Request for authors who write series books

ficbot · 07-25-2010, 11:03 PM

I would love it if authors who write series books can make more of an effort to easily indicate series order in the book descriptions. Twice in the last week, an author was recommended to me and when I went to Smashwords to check them out, they had many books listed. It was not clear to me which to read first, so I did nothing. A simple indicator, either in the title itself (e.g. Title of Book, Book 1 in the Bookseries Series) or in the book description itself would be a huge help. It would be a shame to lose a reader just because they didn't know where to start!

Worldwalker · 07-25-2010, 11:09 PM

I have a certain fondness for authors like Sue Grafton for that very reason.

Besides, it will make life much easier for future researchers. I've been working on a major project -- compiling a list of every boys' series book (think Tom Swift, etc.) prior to 1940. Mostly, this involves spending a lot of time on Google Books and the Internet Archive, rummaging around in the backs of bad scans, looking for the lists of other series by the same publisher so I can figure out where "The Boy Geniuses Save the World" fits in its series. So, series authors, think of the future! Don't make your future fans suffer like I have! (if I could call up Edward Stratemeyer's ghost, I'd scream "you should have numbered the damn things!!!" at him).

Falbe Publishing · 07-25-2010, 11:33 PM

No problem! As a series author, I put the book number in the subtitle of the book. I know the frustration you are talking about. I often have to dig through a couple pages of front matter to find out if a book is a first in the series or 2 or 3 and so on. I don't know why this info is often so hard to spot.

sabredog · 07-25-2010, 11:46 PM

Could not agree more. I often have to use Fantastic fiction to determine order of ebook series. Then I rename the ebook file and the metadata to reflect my chosen naming convention;

[series name book number] - [book title]
Lost Fleet 03 - Courageous

Here is an appropriate Fantastic Fiction link for the example above;

http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/c/jack-campbell/

It would be nice if the original downloaded ebook title reflected some form of series order.

FizzyWater · 07-26-2010, 01:32 AM

FictionDB is a similar resource.

Sadly, neither seem to include exclusive ebook releases.

banjobama · 07-26-2010, 01:34 AM

I also agree that this is frustrating. Even if it doesn't really matter and there isn't much of a continuing story, I still want to read them in order.

GraceKrispy · 07-26-2010, 03:49 AM

Ooh, I totally agree with this sentiment. Even for those who list the books on a page inside the book, they're not always in the order they were written. Sometimes it's the opposite.

HamsterRage · 07-26-2010, 09:31 AM

The listings at Goodreads.com usually indicate the volume number of books in a series. Just go to the page for author.

I'm usually at Goodreads anyways before I buy, to check out the reviews. So it's a logical place for me to go to get that info.

dougf4 · 07-26-2010, 11:27 AM

I totally agree.

One of my favorite authors, CJ Box does not number his "Joe Picket" Mysteries.

Janet Evanovich used witty numbering in her titles when creating her "Stephanie Plum" series.

agstenmanor · 01-07-2011, 06:20 PM

In response to a few comments made, a librarian gave me this website to use to find out about authors that write series, and they are in chronological order.

http://ww2.kdl.org/libcat/WhatsNextNEW.asp

My new favorite site, since I like to read series, and also like to start at the beginning. The website is done by Kent State, and there is also a book available for about $32.

gmw · 01-07-2011, 06:48 PM

I always figure that first-published-date is as good as anything. Even for those series that end up writing prequels or inserting in the middle of a series, it often makes more sense to read in the order they were released than any inner story chronology. ... Of course if you are looking at older books, they were not always very good at providing first published dates which can make life difficult.

Andrew H. · 01-07-2011, 08:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Worldwalker

I have a certain fondness for authors like Sue Grafton for that very reason.

I'll be really interested when she finishes "Z" and starts again with double letters:

"AA is for Aardvark"
"BB is for Gun"
"CC is for Ryder"
"DD is for Strippers"

Etc.

caleb72 · 01-07-2011, 09:27 PM

Just adding my voice. Annoys me when I actually have to research to work out what the order is supposed to be.

