Request for authors who write series books - Page 2

silasgreenback · 01-08-2011, 12:36 AM

It is annoying when the series order is ambiguous.

What's worse is when the number is on the cover and the library's label is stuck right over it.

Daniel A Roberts · 01-08-2011, 01:31 AM

I just finished book two in a series and wll be starting book three and I hear this thread loud and clear. On my lore site for The Passion Trilogy I have them lined up in the order they are written... but on the cover itself there is no sequence number for book one. Hmmm

In the second book, the very first page after the front matter is "What Has Gone On Before" where I started out with, "In Passion Of The Different" and continued with a brief 400 word synopsis, phrased much like one would have heard the previous episode announced in an older cliffhanger movie. Without the old phrases, but you get the picture. Then Chapter One starts.

I hear you all. Passion Of The Different is book one. Passion Of The Same will be book two and Passion Of The Unknown is book three, only this time on the inside under my Copyright statement I will put in "Book 2 of The Passion Trilogy".

All because of this thread. Thanks for the heads up folks. Your efforts made a difference here today.

ficbot · 01-08-2011, 10:59 AM

Thank you to the authors who have responded here! I know there are sites out there like Fantastic Fiction, but I was thinking more about the indie authors. When I go on Smashwords and someone has a dozen books and the blurb has the same characters but there is no indication of what to read first, it makes me read nothing and just leave

I feel like indie authors do, for better or worse, have a little more work to do than mainstream authors in getting their books read and recognized. If there are little things they can do to make this easier, why not do it?

Not indicating the series order is such an easy thing to fix and makes it so much easier for readers. In my case, I know it will make me more excited about the books because I'll feel like if I enjoy Book 1, it's nice to know there are other books waiting for me that I am likely to enjoy.

HarryT · 01-08-2011, 11:03 AM

If you want to find out the order of the books in a series, my favourite site is Fantastic Fiction

ficbot · 01-08-2011, 11:21 AM

As I said in my post just above yours Harry, I know about that site

But it is only good for mainstream titles; it does not list indie authors from Smashwords and other like sites, which is whom I was addressing my original comment to.

DaronFraley · 01-08-2011, 11:22 AM

I appreciate this discussion here! I went to look at my book (the first in the series) on Smashwords, and realized I don't indicate that it is the first book. I will make that change when I get the second book ready for sale.

Thank you!

silasgreenback · 01-08-2011, 11:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

If you want to find out the order of the books in a series, my favourite site is Fantastic Fiction

I use Fantastic Fiction a lot, plus this site:

Internet Speculative Fiction Database

Shayne Parkinson · 01-09-2011, 05:17 PM

Yes, this is an excellent suggestion, ficbot! I've struggled at times, especially with long series, to figure out which one I should read next.

I do make sure to put the order of my books in the description.

mish · 01-09-2011, 05:38 PM

Almost everything I read is a series so this is a frustration of mine too with indie books. You can't really rely on publication date because with self-publishing the date "published" is usually listed as the date that the book is uploaded to the sales venue. Though on Amazon you sometimes get a date and sometimes you don't (do the authors enter that info?).

I find goodreads to be a good source for series order even for indie books and I always add the info myself when I can when I find one that is missing and I know it. Otherwise, I usually have to go to the author's website to try and find it. The readers really shouldn't have to jump through hoops to get this info when it is so simple to put it in the title. It is very common for trad books to have this info on Amazon, but for indie books it is often missing. It is helpful to put it in the description too

whitearrow · 01-11-2011, 01:30 PM

IMO the series order has to be clear from the description in the place where I'm buying the book (e.g, in the description at Amazon), or I'm unlikely to purchase. When I find something interesting I want to be able to locate the first book quickly, without downloading samples or poking around on websites. It would seem this would be a fundamental thought when it comes to marketing books, but it doesn't seem to be.

I don't see why naming schemes like "Black Sun Rising (The Coldfire Trilogy, Book 1)" are so difficult to implement, but in my experience, less than half of series books have them. Scifi and fantasy do tend to be better than historical fiction, which is appalling, especially for longer, complicated series. (Reading the Sharpe series in order required a cheat sheet.)

bobavey · 01-11-2011, 01:43 PM

I have two books out now, which are part of a series. However, the books were written to be stand alone novels as well. The books have the same lead character and take place in the same area, but the second one does not exactly take off -- timeline wise -- where the first one left off. You don't have to read one to understand the other one. However, they do complement one another.

Forster · 01-12-2011, 09:46 PM

And here I thought this was going to be about authors who write series ought to finish them some time... George I'm still waiting, lol.

RolandD · 01-13-2011, 08:02 PM

Or, how about when an author makes several 'trilogies' following the same storyline. You have to ferret out what order to read the trilogies.

John Carroll · 01-13-2011, 10:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RolandD

Or, how about when an author makes several 'trilogies' following the same storyline. You have to ferret out what order to read the trilogies.

That one's a little tougher. If an author is prolific enough to have several trilogies, then they can make a webpage with detailed instructions. If I'm that fortunate, I will be certain to do so.

I've changed the description of my book to indicate that it's the first in a trilogy. I still have to adjust the cover, but that's a bit more work.

HistoryWes · 01-14-2011, 01:44 AM

Smashwords just announced longer descriptions, and I will keep this in mind when I rewrite mine.

01-08-2011, 11:22 AM	#21
DaronFraley Enthusiast Posts: 31 Karma: 96 Join Date: Dec 2010 Device: Kindle	Thank you! I appreciate this discussion here! I went to look at my book (the first in the series) on Smashwords, and realized I don't indicate that it is the first book. I will make that change when I get the second book ready for sale. Thank you!

