Many of you have probably read George R.R. Martin's quote that there are two types of writers, architects and gardeners. Essentially, a writer who plans ahead and one who goes with the flow.
I used to write on the fly. Perhaps I kept a small number of notes stowed away somewhere, likely under empty envelopes and expired lottery tickets, but the vision I had for my novels was mostly stored in my head. I didn't keep outlines. I didn't keep notes about characters.
Those days are thankfully over. I realize they may work for some writers, but I am not among the esteemed few. I now start each book with a rough outline for the first ten chapters, along with character sheets, world building info, how the magic system works, etc. Before I sit down to actually write a chapter, I write a detailed outline of that chapter. It makes the process so much more enjoyable.
Because of this, my output has increased dramatically. I've gone from writing ~2,500 words a day to 6,000. Because of that, I'm adjusting my expected productivity for the rest of 2018.
Ascension Book 2 (Runeforged 2) is finished and has been since March 18th. I have it back from my editor, but it still needs proofread and a cover. It's being released May 8.
The first book in a new series—let's call it Labyrinth—is being released in mid-June. This is a fantasy novel with some sci-fi elements that I'm having a great time writing.
Ascension Book 3 will be released In mid-to-late July.
Labyrinth 2 will be released in late August.
A new series will be released in early October.
Labyrinth 3 will be released in early-to-mid November.
New Series Book Number 2 will be released in mid-December.
This is subject to change slightly, but it's unlikely I'll deviate from this schedule too much.
So, essentially, one book per month (not exactly one month, but close enough).
I understand that some of you may be concerned about a drop-off in quality by writing this fast. I've actually found the opposite is true. My writing is more cohesive and generally requires fewer revisions the more I write per day.
I'm aiming for 90,000-100,000 words for future books, which is the same length as Runeforged, and I believe that flowed really nicely. The Dragon Thief, by comparison, was 125,000 words. It also featured 5 primary PoVs that gave me fits as the series progressed. I won't be tackling that large of a cast again for some time.
TLDR: More books faster.