There's Life After Cancellation by Marilyn Levinson

I was very excited about my new Books on the Beach series. A good deal of time and effort went into creating Dickens Island situated in the Long Island Sound between Long Island and Connecticut, and its many residents. The series featured history, mystery, a bit of romance and murders.

Death on Dickens Island came out in October of 2025 in e-book, hardcover, paperback, audio, and large print. It received many wonderful reviews. However, the sales numbers weren't as good as those of my last series. When I finally got an answer to my question: Will I be getting a contract for the next book in the series, which I'd been writing, it wasn't what I had hoped to hear.

I was very disappointed that my publisher didn't choose to continue my new series. I knew there were distribution problems industry-wide the year my book came out. I also knew that other authors had received the same unwanted news

When I shared the news about the end of my series on Facebook, I was pleasantly surprised by the number of readers who told me they'd read and liked Death on Dickens Island and were looking forward to reading the next book in the series. Many readers and authors suggested that I self-publish the rest of the series. In fact, one writer friend whose series had been canceled, sent me detailed advice on how to self-publish, the route that she'd chosen.

I considered my choices as I continued to write the second Dickens Island book--slower than usual since I didn't have a contract to spur me on. I thought I might start an entirely new series as a friend had chosen to do, but quickly scotched that idea. I loved my Books on the Beach series. I loved my characters and had plenty of adventures in store for them. Why give up on something so dear to my heart?

For a short while I planned to self-publish future books in the series. I would have complete control of distribution and sales. I would also have to hire people to edit, create covers, and format the various editions--not something I wanted to do at this stage of my life. 

And so, I accepted the offer extended to me by Rowan Prose Publishing to not only publish Devil on Dickens Island, the next Book on the Beach, but the third book, Deceit on Dickens Island, as well! I want to write the books I enjoy writing. And as long as there are readers who want to read them, I'm happy to sit at my computer and get out the pages.

Fellow writers: do you choose to continue a series that's been canceled, or do you choose to start another series?