Contemplating a Successor for Your Literary Work?
In the world of literature, the decision to write a sequel is often a complex one, balancing the allure of creative freedom with the potential for audience building and sustained sales.
Writing a sequel can be motivated by unanswered questions and unresolved conflicts in the original book. This natural story progression, coupled with reader interest, is a common catalyst for authors to continue the narrative. The popularity and profitability of book series, such as J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter, have influenced many authors to conceive their books as multi-part series.
Before embarking on a sequel, authors should examine if their book fits at least one of the criteria for creating a sequel. This could include unanswered questions, unresolved conflicts, strong central or minor characters, or a story with multiple open-ended questions.
In traditional publishing, the sale of more books increases the likelihood of a sequel. However, in self-publishing, selling more than 1,000 copies of a book may warrant a follow-up.
Authors should consider their goals, story scope, readership, and marketing strategy when deciding whether to write a series or a stand-alone book. Writing a stand-alone offers easier completion, less reader commitment, and greater freedom to explore different stories and genres. In contrast, a series allows an author to build momentum over time, with each new book potentially attracting new readers to earlier titles, creating a loyal fanbase and generating long-term sales.
Several factors influence the decision to write a sequel. These include reader demand and story potential, the author's creative plans, commercial considerations, publishing route, and technical aspects. In self-publishing, pressure from readers can also play a role, with authors often influenced by queries such as "When's the next one?" or "I can't wait to read the sequel!"
Writing a sequel, however, is not a decision to be taken lightly. Timing is crucial, and a poorly constructed book with plot holes and underdeveloped characters can result. It's important to know when to leave a series alone. Moreover, writing a sequel should not come at the expense of quality. It's better to write one great book than two mediocre ones.
Looking ahead, John Briggs' upcoming book, Leaping Lemmings, is scheduled to be released on September 6th, 2016. Whether it will spark a series remains to be seen, but one thing is certain - the decision to write a sequel is a significant one, one that can shape the future of a book and its author.
In the process of crafting the first draft of Leaping Lemmings, John Briggs might be considering whether this stand-alone book has the potential to spawn a series of books, drawing from elements such as unresolved conflicts or engaging characters. Should the book be well-received and meet commercial success, fans might encourage Briggs to produce a sequel, transforming the first draft into a series with long-term entertainment value.
