How do I know if my project should be standalone or a series?

“Do you have any posts on turning a book into a series, and/or deciding how many books the series should be? I’m plotting my story and not sure how to split it up into how many books if I decide it’s too much for a stand alone. Do I just go with trilogy? Thought there are many authors who have like 5-10 books. How do I know?”

The choice between writing a standalone novel or committing to develop a series isn’t always straightforward. While some stories naturally lend themselves to multiple books, others work best as self-contained narratives. So what do you have to think about to actually make these decisions?

Signs your story might work better as a series

Complex worldbuilding

If you’ve built an intricate fictional world with multiple cultures, magic systems, or technological innovations that you can’t fully explore in a single book without overwhelming readers, you might have series potential.

Multiple major story arcs

When you have several significant plotlines that feel rushed or cramped into one book, or story threads that naturally extend beyond your story’s major conflict, this could show series potential.

Character development opportunities

If your characters have growth trajectories that would feel unrealistic or rushed within a single book, or if you have multiple interesting characters whose stories deserve more content, a series might be best.

Scope of conflict

Stories with conflicts that escalate naturally or reveal larger implications beyond the initial problem often work well as series.

Signs your story might work better as a standalone

Single central conflict

If your story revolves around one main conflict that can be satisfyingly resolved in a single book, it might be better as a standalone.

Focused character arc

When your protagonist’s journey has a clear beginning, middle, and end that rarely spawns new questions or conflicts, consider keeping it standalone.

Contained story world

If your world-building serves the immediate story without requiring extensive exploration of other aspects, it might not need expansion into a series.

Thematic resolution

When your theme can be fully explored and resolved in one book, forcing it into a series might dilute its impact and spread the story too thin to remain interesting.

How to decide the number of books

If you’ve decided your story would work better as a series, consider these factors when deciding length:

1. Natural breaking points: Look for places where your story has significant shifts in conflict, setting, or character development.
2. Story complexity: More complex narratives might need more books to do justice to all the elements.
3. Market considerations: While you shouldn’t write for marketing alone, if you plan to publishing, be aware that publishers and audiences often prefer certain series lengths for different genres.
4. Story structure: Some narratives naturally fall into traditional structures:
   • Trilogy (three acts)
   • Duology (two-part story)
   • Quartet (four interconnected arcs)
   • Longer series (episodic adventures or expanding scope)

Questions to ask yourself

• Can your story be told effectively in one book without sacrificing depth or rushing important elements?
• Do you have enough material for multiple books without resorting to filler?
• Are your subplots and secondary characters strong enough to sustain reader interest across multiple books?
• Does each potential book have its own complete arc while contributing to the larger story?
• Are you personally invested enough in the world and characters to spend years developing multiple books?

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Remember that there’s no universally “right” answer. Some stories that started as standalone books often grow into series (think crime series that tell self-contained stories but use the same protagonist throughout), while others that originally released as series are often condensed into a single volume for a better reader experience (like Ursula Le Guin’s Earthsea Quartet, or Susan Cooper’s The Dark Is Rising series).

Let your story guide you. Don’t force a standalone into a series just because series are popular, and don’t compress a story that needs room to breathe just to fit it into one book. Focus on telling your story in the most effective way possible, and the right format will often become clear during the writing process.

Whether you choose to write a standalone book or a series, make sure each book can stand on its own merits while serving the larger story you want to tell.