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Your thoughts about Author's only releasing a few chapters of their new book
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If you're talking about the 'teaser' chapters from the author's newest release at the back of a paperback, I like them. They're like the "Next week on..." clip at the end of a TV show. Both give you something to look forward to.
I think he’s talking about serialization.It’s not how I want to read a novel, but as long as it’s properly LABELED and no one is confused and purchasing less than they thought, I think it’s fine.
However! If you go look at reviews for many of the Amazon serials, you will note many one star reviews from people who complain about getting only one part of a novel - EVEN THOUGH IT IS CLEARLY LABELED A SERIAL.
Pete wrote: "I think he’s talking about serialization.It’s not how I want to read a novel, but as long as it’s properly LABELED and no one is confused and purchasing less than they thought, I think it’s fine...."
It doesn't make sense to write a review on a book based on a few chapters of the book. I think Amazon should take a re-look at that practice.
More importantly, why would someone pay $1.99 for each installment, effectively paying $20 for an ebook that you could get for $5.00?Some people do.
When my agent couldn’t sell my previous novel to Thomas & Mercer, she advised me to cut it up into serials because Amazon was making a push into that area. That didn’t work either.
I think even a serial should stand on its own. The thread of the story should end with the book, even though the thread may be picked back up in the next installment. However, I'm a complete neophyte to this type of discussion. I've written plenty, but I still haven't figured out anything about marketing.
And a fine club it is, Michael. If only the marketing were as enjoyable as the writing, perhaps it would be easier to master. I was the same way with my practice. I loved the law part, but the business part never held my interest. Luckily for me, it took care of itself, but this is definitely a part of the process that we all have to master.
Couldn't agree with you more, Jerri. Every author is searching for the correct formula for effective marketing. It is overwhelming the amount of information claiming, "they have the hidden secret to make your book a best seller." My secret, "throw as much as these marketing strategies against the wall and see what sticks."
Good advice, Michael. That's basically what I'm trying to do.
The problem I'm experiencing is not much is sticking.
However, I'm going to keep trying. It just feels so good for those few hours after you've done a giveaway on Amazon and your numbers go up.
Michael,I'm a bit late at arriving to this thread, but my answer is: If the author is up front about it, I don't care what s/he does. If I see any price on those chapters, I won't buy it, though. It's becoming a common practice; even old horses in the stable of traditional publishers are doing it. When an author isn't up front about it, I feel swindled if I buy it.
Maybe modern authors feel justified by the fact that Dickens and Burroughs wrote serials, but they were up front about it.
There is only one place for serialization: on an author's blog or WattPad or similar places. That's an inexpensive way to reach new readers. I did that years ago for Evil Agenda, #2 in the "Clones and Mutants Series," but later took it down and published it (obviously it didn't have the reception of Weir's The Martian). I only post short stories as freebies on my blog now, but that might change--publishing 2-3 books per year isn't much of an investment per book, but it adds up.
r/Steve
I have not paid attention in quite some time - how are AZN’s serials doing?I never saw the point. Why would someone pay $1.99 for each of ten serials that make up a whole novel? Why not just buy the novel (for a fraction) and read it when you want?
When one of my novels did not sell to Thomas & Mercer, my agent urged me to break it up into 10 parts so she could try to sell it as a serial. I did as she asked, but with great cynicism (which turned out to be well-placed).
Pete,I followed similar advice for Evil Agenda. I'll make a confession: I received more of a boost in blog visits when I bailed on Facebook after finally figuring out that all the readers and writers are here on Goodreads (some of that resistance was due to GR's user-unfriendly interface, especially in regards to how authors use it--sort of a patch on an old inner tube). The third book in the trilogy also has more sales than Evil Agenda, the book that introduces the mutant. Sometimes things happen in this business that make no sense.
I still put Evil Agenda through the wringer by completely rewriting and re-editing before I released it as an ebook. I had to. I concluded that the flip side of your argument is valid too: why lose control of my writing by posting a chapter or two each week when I can do a much better job of writing the whole thing? Serialization forces linear writing; that's often not my style. I was happy to take that serialization down from my website.
Other authors' results may differ, of course. :-)
r/Steve
Let's hear your thoughts.