I've noticed with some of the new authors I'm reading that there's different ranges of when the next book of the series between them. Some are popping out books as soon as 3 months after the first book is published. Some are 6-7 months and others are a year between books. Growing up reading Rick Riordan I hated having to wait a whole year for the next book to come out because I would read them so quick. But as I got older while reading them I knew I was getting the best quality of storytelling in the book in the time it took to be written.
It seems like some authors today the first book of the series isn't even out yet before they are making a post of how they are working on book 2 and then you blink and they are promoting book 2 when book 1 hasn't even been out that long. If the author and series is good and keeps me hooked then 6/7 months and even a year between books isn't bad for me. But I'm 50/50 about books that come out so quick it's like is this going to be the author's best work on this book.
How soon do you like having the next book in the series published? How long do you wait for the next book before you forget about it and loose interest? If it goes past a year would you even read it or be like I'm done with the series it's taking to long for the books to come out? What do you think is the perfect time frame for time between books in a series for it to live up to the book before or be better?
by ChocolateLover207
8 Comments
As long as it takes ✊🏾😔
People… people pay attention to how long the time between books in a series is? Baffling. Couldn’t be me. There’s so many old books to read while waiting for new books!
I’m willing to wait 2+ years for a quality sequel. Often times I get into a debut author only for their publisher to rush them through their next book and the quality suffers for it. So I’m happy to let them cook for a bit if a few more drafts is what they need. (I’m a writer myself and quality is going to be completely different between a 2 draft book and a 3-5 draft book.)
I’m not an expert by any means, but I always thought a year was the minimum between sequels. One of my favorite authors, Joe Abercrombie, is considered a fast writer (from what I hear) and he ends up writing new books almost every year.
When writing a series, I think A lot of authors usually have at least a rough idea of where the story is going beforehand, so the writing is faster than if they were making everything up on the fly.
I think 1-3 years is reasonable for most series. Obviously it depends on quality and quantity though.
Then you have authors like GRRM who has been writing his sequel in the A Song of Ice and Fire (Game of Thrones) series for over 10 years now. And although more time spent writing usually equates to higher quality, and George is a fantastic writer, I don’t think that extra time spent will translate directly to quality. You have to draw the line somewhere
I’ve started getting into Brandon Sanderson, meaning I got plenty of stuff to read and been practicing this regularly the past year. My general approach is reading them every other book, I’ve done this for quite a while at this point.
So I finish Mistborn 1 I grab a different book, read that and then go back in for Mistborn 2. I like to let the writing style and story rest so I don’t burn out and also experience new things without going so long I’m needing to review what happened in the past story.
Best person to ask is George R. R. Martin
I have plenty of other things to read, I dont worry about it.
It’s interesting you bring this up because the pace of publishing can really influence our experience. When I was younger, I felt that same impatience with waiting a year between books. But as you grow older, there’s a deeper appreciation for the time it takes to craft a quality story. Sometimes an author needs that breathing space to develop characters and enrich the plot.
Balance is key here. On one hand, quick releases can keep the excitement alive and the story fresh in your mind, but there’s a risk of the narrative feeling rushed or incomplete. Conversely, a longer wait can build anticipation and ensure the book is polished, but it might test the limits of patience, especially in our fast-paced world.
For me, a sweet spot is about 6 to 9 months. It’s enough time for authors to refine their ideas without feeling pressured, but short enough to maintain reader engagement. However, the quality of the series really determines my willingness to wait. If the world and characters are compelling, I’m willing to stick around for however long it takes. After all, great stories are timeless, and I’d rather have that enduring impact than a quick-fix.