A lesson from the master.
Over at the Loony Lions board, Arbor Vitae offers some much needed advice to all writers who would like to avoid having their works turn out like the Harry Potter series (because, you know, they are so unsuccessful).

1. If it isn't broke, don't fix it. If you have an outline all planned out for your series, don't do a last minute change just to please some of your readers. You'll be surprised how much it will throw off the rest of your series. Stick to your original plan. It's almost always the best one.

2. Your editor is your best friend. Listen to what they say. Even more, get an editor that you know will be very critical. The best editors and betas are the most brutal and critical ones. They will save your story from embarrassment.

Don't argue or ignore suggestions made to the story. The editor is like a reader telling you what will work and what will not work. Take them seriously.

3. Don't be a jerk to your fans. These people are spending money on you, taking time from their lives to dwell in the world you had created, and respecting you. Don't single them out or ridicule them, no matter what. Never try to force readers to see your view. Don't write something that was intended to lash out at some fans. It's rude and immature. Even fans who were not part of the bashing will lose respect for you.

4. Don't add fuel to the shipping fire. No matter what you think of them, shipping wars are not amusing. They are tiring and annoying to most fans. Some fans take it too far and hurt other fans, may they be fellow shippers or fans of another ship. Don't take sides. Never insult fans of a ship you don't intend to let happen in canon; they have every right to interrupt your text differently. Literature is not science fact.

Disarm any potential shipping wars as soon as possible. I personally have an answer prepared if I'm ever asked about ships in my series:

Quote:
The relationships between all of the characters have profound influence on them. Every character affects another character's life. I enjoy the interactions between all of them, and I understand people may like to pair off the characters romantically. I support all ships, but at the same time do understand only a very few of them will happen in the books. But, this does not mean that the romantic relationship is stronger than a non-romantic relationship. The hero's friends are all vital to her; she would never choose one over another. She may marry one of her friends, but it doesn't mean he's more important than her other friends.

Don't forget, these are YOUR characters fans are playing with. Don't give them any reason to feel that they have to bash or tear down another character or friendship just to hook up two characters in a fanfic.

5. Never create a character solely for the purpose of being a love interest. That character is guaranteed to be flat. Create characters first, and treat them as human beings. Humans were not born to be only someone's spouse; humans were all born with a mind, feelings, goals, and beliefs.

Here's a tip: work on the story, write some snippets, think of scenarios. Pay attention to how the characters interact with each other, and if there's any special chemistry between them. Most of my ships are coming from characters who just clicked together as I wrote the story.

6. Oh, and unless you series is about romance, don't discard everything and focus on shipping. Fans have fanon and fanfiction for shipping. They want plot and characters in your series. If your story is a genre other than romance, then stick with it. There has never been a series that succeeded after dropping everything and focusing only on who's snogging who.

7. Haste makes waste. Even if your series is one of the most popular things out there, don't let it control you. Don't let the fans pressure you into writing faster. Fans would rather have an excellent book that took many years to write rather than a crappy book that was hastily written.

If you get sick and tired of your series, take a break. Writing shouldn't be about getting everything out there to the public and shutting up shippers you don't like. Writing should be an enjoyment and a sense of achievement. Never lose sight of that.

8. People like to criticize everything out there, even the Bible. Don't think fans are going to love every single thing you write; don't argue against their criticisms. Not everyone is perfect; the best you can do is objectively read their criticisms and learn from your mistakes. You will become a better writer, guaranteed.

9. Keep your mouth shut. If you are uncertain if something will happen in a future book, then don't say anything. Fans might cling on to what you say and feel cheated if the thing doesn't happen. It's best to keep readers in the dark. Let them have no expectations when they get the new book. They will enjoy it more.

10. Don't hype your own series. Just don't. You are setting yourself up for a huge fall when the fans' high expectations come crashing down and they feel cheated.

http://alchemyhl.freeforums.org/viewtopic.php?t=513

ETA: As it seems some folks are being banned at the L&L comm simply for clicking on the above link, here are some lovely screen caps via our lovely ovine, Sheep: (ovine means sheep, right? LOL)
http://www.journalfen.net/community/fandom_wank/1110191.html?thread=162253999#t162253999