This is a relatively new word in my vocabulary: Omnibus—a compilation of smaller books all rolled into one behemoth edition. Stef would say that I’m in love with the idea of an omnibus. She thinks I live to write beefy fantasy titles and gloat about page length. I do enjoy writing and reading a sprawling epic, but I fully understand 1,000 plus pages does not a masterpiece make. In truth, a good portion of the fantasy doorstoppers are loaded with fluff, and they can be grueling to read. An omnibus, however, is a different story altogether. Readers expect these titles to be huge.
For example, take my online buddy David Dalglish. He has a popular five-part series known as The Half Orcs. He decided to combine his first three titles into an omnibus and sell it alongside the single volumes. The result for him was an increase in sales. I can only surmise that some readers prefer having one large volume rather than buying all of the pieces-parts. I’ve no doubt that the appealing price had a lot to do with its popularity. Mr. Dalglish sold his omnibus for slightly less than what the three separate volumes would cost by themselves—a discount for those willing to take a risk.
I find the omnibus option quite intriguing but never really gave it much though until I fell in with a community of supportive self-published authors. They are well aware of the enormity Raven’s Heart, and they have suggested on more than one occasion that we consider breaking it into smaller pieces—say, a trilogy. They explained that there was nothing wrong with having a standalone first novel, but for complete unknown authors—yup, that’s us—716 pages might scare away potential readers. At first I fought the idea tooth-and-nail. I explained that we already had our book as “duology” and merged it so people wouldn’t have to shell out the extra bucks.
Over time I’ve learned that people love to read a series. There’s no denying the popularity of the vaunted trilogy, and I’ve also discovered that the more books an author has to offer, the more willing people are to take a peek. That was when the cogs in my brain really got cranking. Raven’s Heart is an omnibus waiting to become a trilogy…at least, that’s what I believe. Thus began the experiment: splitting a single idea into three parts. Easier said than done! It wasn’t easy, but I figured it out.
Now I should probably explain why I keep saying “I”. Truth is, Stef isn’t thrilled at the prospect of re-splitting our novel. I don’t blame her. Raven’s Heart at its heart (teehee!) is a standalone book. Why break it apart when it works so well as a whole? The answer: Raven’s Heart will become a “trilogy”, and the standalone will become an “omnibus.” Will it help to draw readers? I honestly don’t know the answer to that question. Enter the cliché: only time will tell. One thing is for certain: we need to broaden our library of available material. Perhaps this new marketing approach will finally coax prospective readers to give us a chance. We’ve sold about 300 e-books thus far, and next to none of our DTB (Dead Tree Books). Something needs to be done in order to gain us some attention.
So here we are at the present. The titles have been decided:
• Book I: The Forging
• Book II: Syuna Blue
• Book III: Ravenstone
Now all we need is some time to design three new covers, spines, and back covers. The work is never done. I truly hope this is our last foray into the book we’ve been tinkering around with since 1999. Twelve years is long enough!
-Matt
For example, take my online buddy David Dalglish. He has a popular five-part series known as The Half Orcs. He decided to combine his first three titles into an omnibus and sell it alongside the single volumes. The result for him was an increase in sales. I can only surmise that some readers prefer having one large volume rather than buying all of the pieces-parts. I’ve no doubt that the appealing price had a lot to do with its popularity. Mr. Dalglish sold his omnibus for slightly less than what the three separate volumes would cost by themselves—a discount for those willing to take a risk.
I find the omnibus option quite intriguing but never really gave it much though until I fell in with a community of supportive self-published authors. They are well aware of the enormity Raven’s Heart, and they have suggested on more than one occasion that we consider breaking it into smaller pieces—say, a trilogy. They explained that there was nothing wrong with having a standalone first novel, but for complete unknown authors—yup, that’s us—716 pages might scare away potential readers. At first I fought the idea tooth-and-nail. I explained that we already had our book as “duology” and merged it so people wouldn’t have to shell out the extra bucks.
Over time I’ve learned that people love to read a series. There’s no denying the popularity of the vaunted trilogy, and I’ve also discovered that the more books an author has to offer, the more willing people are to take a peek. That was when the cogs in my brain really got cranking. Raven’s Heart is an omnibus waiting to become a trilogy…at least, that’s what I believe. Thus began the experiment: splitting a single idea into three parts. Easier said than done! It wasn’t easy, but I figured it out.
Now I should probably explain why I keep saying “I”. Truth is, Stef isn’t thrilled at the prospect of re-splitting our novel. I don’t blame her. Raven’s Heart at its heart (teehee!) is a standalone book. Why break it apart when it works so well as a whole? The answer: Raven’s Heart will become a “trilogy”, and the standalone will become an “omnibus.” Will it help to draw readers? I honestly don’t know the answer to that question. Enter the cliché: only time will tell. One thing is for certain: we need to broaden our library of available material. Perhaps this new marketing approach will finally coax prospective readers to give us a chance. We’ve sold about 300 e-books thus far, and next to none of our DTB (Dead Tree Books). Something needs to be done in order to gain us some attention.
So here we are at the present. The titles have been decided:
• Book I: The Forging
• Book II: Syuna Blue
• Book III: Ravenstone
Now all we need is some time to design three new covers, spines, and back covers. The work is never done. I truly hope this is our last foray into the book we’ve been tinkering around with since 1999. Twelve years is long enough!
-Matt
