Friday, July 19, 2013

To serialize or not to serialize...that is the question.


All the cool kids seem to be doing it. Even some of the bigger names in the biz do it. But since I am neither one...I think it is time to pose the question. Should I dip a toe in the serialization market? And if I did, what genre should I tap. I have my very dark and icky "Vampyrates" series that is sitting on ice waiting its turn. Then their is "UnCivil War"-- a thriller that is about a full scale, modern day race war that basically destroys this country. (Scary in the timeliness, but I actually wrote the first 50,000+ last November and the idea originated between the st and 2nd LA riots...so...)

I guess that is where all of you come in. I know that a lot of you read this and never feel compelled to respond or post a comment, but this is one of those times when I am almost begging you NOT to be silent. And those of you already on the serial thing or with priors (Armand...), I really value what you have to say on this subject.

So there it is. Nothing long and drawn out. Not very blog worthy, I know. However, this is one of those times that I need some input. Readers, sound off. And if a serial is where we go...how long do you feel is fitting when you are plunking down your 99 cents? I was thinking around 15,000 words. 

Come back Monday when I start giving you the low down on a super anthology that will feature names like Joe McKinney, Catie Rhodes, Mark Tufo, Armand Rosamilia, and James N. Cook just to name a few. If that doesn't have your reading glands all wet and slobbery...well...you're either dead or just really hard to impress. 


24 comments:

  1. I wrote my Diaries of the Damned serial and they came in around 12,500 - 13,000 words a piece.

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    1. And some very nice work I might add...(FYI, you might want to start banging the Highway 2 drum...I expect to be done in the next couple of weeks).

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  2. I really went off SK when he serialized... I thought it was a great money making scheme... and I now think 2 or 3 times (not just once!) before buying ANYTHING from him. I wouldnt mind so much if it was a cliffhanger each time, like your mentioned Armand Rosamilla "Spy" series, but just to serialize for no reason... no.... count me out! I will wait for the, no doubt to come, "whole" book.

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    1. I did love the Armand serial. And with you being one of my most prolific and "say it like it is" readers, you carry a lot of voice in this subject as I mull it over. My most likely two choices (Vampyrates and UnCivil War) would both be absolutely complete before I went in and divided it into episodes if that is the route I chose.

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  3. The only issue I have ever had with serialization is that many of the authors have not fleshed out the entire story from beginning to end and wind up coming out of the gate strong, faltering somewhere about book 3, and then droning along until the finish (which almost always happens around book 11)

    As long as you have a very solid story line planned out (which I have never seen your works without) then I can see readers (myself included) plunking down money for it.

    -e

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    1. Agreed. I think I would want to write the entire thing first before going episodic.

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  4. Todd, I haven't yet bought the first serial. They look interesting, but none of them have (yet) screamed, "You gotta read this!".

    I've read several discussions of serials (because I've thought about writing one) and was interested to learn there are two ways to do it.

    One school of thought is to have a novel length work and cut it into pieces (think THE GREEN MILE). Another school of thought is to imitate the format of a TV show, where the main character(s) have ongoing conflicts, but each "episode" is a self-contained unit. I'll be interested to see what you do.

    As for your real question, whether 15,000 words is enough for 99¢...I definitely think it is. You already have an established audience who will be willing to pay that. Plus, I know the quality of your work. So there's my 2¢.

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    1. I only have ever purchased one serial (by Armand Rosamilia) although I toyed with the one by Wright and Platt before getting distracted--a danger with serial releases from what I see and hear-- (Yesterday's Gone)and both were decent length while being quick reads and well parceled out with great cliff hangars that pulled you in and made you want to keep going.

      Word count is something that I struggle with when trying to ensure that readers get a good value.

      And I actually saw one author make a big deal about how they parceled out their 80,000 word project and how BIG that was by comparison to most novels. Umm..my shortest DEAD book is over 98,000 (the last one, Confrontation coming in at over 112,000) and I actually felt bad with how short the last Zomblog: Snoe came in at barely 50,000.

      So much to consider.

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    2. if you were to do a serialization... yes to consideration on word count vs price but also you really want that edge of the seat/cliff hanger ending to each "chapter". Or go a different route, having a whole story but only one version/PoV/character in each episode?

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    3. So much to consider...those are all tough choices, and once made...you have to stick with it.

      Hmmm...

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  5. Thoughts from a reader: I'm not big on serials, I love long epic novels, a story I can get lost in for a long time. I've tried a couple of serials and I just wasn't satisfied, hated having to wait for the next 50 or so pages. I feel like it's a money making ploy and I'm just not buying into it. Now, that's just me. I'm sure you'll get a lot of opinions, because..you know...every one has one. P.S. I picked up the snoe books, started one, then decided I wanted to read all the books from start to finish. See how awesome you are, the only books I've read more than once were Swan Song and The Postman.

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    1. First, thank you for such a great compliment...Swan Song...that is pretty lofty company. And I am seeing a lot of folks that are not feeling the serial love. This will be a pretty tough choice.

      On one side, this is how I provide for my family, so I have to admit that, while I truly love what I do, money does play a real factor.

      On the other, I am also a consumer. If I could not put down the money and feel I got a good value, then I certainly can not expect it from others.

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  6. Alright as far as a money making scheme - not an effen chance. I started the Riley series because it was a way to keep my readers engaged in my world while they waited for a full length book to come out. All of my stories so far are about 25k long and we charge 99 cents. So not really raking it in but folks love them, generally the only complaint is that they're too short. (Although they know they are buying a serialized novella...okay okay I won't touch that one) Still I do believe much like an early poster commented, folks would rather have a full length book. So I pretty much wavered back and forth and didn't give a solid answer. Fuck I should have been a politician.

