Why create a signature series?

Hi friends,

To make finding fans (which is expensive) cost-effective, you need a signature series, with A LOT of books in it that gives you an excellent ROI when you run ads or do marketing for it.

Ichabod, for instance, has three and will soon have four volumes. The Godsverse Chronicles has two graphic novels and seven books, which will expand to three graphic novels and eleven books by January 2022.

This means when somebody digs into that series, they can return A LOT of money, which also means I can spend a considerable amount of money and effort to find readers for that series.

On top of that, every time I launch one of those books, it's another opportunity to build buzz around the series, find new readers, and get existing fans excited, infusing new life into back catalog books with each new installment, and giving myself additional opportunities for readers to find my work.

Conversely, with a standalone, you only have that one book launch to get the book selling, and then it fizzles out unless the book happens to take off quickly. Most books do not take off the first time out of the gate, so having multiple chances to get a book selling increases your odds of success. 

This is another reason standalone books are hard until you are established, at least because you do not make a lot of money from a reader if they only buy one book from you. People are unlikely to read through the rest of your catalog when you write single, unconnected books compared to when you have a series.

Almost all successful authors have a series that keeps finding readers over time, allowing their publisher to spend money because the readthrough is high.

A good guideline is to make your signature series at least a million words for books and a minimum of 10-12 issues for comics.

I started making good money before having a signature series, but once you have one, marketing and advertising become far more cost-effective, and it just compounds with every subsequent book.

Once you have a signature series working for you, you can write standalones, or try to funnel people to your other works, but having one is so vital that it's almost impossible to exist without one.

If you want to learn more about signature series, paid members have access to an extensive guide to making one.

How to design a signature series

Hope you enjoyed this one.

-Russell

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