Wednesday, May 3, 2023

Rapid Release of a Series

How to Rapid Release a Series

 

Authors used to come out with a new book every three years or so. Fans were forced to wait for a full-length novel from their favorite author. However, eBooks and the ability to self-publish changed that long wait. Now authors could put out books faster, including short stories and novelettes.

 

Let me outline some of the benefits of rapid releasing a series:

 

Maintains reader interest:

Fans no longer have to wait years and years.

Reader interest in a series doesn’t fade with releases coming out so close together.

Those who like to read an entire series at once can safely jump in knowing they can get to the last book very soon.

 

It keeps the author’s name out there longer:

Authors with books in rapid release are constantly on social media and more visible to readers.

Reviews keep appearing for the books, spreading awareness.

 

It gives every book time to build:

Readers who discover the second or third book will go back for the previous ones.

When one book starts to fade, another is released, renewing interest.

 

Consistent marketing:

Book marketing is ever-changing, but books released close together can benefit from the same promotional ploys.

A template from the first book’s marketing can be duplicated, making it easy to set up promotions for the remaining books.

 

Now, let’s look at how to set up a rapid release:

 

One must be good at multi-tasking:

Author needs to be planning and working on several books at once.

Many tasks will overlap—writing, editing, marketing. Authors need to juggle multiple tasks and for several books.

Authors need to decide up front if they can keep up the pace.

 

Plan the entire series first:

Determine genre, length, and theme.

Outline (as best as possible) each book in the series.

Be aware of overlaps and continuing characters.

 

Write at least three stories before releasing:

Write the first book, polish it, send to editor, then do final edits. Prepare book cover and promotions.

Write the second book and repeat.

Write the third book. At this point, once the third is polished and sent to the editor, the first book can be released. If there are more than three books, the next ones need to be outlined and ready to begin.

 

Determine the length in between books:

How long will it take the author to write each one?

What is the length of each story? Shorter ones, closer together. Longer ones can enjoy more breathing room.

When will release dates fall? Always aim for the best book-selling months.

 

Readers today are impatient. They don’t want to wait years and years. But now authors are in a great position to give readers what they want. A series they enjoy without a lot of waiting!



 

A professional speaker and author, L. Diane Wolfe conducts seminars, offers book formatting, and author consultation. She’s the senior editor at Dancing Lemur Press, L.L.C. and contributes to the Insecure Writer’s Support Group.


Find Diane at 

http://www.circleoffriendsbooks.blogspot.com

https://www.facebook.com/l.diane.wolfe

https://www.pinterest.com/ldianewolfe/

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/117664.L_Diane_Wolfe

5 comments:

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Obviously I am a really bad example of releasing a series rapidly!
Congratulations to Diane.

jabblog said...

I'm breathless after reading this. I'm sure if I attempted this, I would be writing the same book each time with different names!

Deniz Bevan said...

Great post! I like the idea of having at least three books ready, it would really make me feel "easier" to have a buffer zone like that :-)

L. Diane Wolfe said...

Deniz, that's it - a buffer zone.

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