Did this book need to be a series?

I don't know the actual numbers behind the rise of book series, or interconnected standalone series, but visually, it does seem like there's been an uptick. Like most people, I'm a fan of some and opposed to others, but that's a matter of taste or preference.

One of the first series I can recall reading was The Cartel series by Ashley & JaQuavis, probably close to fifteen years ago. Scanning my step-mom's bookshelf and picking up The Cartel way back when was essentially the catalyst for my passion for reading. I ask myself: did that need to be a series? The answer is yes. I may be biased because that was one of my first introductions to reading when I was younger. But I can see myself having a difficult time getting through a 5+ part series if I were to read a series today.

Fast forward to now, and objectively, I can say there are quite a few books being published as series. There's a running discourse within the reading community about which titles needed sequential parts and which could have been combined into one. Depending on the genre and plot, we could argue for either.

Looking at this from the perspective of the author, through interviews and anecdotes, the decision to create interconnected series (where the following books follow maybe a side character from the first book) seems to be a predetermined decision when starting the first book or the entire series universe. They know, or eventually come to know, that they want to continue with the book family during plot or character development. I think that's valid, especially if authors have an idea for the storyline of side characters (usually siblings or close friends). However, I don't know how often authors go into creating books for other characters with the thought that readers "would probably want this." If there's an author out there reading this, please let me know in the comments. I can only imagine there's a sweet spot between wanting to close out an idea or storyline in an author's head and wanting to satisfy your audience.

From the perspective of the reader and from my experience browsing comments and reading dialogue, there's been an almost unhealthy request (really, a demand) from us to authors to create a book for a side couple. And I say couple because, honestly, romance is where I'm seeing this demand most. For fantasy, it's almost a given that we'll see a part two and three. There's an expectation for world-building, epic battles, and storylines that span 400+ pages because those narratives are just so in-depth. But for romance specifically, it seems like unusual practice that almost every other book we encounter is related to a series.

When an author publishes a new romance and it isn't announced that it's part of a series, we'll see comments like "so-and-so needs their own book." I believe this might be one of the most positive pieces of feedback an author can hear from their readers—that you (the author) developed this side character so well that we (the readers) would like to keep reading and see how their story ends up. That's great feedback, right? But at what cost is this feedback to authors?

I'm sure you can recall a few times where reader pressure took a toll on authors so much that an author needed to explicitly tell readers to "chill out" or "I'm taking a break." That's just one emotional cost that comes to mind, but there are also creative and financial costs. Creatively, an author might feel boxed in—obligated to write a story they hadn't envisioned or aren't passionate about, which can compromise the quality of the work. Financially, there's pressure to deliver quickly, sometimes at the expense of depth or care, because readers are waiting and visibility depends on momentum. And if that sequel doesn't land the way the first book did, it can affect an author's confidence and their relationship with their audience. Because ultimately, not everything needs to be a series.

Now, some of my thoughts around interconnected romances or romance series, period: In a state where so much work is being published and praised every day, is it because it's a trending thing to do? It looks like the market of readership may be driving this, but it's also unclear if there's a push from publishers and whether indie authors are following suit to stay competitive. Of course, if you have a successful series, you'll have people engaged for months with your work, given that everybody reads at different rates. But is the uptick—whether from publishing pressure or readership pressure—in a way, diluting reading?

People are speed-reading to get to the next part of the series. Are we actually sitting with these love stories and doing reflection? Are we moving too fast from them? Now, there's no expectation for authors to be experts in love, but some of these love stories draw from real-life experiences and lessons anyone can take away. While mostly for entertainment purposes, these romances can prompt deeper reflection. For instance, after a string of back-to-back romances (and honestly, romance fiction fatigue), I picked up a non-fiction book about love: All About Love by bell hooks, to be exact. I felt I needed a break from the fantasy of love to get a little more grounded in real-life perspectives, but also to seek answers on why I love reading about love so much. That pause made me realize how rarely I was giving myself space to think about what I'd just read before moving on to the next couple, the next happy ending.

Furthermore, the pressure we put on authors to satisfy our thirst for more—does this backfire if the author never really intended for the book to be a series and then it doesn't perform as well as the first book? For various reasons, sequential books either do not recapture the magic of the first, there are unmet expectations, or again, reader fatigue. Sometimes the spark that made the first book special, the freshness of the world, the chemistry that felt surprising, can't be recreated. And when that happens, it raises the question: was the series necessary, or did we ask for something that didn't need to exist?

I don't have a definitive answer. I don't think there's a rule that works for every book or every author. But I do think it's worth asking ourselves, as readers, what we're really looking for when we demand more. Are we chasing the same feeling the first book gave us? Are we avoiding the discomfort of saying goodbye to characters we love? Or have we become so conditioned to expect sequels that we've forgotten how satisfying a standalone story can be? Maybe the best series are the ones that were always meant to be series. And maybe the best favor we can do for authors—and for ourselves—is to let some stories end when they're ready.

Until the next thought,

Tyah, Founder