Would you buy the next novel from your favourite author in installments? That is, every month a chapter or more would be published like a novella I presume. This is being advocated as a new way to improve the publishing industry over anywhere from 6-18 months.
I know this is cynical, but what I hear is once the serial ends, the book will be released as a novel with various covers and in edited and unabridged forms in order to make up the shortfall in the publishing industry.
What’s interesting in this article is that it advocates serialisation because the novel needs tension. But what I can’t figure out is how that works when most times the body of a novel might not actually give a reader any tension whatsoever . Does that mean each installment would need a cliffhanger?
I much prefer publishers releasing novels in a series much more quickly. God knows how long I’ve spent waiting for the next book in a series to the point that I get into an entirely different series and forget what I was waiting for.
You want to keep readers’ attention for the books and assorted merchandise, don’t keep readers waiting. Delayed gratification works well on TV when you tune in every week for a new episode, but a book?
I have read a few serial novels where you buy the book and each week you get another chapter. It was fun, and I looked forward to them. Although some did unnecessary recaps that made me a tad insane.
Over here, with our cooking shows, we have long ad breaks and then they come back and recap the last 5 minutes before we get to the new stuff — that is exactly what your experience reminded me of — it’d drive me insane too!