book now until I have the plot points (crisis points) for three acts and a finale. So in effect, I know the ending and the major twists/murders before I start. I don’t like to do a full outline because I find myself a bit bored knowing everything that’s going to happen. But I make sure I have enough plot to write a book before I start. Does that help?
That sounds like an interesting approach, Garry! Thanks for commenting.
Super, Alex! I think it’s hilarious (4th book of the trilogy) and am glad you have the same sense of humour.
That’s it exactly, Debbie. The pressure to make each book as exciting as the last, or even better. I don’t know the best number of books to have in a series before it starts to vary from that, but I’m getting close myself. Thanks for commenting!
Yes, those cliff-hangers are nasty! I agree, and always give my readers a satisfactory (and hopefully fun) ending. Where I got surprised: readers want to know that the protagonist is going to end up with the guy she wants, by the end of a series. They want her happy! So knowing when to actually do the damned wedding or commitment is the problem, even in a mystery series, I’ve found.
I sure don’t like cliffhanger books myself, GB! I want each book to have an ending that satisfies the reader. Then I’ll look to the next book, knowing I’ll be satisfied with that one too. Works for me in my own writing!
Good to know about Amazon tools to promote a series! Thanks for that, Carmen. And thanks for this comment.
So good to hear! Yes, Fantasy rocks, and I simply must get back to it. Thanks for Commenting!
Great post, Melody. I don’t intend to write a series, not yet, although I always wanted to write a thematic trilogy–in space. We will see.
No question scifi and fantasy invites trilogies. All the world building – it’s a delight to be able to use the setting over again, and readers love it!
Thanks Melodie (& Anne & Ruth) for another fine post. Another plus to writing a series (especially for kids) is that teachers & librarians are busy folks, often with limited brain space for authors’ names & book titles. A series gives them multiple opportunities to learn &/or remember/recommend your work. Having spent some time working at the local indie bookstore, I can also say that parents & grandparents love series for similar reasons. Additionally, if their kid/grandkid is hooked on a particular series, it makes gift-giving easier, & the gift is much more likely to be a hit.
What a terrific comment! Thanks CS. Great to hear from the parent/grandparent point of view, and buying gifts. I’ll add that to my class notes 🙂
Thanks Melodie! I wrote an MG book intending it as a one-off. But those characters stuck with me and now I’m developing a series. I’m planning on a short series because I have other story ideas I’d like to work on as well. You must have an amazing schedule to juggle all those series!
Or it simply could be a mental health issue – grin. All those separate story-lines fighting to get out. Thanks for commenting!
Yes, thank you, Melodie
My pleasure Leanne
I’m with you that, with a few notable exceptions (GoT, Hunger Games, Divergent).
I’m working on my first crime fiction series with a female FBI agent as the protag. I envision a 3 book arc, where each could stand alone, but with a story line that runs through them all. We’ll see how that works out since I don’t know what I’m doing and…(to be continued)
Best of luck, Jeanne! If I ever know what I’m doing, I’ll let you know 🙂
Great post, Melodie! I write two psychological thriller series. When I finished Book 5 of one series last month, I figured it would probably be the series finale, but it’s gut-wrenching having to say goodbye to the characters kill. I dunno. We’ll see. I planned the next two novels in my other series, so I’m concentrating on that for now.
This was one of the most helpful articles on series I have read. Thank you!!! (gothic Romantic Suspense writer.
I don’t like a cliffhanger at the end of a story – it’s the kind of thing that’ll make me hurl a book across the room. I’m writing a children’s series and each book can be read as a standalone, though I do drop a hint towards the end that further adventures await the characters.
Annabelle–I just finished a book that I would have hurled across the room if it hadn’t been on my Kindle 🙂 It was coming in for the home stretch and we were about to find out who the bad guys were and bam! New bad guys showed up and the problem was about to get even worse–the end. There isn’t even a sequel. Grrr.