The Dutton Writers' Room

Thoughts about Series Publishing

Do you have an idea for a series? When you see the runaway success of such franchises as Harry Potter and Lemony Snickett, it is only natural to conclude that writing a series as opposed to a single book is the way to go. Kids enjoy reading more stories about a character they have grown to like, and publishers like to follow up a hit with another book just like the first.

There is a dark side to series publishing, however. So many new children’s books are published each year that it can be difficult for any title to stand out and attract a following. Some rise to the top, some sell steadily over time, and some die on the vine. What if the first book in your series—heaven forbid—falls into the latter category? Your second book may never see the light of day. Both you and your readers will be left unsatisfied if the story wasn’t concluded in Book One.

Publishers wrestle with the timing of series books. Should titles be released once a year, every quarter, or monthly? Young readers appreciate frequency, but booksellers would prefer to wait and see how the first book sells before bringing in additional titles. The best scenario is when readers love the first book so much that they demand a sequel. But if the author can’t write quickly enough to satisfy the demand, he risks losing his new fan base.

At Dutton we are wary of series, not only for the reasons above, but also because series are often better suited to paperback and we are a hardcover-only imprint. An unpublished author has a much better chance of getting her stand-alone novel read here. If the writer has ideas for other books—including ones about the same character—that’s seen as a positive and should be mentioned. But a query letter announcing your series is most likely going to end up in our “no thanks” pile. Send those to the other guys.

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