Plan in Advance
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Plan in Advance: The Secret to Launching a Bestselling Book Series
I can hear the “pantsers” among you—those writers who love to fly by the seat of their pants and discover the story as they write—letting out a collective sigh!
We get it. Rigid outlines can feel like a straitjacket for your creativity. But here is the hard truth every successful series author knows: some level of planning is non-negotiable when you are writing a book series.
Exactly how much outlining you do is entirely up to you. You might be an extreme outliner who maps out every chapter, or a flexible planner who just needs a general roadmap. Either way, at the very least, there are two critical questions you need to answer before you ever type the words “Chapter One.”
Let’s dive into what those questions are and why answering them early will save you from major heartbreak down the road.
Question 1: Is There Room for the Story to Continue?
Imagine this: You’ve stumbled upon a brilliant, juicy historical event. It’s dramatic, it’s filled with high stakes, and it practically writes itself. You pour your heart into Book One, and it’s a masterpiece.
Then comes the pressure from your readers: “When is Book Two coming out?”
Panic sets in. You realize that the incredible historical event you based the first book on was a one-hit wonder. You’ve burned through your best material, and you have nowhere left to go.
To build a sustainable book series, you have to think long-term. Before committing to a series, ask yourself:
- Are there other events to leverage? If you are writing historical fiction, look at the timeline surrounding your first book. Are there subsequent historical events, cultural shifts, or political changes that your characters can stumble into in the following years?
- Are there broader plot opportunities? Can you expand the world, introduce new conflicts, or pull back the curtain on a larger, overarching mystery that spans multiple volumes?
If the well runs dry the moment your first book ends, you don’t have a series—you have a standalone novel with sequel anxiety.
Question 2: Is There Room for Character Growth?
Characters are the beating heart of any great series. Readers fall in love with your protagonists, and they want to follow them on a journey of personal evolution.
However, a common trap for debut series authors is wrapping everything up too neatly in Book One.
Make sure you aren’t closing down the avenues for your character to change and grow. If your protagonist achieves all their goals, heals all their trauma, finds their ultimate love, and reaches absolute perfection by the end of the first novel, where is left for them to go?
When planning your first book, leave your characters with room to breathe—and room to fail. Ensure that:
- Their internal arc is ongoing. Maybe they solved the murder, but they still struggle with trust.
- New flaws are exposed. As they solve one problem, perhaps their actions inadvertently create a new personal flaw or challenge they must face in the next installment.
- Their relationships are evolving. Leave room for friendships to fracture, romances to hit bumps, or new alliances to form.
If your character has nowhere to grow, readers will lose interest by book two because the protagonist has become stagnant.
The Special Case of the Standalone-in-a-Series
What if you don’t want a sprawling, interconnected epic fantasy or a continuous thriller arc? What if you intend for each book in your series to be a standalone—meaning it can be read and enjoyed completely on its own, without requiring readers to read the previous books (think Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot or many romance series)?
If this is your approach, you breathe a little easier: You won’t have to worry about expansive, multi-book story arcs.
However, you aren’t completely off the hook! Even in a standalone-per-book series, you still have to:
- Consider future plot opportunities: You need a formula or a fresh well of ideas so you can drop your recurring characters into brand-new adventures time and time again.
- Ensure your main characters have staying power: Your recurring protagonist (like a detective, a roving adventurer, or a matchmaker) needs to be dynamic, interesting, and flexible enough to carry multiple books on their own shoulders without exhausting the reader’s patience.
Strike the Right Balance
Planning a book series doesn’t mean you have to kill the magic of discovery. It simply means laying down a foundation strong enough to support a skyscraper, rather than just a one-room cabin.
By taking a step back to evaluate your future plot potential and your characters’ growth trajectories, you set yourself up for long-term publishing success.
Are you a pantser or a planner? How do you map out your book series? Let us know in the comments below!
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