That is the question.
Lately, I have found myself reading a number of series. These are romance works for the most part, but a good number of fantasy series are calling my name, too. Author pages, series pages and ads let us know these works are available. With so many gorgeous covers and great review stats, they are very tempting. A free initial book or bargain price for the whole shebang is attractive and my Kindle is getting very full.
What, then, of the books I write? Like every author, I hear the voices of my own characters. Some are more insistent than others. Sometimes, I know instinctively that a book is an "only." Other little demons hang on with a tenacity that makes a piranha look unmotivated and that is when I get a series, whether I want one or not. They are like the barbarians coming over the walls of Rome and I am sacked and burned before they're finished with me.
The question then is...how much significance does this hold for readers? Are they going to hear those voices the same way I do?
What say you, readers? Do you love it when authors soldier on? Does your interest sag somewhere in the middle like a loaf of bread that doesn't rise? Do you feel compelled to begin at the beginning and blaze your way through? Are you disappointed if the next book isn't available right away or do you enjoy the waiting for the next one?
And what about you, authors? Do you love spinning the continued adventures of your favorite characters, or do you have a compelling need to get one of your next eighty ideas for a manuscript on paper as quickly as possible before the affliction strikes?
Please feel free to leave your thoughts!
