Why I Chose to Rapid Release my New Series
By: Laura Winter
Tags: Series, Fiction Writing, Books, Fiction, Writing

Decisions to Rapid Release a Serial

Why I’ve chosen to launch my new 10-book series over six months

Photo by Daniel Schludi on Unsplash

I think most people in the writing community are somewhat familiar with the idea of serialized fiction — the release of a story in sequential installments. As you can see from this MasterClass article about writing serialized stories, it’s not about just releasing a book in chapter installments (a common theme on Wattpad). Each serial is a contained story with some type of connected narrative. That means there is a beginning, middle, and end that lives separately but also is part of a larger collection of stories.

This also happens to be the format that I have chosen to apply to my new book series. I discovered that my story had three narrators with extremely important impacts on my story. While I could have elongated my book and switched perspectives throughout, I came across the idea of serialized fiction and realized my story fit perfectly into the category.

Each of my ten stories will follow one of three narrators, each of them telling a critical piece of the overall story. The individual books contain a beginning, middle, and end with an adventure that is specific to the book but also contributes to the overall story.

Over the next several weeks, I have dedicated my time to running a case study against my own work and sharing my discoveries with you, especially because I have decided to rapid release this series. Between September 22 and March of next year, I have planned out my ten book serialized fiction.

Today, I’ll discuss the decisions I made to help me land on a rapid released serial.

The serial model fit my story

As mentioned above, the serial format fit the plot of my story. There were multiple characters who had a stake in the narration and each of them deserved their own focus. They all have individual stories that impact the overall plot of the tale. What could have turned into a +200K word book now became 10 different books.

It also allowed me to give each character their own platform. Instead of switching perspectives in the middle of a book, I stick with a single character and focus on their impact. Some stories overlap because each character is in a different location at one point in time or because there is a small crossover before they continue on to their own story. It helps orient the reader between each book, get a feel for where this character is and where it fits on the timeline of stories, and then plunges the reader into a new adventure. When they reach the end, they are given a nudge to the next book with plot hints from the characters as to what might happen next.

Taking advantage of momentum

I came prepared with the entire serial plotted out, but many people writing serialized fiction don’t do this. Because I write in the fantasy genre (technically, this is categorized as high fantasy because I created a new world, but that makes me feel snooty), I know that I like to have everything planned out before I start writing. It just helps me not mess up any magic systems or break my world.

For me, there’s nothing more exciting or rewarding than reaching the end of a novel… and then starting another. Serialized fiction allows me to get both of those highs in one breath. I know that the end of book one opens up my freedom to start writing book two. I can keep my world straight, get excited about how I’ll explain the events of the previous book, and launch into a new adventure with a different character.

Planning this as a serial also forces me to sit in front of my keyboard and write. While I have good self-motivation, it’s always nice to have a reason to return to my manuscript. I have preorder dates to hit and a story that I enjoy. It’s always fun to get back to writing.

My life and writing style fits

While I’ve had this book idea in my head for a long time, the serialized fiction and rapid release schedule was never really in the cards until now. I started building the idea when I was still in grad school and then following when I was working full time. Now that I write full time (and self publish), I have the freedom to pursue the ideas and book styles I want. Here’s a preview of my schedule as a writer.

I can churn out about 3K words of fiction on a “bad” writing day, which still allows me to package and write each story in about two weeks. That doesn’t include edits or formatting, but I also write to where I minimize edits because I can take my time making things “look pretty” the first time around. I have the ideas and momentum, plus I’ve made friends with my inner critic. Now, she sits next to me and helps me write instead of making my fingers freeze.

I had an epic plot that could have been a less impactful standalone

I love standalone stories, and I have one already, but something about writing this story as a single piece (from one perspective or a confusing three perspectives mixed into one) really bummed me out. I felt like there was so much more I could do within the world I created. Plus, it took me forever to create the magic, gods, and world system. Why the hell would I “waste” it on a standalone book that felt flat?

Instead, I discovered that there were a ton of different subplots that I could turn into epic and contained stories. It would not only highlight different characters, it would allow them to grow more drastically during the period of ten books.

As an indie, I’m still trying to make a name

When I release the first book tomorrow (September 22), that will be my tenth title total (say that five times fast). It’s the sixth fiction title under my name (I have a nonfiction and three stories under a pen name). I tested the strategy with 0 audience under my pen name and now I have a bigger audience under my real name. Here are a few benefits I found while practicing without consequence.

But I’m also not a famous author. I don’t have book deals with big publishers. I just write my books and do the work myself. I proudly call myself an authorpreneur.

Still, I need to make a name for myself. With one series under my belt, my goal is to grow my audience and deliver awesome fantasy stories for people to escape with. To help my case, having multiple series and a good backlog of work not only signals readers that I’m a consistent publisher, I’m also telling Amazon algorithms that I’m relevant. I update my backlog and I continue to write. I’m thankful for their resources and I’m going to take advantage of their cheap self-publishing platform like it might disappear tomorrow.