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Book Marketing, Craft, Dystopian, Indie Writer, Science-Fiction, Self Published Book, Speculative Fiction
While working to market my Sci-Fi/Dystopia series Insurrection, I’ve been reaching out to book bloggers asking for a review of the first installment, Subversive. For those who don’t know, this is a short-story series that will run for five installments, like episodes in a mini-series. Each book is told from a different character perspective. Each is a complete story and interconnected with the others.
Recently, a blogger who had agreed to review Subversive returned saying he would be unable to post a review because he does not feel serial series books are fair to readers. (Full disclosure: He does state that in his review policy but I, er, missed it. *blushes*)
Curious about this view of serial series, I wanted to ask what others thought. Below is the e-mail reply he sent to me and I’m posting it here with his permission:
“Subversive is a glittering example of why I don’t (review serial series books) and I admit I should have examined this book more closely before I agreed to review it. Although it is well written, and I could see that the story line had the potential to eventually develop into something worth reading, as a lifelong reader who has been disappointed repeatedly by authors who use this approach to publishing, I cannot encourage it. Likewise, giving you a low review when the work could be made into a five-star effort is not fair to you.
For a reader, this book is a passage to nowhere except the next book. There is no end. There is only a beginning. For a reader, it’s a bit like having a sentence with a subject and no predicate. An incomplete thought to be solved by putting another nickel in the slot machine. I feel that approach to publishing is unfair to readers.”
My opinion? Although I respect this blogger’s perspective on the subject, I tend to disagree with the philosophy, not just because I’m writing a serial, but because personally, I love them. In the book serials I’ve read I find each book to be its own complete tale, even if there are cliffhangers at the end. If I love the premise and the characters, it’s great to come back to them again and again, like visiting old friends. Some examples? The Anita Blake books, The Emperor’s Edge, A Song of Ice and Fire. There are many more. To me, it’s like watching an episode in a TV series. I’m not upset that I’ll have to tune in next week to see another installment. Sometimes I’m in the mood for a movie that tells the story in one go. Other times, I like when a story is drawn out. The same is true for literature in my, uh, book. (unintentional pun)
What do you think of the serial series format? Does it feel like the author is nickle and diming you into buying another book rather than tying off the journey completely? Or do you enjoy new adventures with the same characters and universes, no matter how many installments there are?
Author of speculative fiction 
I’m the odd man out, because I like solo books. That said, I am neck deep into The Dresden Files.
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The Dresden Files! Yes, that one just won’t let you go.
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Serials – I’ll try not to rant. My daughter is a librarian and hates serials. I’m not as extreme. I have a teeter totter relationship with them. I HATE cliffhangers. I hate it when authors leave me hanging and I have to wait a day, week, year for the next book.
I get why authors like serials. They write a small amount of a story and put it out for sale and make money on each installment. As an author, I see the appeal. At the same time, as a reader I object to paying for a “book” which isn’t a full book. If you’re charging anything more than 99 cents for these installments, it’s too much. Even 99 cents is too much depending on how many installments there are.
As a reader, I’m looking at how I can maximize my book budget. If your serial is going to end up costing me between $5-10 to buy, I’ll wait until you put the whole thing in a book and read it that way – and hopefully spend less money on the book. I’d rather buy a whole book for $2.99 or even $7.99 than pay for a serial. Now if the serials were complete stories – having a beginning, middle and end (real end) – I might be more inclined to read them but I believe the trend is to write a novel (say 50K to 100K words) and break it up into 6-8 installments. Would you pay for a few chapters at a time? I don’t want to. Plus there’s the whole – want the whole story at one time.
I’d say I lean more towards not doing a serial than doing one even though it’s a big trend right now. It’s one I don’t think is fair to the readers and I think if people stop to add up the cost it will backfire on the author.
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There has definitely been a trend of the serial format. Thanks for your thoughtful input Eileen!
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The serialized format is neither new nor the tool of inept authors. Here’s a quote from Wikipedia: The wild success of Charles Dickens’ The Pickwick Papers, first published in 1836, is widely considered to have established the viability and appeal of the serialized format within periodical literature.
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I don’t think the blogger I mentioned thought it was a practice of inept authors, so much as it feels mercenary to him. That, rather than doing an entire story, it’s instead broken up into multiple pieces for the sole purpose of earning money. I don’t see it that way but I can understand if it chafes some readers. Thanks for the bit on Charles Dickens. Newspapers indeed used to publish stories in chapter installments like that.
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Perhaps it is due to my age where I have become somewhat forgetful, but I tend to dislike serialized stories. I read an installment of a few (or many) chapters and it may be enjoyable, but when it comes to the next installment I am somewhat lost as I cannot remember all of the previous one so I am forced to reread it. This is assuming I can even find the latest installment. Depending on the author, it may be a few months or even a year before the next book in the series is issued.
