My Experience Writing and Releasing Two Books Simultaneously
Bestselling author Vincent Ralph shares his experience writing and releasing two books simultaneously to kick off a new series.
“Go big or go home.” That was what my editor told me when she suggested that the first two books in the Bleak Haven series—Dead Fake and Night Terror—should be released simultaneously.
I loved the idea, even if, at that point, I was still editing the first book and had yet to write a word of the second.
Having only written standalone novels before, I was both thrilled and terrified to be jumping into a four-book series. Once I knew that the first two instalments would both be on shelves in January 2026, it allowed me to develop the cursed town of Bleak Haven in ways that would not have been possible if Dead Fake had come out a year before Night Terror.
There are easter eggs scattered throughout all four novels, with the timeframe for publication allowing me to go back and make necessary changes in the first book caused by events in the latter stories. As if publishing two in January was not enough, I have two more following in September!
For a month shy of two years, I spent every working day developing this series, and my editor’s mantra was never far from my thoughts. I can only hope that I went “big” enough to satisfy anyone who loves a good YA horror/thriller.
I have nothing but good things to say about the experience. I am blessed to do what I love every day, and the simultaneous publication allowed me to truly lose myself in the stories.
While a spreadsheet of Bleak Haven’s many residents does exist, I work best in my own head, working through scenes and motivations like daydreams. The first two books—set four decades apart—appear like a map in my mind; the town’s tragedies and victims acting as landmarks for the overarching story.
That’s not to say that everything went smoothly.
Once the initial buzz that I would be publishing two books on the same day wore off, I had one major concern. What if no one read them?
That worry is always there, but this time it felt different.
I’m putting twice as many eggs in the proverbial basket, releasing books one and two of a brand-new series on a single day and hoping people buy them. I’d be lying if I said that wasn’t daunting.
But that’s the risk we take as writers. We sit alone in a room for months on end, creating characters and scenarios that we hope will thrill others as much as they excite us. Whatever happens next, I had a blast writing these stories.
Considering the terrible things that happen in Bleak Haven, it makes sense that we publish two at once. The town’s horrors cannot be contained, and it was a wonderful challenge to jump from the AI-generated murders of Dead Fake to the zombie-filled mall in Night Terror.
What I like most about joint publication is that readers can tread more quickly through the town, both geographically and historically. Bleak Haven is as much a character as the people who live there, and allowing readers to immediately shift from the present-day back to the 80s hopefully offers a deeper understanding of just why so many bad things happen there.
Was it a good idea releasing two books on a single day? Only time will tell. But this has been the most fun I’ve ever had writing, and it’s a thrill to see everything happening in duplicate. The two incredible covers illustrated by David Seidman. The two stories that throw you headfirst into a town like no other. And twice as many opportunities to terrify my readers.
Check out Vincent Ralph's Dead Fake here:
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And check out Night Terror here:
