Why I pulled my first series from publication
- Kim Greyling
- Jun 20, 2024
- 2 min read
Updated: Dec 2, 2024
This is such a hard post to write, because even as a writer how do you explain an instinct to someone? Especially for such an incredibly personal decision.
The Tales of the Hidden Heir Series (The Confidential Heir, The Emerging Heir and The Avenging Heir) was the first series I completed, and I've always said it's a story for me. Well, I write all my stories for me, but this series even more so. It's a story I've had in my head for years and when it finally took shape, this was the result and it was the series that launched my career as an author. It's also worth noting that while I don't see a future of spin off series and novella's for the War of the Witch Clans, I did for the Tales of the Hidden Heir Series and I was sad I never got to write them.
But as I get nearer to The Rule of the Damned launch, I've started realising that this series doesn't align with the kind of brand I'm trying to create. An author that writes fantasy, sure, but tells stories with darker themes. Does that make me a dark fantasy author? I don't think so. Without giving too many spoilers away for any of my series, there are certain similarities that each series has in common. The strong FMC's navigate emotions like grief and betrayal with an action packed background, because despite this being a fantasy, that's life.
I tried that with my first series, and while I mostly got it right, knowing what I know now, I would have done things differently. There is a part of me that wants to acknowledge that I wouldn't have been able to get to this place in my career without my first series, and I know that. It's one of the reasons why I struggled with this decision for as long as I have. (I'm talking months here!)
Then, another issue I have. Is I'm an underwriter, I've always liked to get to the point. It's something I've had to work on for all my series, because people do want longer books, which is justified. I know as a reader I do too. The Tales of the Hidden Heir Series is just far too short. It needed a lot more detail than I gave it, and I realise that now. I have no plans to revisit this series or YA after I complete the War of the Witch Clans Trilogy, but it's not to say I'm against the idea in future. It's just not right for me at this point of my career.
Despite these things, the books did sell, and I know there are people still on Goodreads that want to read the series. So, if you're one of these people, feel free to send me an email or a DM on Instagram and let's chat. Especially if you've started the series, I would hate to leave you hanging.