Co-authoring > Likes and Comments

Hello! I have a series (two books so far). Recently a friend of mine who is also an author joked about her character visiting my world. We decided to do a fun exercise that turned into a collaboration writing two books.

Right now I'm self published. My fear is since this will be book 3&4 in my series, having the second author might hurt me from being traditionally published later. I wrote a heavier part in the books with most the coauthor integrating her character/editing/proofreading. It still has the same feel as the other books for this reason. However, she did use her character from her series (which for her, the setting is at the end of her series not the middle).

Me and this author are good friends, as well. There's been no issues with writing or talking about copyrights.

Thoughts?

-Kim

K. wrote: "Hello! I have a series (two books so far). Recently a friend of mine who is also an author joked about her character visiting my world. We decided to do a fun exercise that turned into a collaborat..."
Hello Kim
I don't think a collaboration automatically hurts your chances with a traditional publisher. What matters most is whether the books are strong, marketable, and whether the rights are clearly defined.

Since these are part of your existing series, I'd make sure you have a written collaboration agreement—even if you're close friends. Cover ownership of copyright, characters, royalties, future editions, translations, audiobooks, film/TV rights, and what happens if one of you wants to stop the project later. Good friendships deserve clear agreements.

If you eventually query agents or publishers, be transparent that Books 3 and 4 are co-authored. Some publishers may view it as a challenge, others may not care if the series has an audience. Having your co-author contribute one established character isn't unusual, as long as both of you own the rights to use those characters in the crossover.

The bigger question is whether self-publishing Books 3 and 4 aligns with your long-term publishing strategy. If your goal is to pursue a traditional deal for the entire series, it may be worth speaking with an agent before releasing them. If your series is already established as self-published, then continuing independently is often the simpler path.

Wishing you both the best—it sounds like a crossover that grew organically, and those collaborations can be a lot of fun when the legal groundwork is in place.

Thank you!!!! I will consider all these things!