YA Trilogy trend

stephen andrew · Apr 4, 2014

What are your thoughts toward the trend of YA trilogies? It seems like a lot of stories are getting the three book treatment lately.

But it seems to me that they are harder to sell since they aren't a potential series, but a required series and more of a risk to a potential agent or publisher. And the stories really can't stand alone.

The reason I ask is because I am writing yet another trilogy. Not because it is the "thing." But it was always going to take three books in my mind to tell the story. I've finished the second draft of the first book and am polishing it up for querying, and mapping out the second one in my head currently.

Do you find trilogies to be a turn-off, because they are common? Do you get excited about trilogies? Thoughts on getting them published?

spikeman4444 · Apr 4, 2014

I would stay the heck away from it. I'd write a story to stand alone and have series potential, otherwise if you aren't a well-known author you will have trouble selling a trilogy. It seems foolish to me.

Sage · Apr 4, 2014

There's nothing wrong with writing a trilogy, if that's what's in your head, but an unpublished author is probably going to be better off writing a standalone than a series, simply because if the first book doesn't sell, you've spent a long time on two more that you also won't sell. That's why the advice is often given to write a standalone even if you have a series in mind.

Many trilogies or duologies on the shelves are by request of the publisher. I know authors who intended only one book in that world and then wrote one or two more because the publisher insisted. Particularly in multi-book deals, it makes more sense for the publisher to want more in the same world. And since we can't see inside the process for the creation of a trilogy, we honestly can't even say that a first book that seems to require a sequel or threequel wasn't once a standalone book when the author queried it.

However, within certain genres, trilogies are popular to read, so it makes sense that some authors would find inspiration to plot out a story arc that way.

And there is another reason to write a full trilogy even if you haven't sold the first book. If you just want to write for your own enjoyment for a while, there is nothing wrong with that.

ash.y · Apr 4, 2014

Well, my $.02 from my experience as an indie pub editor: a publisher isn't going to buy a book unless they believe in its potential. Series are a bigger time and $ commitment, which would make them a bit riskier in those ways than the average book/author. But there are so many other factors that go into the decision. The process is much more complicated than "Trilogy? Nah." Being a first time author would be a bigger factor. Writing/story quality is always the biggest.

Multi-book projects have the benefit of creating an audience for subsequent books by the author. Series guarantee some level of sales in a way that doesn't happen with standalone books. They can also be beneficial to the author because s/he can potentially get more books in print even if the sales of book #1 aren't knock-your-socks-off great.

On the flip side, selling standalone books gives authors much more flexibility in terms of their ability to sell to different publishers and start new projects without a three, four, five year or longer commitment. Which is no small thing.

From a reader perspective, I love reading series until they're George R. R. Martin-ed!

portugueseninja · Apr 4, 2014

I have not yet written a trilogy but I'm thinking that my current WIP might end up being one, or at least a two-part series. But that's just because I want the story to be quite detailed with lots of things going on, so I wouldn't want to just try and fit it into one book for the sake of it being easier to get a publisher to take it.

Personally I love when I read series book that has a great ending and I'm left feeling excited for the next one! That said, it's also very pleasing to read one really good novel and just feel satisfied at the end of it.

ReflectedGray · Apr 4, 2014

I would keep in mind that getting a publisher interested in a first time novelist is sometimes tough. Selling three books will be harder than selling one.

However, if the first is completely fabulous and the agent wants more, then they will simply want another. It really just depends on if the first one is good, honestly. And saleable.

I don’t think agents work with books they don’t love, but there are degrees of affection. Maybe they love your book, but it doesn’t sell that well or it’s a tough sell. I doubt they will want two more.

To make your life easier, I would probably try to make the first story self-contained if at all possible. If it’s not possible, I guess you should go big or go home. J

I have a series potential idea, but my first was self-contained. I’m trying to find an agent. If it goes well, maybe I’ll write my second one. In the meantime, I’m working on another project. That’s just me though.

Good luck!

oooooh · Apr 4, 2014

I was debating this in my head yesterday in regards to my current WIP. My story is long enough to span two books, but not three. But then I thought, what would you even call that?...Duology?... and it sounds awkward and weird compared to Trilogy, and makes it tempting to just stretch out the story to call it a trilogy.

