Glossary
Reading order
Also called series order
Reading order is the order in which an author suggests reading the books in a series, which may differ from the order they were published.
What it means
A series has a reading order: book one, then book two, and so on. Sometimes it is not that simple. A fantasy author might publish a prequel novella after book three, but suggest reading it first. A mystery series might have short stories that sit between the novels. Readers ask “where do I start?” more than almost any other question.
Nonfiction has reading orders too. A language course has level one before level two. A set of business guides might suggest the beginner book first. A children’s series might be read in any order, and saying so helps.
Some books carry half numbers, such as book 2.5, for a short story between two novels.
Why it matters when you sell direct
Retailers often show series in publication order, and readers sometimes buy book four first by mistake. On your own store, you decide. A clear reading order helps a new reader start in the right place, and helps a reader who finished book one find book two straight away.
That matters for your income: series readers who move from one book to the next are where a lot of direct sales come from.
How Lanternbee handles it
Put titles in a series and drag them into reading order. Each title can carry a book number, including half numbers like 2.5. Series pages show the books in that order, and whole-series box sets follow it. When you move from Shopify, the importer turns your collections into series and you check the reading order before anything goes live.