Everything You Need To Know About Publishing Rapid Release Books

October 24, 2024

Publishing Rapid Release Books

If you’ve heard about rapid release books, but not quite sure what that means, or if it’s right for your books . . . this blog is for you! I’m Kaitlin, a copyeditor and proofreader for indie authors, and I’ve got all the info for you below.

What is rapid release?

Rapid release is a strategy fiction authors use to release a series of books in quick succession and is especially popular in the fantasy and romance genres.

Exactly what counts as a quick succession? Good question!

Some authors release one book every few days or weeks. Others wait as long as 90 days (any longer than that and it’s not very, um . . . rapid!). The standard schedule appears to be anywhere from 30 to 60 days.

Is rapid release right for you?

You might be wondering if rapid release is the right strategy for you. Let’s figure it out!

Here are some questions to ask yourself to find out if you could find your sweet spot with this method.

1. Do you have a plan for a longer series?

Rapid release makes the most sense if you have multiple books planned for your series. Three books or more seems to be a common number, but a duology also works well for this method—in fact, rapid releasing a duology has become very popular with romance authors and readers in the last few years.

The goal of releasing each book shortly after each other is to keep your readers engaged in the series, and therefore more likely to preorder or purchase the next one when it’s available.

If you’re writing standalone novels, this may not work well for you.

2. Do readers in your specific genre wait to buy a series until it’s complete?

Some readers enjoy the anticipation of waiting for each new book to come out. Other readers prefer to buy a completed series and binge-read everything in a week (I see you . . . ).

Which one of these styles is true of your readers?

If you’re not sure, take a little time to do some market research and find out! Knowing your audience’s reading habits can help you make informed decisions about your publishing schedule.

If your audience is the type that tends to purchase a complete series, rapid release may not work as well for you UNTIL you have all the books out. You may be discouraged in the beginning when your first two books don’t gain as much traction as you were expecting, but know that once all the books are out you may see a large uptick in purchases and page reads from all those readers who want to binge the entire series at once.

3. Do you write quickly?

You know yourself best. Is it realistic for you to write continually for an extended period of time? Will you be able to keep your quality consistent and give your best to the story if you’re rushing to finish?

This is about knowing yourself and being realistic about your capacity. Keep in mind: The longer the series, the longer you will be in quick-writing mode. Maybe keeping that pace up for three books is manageable, but not for ten. Only you can truly decide.

Be really honest with yourself about your capacity. This is about honoring yourself and your story with the proper amount of time both need to thrive. You’ll be glad you did!

4. Do you have the budget to pay for things up front?

Rapid release means more than preparing all your manuscripts for publication in a short amount of time. It means you’ll need the funds for them all as well!

No one wants to be caught short on book four or five and have to disappoint your publisher or readers. Now—before you commit—is a great time to make sure finances won’t be an obstacle down the road.

Not sure what that amount would even look like? Start here for tips on pricing out your potential editing costs!

5. Will you have the time to market your series?

Any published author out there will tell you that the key to selling books is marketing. Marketing, marketing, marketing. It can be a time-suck if you don’t have a plan.

Will you reasonably have the time to market a new book every 30-60 days (or whichever schedule you choose)? Which marketing strategies will work best for your audience, and are those strategies doable for you and/or your team?

6. Do you have an established fanbase?

Here’s the nitty-gritty: Rapid release usually works the best when you already have fans ready to buy your books when they are published. If you have a solid readership, great! If you aren’t known in your genre yet, though, a slower release schedule may work better in order to have time to grow your reader base.

(Need to grow your fanbase? Here are some tips for exactly how to do that!)

Pros of Rapid Release

1. Increases your visibility

One of the obvious benefits of a rapid release method: It builds your collection quickly! The more titles you have on Amazon or other search engines, the more likely your books are to rank higher in search results or show up as “recommended reading.”

2. Readers remember you

This one is pretty simple. When you release books quickly, readers won’t have time to forget about you! Consistently announcing new titles keeps your fans engaged and ready to pre-order or purchase your next book before the anticipation wears off.

3. Makes the algorithms happy

Amazon’s algorithm loves new releases, so if you have a new title every month or two, that can help boost your ranking, making your work easier to find and improving your book sales!

4. Boosts your credibility and author brand

A large collection of published books builds trust with potential readers. It shows them you’re the real deal! Rapid releasing can help keep your author brand fresh and exciting as readers continually anticipate your next release.

Cons of rapid release

1. It’s expensive

Paying bills usually isn’t very fun . . . but it’s really important for planning your book releases! From the designer to the editor to actually marketing the books, all the bills can add up quickly. I wish I could give you a loophole or work-around, but there really isn’t an easy answer here!

2. It can be tough to stick to a schedule

Writing is a creative process, and us creatives know that some days, finding inspiration can feel like a game of hide-and-seek. This can make it tough to stay on a tight writing schedule.

On the bright side, knowing your audience is expecting more books can be great motivation to keep writing on the days you’re not feeling it!

3. You still have to market your books

There, I said it. A rapid release strategy doesn’t guarantee your books will sell well. You still have to market them!

You might have seen stories circulating about authors who used this strategy for their books and were super successful. It might be tempting to believe that this strategy takes care of the marketing for you, but (surprise!) the honest truth is that you will still need to market your books.

This is one of the reasons this method often works the best for writers who already have a fanbase.

4. Risk of burnout

This one probably isn’t too hard to guess. After all, you’re a human and not a robot!

The great news is that because you’re human you can tell powerful and relatable stories. The bad news is that writing multiple stories in quick succession can lead to burnout if you’re not careful with your time and energy.

5. No reader feedback

During longer (a.k.a. “normal”) release intervals, you’re able to see (and potentially implement!) reader feedback from each book before writing the next one. On a rapid release schedule, you won’t have this information until the books are already written (or at least planned out).

Strategies and tips for publishing rapid release books

1. Plan ahead

Rapid release publishing can be very successful, but it’s important to stay organized and think through everything ahead of time! Build your timeline, budget your finances, hire your editor and cover designer, and decide on a marketing strategy. A good plan can make or break your results (or at the very least, your sanity!), so be kind to yourself and plan ahead.

2. Outline what you will write

Sketch out your series from start to finish so you know where you’re headed. You don’t want to write yourself into a corner with four books still to go!

3. Determine your writing timeline

It’s hard to write well (let alone enjoy the process) when you feel rushed or stressed out! Make sure you schedule in time to nurture your creativity and outline a writing schedule that feels realistic for you.

4. Research and hire an editor and cover designer

When it comes to your book team, you really are better together (yes, it’s cliche—but it’s true!). Especially when self-publishing, make sure each person involved is on the same page by asking about their availability for rapid release dates.

If you need help finding a great editor who helps you tell your story in the best way possible, you’ll want to check out this blog I wrote about finding an editor.

5. Decide your publishing schedule

Will you release every 7 days, 30 days, 60 days, or some other interval? It can be helpful to check Amazon to see what other indie authors in your genre are doing and get a feel for readers’ expectations.

Do you think you will publish rapid release books?

After reading the pros and cons of rapid release publishing, what are your thoughts? Do you think rapid release will work for you? Do you have more questions about the process or need an editor to give you a second opinion? Contact me and let’s chat!