Wondering what to do about my fantasy series

[donutkirby]

First of all, an obligatory greeting to everyone on this forum: I've always wanted to explore more fantasy-focused communities as a lifelong fan myself.

I've been writing my own fantasy novel series over the past several years - I've completed the first 3 books (out of a planned 5) and I'm currently writing the 4th. The 1st book has been edited by a professional, while the others have only been proofread and re-drafted on my own so far. It's always been a dream of mine to be traditionally published, and while I've taken steps toward that goal, I've also recognized that a multi-volume series is a hard sell for most publishers, especially from a first-time author.

I'm wondering what recommendations people have for online publishing, especially as a web novel that I could update at my own pace (I have enough chapters ready to upload multiple times a week for at least a year!). I think this would be a great way to get more exposure in the community while also receiving valuable feedback. Aside from completing my series, there's still plenty more stories I want to write someday!

And of course I'd be happy to showcase my work for anyone who's looking for something new to read.

 

[Demesnedenoir]

Welcome aboard!

There is always Vella on Amazon for a chapter-by-chapter release, which would have the advantage of familiarizing yourself with Amazon's ways. However, I don't know how much of a community they have built. I'm not an advocate for this, but a few people I know claim success.

My personal opinion, if sitting in your position, is that I would finish #4 and get close to being done with #5—or done—and promote the hell out of book 1 after submitting it for a couple of "pro reviews" and maybe major Indie contests. Then, have the rest of the books scheduled for release and available for preorder as book one releases, maybe a month between each book. Suggested times vary, and it's not something I've ever done as I'm not that patient.

I don't read many completed manuscripts these days; the last one was when I was auctioned off on Rothfuss' charity thingee bopper to critique the work, but in the end, we worked more on her writing in general instead of the completed work. So! If you're looking for input, the critiques section on these boards is a good place to post and get feedback from me and other worthies.

 

[Finchbearer]

I don’t know that much about publishing bar an interest in it as an aspiring author - but I know that Sarah J Maas is a bit of an exception and also a good example of a writer who’s debut novel became part of a series - her Throne of Glass series was originally an online ongoing series of short stories that was picked up by a traditional publisher - that is to say that she had built up a very substantial fan base before she got picked up for trad publishing. So that could be the way to go, BUT that was a long time ago and the landscape of writing forums has changed so much. Wattpad could be a good avenue for building a fan base, but you’d have to be producing something that speaks to young people of today specifically.

 

[Prince of Spires]

Welcome!

As for publishing, whole books have been written about this. A few things. First off, publishers don't mind series. In fact, a lot like them because it will mean that if book 1 does well, then book 2 becomes easier to sell. The important thing here is that many prefer a stand-alone with series potential. That is, book 1 should be able to function as a stand-alone novel. And then if it does well enough, the can release the sequel.

As for how to publish, decide on what approach you want to try. They are all hard, and they all require a lot of work. But they're all different.

Traditional publishing is slow, and takes a bit of luck, as well as a good book. It means querying a lot of publishers and agents until you find one that is willing to take on your work. The most important thing here to remember is that in this instance, money always flows towards the author. In traditional publishing you shouldn't have to pay for anything. If they ask you for money, it's a scam and you are in fact the customer, not the reader. In this case, always run away. Do note that you will be expected to promote your novel yourself as well.

Indie-publishing (or self-publishing) is easier in the sense that anyone can put up a book on Amazon or any of the hundred of other sites that allow you to publish. There are no checks. Spend an evening and you're a published author. However, if you want to sell well, then it will probably cost you money. Money for a good quality cover, money for editing, money for promotion. It's easy to publish. However it's a lot of work (and can be expensive) to get people to actually read your book.

Going with serialization is again a different beast. One that requires just as much work as the other two. I have little experience here, but this is a good staring point: https://www.reddit.com/r/ProgressionFantasy/comments/16mdl4s

 

[pmmg]

I'd also suggest going to our writers work section and start reading some of the longer threads. Many people have posted about their experiences, and lessons along the way.

 

[donutkirby]

Welcome aboard!

There is always Vella on Amazon for a chapter-by-chapter release, which would have the advantage of familiarizing yourself with Amazon's ways. However, I don't know how much of a community they have built. I'm not an advocate for this, but a few people I know claim success.

My personal opinion, if sitting in your position, is that I would finish #4 and get close to being done with #5—or done—and promote the hell out of book 1 after submitting it for a couple of "pro reviews" and maybe major Indie contests. Then, have the rest of the books scheduled for release and available for preorder as book one releases, maybe a month between each book. Suggested times vary, and it's not something I've ever done as I'm not that patient.

I don't read many completed manuscripts these days; the last one was when I was auctioned off on Rothfuss' charity thingee bopper to critique the work, but in the end, we worked more on her writing in general instead of the completed work. So! If you're looking for input, the critiques section on these boards is a good place to post and get feedback from me and other worthies.

Yeah right now I'm planning to finish the whole series first thing - it'll be nice to have it all out there, so proofreading will be much easier since I won't have to take future plot points into account when deciding whether to change this or that. I'll be a little more worried if I do finish and I still don't have a concrete plan on what to do with the books, haha (besides them being a fun thing to share with friends).

I've somehow never heard of Vella despite having seriously considered publishing on Amazon Kindle at some point. It looks like the kind of model I'd like ... but unfortunately, I don't live in the US.

I'll be sure to check out the critiques section, maybe post a few excerpts to get started on feedback.