The Big Question: How to Serialize
Lessons Learned
After finishing two fiction adventures with two of my stories, and a third currently releasing, I’m debating the Big Question: How to serialize my fiction going forward?
I’ve learned a few things:
Readership drops off between 5-10 installments. So, should a serial’s overall length be shorter, so as not to give a week, after week, endlessly releasing chapters feeling? Maybe they should be stand-alones?
Shorter word count is better. Somewhere between 1,000 to 2,000 words gets a good read-through ratio, possibly because most readers are on phones or laptops.
Consistency is vital! Whatever you must do to make your weekly release date, do it. And releasing is time-sensitive. if you usually release first thing in the morning, your readers notice when it comes out at noon.
Only a small percentage of readers comment, so honor them and comment back.
I’m pondering a few things:
If I write something shorter - like having only 8 chapters that make up the whole story - how do I turn that into a book later? Will a shorter overall story even please readers? I’d certainly have to warn them ahead of time.
If I write a stand-alone story - closer to 3,000 words - would that be too long? After all, the Sherlock Holmes stories were stand-alones, but longer that 3,000 words. A collection of short stories would be easier to turn into a book, especially if they were linked together in a clever way, outside of just the main characters.
I want to add audio versions to my serials, and that will make the creation process longer, but could add multiple ways for readers to enjoy the story.
Loyal readers: I’m open to your feedback on all of the above. As fiction readers, I’d love to know how reading fiction on Substack has grown/changed for you. What formats do you gravitate toward? Or does it all hinge on the storytelling? Do you even notice the things I’ve mentioned? Inquiring minds, and all that!
Over the next few weeks, I’ll be figuring this all out for myself as I begin writing the next Harvey Girl and Time Witch stories for Substack. Your insight has a lot of weight on how I proceed. Speak now or…. you know. :)
What great questions...and I hope you don't mind, Ann, but I'm more in Richards camp here, which you know. I just don't comply to the 'norm'.
I have had this discussion and read many articles from Simon K Jones, and I know 1200 words seems to be the standard, if there s one, for serials, but I considered a few things:
• How do I write and how do I enjoy writing?
• Will limiting the length of the story for each episode put me in a box?
• Will limiting the length of the episode prevent me from telling the 'complete' story?
• If I prefer to write a specific way, won't this become a natural filter for who stays and who leaves as a reader?
• Isn't the #1 most important thing to consistently tell a story and offer it to other?
We all have to make those decisions, and when I started, my episodes averaged 7,000-10,000 words. Then I slimmed them down. Got to roughly 5,000 words. Now I try to stay between 3000 and 5000 words...and it's my near perfect count.
The other thing I do is make sure to publish the Seasons as soon as I have enough for a book. So when you look on the 'Start Reading Here' page, as you look down the list, I separate the Season with an add and links to the published book.
I believe that has helped.
We can all give you our views, Ann, but you have to do you. Personally, I have learned it's a mistake for me to limit myself. My goal is to make the very best stories, how I make them, for my community.
That's why they joined in the first place.
Didn't they?
I think Kummer has the right idea. In my case, I write almost exclusively in the same universe so I can put a collection of stories together and it will make sense just because of the universe. As my new universe spools up and starts producing stories, I'll probably be able to keep those stories in their own collections as well.