Two Minds, One Story: The Realities of Co-Authoring a Series
By Betsey Kulakowski
Collaboration is one of the most rewarding and challenging experience a writer can have. Co-writing a book series with an other author can elevate your storytelling to a new level, but it requires trust, communication, and a shared vision. I’ve learned a lot about myself as a writer while collaborating with the brilliant J.B. Caine on a new paranormal thriller series and I’ve learned that while two minds can make for a powerful creative force, the process isn’t always seamless. In writing The Manifest Destiny Series with J.B. we’ve both had to adapt to the other’s writing styles. It helps that we write in similar genres, but I am a pure pantser (or as I prefer, archeologist) and she is a planner (or architect).
So, let’s take a look at the pros and cons of collaborating on a book series, and what we did to make the experience a success.
Let’s start with the pros. First of all, two writers bring different strengths to the table. If you can find someone who compliments your strengths and weaknesses, that can really up your game. We found in cowriting that ideas bounce and merge in ways that are hard to do on your own. Plot twists are more surprising because sometimes, one of you didn’t even see it coming. That’s happened several times with us, and I always like it when I can catch J.B. off guard. Then she has to adapt and often reciprocates.
It also allows us to share the workload. The Veil of Secrets was our first book in the series and we completed it in two weeks, each of us writing a chapter a day. We started with a morning meeting, discussing the characters (we each created on of the main characters), their background and the world they live in. We had to create a mythos of two competing secret societies, and decide what the magical rules for our world would be, and once that was done, we each took turns writing a chapter.
Daily meetings kept each of us on track and allowed for a debrief after each chapter to discuss what had to happen next. I will say that the editing took several months, and included a professional edit and a group of beta readers to provide feedback, but when The Veil of Secrets published in July of 2025, we were pleased with the results and were already halfway through a similar process for our second book, The Night Doctor’s Blade, which launches November 11, 2025. And now, our third book is more than halfway finished, and is expected in March of 2026.
We have discovered that the accountability factor is often what drives us to write. No one wants to leave the other waiting to see what happens next, and while we allow plenty of time for life to happen, and other projects to continue, our shared value and work ethic keeps us on track to meet our deadlines.
Through writing together, we share our audience. Each of us already have established series and fan bases. Sharing our audiences allows us to expand our visibility and generate more buzz and engagement around our collaborative projects.
For me, the ultimate benefit is the creative camaraderie. Let’s face it, writing is lonely work. Sharing in the process including the wins and frustrations (not to mention the costs and rewards) creates a bond few other professional relationships can match. It helps that J.B. is the perfect writing partner for me, and I think she would say the same.
This brings us to what most might consider “the cons.” Let’s start with the challenge of writing in a singular voice. Two authors with two separate voices can be hard to blend, but J.B. and I are so compatible that even her sister can’t tell who wrote what. I believe that’s a sign of good editing as well. Both of us have experience as professional editors, and having a third editor look over our work before it goes to print is a value-added benefit.
When it came to rights and royalties, there was no argument. Everything is 50/50. We share the work, the expenses, and the rewards. We each pay evenly for things like the cover design, audiobook narrator, and marketing, and we keep track of it so that when it comes time to pay out royalties, each of us gets a fair cut.
Another concern is often conflicting visions. No matter how your styles align, creative differences are inevitable. We have a standing rule we made early on, that no idea is untouchable. We don’t baby our ideas and no darlings are safe. If they need to be cut, we kill our darlings together. If an element doesn’t serve the story, it’s gone. No arguments. This philosophy stems from our mutual trust for each other.
Creative co-dependency can be a struggle in some collaborative projects, but not for us. Why it works for us is that we both have other projects in the works at all times. I continue working on my stand-alone thrillers, as well as my Veritas Codex series, while she continues to work on her Ironsheild Shadows and Arcana series, as well as her other stand-alone projects. We each have our own authentic identity outside of our joint projects, so the chances of us relying on each other to get work done isn’t an issue.
If you’re considering co-writing, I recommend starting small. Our first collaboration was a short story for an anthology called, Autumn Tales III: Return. Karens In The Woods, a horror comedy, was an introduction for each of us about how to blend our ideas and voices into a common story, and it’s gone on to win Best Horror in the National Excellence in Story Telling contest hosted by the Central Region Oklahoma Writers.
Having been successful there, we moved to The Manifest Destiny Series. The Veil of Secrets was a finalist for Best Published Fiction at WriterCon 2025, and won first place at The Bookfest Awards in the novella category.
If you think co-writing might be for you, just remember, your collaborative efforts should enhance your creativity, not stifle it. When it works, co-writing creates a synergistic effect, and the outcome can be something greater than either of you might have created alone. Find the right partner, and it’s absolute magic!
Want to follow along on our journey? Check out our websites: www.authorbetseykulakowski.com and www.jbcaine.com or follow us on social media @authorbetseyk and @authorjbcaine.
Betsey and J.B. are also two of the three co-hosts of The Unfreakingbelievable Podcast, along with author Jenny Simard LaBranche.
The Night Doctor’s Blade
Some wounds don’t heal. Some secrets won’t die.
Deep in the shadow of the Carpathian Mountains, a forgotten asylum hides an artifact of impossible power. When Eliza and Esme Wren are sent by the Aegis Order to investigate strange activity in Romania, they are drawn into the legacy of the Artifact of Arkanos and the Night Doctor—a man revered as a miracle worker and reviled as a monster. His story is one of grief, sacrifice, and a desperate bid to save what he loves most, no matter the cost.
The Artifact, an ancient surgical blade, offers the power to mend what’s broken, but at a devastating price. When Esme’s life is in peril, Eliza will do anything to protect her, but when the Blade calls for her own blood, Eliza must decide how far she’s willing to go—and whether some wounds are meant to remain unhealed.
Haunted by the past, hunted by the Awakened, and stalked by a Blade that serves no man, the sisters must uncover the truth behind life, death, and the price of tampering with both. The dead are listening. And some of them remember your name.
The Night Doctor’s Blade is the second book in the Manifest Destiny paranormal thriller series from award-winning, bestselling authors Betsey Kulakowski and JB Caine.
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Category: Contemporary Women Writers, How To and Tips
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