Also, I tend to dislike television series with cliffhangers that stretch a simple plot over an entire season such as The Bridge (both versions) and The Tunnel (a British production.) If I miss an episode (or a book installment) I feel I have missed out on the entire story and lose all interest.
I don’t worry whether or not the author writes in this style for mercenary reasons; this doesn’t enter into it. It’s more personal than that. For that matter, I wondered for about a minute whether the story I am presently doing a final edit on should have become a novel or a series of novellas. My choice was a novel.
That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.
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I don’t think it’s your age, my friend. I also have to reread the previous book if there’s a long gap between installments too. Same with shows. Thank God for the “last season recap” at the season premiere of things or I’d be a bit lost at first. Speaking for me, I don’t mind rereading books though so that’s probably why I like serials.
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I admit I’ve never been big on reading series, for some of the reasons your blogger identified. But to disdain the format entirely seems draconian. As a writer, I view serial fiction like any other writing technique: its success depends on how you wield it. Interminable books shouldn’t be an excuse to drag out a tale, either from purely commercial motivations or because the author lacks self-editing skills. Used creatively, however, episodic structures can develop complexity in the story and give readers a unique experience. I chose to write my “Syzygy” story as serial novellas because it freed me from the conventions of novelcraft, allowing the story to unfold in a more interesting way. Sure, I could compile all the pieces under one cover and call it a novel, but that wouldn’t change the content.
Done right, serialization creates suspense, and good storytelling relies on suspense. Didn’t we all revel in anticipation between Harry Potter books? Why has binge-watching TV shows become a national sport? Most audiences enjoy the thrill of the chase. If your blogger turns up his nose at “Insurrection” just because it’s a serial, he’s missing out. I’ve enjoyed your story immensely (even the wait for the next installment).
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Speaking as a binge-watching-TV-show-athalon, you articulated my thoughts on the subject exactly, lady! I find that if the author started the series knowing exactly how many installments it will take to get to the end of the story, the multi-book format feels organic, not forced. It’s all about intent, I think. Babylon 5 comes to mind as a prime example. All of the sudden, you’re in Season 4 and you realize, holy crap!, they’re tying into stuff that seemed meaningless in Season 1 but was integral to the entire story arc! That series was masterful in its storytelling and largely because the writers knew the ending before they began.
And aw!! Thanks for the kind praise for my series:) I hope you’re enjoying your review copy of #3!
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I will often read a long series of novels, but if the first book doesn’t have a resolution to the immediate crisis/problem, I usually quit without moving to book two. This is doubly true if the author is new to me, as it makes me wonder whether the author is capable of wrapping up a story line. My favorite authors tightly wrap up individual plots, but leave me interested in their world overall, or in a “big picture” problem of which the immediate crisis was a small part.
That being said, I browsed over your serial at Amazon, and feel that its short length and low price set it apart from the type of serial novels I’m talking about. If I read a full-length novel just to find out it’s the intro to a trilogy, then I get ticked off at all the fluff and filler I had to read through. If I’d only read 30 pages, I wouldn’t have the same feelings, although I probably would want to know about the serial format going in.
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I’ve read a few serials of the kind you’re speaking, where each book is its own full story which is resolved by the end but still leaves the door open for new plots with the characters. I love those too. Yes, full on cliffhangers that don’t answer the book’s “question” make a reader feel rather abandoned at the end. I’ve experienced that agony as well. I definitely see your point. As far as new authors, it’s probably not the best idea to have those massive cliffhanger endings with their first work since they haven’t established trust with readers yet. Of course, no author goes into this writing thing because it’s a rational enterprise, am I right?;)
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The problem with serials is that it raises the question of whether the story will go anywhere and whether the author will ever finish it. With a lot of newer authors, it feels like a gamble to become invested in a series, but even with established writers, you can end up with a series that never ends up going anywhere or wrapping up satisfactorily in a reasonable time. I know I’m going to be feeling pretty smug about never having gotten into Game of Thrones when Georgie kicks the bucket without having finished it..
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Man, don’t get me started about Martin! My husband has been saying for years that the guy is just hoping to die before he has to figure out how to finish the story. I think it just got too big for him. Dear GOD, that last book made me crazy. I think I’ll just have to HBO the rest of the tale because I can’t handle another dud. I know I mentioned ASOIAF as a serial I love, but I think I’m really just being nostalgic.
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Of the only “series” i’m following that are ongoing, Drasmyr has a stated arc of 5 books in total and, with 3 down, Matt Ryan reliably putting them out every 18ish months, and Karl Gallagher’s Torchship just started, though the first book stood on its own perfectly fine as one of the best SF I’ve ever read. Of course Adrian Cole has restarted his Dream Lords series for me, so there’s going to be that to look forward to…
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