Demesnedenoir
Myth Weaver
Not entirely true. If you're writing epic fantasy there is a different expectation, and deals are made for two or three books with new writers. It's a bit like Hollywood... if you think you've got a hit, you lock in actors, writers, and crew for sequels... in the long run it saves you money. If a pub likes a writer, signing them for multiple books keeps you out of bidding wars down the road if the book/writer is successful. And let's face it, a new writer is going to get what up front? 5k per novel? 10k? If you sign a 3 book deal 15k up front, 5k now, 5k on second, 5k on third, with no guarantees of pub without meeting their sales/quality, what risk have they really taken? Now, pubs jumping on a fifteen book freight train? Well, no, but you don't want them to, you want to renogitate after the first few take off, heh heh.
Whether or not a reader looks for a payoff in the first book is debatable depending on definition. A cliffhanger would be horrible (IMO) but there are lots of ways of having a satisfying ending without a classic Star Wars IV stand alone option.
Whether or not a reader looks for a payoff in the first book is debatable depending on definition. A cliffhanger would be horrible (IMO) but there are lots of ways of having a satisfying ending without a classic Star Wars IV stand alone option.
When readers buy a series, it's because they're looking to invest time and emotion into a work of fiction. But they still want complete and wholesome payoff at the end of the first book. It's pretty much essential that the first book be able to act as a stand alone, and for your question about publishing the answer is no. Publishers pick up the first book and see how it sells, and how the readers enjoy it.
That's the danger you're facing. The complete, isolated arc should be able to connect with the next book, but that should not be it's selling point. Only if the first book is successful, then the publisher will keep running with the series.
I'd recommend listening to the Grim Tidings podcast to hear how many successful authors have gone about their first books (you may even recognize a fellow Scribe). The above cautionary tale recently happened with Michael Fletcher's Beyond Redemption. I haven't finished it so I can't comment on the payoff, but he's still looking for someone to take his second book, or he'll self-publish.
For the original question, I'd recommend the complete edit, but with some hesitation. I've been planning a series for years and writing novellas and short stories within its Universe just to explore it. But as I do that, I world-build, and I get more intimate with the world, and I'm constantly discovering new things. These inform the overarching quartet, and important changes come up every once in a while. Even the occasional epiphany. Whatever you do, just be prepared to edit (and I know you are! )
Edit: Of course, this post assumes an intent to publish, which you state may not be your goal.