Many readers, myself included, LOVE reading series. I enjoy delving into a story, knowing I will be living in that world over many books. These series could be standalones in the same world, featuring a new couple or more per book, or they could be series with the same couples or more having adventures over many books.
To make series readers happy, writers should tell them the books are part of a series. This sounds like a no-brainer but there are SO many writers who don’t do this.
How can writers tell readers their books are part of a series?
Designate The Book As Part Of A Series
When you load books at Amazon, there is a field to input the series name. Ensure you use the EXACT same series name for each book in the series. You then give it a whole number (1, 2, 3, etc) to tell Amazon where the book should go in the series.
Shorter works are treated the same as your regular length works. You have to rely on other factors to tell readers they are shorter works (pricing, description, etc). I’ve heard calling the story a novella might cause issues at Amazon. Amazon, for some bizarre reason, doesn’t like putting novellas in series. I call mine “a short companion story” and Amazon, thus far, has accepted that.
Connecting A Series
Once you have two or more stories in a series, connect them at Amazon. This will give you a series bar under the blurb, above the also boughts. Readers LOVE this. I like to read ALL of the books in my favorite series, preferably in order. The series bar tells me the order and it allows me to easily buy every book.
Amazon claims they’ll connect the stories automatically. This rarely happens for me. I almost always have to contact KDP support and ask them to link the new stories. It is well worth the email.
Listing The Series Titles Elsewhere
I also list the series titles in order in the From The Author section of the Amazon product listing. Some writers put this information in the blurb.
The series order is listed on my website and in other places. I, of course, have the series titles in the back of my books.
Linking To The Next Story
Linking to book 2 in the series in the back of book 1 is AWESOME for me as a reader. I don’t have to look up the book. All I have to do is click on the link.
Because I currently have two series on the go, I don’t normally have the next story in the series written and available for pre-order. I link to my website instead. When I DO have the next story available, I will load a new book file with the updated link. (Sometimes I’m slow on this – yes, I am a bad writer).
How do you tell readers your stories are part of a series?
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Dark Fire
What the Beast wants, the Beast gets.
Dare’s savage nature has made him an outcast among his kind. The silver-scaled Dracheon warrior can’t control his inner beast. It’s too strong. When his primitive instincts told him his destined mate was on Carinae E, he had no choice. He had to travel to the outlaw planet. There, he hoped to meet a female powerful enough to survive his Drache.
He finds Faylee, a delicate little human.
Faylee is the best thief on the planet. Everyone she encounters mistakes her for a young boy…except for a tall, shiny warrior from off-planet. When she gazes into Dare’s flame-filled eyes, he makes her feel, for the first time, like a desirable female. The fire-breathing male has her yearning for hot kisses, fierce embraces, and a future filled with love. She doesn’t realize mating with him might be the last thing she ever does.
Dare’s beast isn’t the only danger on the planet. An enemy from the past has returned and he’s determined to stop Dare and Faylee…permanently. They’ll need luck and the assistance of every warrior in the Refuge to stay alive.
Dark Fire is a STANDALONE SciFi Romance set in a gritty, dark world.
Buy Today:
Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/Dark-Fire-Refuge-Book-4-ebook/dp/B07CW2Y8B7/
Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dark-Fire-Refuge-Book-4-ebook/dp/B07CW2Y8B7/
Apple/iTunes : https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/dark-fire/id1381353384
B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/dark-fire-cynthia-sax/1128614574
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/dark-fire-22
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/824382