Regards
Caleb

Russell Brooks · 01-07-2011, 11:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ficbot

I would love it if authors who write series books can make more of an effort to easily indicate series order in the book descriptions. Twice in the last week, an author was recommended to me and when I went to Smashwords to check them out, they had many books listed. It was not clear to me which to read first, so I did nothing. A simple indicator, either in the title itself (e.g. Title of Book, Book 1 in the Bookseries Series) or in the book description itself would be a huge help. It would be a shame to lose a reader just because they didn't know where to start!

The author ought to simply include a page with their other books and the order in which they were published. I sometimes struggled with the same problem.

John Carroll · 01-08-2011, 12:25 AM

Thank you for pointing this out. I am only on my second book of a series at the moment, but I've made no mention of mentioning series order. Honestly, I haven't figured out what the name of the series is yet. *sigh*.

From this point on, I will note that each book is in a series and where it's at in the series. For books not in a series, I will state that they are 'stand alone' books.

Thank you very much for the advice.

07-25-2010, 11:03 PM	#1
ficbot Wizard Posts: 2,409 Karma: 4132096 Join Date: Sep 2008 Device: Kindle Paperwhite/iOS Kindle App	Request for authors who write series books I would love it if authors who write series books can make more of an effort to easily indicate series order in the book descriptions. Twice in the last week, an author was recommended to me and when I went to Smashwords to check them out, they had many books listed. It was not clear to me which to read first, so I did nothing. A simple indicator, either in the title itself (e.g. Title of Book, Book 1 in the Bookseries Series) or in the book description itself would be a huge help. It would be a shame to lose a reader just because they didn't know where to start!

01-07-2011, 06:20 PM	#10
agstenmanor Junior Member Posts: 1 Karma: 482 Join Date: Jan 2011 Device: none	Authors of Series In response to a few comments made, a librarian gave me this website to use to find out about authors that write series, and they are in chronological order. http://ww2.kdl.org/libcat/WhatsNextNEW.asp My new favorite site, since I like to read series, and also like to start at the beginning. The website is done by Kent State, and there is also a book available for about $32.

01-07-2011, 09:27 PM	#13
caleb72 Indie Advocate Posts: 2,863 Karma: 18794463 Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Melbourne, Australia Device: Kindle	Just adding my voice. Annoys me when I actually have to research to work out what the order is supposed to be. Regards Caleb Last edited by caleb72; 01-07-2011 at 09:30 PM.

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
series metadata feature request	speakingtohe	Calibre	4	07-01-2010 05:58 PM
Pet peeve: series authors who introduce things in non-series books!	ficbot	Reading Recommendations	12	02-06-2010 02:14 AM
Reference Various Authors: How to Write a Short Story, v.1, 28 Feb 2008.	Patricia	IMP Books	0	02-27-2008 10:09 PM
Reference Various Authors: How to Write a Short Story, v.1, 28 Feb 2008.	Patricia	Kindle Books	0	02-27-2008 10:08 PM
Reference Various Authors: How to Write a Short Story, v.1, 28 Feb 2008.	Patricia	BBeB/LRF Books	0	02-27-2008 10:05 PM

07-25-2010, 11:09 PM	#2
Worldwalker Curmudgeon Posts: 3,085 Karma: 722357 Join Date: Feb 2010 Device: PRS-505	I have a certain fondness for authors like Sue Grafton for that very reason. Besides, it will make life much easier for future researchers. I've been working on a major project -- compiling a list of every boys' series book (think Tom Swift, etc.) prior to 1940. Mostly, this involves spending a lot of time on Google Books and the Internet Archive, rummaging around in the backs of bad scans, looking for the lists of other series by the same publisher so I can figure out where "The Boy Geniuses Save the World" fits in its series. So, series authors, think of the future! Don't make your future fans suffer like I have! (if I could call up Edward Stratemeyer's ghost, I'd scream "you should have numbered the damn things!!!" at him).

