Wednesday, July 7, 2021

Book Series Proposals

by Mindy Obenhaus

Each time I write a post here at Seekerville, I ask myself where I’m at in my writing. What am I working on? Since I just completed a proposal for a new series, I thought I’d share my process for doing that because if you’re like I was, you hear of people proposing a book series, yet have no idea what that actually looked like. So I’m going to pull back the veil on my proposal process which, as you’ve probably figured out, can be different for everyone. Yet while the process may be different, the elements of the proposal remain the same.

Back when I first started writing, my goal was to get published. Of course, that didn’t happen overnight. I had a lot of learning to do first. About the craft and the business—which seems to be ever-changing. Nine years later, I realized my dream of becoming a published author. And a year or so after that, it was time for me to propose a book series.

“No problem,” I thought, clueless as to what a multi-book proposal might entail.

Off I went to work on the first story. Synopsis and first three chapters, just like the other books. I’ve got this.

But wait, how are these books going to be connected? Friends? Family? Location?

Once that was settled, it dawned on me that I should also consider things such as what time of year each story would take place and how weather might play a role. If I have drenching rains in one story and a wildfire due to dry conditions in a later story, a reasonable amount of time would have to pass between those two stories to make that fire believable.

After I wrapped my brain around those things, I was ready to write. Since I tend to be a linear writer, I write the first three chapters and synopsis on the first story before moving on to the short synopses of the other books in the series, though you might prefer to write the other outlines simultaneously. Whatever works best for you.

Thanks to my annoying detail-oriented tendencies, I soon found myself wondering how long those subsequent synopses should be. Are we talking back-cover copy type blurbs or something  longer?

You might want to check with your agent or editor, but I say whatever it takes to give the editor a succinct idea of each story, while still giving them enough information to know if the story is going to work. A brief synopsis that includes these key elements—

  • Main character names, occupations and ages.
  • Goal, motivation and conflict for the main characters.
  • What’s at stake? (AKA what happens if the characters don’t achieve their goals?)
  • In a romance, what brings the hero and heroine together?
  • And what keeps them apart?
Yes, this can take a little time because you kinda need to get a feel for the characters, get to know them a little bit. At least I do. Blame it on the detail-oriented thing.

Once all of the synopses are complete, it’s time to assemble the proposal. Again, it’s always good to check with your agent or editor to see if there’s a particular format they prefer. I usually start with a cover page that has the working title of the first story, the working title for the series, my name and contact information and my agent’s name and contact info. 

The next page has my series working title at the top, followed by each of the proposed books and their brief synopsis. For the first book, I just state that the synopsis and first three chapters are attached.

Lastly, I add the synopsis and first three chapters of the first story in the series.

Developing a series is process that shouldn’t be rushed. The more you know, the clearer your vision will be to your editor and the more likely they will be to buy your proposal. And that’s what we want, right?

Speaking of series, the third installment of my Bliss, Texas series, A Future to Fight For, is set to release later this month. But if you leave a comment on this post, you’ll be entered to win a copy. (US mailing addresses only, please)

But that's not all! The first book in the Bliss, Texas series, A Father's Promise, is now part of a two-in-one with Margaret Daley's A Baby for the Rancher, so let's giveaway a copy of that, too. 


Award-winning author Mindy Obenhaus is passionate about touching readers with Biblical truths in an entertaining, and sometimes adventurous, manner. She lives on a ranch in Texas with her husband, two sassy pups, countless cattle, deer and the occasional coyote, mountain lion or snake. When she's not writing, she enjoys spending time with her grandchildren, cooking and watching copious amounts of the Hallmark Channel. Learn more at www.MindyObenhaus.com

22 comments:

  1. I love series.... I just love them. When I fall in love with characters, I don't want it to end, Mindy! I want to know what else happens in their town, with their family, etc. I want it all. :) I love it when a book leaves me longing to know more. Read more. See the future. Your planning tips are wonderful.

    Great blog, Mindy!

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    1. I know what you mean, Ruthy. We get so invested in the characters that we don't want to say goodbye.

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    2. I feel that way, too, Mindy, about not wanting to say goodbye. I read many of the Guideposts series, which are 24 books long, and I am really sad when I get to the last book. I feel like I do when a favorite TV series ends.

