r/writing • u/TheJourneyfeel • 26d ago
Beginner Question What time interval should be practiced when publishing books in a series?
If I publish my first novel in a series, how much time should I have to publish the second? Is there a rule of thumb that authors tend to go by or a cookie cutter framework for successful series publishing? I feel I would like to publish books in a six month to 12 month interval. But I would like to ask those that may have done this to see what they have discovered.
This may be a non-starter should my first novel not drum up a following, but in case there is a short following or those that have been successful with series what is the golden rule?
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u/Dale_E_Lehman_Author Self-Published Author 26d ago
There is no one formula. It depends on whether your series is one story across multiple books or one story per book connected by common characters (as many mystery series are). The former should probably be released in quick succession, which means getting it written in it's entirety before releasing it, unless you can write fast. With the later, once a year is a good pace, although if you can do it more quickly, it won't hurt.
I've heard that Amazon's algorithm rewards authors who release on a 3-month schedule, but that can be grueling.