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Written Guide

Series, Collections, and Universes

Group books into a numbered series, organize related titles into collections, and understand when Universes apply.

FREE 12 min read

Series vs. Collections vs. Universes

MBS provides three grouping tools with distinct purposes:

belongs to at most one series, and each has a position number (Book 1, Book 2, ...).

omnibus editions, reading challenges, or bundles. One book can belong to multiple collections.

required for most authors.

Step 1 — Create a series

  1. Go to My Book Showroom → Series in the WordPress left sidebar
  2. Type the series name in the Name field under Add New Series
  3. Click Add New Series

My Book Showroom Series taxonomy page with the Add New Series form and an existing series in the list

The series appears in the list. You can rename it or edit its slug by clicking the series name.

You can also create a series on the fly from the book editor — type a new name in the Series panel and it is created when you save. Use the Settings tab when adding several series at once or when you need to set a custom slug.

Step 2 — Assign a book to the series

  1. Open a book in the editor (My Book Showroom → Books → Edit)
  2. Click the Book Details tab, then the Discovery sub-tab
  3. In the Part of section, choose your series from the Series dropdown

To set the reading-order position, enter a number in the Series Position field directly below the Series dropdown. Book 1 = 1, Book 2 = 2, etc.

Book editor Book Details tab Discovery sub-tab showing the Series dropdown and Series Position field in the Part of section

Set the position for every book in the series. Books without a position sort after all numbered entries on the series archive page.

Step 3 — Check the series archive page

Each series automatically gets a public archive at a URL like /mbs_series/your-series-slug/. The page shows a reading-order grid with position badges on each cover.

You do not need to create or configure this page — MBS registers the series taxonomy and its archive template at activation.

Step 4 — Create a collection

Collections are for groupings where order is optional and a book can appear in more than one group.

  1. Go to My Book Showroom → Collections in the WordPress left sidebar
  2. Type the collection name in the Name field under Add New Collection
  3. Choose a Collection Type from the dropdown (optional): Anthology, Box Set,

Bundle, Omnibus, Book Club / Reading Challenge, and 11 other standard types

  1. Click Add New Collection

Settings Collections tab showing Add New Collection form with Collection Type dropdown open

Step 5 — Add books to the collection

  1. Open any book in the editor
  2. Click the Book Details tab, then the Discovery sub-tab
  3. In the Part of section, check one or more collection names under Collections

Unlike Series, a single book can belong to multiple collections simultaneously. If the collection has a meaningful display order (for example a numbered omnibus), enter a Position value in the field that appears next to each checked collection.

Universes (PRO)

A Universe groups series from different sequences that share a fictional world (for example a large fantasy setting that spans four separate series). Universe management requires a PRO license. Contact support for activation details after upgrading.

Next steps