Are Series Better?

I have been told many times, even by publishers, that each book in a series has better sales than standalones, but I'm not sure that's true for me. After publishing fourteen books, I have two series and another pair that is slightly connected. The first, the Appalachian Roots series, is a set of four historicals. The first book, Cleared for Planting has done really well, especially in the print version. Sown in Dark Soil, the second in the series, has sold well, but not quite as well as Cleared for Planting. Then, each of the next two, Uprooted by War and Transplanted to Red Clay have done less than the ones before them. The Farmers series, a contemporary trilogy, has similar statistics, although not numbers quite as large.

My seven standalones have held their own against the series. Mountain Mishap has done far better than any other ebook, and its done fine in the print version, too. When Winter Is Past is my second bestselling standalone, but its the one with a slight connection to With Summer's Songs.With Summer's Songs, however, hasn't sold nearly as well. It seems to me that each book in a series garners less readers than the ones before it. If the number of reviews are any indication, other authors experience a similar thing.

So, do books in a series sell better than standalones? I would say not. I find that readers choose books based on other criteria, and if they like an author, they will buy other books, regardless of whether they are in a series or not. However, they'll choose what appeals to them. A good series or a good standalone will sell, and a poor series or standalone will not, or at least not more than one trial book. The bottom line is good writing sells, and a talented author will stand out. 

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