Serializing you novel: Experimenting with different ebook distribution methods

Ebooks can be more than just files you download onto your ebook reading device. They can come in many different formats and be used for a multitude of purposes (i.e. entertainment, tech manuals, etc). And one of the biggest draws of ebooks, at least for me, is the flexibility one has with distribution methods.

Today I read this article ‘Should I serialize my novel before I publish?‘ from WritersWeekly. The article is part of the ‘Ask the Expert’ that the site features weekly. You can subscribe to this site via email and get updates every Wednesday in your inbox. I’ve been subscribing for years now.

Anyway, the interesting part of the article is twofold: 1. The idea of serializing a novel, and 2. distributing the serialization in different ways. Here’s a quick rundown:

The original star of electronic book serialization (not newspaper) was famous novelist Doug Clegg. Years ago, long before Stephen King took a shot at it, Clegg was distributing a free chapter of his book to his fans every Friday, via email, while he was still writing the novel. And, he was getting paid to do it. A publisher sponsored his e-serial. It was a huge hit and his unique idea garnered tons of press back then. Clegg’s book was published in print (hardcover) by a traditional publisher (not the original sponsor) when it was finished and many of his loyal fans ordered the print version. They felt a real connection with Clegg because they were involved during the writing process and they were a part of something that was revolutionary in the industry.

The author mentioned in the article, Doug Clegg, is still going strong and you can visit his site and sign up for his latest novel serialization at douglasclegg.com. The article then goes into serializing in the newspaper, which I’m not going to discuss because it involves print media – I’m focusing on the digital realm right now.

What is serialization?

The basic idea here is that a writer takes a novel (or a novella, or a short story) and breaks it down into bite-sized pieces for your readers to consume at regular intervals. This can be monthly (might be too long), weekly, or even daily. The goal is to keep your readers hooked and begging for more.

Serialization has been going on in one form or another for a long time. Charles Dickens used to serialize much of his work before it came out in book form. So the concept itself is nothing new and has probably been going on for a few centuries, at least.

Benefits of serialization for unknown authors

Serializing your work and offering it as an email sent at regular intervals (or even a blog post!) for free is a great way to get your name and your writing into the public spotlight. Why free? More people are going to take a chance on your work if they have nothing to lose by giving your novel a try.

Another benefit of serializing, which might take a thick skin for some, is the feedback you would get from your subscribers. This type of real feedback from real people reading your work can be invaluable. But like I said, it will probably take a thick skin as most writers feel very strongly about their work.

Benefits of serialization for authors with a following

If you’re an author and you already have a following, or have a few books under your belt, serialization can still benefit you. For example, if you have a new novel coming out, you can serialize it and send weekly installments to your subscribers. Either during or after the serialization you can release the print book. This is a tough question, when to release the print version, and the WritersWeekly article debates this quite intently.

The point is, however, that this type of distribution of your work is one more avenue to get your writing into the hands of readers. It can also boost your profile and you will probably see an increase in sales of back titles and even the novel that you serialized.

To charge, or not to charge

Personally, I would not charge money for people to subscribe to your serialized work. Why? Because this is a case where giving something away for free can help you make money with other products (like I just talked about above). And especially if you’re sending installments via email – I sense not many people would want to pay to receive another email in their inbox, no matter how good your writing is.

This is not to be confused, however, with a subscription-based publishing model where you send subscribers so many novels/short stories over the course of a year (for example). That is something completely different and I hope to explore it more later.

Should you release the print novel at same time of serial, or after?

The WritersWeekly article spends a good chunk of time on this very question. Before giving my own opinion, here’s what they have to say:

A better deal for you, the unknown author – much better – is to let the newspaper serialize your story AFTER it’s published. That way, you can include a byline at the end of each installment that tells readers where they can purchase your book RIGHT NOW. Like my example above, if your story is good, they’re not going to want to wait for several weeks (for the paper to finish the serialization) to find out how the story ends.

Ignore, for a moment, that they are talking newspapers. I think this question is still valid when discussing email as a distribution method.

My first instinct says yes, serialize your story after the novel is published in print. Then as readers get more into your story, they can go out and buy the novel if they get really anxious for the ending. This makes sense.

On the other hand, as an unknown author, you might not want to invest the time/money it takes to get your book into print. Use serialization as a way of testing the waters.

In the end, however, I think every writer is different and should think in terms of  where they are in their career. Just starting out? You probably need to build your reputation and make a name for yourself before you start pushing people to pay cold hard cash for your books. Already established as a writer? Then getting more sales is probably your main goal. Either way, there are numerous ways you can leverage serialization to your advantage.

What do you think? Should an author release the print version before or after the serialization? Or should a print book even be released at all (keep the novel in digital form)? Should authors charge subscribers for serialized works, why or why not? I’d love to hear your answers to these questions, so please leave a comment below!

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