Writing a Bestselling Series, Chapter 14: Choosing my Covers
In 1998 and 1999, I found myself in an odd place. I had advised one of my publishers to push Harry Potter big, and I was filled with anticipation about that. I was writing little Star Wars game books as fast I could, and I was invited to write a novel based upon an old […]
Writing a Bestselling Series, Chapter 13: Strange Reviews
Most writers kill their own careers. For decades now I’ve studied promising new writers, and sometimes after a writer makes a great debut, a few years later I wonder, “Where did so-and-so go?” Many authors will start great but then quit the race. The most common mistake that a new author makes is that the […]
Writing a Bestselling Series, Chapter 12: Audience Analysis Pays Off Big
My first fantasy novel took off in a way that I had hoped, and I suddenly found myself with a number of opportunities. First, I was working hard on my second Runelords novel, and that was my priority, but with the success of Starcraft’s Brood War (which is still played today in the final round […]
Writing a Bestselling Series, Chapter 11: Taking the Plunge
From the time that I was a teen, I’d wanted to write a fantasy series. In fact, my first two attempts at fiction writing were both fantasy novels, but as I got into college I began writing other things—literary fiction, poetry, science fiction, non-fiction. Ten years after winning the grand prize in the Writers of […]
Writing a Bestselling Series, Chapter 10: Agents, Editors, and Writers
Most new writers dream of getting a high-powered agent and editor, and as a new author I was no different. As an older writer, I’m a bit more skeptical. I got my first agent fairly easily. After winning the Writers of the Future Contest and having the award ceremony atop the World Trade Center in […]
Writing a Bestselling Series, Chapter 9: Writing Fun
Many authors, when they “get serious” about writing, discover that their attitude will suck all of the fun out of their work, and it shows in their prose. A novelist who isn’t having fun will tend to write beautifully and powerfully, but may go an entire novel without cracking a joke, without displaying a sense […]
Writing a Bestselling Series, Chapter 8: Making Connections
While my early novels were all bestsellers on the science fiction lists, hitting the New York Times bestseller list was another matter entirely. With each novel that you write, you’ll find that you make new business and personal connections with people. You need to be prepared for that. For example, when my first novel came […]
Writing a Bestselling Series, Chapter 7: The Lifesaver
I knew that the second book in my Serpent Catch series was doomed. There were three indicators. The first was that my publisher had been bought out by a conglomerate that wanted to ditch all of the science fiction and fantasy authors—literally dozens of them. The second came when my editor asked that I change […]
Writing a Bestselling Series, Chapter 6: Round Two
I felt gratified that my first novel was well received, but I discovered that no matter how well you think things through with a novel, you’re apt to make mistakes.For example, I knew that I wanted to write fantasy, but my publisher thought I was doing so well in science fiction, that they wanted only […]
Writing a Bestselling Series, Chapter 5: Taking the Challenge
When I got my first writing contract from Bantam Books, I had two problems. One was my health. I was still fighting off my chronic fatigue syndrome. The second problem was that I had never written a complete novel. Sure, I’d written a dozen short stories and I’d started four novels, but I’d never figured out how […]
