Submitting a series as a first.

[Spectacular Sameth]

I wrote the first book of my Felicity Stone series (a YA Urban Fantasy series) and I've started on my second, so I was wondering if anyone knew how to submit this? I mean, essentially the book COULD stand alone, but is meant to be the first of a series, so I was wondering if I submit it and my plans for the next books, or should I just do the book, or should I submit the book plus the outline of the series and the first couple of chapters of the second?  I'm excited that I finished a book, and of the ones I've done, this is by far the longest, only at 250 pages, though. (50 more pages than my last attempted finished book.) It's weighing in at 50k works.

[AverageGuy]

I'd look up the submission guidelines of the publisher, but generally, you shouldn't send pages from the next book.  In your cover letter, mention that the book is the first in a series and that you are working on the second.  Good luck

[the neurovore of Zur-En-Aargh]

I wrote the first book of my Felicity Stone series (a YA Urban Fantasy series) and I've started on my second, so I was wondering if anyone knew how to submit this? I mean, essentially the book COULD stand alone, but is meant to be the first of a series, so I was wondering if I submit it and my plans for the next books, or should I just do the book, or should I submit the book plus the outline of the series and the first couple of chapters of the second?  I'm excited that I finished a book, and of the ones I've done, this is by far the longest, only at 250 pages, though. (50 more pages than my last attempted finished book.) It's weighing in at 50k works.

My understanding is that what you do in this case is submission letter and however much of the manuscript the publisher wants, as per a standalone novel, plus mentioning in the letter that you have however many more stories in that setting you do actually have, and if you have written any of them to mention that; I get the impression that many publishers are interested in series, and many publishers are more likely to believe you are capable of reliably producing a series if you have already written more than one of them, and that pretty much all publishers care about knowing you can and will finish what you start.

[Richelle Mead]

This advice is right on.  Focus your efforts on selling the first book, but do mention that you have plans for a series.  If an agent's interested, he or she will ask you for more details about subsequent books later--so definitely don't submit in-depth stuff for a bunch of books right away.  Just make that first sound as awesome as possible.  Good luck!