That said, is it easier to sell a trilogy that is 90k per book, or one book that is 300k? Does that even make sense?

stephen andrew · Apr 4, 2014

There are some great thoughts here! I love reading series as well, Ash.y. It is very fun to live in a world through multiple books. Even then, it is sad when they end. Probably more so for a series, than one book.

I have also heard the point Reflected Gray made, about first-timers, but there is no rule to it, I think. It all depends on quality of writing, which I am hoping works for my case.

Ooooh, I think for first-timers, there is a more definite rule for book length, and multiple books, I think, would always be an easier sell than a whopping 300k MS. From what I have read.

My plan is to go for it with my trilogy, pitch the first novel, and see what happens. But if that doesn't pan out, I have also considered working on one of my One-Book stories, and then saving the trilogy, if I can't sell it as a first-timer.

Laer Carroll · Apr 4, 2014

Write the book you NEED to write. Worry about selling it later. Maybe after making your reputation with other books. Writing is a career. It covers many years—if we’re lucky to HAVE many years of life!

Desperation to make that first sale, that first validation we are a writer, will get you in trouble. You’ll cut corners, write the wrong books, ones you don’t care that much about, when you have inside you a truly great work of art that you really need to write.

Also, keep these facts in mind. A series is different from a multi-book story. A series has the same or related characters set in the same universe, dealing with similar issues. The trilogy or duology or tetralogy or whatever is one story published as several books. Tolkien’s Ring trilogy is such. It was somewhat arbitrarily broken into three books, but is one long story.

Selling the first book of a series is easier (as others have pointed out), especially for the writer without a track record, than selling a multi-book novel.

rwm4768 · Apr 4, 2014

If you're going to write a trilogy, make sure the first book tells a complete story. There can be a few loose ends, but no cliffhangers.

In speculative fiction (of all age categories), I actually think trilogies (and even longer series) are the norm, even for new writers. Nearly every new book I see coming out is number one in a series, and many of these are not by established writers.

But most of them have made the first story stand alone, or at least come close to doing so.

Prodigy · Apr 5, 2014

As a reader, I usually avoid Trilogies....as most tend to not be fully fleshed out and could use a 4th book to wrap things up perfectly(Shatter me Trilogy being the most recent example and let's not forget Divergent....see Allegiant's reviews on Amazon).

That being said as a writer, I already know going in that my story about the Angels/Demons which is Dystopian will likely be a series...so i am writing it as such.

KarmaPolice · Apr 5, 2014

Trilogies as in the same world, or as the same MC? If I ever end up doing a long-runner, I've sworn that the MC will only ever be so once; yeah, they might turn up again as a secondary or perhaps narrate one chapter, but not the focus. If anything else, it allows another MC to judge the actions / personality of the last MC.

JustSarah · Apr 5, 2014

I don't even understand how to plot a series. Particularly if it's a two book, a four book, or six book. I can understand very loosely a three book or seven book. Depending on how seriously you take the seven point structure. So books I see that are like two books, six books, and eight books continue to be a puzzle to me as a reader.

itsmary · Apr 5, 2014

I'm really sick of trilogies. I've gotten to the point where I won't read a new book if it's the first in a trilogy because I don't want to have to wait a year for the next installment, only to pick it up when it's finally out and have forgotten everything I read a year earlier.
I've read plenty of trilogies where the first book was great, and then the series fell apart from there. A lot of these probably could have been wrapped up in one or two books. Duologies (is that even a word? I mean two book series) seem to be popular right now, and I really like that. Since I read a lot of paranormal/sci-fi/fantasy, I pick up a lot of series and books that I'm glad aren't ending with just one due to the world building/characters. But two books seems to wrap things up nicely for most series.

JustSarah · Apr 5, 2014

Wouldn't two books feel anti-climatic? A bit like a set up and then a resolution? No plot turn, no pinch, no midpoint. Just begin, and then finish. I like seven book series, if your going to do a series. Or even three if your thinking of it as beginning, middle, and end.

WriterBN · Apr 5, 2014

JustSarah said:
Wouldn't two books feel anti-climatic? A bit like a set up and then a resolution? No plot turn, no pinch, no midpoint. Just begin, and then finish. I like seven book series, if your going to do a series. Or even three if your thinking of it as beginning, middle, and end.

