Is It Better To Write One Book Or A Trilogy?

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Whether to write one book or a trilogy depends on whether you write fiction or nonfiction, and either way you should bundle your books. For nonfiction a series is a no-brainer. A fiction trilogy only works if the first book is strong enough to carry readers through. Bundles are where a large share of my revenue comes from. Below: how I started bundling, the fiction risk, and how I price a bundle.

Should I write one book or a trilogy?

For nonfiction, write the series. You lose nothing by grouping and bundling, and each book can sell on its own.

For fiction, it can be dangerous. If the first book doesn’t attract enough readers, nobody starts the second or third. The first book has to be the best one. I have read many series where the first book is outstanding and the later ones are weaker. Readers who finished the first book keep going anyway, but fewer get all the way through. On the other side, a world and a character that draw readers in make a sequel easy, and many best sellers become franchises.

If you want to know what your books need to earn, read how many books you need to sell to make a living.

Should I release a series all at once or one book at a time?

Release the books one at a time if you can keep them coming, and release them together only when they are all finished and edited. Neither is a rule from KDP, it is my view from running my own series. A single book without a backlist is not doomed, but each book you add gives a reader who liked the first one something to buy next.

Amazon limits how fast you can publish. KDP’s Create a Book page allows up to 2 new titles per book format each week, counted separately for ebooks, paperbacks and hardcovers, and the count resets weekly on Sundays at midnight UTC. So a three-book trilogy in ebook can go up in two steps, not three. I explain the rule in KDP’s two titles a week limit. Once the books are live, link them in a series on KDP. KDP says the series page appears within 72 hours when the series has live titles.

If you release one by one, make the first book free or $0.99 as I describe below, and start the email list before book one is out so readers hear when book two lands.

What if my first book doesn’t sell?

Don’t write books two and three just because you planned a trilogy. This is my advice, not a KDP rule or a study. If book one has had real chances, such as a clear cover, a good description and some readers who have seen it, and almost nobody buys it, look at the first book before you write the next one. A weak first book makes the whole series weak.

For nonfiction this is easier, because each book can sell alone and you can still bundle them later. For fiction I would fix the first book first, because readers who skip it never reach the others. Then write the next one.

When should I end a series?

This is my advice, not a rule from Amazon. Look at read-through, meaning how many readers go on to the next book after finishing one. If it holds up and book 1 still finds new readers, another book is worth writing. What is read-through shows how to read your own numbers. If read-through drops and book 1 has stopped finding readers, end the series and start something new.

You can end a series and still leave the door open. Finish the story, then write a standalone in the same world later if you want to come back.

If a series has sat for years, don’t start with the last book. Relaunch from book 1: a fresh cover and description first, then the rest.

How did bundling start for me?

My early books were unrelated productivity books, and someone introduced me to grouping them and selling them as a bundle. Instead of three books on Amazon, I had three books plus a bundle that could serve as a book on its own. As more books came out, I could add more bundles.

Why should I bundle my books?

Because it is what changed my revenue most. If you aren’t bundling your books today, you may be leaving money on the table. I see a large number of my sales going to bundles, maybe half my revenue in my case. Results vary by genre and price. Keep related books together, even unrelated books by the same author in the same genre (all science fiction, romance or mystery).

Don’t mix fiction with nonfiction in one bundle or one author name.

How do I set up a bundle on KDP?

KDP’s boxed and bundle guidelines (ebook format only) say:

• The title should say what it is, with a word like Boxed edition, Collection or Bundle, and the number of books.
• The description should say in the first paragraph that it is a multi-book edition and list each book. Say if any content is revised or was published under another title.
• Put a table of contents at the start, with each entry linked to the start of its book.
• The bundle should have its own ISBN, not one from a book inside it.

For paperbacks, KDP says it currently does not offer a way to create a bundled or boxed set (KDP: start a book series). For Kindle, you can add boxsets to your series as related content.

How do I price a bundle?

This is my method, not a KDP rule. For each book you add, add a dollar. If one Kindle book is $2.99, two together are $3.99. A buyer thinks, “I could pay about $4 instead of about $6 for the same two books.” That bundling psychology is huge. Never go below your base price, which for Kindle is about $2.99 per book. If a bundle sells strongly, raise the price. For Amazon.com, the 70% royalty option covers list prices from $2.99 to $12.99 (KDP list price requirements), so a bundle can stay in that band for a few books.

For a series, make the first book free or $0.99 to pull readers in. Once they are hooked on you as a writer, they will want more of your books. See which is more profitable, fiction or nonfiction?, and think about your motivation to create the type of book you’re offering.

Have you earned from one book or a trilogy? Tell me in the comments. If you want help setting up bundles, book a free 25-minute discovery call.

If you plan to release several books in a row, remember KDP’s weekly limit of 2 new titles per format.

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