Crafting a Book Series:
A Step-by-Step Guide
By Mary Kole
Mary Kole is a former literary agent, freelance editor, writing teacher, author of Writing Irresistible Kidlit, and IP developer for major publishers, with over a decade in the publishing industry.
Writing a book series can be an incredibly rewarding experience for writers and readers alike. With a book series, you can spend more time with beloved characters and stories. It also gives writers some job security—though this is a fallacy, and a topic for a different article. With the right amount of planning, you can craft a captivating story that will keep literary agents, publishers, and readers coming back for more. But where do you start? In this article, I’ll walk you through the steps of crafting a book series from start to finish.
How to Begin a Book Series
Start with your premise, and make sure it’s meaty enough to support a book series, rather than a standalone story. Before you dive into writing, take some time to think about the concept behind your book series. Ask yourself questions like: What is the main story arc? What would my logline be, not just for one book, but for the entire story arc? Who are the characters and what motivates them? Which themes are present in each book? These questions should guide your writing process and help give shape to your story.
Next, consider how many books will be in your series and whether they’ll be interconnected standalones or sequential. If you opt for sequels, keep character arcs consistent across all books so that readers feel invested in each installment. Additionally, consider introducing new characters or plot elements in later books as a way of keeping things interesting and exciting for readers who have already followed your journey thus far. Interconnected standalones can also focus on different characters in your book series. A sequential book series tends to follow the same main character across different adventures in chronological order (apart from prequels and companion books, of course).
Tie the Book Series Together
Finally, decide on an overarching theme for your book series and use it to tie everything together. Your theme should be something relatable to readers—like love or friendship—but also have enough potential depth that it can be explored over several books without getting stale or boring. This will help ensure that each book has its own unique flavor while still being part of the same greater narrative arc.
Crafting a compelling book series requires careful planning and thoughtfulness—but with these tips, you’ll be well on your way to plotting something truly special. By starting with your premise, deciding on a number of books and maybe even attempting a novel outline for one or several installments, introducing new elements as needed, and choosing an overarching theme as a thread that ties everything together, you’ll be able to craft an unforgettable literary experience for both existing fans and potential new readers alike. There’s nothing like the readership and fandom that comes from a beautifully executed book series.
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