Serial Fiction: An Old Form Made New

Yesterday, my feature article for Publishing Perspectives went live:

Experimenting With Serials for Fun and Profit

Here's a little excerpt:

Debate continues about whether the reader really prefers [serials] for long-form narratives. Shya Scanlon, a literary author who experimented with serialization in 2009 with The Forecast 42 Project says, "It would have been much better had I had the full print edition available during the serialization, so that people who wanted to read in full could do so. Though the feedback I received from readers during the serialization was positive, there was ambivalence about the reading process. It was either too slow or too quick for readers."

On the other hand, Scanlon pointed out that the process of serialization, which spanned over 21 weeks, helped with buzz and in developing relationships with many editors and bloggers in his community. Ultimately, the process found him a publisher for the print book.

Go read the full article, which also discusses:

Why serial fiction is the A-game of writing
Selling serials vs. selling completed or compiled works
Companies experimenting with serials
Why you shouldn't use serialization as a marketing gimmick