Rapid Book Releases

Before the surge of ebooks, the traditional publishing format allowed for one new book release a year. That's right, readers (me included) used to wait a full year for the next book in much beloved series - I still do, along with lots of other readers. That's the kind of devotion great stories bring out in people.

With the rise of ebooks this format has changed for some people. One of the loudest calls for authors publishing ebooks is to write more. It's said to be one of the best ways to get more readers. It works for some authors and not so much for others, but it still becomes a big marketing strategy. This type of marketing is often called rapid release.

Authors will put out anywhere between five and twelve books in a year. That's vastly different from the traditional yearly release and it does pull in the readers who love not having to wait for their next book fix. Of course, they have to enjoy the story too. Below I cover come of the pros and cons of rapid release publishing.

Pros

The biggest advantage of rapid release publishing is that it builds the author's catalog very quickly. A big catalog gives readers choices and encourages them to check out a new author. The reason for this is because finding a new author with just one or two books can be sad. What if you really love their work? What if they never publish another one? It can be devastating. When they find a new author with a large catalog there isn't as much worry about running out of great reads.

Rapid release publishing will also keep an authors name out there for a little longer. Lots of ebook selling stores will promote the newest releases sooner than older releases. This will help readers find the authors at the top of the list faster.

Cons

Rapid release publishing can be stressful. There is a lot of work that goes into just releasing one title, let alone a new title every month or two. From press release writing to editing and book cover design, releasing so many books back-to-back can suck the life out of an author. It's no wonder so many authors will take a bit of time off after a series has finally been completely released.

An author does need to be able to write quickly for this type of publishing. Putting out a 40k word novel every month or two is not easy. It takes time and planning. Some authors put out longer books this way and that puts writing talent to a real test. For many authors the first three or four novels are already written and polished before the release schedule starts.

Tips

I've written under several pen names and one in particular comes close to using rapid release marketing. For me, these are short novellas more than full on novels and I don't put out more than three or four a year. That's the system that works out for me. If you want to try rapid release publishing you'll have to fine tune the details to best work for you, but here's a few tips:

1. Have a strong plan and strong story ideas before you ever consider repaid release. You don't want to commit to a rapid release schedule and then have your story abandon you half way through.
2. Go ahead and write the first few stories. Yep, don't worry about how you're going to publish them, just write them. Get comfortable with the characters and universe of your series.
3. Revise, polish and edit. Before any book is released it should be a quality book. I'm not saying your story is horrible. I'm saying everyone's stories are horrible before they're polished. It's just a fact of nature. Readers will notice errors and they will abandon a series if there are too many. If nothing else have a group of beta readers read through the stories before you publish. Not friends and family, but beta readers that won't worry about hurting your feelings and pointing out issues.
4. Find great one-of-a-kind covers or make them if you're a gifted designer. Nice looking book covers will sell a book almost as fast as a good blurb and awesome reviews. All the covers should have a common theme so that a reader can tell they are connected through the series.

Final Thoughts

If you really are thinking about a rapid release schedule enter the waters carefully. As I said above it's a lot of work. You never know if you're going to end up as one of the lucky few. Those authors locked away in their office, buried under a mountain of story lines, with a family who've sent out four search parties only to realize months later once you emerge from depths of creativity that you were there all along.

You've been warned. May the muse be with you.