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    1. And for those who have NOT read the Riley books...they are MUST reads. My daughter loves them. In fact, she put MY book down to read Riley 2...just sayin'.

      As for politics, Mark Tufo for President...I'd vote for that ticket as long as you made Armand Rosamilia Secretary of ...hell anything just so we can call him Madame Secretary.

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  7. I don't own an ereader presently. Never tried one, and maybe that will change but I do enjoy the feel of a book in my hand. I'm guessing that, as with most things that rely on batteries, they are a substitute for the "real" thing until one can have it. ;-) I agree with one of the answers above; I would really enjoy a HUGE wordy novel from you one day. I think you have the chops for it and it would please me greatly. However, I also think you have the chops for a serial, if that is what you wish to do. They would just piss me off when they ended and I would tell you that you need to put everything together when you finished and make one big book about it but a lot of folks like the episodic nature of t.v. series so why not? What about a series on audiobook? Can that be done?
    Good luck and go with your gut, Todd. If it fails, go back to what works.
    Sincerely, Jamie (don't know how to use the profile option so I chose anonymous and added my name here)

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    1. So much to consider. And as for the serial audiobook, that would be doable once I get my own studio. Having another person do it would be a bit too tricksy.

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  8. Since I'm about to release the first volume of a serial, I thought I'd chime in with my already tainted view on the subject. I agree with Tufo that it's more about keeping readers in touch with the world on a more frequent basis, and also that it's not a hugely profitable thing to do for most authors. By the time you pay for editing and cover art for each episode instead one time only for a longer novel, you have a much higher sales target just to break even.

    That said, there are readers who prefer short stories and serials because they can get the satisfaction of reading a full story in a short time. I'm one of them. With the demands on my schedule, I can only read in small chunks of time, so this idea appeals to me.

    A serialized story, to me, isn't just a novel that's broken up into smaller units. Like Television episodes, each story should be a complete story. End on a cliffhanger? Sure, but it should be at the resolution of the problem set out at the beginning of the episode. Should there be an over-arching plot? Maybe. That's my preference, but the Sherlock Holmes serials weren't even released in chronological order, and aside from a couple of recurring characters, there was very little binding one story to the next.

    So I say do it. There's a market for it. If that market isn't exactly your current reader-base, then you just grew your audience. Your regular readers will stick with you, even if they wait, like Vix said, for the "Boxed set" with the full story. I see it as a win-win.

    Cheers Y'all!

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    1. Funny thing is that I do something similar but different with my DEAD series. After every three books, I compile the Steve story line, The Vignettes, and The Geeks. Each go into its own 18 chapter book with an added 10,000 words or so and I put them out as special editions (I am getting ready to do the second one for each now that book 6 is out) and I create my "bonus" content based on what readers mention in their emails. I also put out a Compendium of the three books together in one huge ebook (the last one equaled 1000 pages).

      See...same but different than the "boxed Set" idea

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  9. My two cents... If you are doing it for the money, you're a nutty bird, lol... while the "Miami Spy Games" serialization was awesome to write (I wrote them like TV episodes, with big cliffhangers at the ends) money-wise it wasn't huge, falling into the gap where everything else did... and I have 80+ releases.

    My latest serialized work is the Flagler Beach Fiction Series, a contemporary fiction arc (think beach reads of 5-6,000 words each)and the sales are great for the Print versions of them once I combine all 5 releases (and 10 stories) into one release... for me, if keeps me out there between longer works, and it definitely helps sell my back-list when I put them out each Friday or Saturday...

    Armand

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    1. I need to get caught up and get Flagler. Is it helping to boost your sales traffic? Or do you see it staying sort of static? Since Miami Spy Games have you seen a pop, or is it business as usual?

      I keep considering it with my UnCivil War title. But I would absolutely need to retool it. When I first came up with the idea, it was definitely going to be character heavy. I am just not sure that would lend well to serialization. Too many people to remember.

      Hmm...and just when I thought my tension headache was gonna go away...

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  10. As a reader: I personally don't like serials. But it has nothing to do with money. I've read a couple, but honestly, I read so fast that short works just don't do it for me. I'm done almost as soon as I start. Plus I tend to be impatient and want to read it all right now. :-)

    And depending on the work, I might forget about it and lose interest, not caring by the time the next episodes appear. That did happen with one I was reading. The other was one by Wright and Platt. I finished it, but after I read the first, I just waited until all the rest were available and read them all at once. Which is what I would do if you choose to write one. I know I'll want to read it - but I'll do it once it's complete.

    As a writer: I'm well aware that there are a lot of people out there that like serials. Short works fit into their reading schedules well. So I would say - go for it. You'll have those that will enjoy it episode by episode and those that will wait until it's complete. Win win. I wouldn't hesitate to write one either.

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    1. More and more...just getting as clear as mud. And I am now thinking that my UnCivil War title is not a good one for this sort of format.

      That would mean Vampyrates, but that title is also being mulled around with the guy who did the cover for my upcoming audio versions of the DEAD books for a possible graphic novel.

      More for my pondering chair.

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  11. Todd, if you're a great writer (& I think you are) just remember Dickens. He sprang to fame with the 1836 serial publication of The Pickwick Papers. Within a few years he had become an international literary celebrity. His novels, most published in monthly or weekly instalments, pioneered the serial publication of narrative fiction, which became the dominant Victorian mode for novel publication. The instalment format allowed Dickens to evaluate his audience's reaction, and he often modified his plot and character development based on such feedback. For example, when his wife's chiropodist expressed distress at the way Miss Mowcher in David Copperfield seemed to reflect her disabilities, Dickens went on to improve the character with positive lineaments. I rest my case. x

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