Writing a Standalone or Series?

[W_L]

I don't recall if anyone has ever asked this question, so I was curious.

I was reading up on writing in general, trying to figure out how best to write a story with interwoven pieces, and found this interesting guide to the topic:

https://writersedit.com/fiction-writing/split-story-series/#How-do-I-know-whether-my-story-should-be-a-series

If you choose to go into the series route, it also offer a reference list of word counts per genre books:

 

Quote

 

A quick guide to genre word counts

Below is a list of the average or expected word length for adult fiction novels of various genres. If your story sits between more than one genre, average their word lengths out and use that for your general aim.

• Crime/Horror: 70,000–90,000
• Drama: 80,000–100,000
• Historical: ~100,000
• Literary: 80,000–100,000
• Romance: 50,000–100,000
• Satire and Humour: 40,000–60,000
• Speculative (Fantasy, Science Fiction, etc): 90,000–120,000

 

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I thought I'd share this guide and ask what others think about what the ideas it offers for writers, who are looking at single story writing versus serial writing.

 

Edited August 8, 2021 by W_L

[CassieQ]

Based on  what I've read, it seems pretty genre specific.  I am working on a very long project right now, but since it fits into the fantasy genre, I'm not too worried about hitting 100K and having it all as one piece.  If I was writing a drama/romance, which is my usual genre, then I might consider breaking it up.  The one series I wrote was the Not The Sun series, and if I had presented it as one story, it would have hit >200,000 words.  It was also a fantasy.  So I think you can have it either way.  

[JamesSavik]

I try to write stand-alone, but they seem to invite sequels.

From The Summer Job alone, I could do a number of sequels or even prequels.

Edited August 8, 2021 by jamessavik

[CassieQ]

Wish there were more replies to this, I think it would be interesting to hear others thoughts.

[Mawgrim]

In terms of posting on GA, I started off by creating a series for my Pern stories, which vary in length from a couple of thousand words to 196,000 for the main completed story, 'Gone Away, Gone Ahead.' 'Threadfall', which is a prequel to that story, will come in at around 215,000 when it's complete. I have plans for other stories following the same characters either before or after the ones I have already written. The length of story doesn't seem to have put people off following them. 

I also created a series for my cinema themed stories, but now I know a bit more about the way the system works, I think they should really have been posted as a world rather than a series, as they are unrelated pieces and don't share the same characters.

I'm not sure what sort of word count the readers prefer (has there ever been a survey to try and find out?), although I know personally I will read any length, even unfinished, so long as the writer appears to be posting regularly and it's not been sitting abandoned for a few years.

It's a bit different in the printed book world, when you have to consider the physical dimensions and weight of a book, or whether the print will be tiny in order to fit it all in. Again, things have changed now there are eBooks available and certain conventions of length in different genres.

[Mikiesboy]

When i wrote Changes, i never intended a second part.  But some readers made suggestions that i thought about until one day there was a story to be written.  I'm not sure i'd split a story from a single novel into a series. Changes, Again, continues the story of the MCs so a series seemed the sensible way to post them both.

i don't worry about length, the story/novel/novella will be as long as it needs to be.  I like good meaty books, the length of them doesn't scare me off.  i just have to be engaged.