Career Insurance: 5 Ways To Sell Your Next Book Before It's Written

Photo by Sem Vandekerckhove

When we're writing a book, we often have the end goal of getting an agent or publishing deal in mind. If I can just sell THIS book. That's our focus. What happens beyond that is gravy, right? 

Well, yes and no. Unless you're writing the next blockbuster of the century, one book does not a career make. One book is just the gun going off at the starter gate. If you want to do this for a living, you need to anticipate that you will be putting butt-in-chair over and over again to write more stories. And you hope that editors and readers keep buying said books.

So one of the purposes your initial book (and every book after that) has to serve is to sell the next one. You want your readers/editors turning that last page and thinking--OMG, must have the next one!

There are a few ways to go about doing this. It can depend on the genre you're writing and if you're doing single-title vs. a series or trilogy. But here are some strategies to close the deal on the next book before it's even written.

How to Sell Your Readers on the Next Book Before It's Even Written

 

1. The writing must be so amazing you take the reader to another place.

This is number one no matter what. Great writing. Period. If this isn't there, you've already killed your chance for next time. This is why I caution people about jumping in and self-publishing their first novel. I look back at my first novel and cringe. Had I put that out there, my name would be attached to that level of writing. Ack! So keep in mind that ANYTHING you put out there with your name on it can either pump up or sully your reputation as a writer. Therefore, make sure you only put the best product out there.

2. Cliffhangers (but not shameless ones!)

This is a delicate balance. Cliffhangers are absolutely awesome for making your readers desperate to have the next book, but be really careful with this. A shameless, brutal cliffhanger also runs the risk of pissing off a reader. I have seriously stopped reading an author when I feel like I was taken for a ride then left hanging on the edge with no resolution at all. Each book has to have ITS OWN ARC. You have to tie up the main threads of the plot in that book while still leaving unanswered questions for the SERIES ARC. Those arcs are two different things. Do not twist up all that tension and then leave the reader in a knot. Give them some relief.

3. Main characters that are strong and interesting enough to keep readers coming back for more. (Series--same hero/heroine.)

If you are going to write a series that follows the same main characters, you have to create heroes and heroines that are knock-you-on-your-ass interesting. (And humor helps too. I find myself more drawn to ongoing characters who are funny/sarcastic and entertaining.) Following the same people for one book is a big enough commitment, so for me to follow those same people for another two, ten, fifteen books, they better be amazing. You have to create a character with so many layers that you can continue to peel back with each new story. 

4. Secondary characters that the reader falls in love with. (Series--different hero/heroine, same world.)

If you want to write a series, especially in romance, this is vital. For instance, my books are part of a series but each book is its own complete love story. Therefore, CRASH INTO YOU's story is about Brynn and Reid. Then MELT INTO YOU is about Reid's best friend Jace, who was introduced in book one.

When readers finish one of my books, I want them asking, "When does this character's story come out???" You don't want to plant a character just for "sequel bait". They need to have a good reason to be in the previous book, but make the reader want that person's story. Readers were loving Jace and anticipating his story before Melt Into You was even written. Another good example is Adrian in Richelle Mead's Vampire Academy series. He's such a likeable character that you want to know what happens to him. So now he has his own spinoff series.

5. A fantastic author voice.

This can get me every time. If I love the author's voice--the wit, the style of writing, the way they can put together language--I'm going to line up to buy whatever they write. This is why even though I don't read science fiction, I still picked up Lauren Dane's Undercover which takes place in space. I love her voice and her stories, so I'll follow her into genres I may normally not pick up. 

So when you look at THE ONE BOOK you're trying so hard to sell, try to find what is going to make someone want to buy your next book. Editors usually want to make multi-book deals, so give them a good reason to take a chance on you. :)

Now, you guys tell me, what hooks you into wanting to buy another book from that author? How do you feel about cliffhangers? And which authors/books have you read where you absolutely couldn't wait to get your hands on the next one (like you're on Amazon within ten minutes of finishing the book or your schlepping out to Barnes and Nobles in your pajama pants)?

Exercising Optimism: Writing a Series

 

So it's no secret that book series are more the norm than the exception these days.  This is especially true in genres like YA, romance, paranormal/urban fantasy, and mysteries.  The appeal is obvious--get readers hooked so they continue buying the books.  It's also a nice thing for an author because you start a new book with things already in your toolbox--characters you know, a world you've built, etc.  (Although, my guess is that when you hit uber success and are on book 15 of a series, coming up with new things within those parameters gets much more challenging.)

