How to Write a Book Series Readers Binge ft. Helen Scheuerer (Classic Replay EP#559)
SPA Girls PodcastShow Notes
Want to write a book series readers binge — and come back to buy again and again? Bestselling YA fantasy author Helen Scheuerer joins the SPA Girls to break down how to design a series that hooks readers, boosts your read-through rate, and sets you up for long-term author income. Whether you’re plotting your first trilogy or wondering if your genre even suits a series, this episode covers the strategy behind binge-worthy fiction.
Helen shares the real reasons a series is more lucrative than standalones (hint: you build your audience once), how to use open loops, breadcrumbs, and cliffhangers to pull readers into the next instalment, and why a working series bible will save you serious time and heartache. She also unpacks exit and expansion strategies so a slow-selling — or runaway-hit — series never traps you.
🔁 CLASSIC REPLAY — This episode was originally recorded in 2022 and the series-building advice is just as relevant today.
#SelfPublishing #WriteAStory #IndieAuthor
📌 IN THIS EPISODE:
00:00 — Introduction & catching up with Helen
03:30 — What actually counts as a “series” (dynamic vs static)
06:00 — Why a series is more lucrative than standalones
10:30 — How many books should a series be? (and why not to lock it in)
14:00 — Literary universes & rewarding long-term readers
19:00 — How Helen plans a brand-new series from scratch
27:00 — Open loops, breadcrumbs & cliffhangers explained
38:00 — Series arc vs individual book arcs
47:00 — Keeping a series bible (and why every genre needs one)
58:00 — Does any genre NOT suit a series?
👤 ABOUT HELEN SCHEUERER:
Helen Scheuerer is the bestselling YA fantasy author of The Oremere Chronicles and the Curse of the Cyren Queen quartet, known for strong, flawed female characters and action-packed plots often likened to Sarah J. Maas. She holds a Bachelor of Creative Writing and a Masters of Publishing, and now writes full-time from the mountains of New Zealand. Her non-fiction guide, How to Write a Successful Series, distils everything she’s learned across two bestselling series.
📚 RESOURCES MENTIONED:
• How To Write A Successful Series: Writing Strategies For Authors by Helen B. Scheuerer: https://helenscheuerer.com/
• Romancing the Beat by Gwen Hayes
• The One Page Novel outline by Derek Murphy
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