Happy to meet another sci-fi author! Thanks for the guide - I hope to start my own journey publishing on Wattpad and Substack. I have a few novels and novellas already done but was not feeling the "traditional" indie publishing route. I long for the days where I published chapter by chapter online, and I think this could be it!
I believe so. When I started toying with the idea of serialising my novel online, I felt like the only soul who was thinking these crazy thoughts. Glad to find other folks who are doing this!
Hi, I discovered this just as I was wondering if serialisation was for me, so thank you! Planning to lose myself here 👍. Just a quickie that I realise is too late for this piece, and many of your others, but can we have a little glossary of abbreviations or end note or something please? This is the third post I’ve read this morning where I’ve just got a little list by all of the acronyms. Yours only has TL;DR so absolutely not a big switch off, but you do feel the friendliest, so I thought I could ask 😁. Thank you 😎
I’m condense serializing my travel memoir on buying land and building a house and opening a bookstore in southern Mexico. Thanks for this series on serialization!
Hi Simon. Would you see a difference between serialising a completed traditionally- or self-published novel and serialising one which is written specifically to be put out in instalments? I've six novels published (one self-published, the rest through a publisher) and am serialising the self published one, a chapter at a time, on Substack.
I think either can work, but you could imagine the custom-designed one being easier when it comes to finding, keeping and growing an audience. That said, a good story is a good story.
You could think about slicing up your novel in a slightly different way to how it would be in print. For example, chapter breaks in the book might not fit so naturally to the serial format, perhaps because they are very long, or too short, or don't have a hook to bring people back etc.
What you don't want to do is break your story in order to 'fit' it into a serial form. The story always comes first!
What would you think a reasonable length for serial format? I try to put a decent hook at the end of every scene anyway, so splitting shouldn't be a problem, and your point about reading length is a good one which I can consider.
I tend to aim for around 1,200 words. Rarely go under, often go a bit over. That's not based on any particularly scientific analysis, but my thinking is that 1,200 words is a) long enough to allow for some actual substance in the chapter and b) short enough to be read in a single sitting. That latter point is important because it makes it easy to read over breakfast, in-between jobs, on the commute and so on, and ensures that you're not competing with Netflix, games, other books, etc etc for someone's eyeball time.
That's interesting, and makes sense in relation to encouraging quick reads. My chapters would tend to be between 2500-3500 words, so breaking down to scenes or multiple scenes might work better for me. Thanks for your thoughts.
Happy to meet another sci-fi author! Thanks for the guide - I hope to start my own journey publishing on Wattpad and Substack. I have a few novels and novellas already done but was not feeling the "traditional" indie publishing route. I long for the days where I published chapter by chapter online, and I think this could be it!
Hi, Elizabeth! Good luck with the projects, sounds like it could be a good fit for what you want to do.
I believe so. When I started toying with the idea of serialising my novel online, I felt like the only soul who was thinking these crazy thoughts. Glad to find other folks who are doing this!
I am looking forward to the guide and the new serial.
Thanks, Mark!
Damn, everywhere I look, you're there.
Hi, I discovered this just as I was wondering if serialisation was for me, so thank you! Planning to lose myself here 👍. Just a quickie that I realise is too late for this piece, and many of your others, but can we have a little glossary of abbreviations or end note or something please? This is the third post I’ve read this morning where I’ve just got a little list by all of the acronyms. Yours only has TL;DR so absolutely not a big switch off, but you do feel the friendliest, so I thought I could ask 😁. Thank you 😎
I’m condense serializing my travel memoir on buying land and building a house and opening a bookstore in southern Mexico. Thanks for this series on serialization!
Hi Simon. Would you see a difference between serialising a completed traditionally- or self-published novel and serialising one which is written specifically to be put out in instalments? I've six novels published (one self-published, the rest through a publisher) and am serialising the self published one, a chapter at a time, on Substack.
I think either can work, but you could imagine the custom-designed one being easier when it comes to finding, keeping and growing an audience. That said, a good story is a good story.
You could think about slicing up your novel in a slightly different way to how it would be in print. For example, chapter breaks in the book might not fit so naturally to the serial format, perhaps because they are very long, or too short, or don't have a hook to bring people back etc.
What you don't want to do is break your story in order to 'fit' it into a serial form. The story always comes first!
What would you think a reasonable length for serial format? I try to put a decent hook at the end of every scene anyway, so splitting shouldn't be a problem, and your point about reading length is a good one which I can consider.
I tend to aim for around 1,200 words. Rarely go under, often go a bit over. That's not based on any particularly scientific analysis, but my thinking is that 1,200 words is a) long enough to allow for some actual substance in the chapter and b) short enough to be read in a single sitting. That latter point is important because it makes it easy to read over breakfast, in-between jobs, on the commute and so on, and ensures that you're not competing with Netflix, games, other books, etc etc for someone's eyeball time.
That's interesting, and makes sense in relation to encouraging quick reads. My chapters would tend to be between 2500-3500 words, so breaking down to scenes or multiple scenes might work better for me. Thanks for your thoughts.