"BATTER UP!"

                                              

                                        What’s Next in Your Book Lineup?

            As a writer you work all the time working on a current project but while your elbow deep in this one, there is always another one on the horizon. Or there should be. That’s how it is with writers, we never take a day off.  In a way it reminds me of baseball, and I am not a fan to be sure. However, I understand the rotation process when it comes to the game. 

            There is always another player at the ready especially if the team is batting above average and filling the bases with runners. This is where the lineup becomes crucial. Not every member of the team will get a chance to bat, there is certain criteria to be met before you make the batting list.

            I won’t go into details about what these conditions are, nevertheless, you understand the process of rotation and why it is always good to have your next project on standby.  Mainly because the writing world is a fickle place of vast variety.  Not only this, but readers are ready and waiting for the next great read.

            Imagine this, what if you wrote this amazing book and you’re new on the scene. Instantly it becomes the next bestseller and book crowds are going wild over your work.  Now for seasoned authors who have already made a name for themselves, they have no need to worry. Their fans are loyal and will wait until the end of the world for their next book.

I’m speaking to the newbies, who think their work is done and can rest on their laurels. Unless you want to be a one hit wonder, I suggest having a lazy Susan of stories on hand to appease the fans.

Okay, I understand how long it takes to write a book, yet it takes less time for readers to devour them. One way to stave off a reading drought is to make sure you have plenty of options available for them to choose from.

            This is why series make such great reads and are wildly popular.  If the book is a hit, of course they will want more.  So, to avoid keeping them waiting for too long, write them all at once before you release the first one.

            Trust me. I learned a valuable lesson about patience, not everyone has this ability and we all know how hard it is to wait for it. Short stories are perfect for hungry book fans.  They take less time to write in most cases, and the beauty of this type of books is that they make great series.

Let’s breakdown the process, if it takes a year or longer to write a complete novel, then the next one in your book lineup will probably take just as long. The goal is to keep a steady lineup and the problem is solved by creating three books from one or divide it into two just to even things out.

All right I know every writer doesn’t write series, per se, however, this form of writing is trending and I for one love never ending stories. Although I do realize they must end. But to keep the ball rolling, or your lineup fully covered, consider it and you or your readers will never be left wondering whose next in your lineup.