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01-08-2011, 12:36 AM	#16
silasgreenback New Leaf Turner Posts: 260 Karma: 1026664 Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Hadestown Device: Kobo Glo	It is annoying when the series order is ambiguous. What's worse is when the number is on the cover and the library's label is stuck right over it.

01-08-2011, 01:31 AM	#17
Daniel A Roberts Author Posts: 18 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Oklahoma City Device: Mobi Pocket	I just finished book two in a series and wll be starting book three and I hear this thread loud and clear. On my lore site for The Passion Trilogy I have them lined up in the order they are written... but on the cover itself there is no sequence number for book one. Hmmm In the second book, the very first page after the front matter is "What Has Gone On Before" where I started out with, "In Passion Of The Different" and continued with a brief 400 word synopsis, phrased much like one would have heard the previous episode announced in an older cliffhanger movie. Without the old phrases, but you get the picture. Then Chapter One starts. I hear you all. Passion Of The Different is book one. Passion Of The Same will be book two and Passion Of The Unknown is book three, only this time on the inside under my Copyright statement I will put in "Book 2 of The Passion Trilogy". All because of this thread. Thanks for the heads up folks. Your efforts made a difference here today.

01-08-2011, 10:59 AM	#18
ficbot Wizard Posts: 2,409 Karma: 4132096 Join Date: Sep 2008 Device: Kindle Paperwhite/iOS Kindle App	Thank you to the authors who have responded here! I know there are sites out there like Fantastic Fiction, but I was thinking more about the indie authors. When I go on Smashwords and someone has a dozen books and the blurb has the same characters but there is no indication of what to read first, it makes me read nothing and just leave I feel like indie authors do, for better or worse, have a little more work to do than mainstream authors in getting their books read and recognized. If there are little things they can do to make this easier, why not do it? Not indicating the series order is such an easy thing to fix and makes it so much easier for readers. In my case, I know it will make me more excited about the books because I'll feel like if I enjoy Book 1, it's nice to know there are other books waiting for me that I am likely to enjoy.

01-08-2011, 11:03 AM	#19
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383099 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	If you want to find out the order of the books in a series, my favourite site is Fantastic Fiction

01-08-2011, 11:21 AM	#20
ficbot Wizard Posts: 2,409 Karma: 4132096 Join Date: Sep 2008 Device: Kindle Paperwhite/iOS Kindle App	As I said in my post just above yours Harry, I know about that site But it is only good for mainstream titles; it does not list indie authors from Smashwords and other like sites, which is whom I was addressing my original comment to.

01-09-2011, 05:17 PM	#23
Shayne Parkinson Author Posts: 1,532 Karma: 5447804 Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: New Zealand Device: Samsung Galaxy Tab	Yes, this is an excellent suggestion, ficbot! I've struggled at times, especially with long series, to figure out which one I should read next. I do make sure to put the order of my books in the description.

01-09-2011, 05:38 PM	#24
mish Addict Posts: 215 Karma: 1930065 Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: USA Device: PRS-350, Kindle 2	Almost everything I read is a series so this is a frustration of mine too with indie books. You can't really rely on publication date because with self-publishing the date "published" is usually listed as the date that the book is uploaded to the sales venue. Though on Amazon you sometimes get a date and sometimes you don't (do the authors enter that info?). I find goodreads to be a good source for series order even for indie books and I always add the info myself when I can when I find one that is missing and I know it. Otherwise, I usually have to go to the author's website to try and find it. The readers really shouldn't have to jump through hoops to get this info when it is so simple to put it in the title. It is very common for trad books to have this info on Amazon, but for indie books it is often missing. It is helpful to put it in the description too

01-11-2011, 01:30 PM	#25
whitearrow Guru Posts: 808 Karma: 2260766 Join Date: Apr 2008 Device: Kindle Oasis 2	IMO the series order has to be clear from the description in the place where I'm buying the book (e.g, in the description at Amazon), or I'm unlikely to purchase. When I find something interesting I want to be able to locate the first book quickly, without downloading samples or poking around on websites. It would seem this would be a fundamental thought when it comes to marketing books, but it doesn't seem to be. I don't see why naming schemes like "Black Sun Rising (The Coldfire Trilogy, Book 1)" are so difficult to implement, but in my experience, less than half of series books have them. Scifi and fantasy do tend to be better than historical fiction, which is appalling, especially for longer, complicated series. (Reading the Sharpe series in order required a cheat sheet.)

01-11-2011, 01:43 PM	#26
bobavey Bob Avey Posts: 117 Karma: 501082 Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Broken Arrow, OK Device: none	I have two books out now, which are part of a series. However, the books were written to be stand alone novels as well. The books have the same lead character and take place in the same area, but the second one does not exactly take off -- timeline wise -- where the first one left off. You don't have to read one to understand the other one. However, they do complement one another.

01-12-2011, 09:46 PM	#27
Forster Member Posts: 23 Karma: 642 Join Date: Mar 2009 Device: kindle 2, DX, kindle fire, kindle 3, kindle PW	And here I thought this was going to be about authors who write series ought to finish them some time... George I'm still waiting, lol.

01-13-2011, 08:02 PM	#28
RolandD Fanatic Posts: 561 Karma: 3228980 Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Branson, MO, USA Device: Kindle Touch is now my main eReader.	Or, how about when an author makes several 'trilogies' following the same storyline. You have to ferret out what order to read the trilogies.

01-14-2011, 01:44 AM	#30
HistoryWes Teacher/Novelist Posts: 632 Karma: 2274466 Join Date: May 2008 Location: Nevada Device: Nook STR, iPad	Smashwords just announced longer descriptions, and I will keep this in mind when I rewrite mine.