Indicating "series guaranteed written" on book cover

[HareBrain]

This is just an idle thought that might come in useful at some point. Say you publish or self-publish a book that's first in a series and you want to assure prospective readers that the series is completely written, though not all published yet, and that they're not going to left indefinitely hanging like fans of various bearded fantasy authors have been in the past 15 years. What might be the best way of doing this on the cover, so a reader can get instant assurance rather than having to look inside or on a website? Has anyone seen a cover that does this? (Granted, having a complete series written before the first book comes out is probably very rare.)

 

[The Judge]

Ah, but the problem for the reader isn't solved just because the author has -- he claims! -- already written the complete series, since there's no guarantee the remaining books will actually get published.

However, perhaps a few lines on the back under the blurb with prospective publishing dates would help eg "Book 2 The Return of the Baddie to be published May 2025; Book 3 The Baddie Returns Again to be published August 2025; Book 4 And the Baddie Once More, the end of the series, to be published November 2025". That also allows readers coming a little late to the series to judge just how reliable the author is, eg whether the deadlines are being met.

 

[Culhwch]

Chuck the first chapter of the second book at the end, and throw, 'Includes a sneak peek of Book Two!' on the cover?

 

[HareBrain]

Chuck the first chapter of the second book at the end, and throw, 'Includes a sneak peek of Book Two!' on the cover?

It's more to show a complete series is finished, rather than just the next book.

Mind you, Patrick Rothfuss claimed his whole story was written at about the time Name of the Wind was published, and 17(?) years later...

 

[Brian G Turner]

I figure the only way to do this clearly is to have the first 3 books out for sale. At least then it will look like a completed trilogy, even if the series extends much further. It's something I've been considering for my chrons series, as I sincerely hope once my health improves that I can get back to that. In which case, I'll be trying to get book 3 released shortly after book 2, in order to give that clear message - even though it's planned to be a six book series.

 

[Stephen Palmer]

I figure the only way to do this clearly is to have the first 3 books out for sale. At least then it will look like a completed trilogy, even if the series extends much further. It's something I've been considering for my chrons series, as I sincerely hope once my health improves that I can get back to that. In which case, I'll be trying to get book 3 released shortly after book 2, in order to give that clear message - even though it's planned to be a six book series.

This the only way to do it. I would never publish volume 1 or 1&2 of anything until the whole series was complete, edited and honed.

 

[Phyrebrat]

In the Foreword you get to say anything you want so maybe that’s a way to mitigate You say on the cover, tho, so that’s a much harder task.

 

[Astro Pen]

A related question that occurs to me is:

What are the relative sales for volumes 1,2 and 3 of a trilogy? ie do they tail off.
In which case Are you better off writing a new freestanding book and going with your name and known style rather than dragging out a theme into diminishing sales?
(have researched the web but answers do not abound.)

I was thinking specifically about Arthur C. Clarkes 2001, 2010, 3001 (and 2063) I read the first and the second after which the magic was fading.

 

[Montero]

Coming at this from the opposite direction, there is an alternative - if you've written the whole series before you even publish book one, and want to publish the whole series then you might as well do so - and do the publicity push when the last book comes out and spend the per book budget (if you have such a thing) on the series as a whole. I'm assuming self-publishing and a book release schedule of every few months as each of the written books is edited and ready to go.

 

[Biskit]

I figure the only way to do this clearly is to have the first 3 books out for sale.

My current WIP is a five book series which I do not plan to publish until all five are, as @Stephen Palmer puts it, complete, edited and honed.
I shall remain undaunted until the series-long editing commences.

 

[Ursa major]

Mind you, Patrick Rothfuss claimed his whole story was written at about the time Name of the Wind was published, and 17(?) years later...

Shame he didn't mention his dog, a voracious reader eater of manuscripts....

 

[Stephen Palmer]

A related question that occurs to me is:

What are the relative sales for volumes 1,2 and 3 of a trilogy? ie do they tail off.
In which case Are you better off writing a new freestanding book and going with your name and known style rather than dragging out a theme into diminishing sales?

It's generally accepted that, except in unusual cases (eg a super-famous author), volume 2 of a new trilogy will sell half of the first volume sales, and volume 3 a bit less than that. This occurs across the board, and is just a fact of life.

 

[ablackenedrose]

I'll be honest, my first thought on reading this on a cover would be something to the effect of "Sure, Jack. That's what Rothfuss said, too."

Maybe that's just me being a cynic, though. I don't think it's actually that common for writers to just abandon trilogies like he's seemingly done (not least because most authors don't have the money that would let them pull a stunt like that without ruining themselves).

 

[Montero]

Well sometimes series peter out because not enough people are buying them. Kate Elliott says that her Jaran series (which I adore) was not as popular as the rest of her books, so she can't afford to finish it. Saw that on her website some years ago. I'm sadly not that keen on the rest of her books. Ho hum.

 

[Ursa major]

Well sometimes series peter out because not enough people are buying them

...and, in some cases, this might mean that their publisher will no longer publish the rest of the series (whether or not the book/s has/have been written or not).

No doubt there are a variety of other reasons why a publisher might no longer publish books in a series.

 

[ColGray]

A related question that occurs to me is:

What are the relative sales for volumes 1,2 and 3 of a trilogy? ie do they tail off.
In which case Are you better off writing a new freestanding book and going with your name and known style rather than dragging out a theme into diminishing sales?
(have researched the web but answers do not abound.)

I was thinking specifically about Arthur C. Clarkes 2001, 2010, 3001 (and 2063) I read the first and the second after which the magic was fading.

My understanding is that is exactly the case. The first book essentially sets the audience and the sequels always sell less than the first one. The few fringe case wierdos (i know you're here! ) ) who skip Book 1 and buy Book 2 is tiny compared to the number who finish the first book and opt out of the series.

You may be better off stopping a series to write something else, but it depends on why readers passed on continuing. If it's character or plot, then, sure, a new series may be better. If its your style or tone or themes or whatever that is you-across-works then... maybe not? You also have to re-convince readers to pick up each stand alone. There's plusses and minuses.

Both Royal Road and Wattpad display stats showing how many people read a given chapter so you (the author) can track where you lost readers or if readers seem to consistently skip chapters with a certain POV/character/topic/ice cream flavor. It is deeply useful in understanding your relationship to your audience and what they're looking for relative to what you're giving them..