Three Book Minimum?

[David Ivanov]

So is it just me, or is every new break-out fantasy writer expected to launch with a trilogy or at least three titles in the same series? It's getting very hard these days to be able to buy a single stand-alone novel in the fantasy genre -- kind of feels like I'm marrying every new author for the duration of three volumes at least. I understand publishers figure they need multibook deals to turn a profit on new talent, but is it even feasible anymore to accomplish that with separate unrelated novels?

[Christopher Wright]

Well, it's probably a lot harder than it used to be.

The thing is, readers tend to like series, assuming they like the first book, because readers like to revisit the characters they... er... like. This is awfully convenient for publishers because it makes it easier to sell subsequent books, assuming the first does well.

[Rikilamaro]

There does seem to be an awful lot of new series out there. And perhaps it is really all about the money - series sell.

I don't know how you work, but if I read a new author and I like their work, I'm going to pay attention when I see other books by them - whether or not they're in the same series. But, the problem is that I like to have series all lined up shiny on my shelves. Having unrelated books in a row (even by the same person) just doesn't flow well with my decor. So I may wait to get the book from the library instead of adding it to my personal stockpile. Maybe I'm weird like that?

[TWErvin2]

I guess I would be guilty of the 'three book series minimum' as I am now working on the third novel in the First Civilization's Legacy series.

However, I wrote the first novel (Flank Hawk) as a stand alone novel. It had a complete story arc and could have ended there. But there was room for the story of the main character to continue. My publisher asked if I had a second novel planned. I did and wrote it (Blood Sword). It took me a long time to figure out how to write because I wanted it not only to have its own story arc, but have it independent of the first novel. I wanted to write Blood Sword such that a reader would not have had to read the first novel (Flank Hawk) to enjoy the Blood Sword. However, I also wrote it so that it would solidly compliment Flank Hawk, for those who read it. I hope that makes sense.

I see writing a series as different than writing a three book trilogy. With a trilogy, although each novel in the trilogy may have an individual story arc, the novels really do not stand alone as they're not structured to. They were written with that intention.

To be honest, I have ideas for a total of five novels in my First Civilization's Legacy series, but after completing the third (working title: Soul Forge), I plan on branching out with another novel. It'll be written as Flank Hawk was, a standalone novel, but with the potential to be continued.

[BWFoster78]

As a reader, I much prefer series. I'm less likely to buy a stand alone book.

[Steerpike]

I'm the opposite, if the series isn't done. I've got to the point where I am unlikely to buy a book from a new author if it is book one of a series and can't stand on its own.

[Benjamin Clayborne]

Dang, I hope steerpike will make an exception for me

[Steerpike]

Dang, I hope steerpike will make an exception for me

I'll make an exception for any MS member. I do make exceptions from time to time browsing in the store (Acacia being the last one). But I don't want to get into too many series that author's stretch out over a decade to get any kind of plot resolution

[Sheilawisz]

The great Fantasy novel The Neverending Story by Michael Ende (the original is in German) is only one book, and still the story is told in a very satisfactory way without the need to be a trilogy or a series =)

Maybe the concept of writing Fantasy series was started by Tolkien and his friend C.S. Lewis with The Lord of the Rings and The Chronicles of Narnia, which is why many writers are following their example, so today most Fantasy is written in at least three books.

I want to expand my first Fantasy trilogy to transform it into a seven-book series, my second series has five and I am currently writing the last novel of my Joan of England trilogy.

[Steerpike]

I thought Tolkien actually wrote "The Lord of the Rings" as a single-volume work, and the publisher split it into three.