 

Now, I'm a sucker for series.  I love going into a new book with some insider information from a previous book.  And there's nothing I enjoy more than when an author makes me love a secondary character in a book, then gives me a book with that character as the hero/heroine.  I also like series that are a continuation of the main story with the same heroine like the Vampire Academy series and the Sookie Stackhouse books.

So, does that mean when we (the unpublished) are writing that we should write with a series in mind?  Is that smart or overly optimistic?

Every book I've written has been written with series potential.  I'm not sure I did this consciously at first, but I get so into my characters that halfway through most books, I start half falling for one of my secondary characters and thinking about what their story would be like.  And this seems to have come across in the book according to my beta readers.  Two of the secondary characters I'd want to write stories for stood out for them as well, which makes me happy.

However, here's the big question...now that I'm querying this book, do I go forth and start writing the second in the series or do I move on to something completely different until I'm sure this first one has some interest?  Obviously, in romance, connected books have to be able to stand alone, so it's not like writing a sequel per se but it's still an intimidating leap of optimism (and although I'm optimistic by nature, I'm also cautious.)

Then there's the argument  of once you do get a deal, the publisher may want to sign you for a multi-book contract and having other things ready to go is a good thing in that case.  So, I don't know the answer and am throwing the question out to you guys.

What do you think?  Have you written a series or sequel?  Do you write your stories with future books in mind?  What's your favorite series to read?

 

**Today's Theme Song**
"Mr. Brightside" - The Killers
(player in sidebar, take a listen)


 

Fixing Sagging Middles: Multipurpose Scenes

 


I hope everyone had a great holiday.  Mine was low key since hubby is still recovering from the knee surgery (doing better now), but nice nonetheless.  I did get a good bit of writing done, I'm up to 10k in Constant Craving, so that makes me happy.  Since it is a slated for category length (55k-60k) this puts me on the brink of starting the middle of the story, which can come with its own challenges.  So, I thought for the next two posts, I would talk about avoiding the dreaded sagging middle.

 

Most of the time when we come up with a story idea we get a vision of two parts of the story--the beginning and how we want it to end.  What tends to be a bit more fuzzy is all that stuff that happens in between--the meat of the story.  If that middle isn't give proper attention, you'll end up with meandering scenes that drag and sag, feeding filler to your reader instead of a juicy burger.

And keep in mind for you trilogy/series writers out there, this applies to that middle book as well.  I have seen really terrific authors suffer from this.  I love the first book, am chomping at the bit for the next one to come out, then I get it and *yawn* NOTHING really happens, it's just a bridge to the third book (which typically returns to the kickass glory of the first one).  So annoying.

So what are some things you can do to avoid the saggy middle?  Be the Ron Popeil of scenes.  For those of you who have never been caught awake at two in the morning watching infomercials, Ron is the guy famous for inventing and  pitching those As Seen on TV products.  And there are a few things we can learn from him...

 




It slices, it dices, it does your freaking laundry!

  • One thing is to make sure that your scenes have more than one purpose.  If you write an entire scene just to show your reader that your MC is daring, your reader will see through that.
  • Use the 1 + 2 formula for purposing a scene:  The purpose that should ALWAYS be present (1) is that the scene moves your plot forward.  Then on top of that, the scene should serve at least two other purposes.  Here are some ideas from author Alicia Rasley:
Develop character.
Show character interaction. 
Explore setting or culture and values.  
Introduce new character or subplot. 
Forward subplot. 
Increase tension and suspense.  
Increase reader identification. 
Anticipate solution to problem. 
Divert attention from solution (but still show it).  
Show how character reacts to events or causes events. 
Show event from new point of view.  
Foreshadow some climactic event.  
Flashback or tell some mysterious past event that has consequences now. 
Reveal something the protagonist has kept hidden.  
Reveal something crucial to protagonist and/or reader.  
Advance or hinder protagonist's "quest".




But wait there's more!

  • Just when your reader things can't get any more complicated for your characters, throw in more conflict.  
  • Every scene should have some type of conflict.  It may be as subtle as a character warring with their internal conflict in their head or as blatant as two characters dueling with swords.  But it must be there.
  • And don't forget that each scene should have it's own beginning, middle, and end.  You should be able to extract any scene in your book, look at it in isolation and be able to identify the players and the conflict in that particular scene.


And your reader gets all that for only $19.99!  Sorry, that has nothing to do with anything, just wanted to say it.  :)  Alright, I'll cover more tomorrow, but hopefully that gets your gears turning a bit.

 

Have you struggled with keeping your middle tight?  If so, what have you done to get that sucker into shape?  Have you read books where the middle or a book in the series sags? 

**Today's Theme Song**
"The Middle" - Jimmy Eats World
(player in sidebar, take a listen)