07-25-2010, 11:33 PM	#3
Falbe Publishing Gadget Slave Posts: 264 Karma: 600001 Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Battle Creek, Michigan Device: Sony PRS505SC	No problem! As a series author, I put the book number in the subtitle of the book. I know the frustration you are talking about. I often have to dig through a couple pages of front matter to find out if a book is a first in the series or 2 or 3 and so on. I don't know why this info is often so hard to spot.

07-25-2010, 11:46 PM	#4
sabredog Geographically Restricted Posts: 2,629 Karma: 14933353 Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Perth, Australia Device: Sony PRS-T3, Kindle Voyage, iPad Air2, Nexus7v2	Could not agree more. I often have to use Fantastic fiction to determine order of ebook series. Then I rename the ebook file and the metadata to reflect my chosen naming convention; [series name book number] - [book title] Lost Fleet 03 - Courageous Here is an appropriate Fantastic Fiction link for the example above; http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/c/jack-campbell/ It would be nice if the original downloaded ebook title reflected some form of series order.

07-26-2010, 01:32 AM	#5
FizzyWater You kids get off my lawn! Posts: 4,220 Karma: 73492664 Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Columbus, Ohio Device: Oasis 2 and Libra H2O and half a dozen older models I can't let go of	FictionDB is a similar resource. Sadly, neither seem to include exclusive ebook releases.

07-26-2010, 01:34 AM	#6
banjobama Busy Read'n Posts: 980 Karma: 5039283 Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Auburn, WA Device: Pocketbook Touch Lux 5	I also agree that this is frustrating. Even if it doesn't really matter and there isn't much of a continuing story, I still want to read them in order.

07-26-2010, 03:49 AM	#7
GraceKrispy It's Dr. Penguin now! Posts: 3,909 Karma: 4705733 Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: (USA) Device: iPad mini, Samsung Note 3, Sony PRS-650 (rarely used now)	Ooh, I totally agree with this sentiment. Even for those who list the books on a page inside the book, they're not always in the order they were written. Sometimes it's the opposite.

07-26-2010, 09:31 AM	#8
HamsterRage Evangelist Posts: 435 Karma: 24326 Join Date: Jun 2010 Device: Kobo	The listings at Goodreads.com usually indicate the volume number of books in a series. Just go to the page for author. I'm usually at Goodreads anyways before I buy, to check out the reviews. So it's a logical place for me to go to get that info.

07-26-2010, 11:27 AM	#9
dougf4 Connoisseur Posts: 65 Karma: 838 Join Date: Jun 2010 Device: Nook Tablet (Rooted), jetbook lite	I totally agree. One of my favorite authors, CJ Box does not number his "Joe Picket" Mysteries. Janet Evanovich used witty numbering in her titles when creating her "Stephanie Plum" series.

01-07-2011, 06:48 PM	#11
gmw cacoethes scribendi Posts: 5,809 Karma: 137770742 Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Australia Device: Kobo Aura One & H2Ov2, Sony PRS-650	I always figure that first-published-date is as good as anything. Even for those series that end up writing prequels or inserting in the middle of a series, it often makes more sense to read in the order they were released than any inner story chronology. ... Of course if you are looking at older books, they were not always very good at providing first published dates which can make life difficult.

01-08-2011, 12:25 AM	#15
John Carroll kookoo Posts: 1,461 Karma: 7772454 Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Colorado Springs Device: Kindle Paperwhite, Nook, LG4	Thank you for pointing this out. I am only on my second book of a series at the moment, but I've made no mention of mentioning series order. Honestly, I haven't figured out what the name of the series is yet. sigh. From this point on, I will note that each book is in a series and where it's at in the series. For books not in a series, I will state that they are 'stand alone' books. Thank you very much for the advice.

Advert

Advert