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  2. Good post, Mindy. I do like a good series, both to read and to write. I like to be able to invest myself in characters and setting. Sometimes it's the same character, like Lord Peter Wimsey, and other times it's a group of characters with different ones taking the floor in different books.
    I can use these tips and like the discipline and order. "Western Dreams" is a series and I admit I didn't have to do that much formal planning because my secondary characters in the first book were so aggressive, it was like, "Okay, shut up, guys, you're getting your own book, okay?" My current WIP was started from scratch and I'm working a completely different development process. I always was a plotter, but this is different. So if there is a sequel, or more, I shall use your tips.
    Off this afternoon for a mini-vacation/working vacation. The new book is about Lexington and Concord and Dave and I are driving down there to tour the historic houses and some of the battle sites. It should be fun. All that stuff takes my breath away!
    May be back later,
    KB
    Celebrating freedom in New Hampshire and Massachusetts

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    1. Enjoy your day, Kathy. You always get to take the best research trips. It's nice to have them so close to where you live. Oh, and those loudmouth characters... Sometimes they're annoying, but I'd much rather deal with them than those tight-lipped characters you have to drag information out of. That's when I start banging my head against the wall.

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    2. I'll probably post something after I get back, if I can stop crying long enough. Nice that we get to go so close to the Fourth of July.

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    3. Kathy, your research trips will be fun.

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  3. I've never written anything with a series in mind, but I'll have to file these tips away for future reference. My WIP is still fairly nebulous right now, so maybe I'll look at expanding it to a series. Thanks for sharing your knowledge. I appreciate it a lot!!

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    1. Glynis, you never know when a secondary character might try to steal the show. That's when you know they need their own story. ;)

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    2. Glynis, You Will Know. When you start asking yourself, "But what about Patty? What happens to HER after I type 'the end'?"

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  4. Thank you for your tips! Also I am super excited for a Future to Fight For!

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    1. Glad to hear it, Angeline! I hope you love the story as much as I do.

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  5. I love reading series! Like Ruthy mentioned, I always want to know about the other characters in a story. Sure, the hero and heroine got their happily-ever-after, but what about the heroine's best friend? Or the hero's brother? They're longing for their HEA, too!

    But proposing one...man, there's a LOT of work that goes into it. You mentioned having the three sets of characters, the three synopses, and then tying them all together, and I LOVE doing all that work! The creative energy is at a high during that proposal writing time, isn't it?

    I'm looking forward to reading A Future to Fight For, and prayers for your new proposal!

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    1. Jan, you're right about that creative energy being at a high. I mean, how else can we come up with so many story ideas in such a short amount of time? Though the better question might me, why can't we be like that all the time? ;)

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  6. Great post, Mindy. I will keep this in mind. I am thinking series for the book I am writing. It centers around a town in a tornado. I want to write two more books--one with a blizzard and one with a flood. It would take place in the same town. I have multiple characters in the first book, with some minor characters who would become major characters in future books. I was stuck for so long on how to move forward with revising this first book, but I am finally unstuck enough to forge on. So hopefully I will get somewhere soon.

    I love your Bliss, Texas series so please put me in the drawing for the book.

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    1. Sandy, YAY for being unstuck! I hate being stuck. And that poor town. Oh, the things we do to our characters. But if it makes for a better story, it's worth it, right?

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  7. Thanks for sharing Mindy! I just thought a series proposal was a short paragraph about each book included in the first book proposal! Silly me. LOL Guess what I'm going to be figuring out next? Thanks so much! (PS - don't enter my name in the draw)

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    1. Lee-Ann, there's nothing wrong with a short paragraph, so long as the GMC, stakes and what's keeping the h/h apart are in there. On my first series proposal, I think I submitted what was essentially a back cover copy. They seem to have gotten longer over the years. I figure the more I know the more I can convey to the editor.

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  8. Mindy, that cowboy nuzzling that cute baby! What a great cover!

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    1. Mary, the only thing hard to resist than a cowboy or baby is a cowboy and baby together!

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  9. Mindy, great post! So informative. Thanks for sharing!

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