Odd numbers are good. Three, five, or seven. I guess nine would work, too, but I've never read a nine-book series.

stephen andrew · Apr 5, 2014

I think one of the key things about trilogies is that they are one story in themselves, where in a series, each book is generally rather self-contained though it leans on world-building from previous books. For instance series often have different antagonists throughout (though not always), where trilogies are generally one long story with distinct plot movements and one antagonist, such as Sauron, etc. -- rmw4768 made a great point about the first book in a trilogy, which is often more self-contained, think THG, where the second can end less-conclusively as it is the set up for the finale, in fact, it is probably better to have a cliff-hanger in the second.
But I think what readers look for in a series is different than a trilogy, for the most part, because the books are more dependent on each other, as it is one story.

My trilogy is along those lines with the first book setting up the world and the main conflict and the characters, with its own more basic storyline and conclusion that builds toward the bigger story that happens in the other two. The MC is introduced, and book one is almost entirely from her perspective, but the other two will deviate into other main character's perspectives.

Hapax Legomenon · Apr 5, 2014

I don't really like trilogies. The second book lagging always seems inevitable.

People have said that "most trilogies exist on request of the publisher"... can you turn down writing a trilogy, if you don't think it would work?

rwm4768 · Apr 5, 2014

Most of my series end up being longer than three books. I've never put much faith in three-act or seven-act structures, or anything like that. I write stories. They take however many books they take.

If I have a story that requires one or two books, then that's what I'll write. I'm not going to draw out the story just to suit a trilogy. Likewise, I won't condense a four or five book series into three.

thelittleprince · Apr 5, 2014

I admire people who write trilogies. At this point in my writing, the thought of writing one myself is exhausting.

While some trilogies are great, I can't help but notice that the books sometimes decline in quality as the story goes on. I suppose this is because authors often have a couple of good books in mind, but the publisher wants to stretch them out? Allegiant in the Divergent series was particularly disjointed and disappointing. So if 'duologies' are coming into vogue, it might be good!

KarmaPolice · Apr 5, 2014

The other type is where the writer had an another fairly good plot for the same world, but decided to shoehorn / was pressured into re-using their old MC even though they didn't really fit.

Prodigy · Apr 6, 2014

What i like about some Authors these days is that they have a series/trilogy but while the overall story continues in the book, they are able to keep it fresh by cycling through different MC(Each Book follows a different character)...I am noticing this trend a lot more lately in quite a few YA books released late last year and early this year.

Sage · Apr 6, 2014

In a trilogy, I expect the same characters. In a series, I'd be more accepting of different MCs.

owlion · Apr 6, 2014

JustSarah said:
Wouldn't two books feel anti-climatic? A bit like a set up and then a resolution? No plot turn, no pinch, no midpoint. Just begin, and then finish. I like seven book series, if your going to do a series. Or even three if your thinking of it as beginning, middle, and end.

It's not YA, but Dan Simmons' Illium and Olympus, Hyperion and Fall of Hyperion, and Endymion and Rise of Endymion are two-book series and they all work very, very well. I have to admit, I haven't seen any YA series which are only two books long. It seems to either be one or three (or more).

Personally, I don't mind a trilogy as long as the story doesn't flop in the second book or something happens just so it can be interesting again.

Corinne Duyvis · Apr 7, 2014

I know a few years ago, several books did get turned into trilogies after the publisher asked/suggested it, but I'm not sure it still happens now. I've actually been hearing of trilogy fatigue among both editors and readers. I don't know how that translates into actual sales, though; it's possible they're still selling well.

There are quite a few YA duologies out there! Immediately coming to mind:
Amy Tintera's REBOOT & REBEL
Phoebe North's STARGLASS & STARBREAK
Kendare Blake's ANNA DRESSED IN BLOOD & GIRL OF NIGHTMARES
Amy Christine Parker's GATED & ASTRAY
Malinda Lo's ADAPTATION & INHERITANCE
Karen Healey's WHEN WE WAKE & WHILE WE RUN
Paolo Bacigalupi's SHIP BREAKER & THE DROWNED CITIES
Jaclyn Dolamore's MAGIC UNDER GLASS & MAGIC UNDER STONE
Tessa Gratton's BLOOD MAGIC & THE BLOOD KEEPER

Some of those are arguably more companion books than straight-up duologies, but still, that list ended up much bigger than I expected.

I'm also seeing some quadrilogies, specifically Marissa Meyer's CINDER & Maggie Stiefvater's RAVEN BOYS.

YA Trilogy trend

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