The Art of the Serial
Sheri Gormley
A serial is an ongoing story that is told over time through installments.
They first came into prominence during the Victorian Era as “novels for the
masses,” since most serial readers were part of the working middle class and
could not afford to buy books. Newspapers and magazines included serials in
their publications in order to gain more customers, as a popular serial
could easily double readership.
During the Victorian era, serials were eagerly anticipated, read and
discussed at a level that could easily be compared with television’s
“American Idol” program. Like many of the reality shows popular with
audiences today, serials were something readers looked forward to. Readers
simply couldn’t wait to feast their eyes upon each monthly or weekly
installment and discuss it with their friends and family.
But writing a serial was no easy task; in fact, Charles Dickens often
complained to his friends about the relentless deadlines he had to meet to
publish his very popular serials. In addition to the fast pace, authors had
to capture and keep the reader's attention from the first installment to the
last, so the need for quality was high.
As printing processes improved and novels became more affordable for
everyone, the serial fell out of favor by the turn of the 20th century as
people found novels to be more convenient. Books are extremely portable and
allow people to read them wherever and whenever they choose at their own
pace, as well as re-read a section or look ahead.
It’s ironic then that as we move into the 21st century, technology has
helped serials gain a new and appreciative audience. The fast pace of daily
living has caused many people to feel so stretched that they are simply too
busy to sit down and read a complete novel. Audio books, e-books and
podcasts are filling the modern need for “literature on demand,” and the
newly incarnated e-serial is also helping to fill the void.
How are modern serials sold?
Most serials are now sold through the Internet at websites that
specialize in e-books and e-serials, such as Virtual Tales (www.virtualtales.com).
Typically, each issue of an e-serial contains 1,500-2,500 words and is
compiled into an Adobe Acrobat file that is e-mailed to subscribers
according to a schedule. The files are small and portable, and each issue is
short enough to be enjoyed by readers looking for a quick break during their
busy day. They can also be stored on a Palm, Pocket PC or specialty cell
phone for compact reading while traveling.
So as an aspiring e-serial writer, how do you get in on the action?
What makes a good e-serial?
If you are interested in writing a modern e-serial, you’ll need to adjust
your writing style. If you are thinking, “Well, I’ll just chop up my
unpublished novel into 2,000 word segments and I’ll be set” – think again!
E-serials require special strategies to be successful, and you will need to
follow these guidelines as you hone your story for submission.
The first and most essential component of a good e-serial is the ending
hook. Each and every issue must start off with a bang and end with a cliff
hanger. Most readers will try a new serial for a few issues before
committing to a longer subscription. In order to be successful, you need to
make sure that readers will absolutely want to find out what’s going to
happen next, from your first issue until the last.
The second needed ingredient is organization. Some publishers will
consider e-serials that have enough material to create at least a dozen or
two dozen issues. This is one of the primary benefits to writing an
e-serial; you can be paid even if your story is a work in progress. But as
Dickens discovered, this benefit can also turn into a trap if you haven’t
taken the time to set up a detailed story arc to help you stay on course.
You won’t be able to go back and change the name of a character you
introduced previously, change the setting of your story, or go back to a
previous issue that has already been published (and read!) by your audience
to fix a critical detail.
The third essential requirement is discipline. Unless you have already
completed your story, you will need to write every day until you are
finished, even if your e-serial doesn’t have any subscribers when it is
first offered for sale. It takes time to attract paying subscribers to a new
work, but you must keep it moving towards completion because once you do get
your first paying subscribers, you’ll need to keep producing new material to
keep them coming back for more. If you have to put the story on hiatus so
you can go on vacation, get married, have a baby, etc., and you don’t have
enough completed issues to carry your readers through your absence, you may
find that by the time you get back on track, your subscribers have moved
on to something else.
What is the publication process for e-serials like?
At Virtual Tales, the publication process begins with an author
submitting the first four issues or chapters of their story, a complete
end-to-beginning synopsis, a biography and 100-200 words of promotional
copy. The materials are reviewed by our staff of professional editors, who
make the first round decision on whether a story is suitable for publication
as an e-serial. If the majority of comments are favorable, the story
materials are forwarded to the Board of Directors for consideration.
If the story is rejected by the Board, a rejection e-mail will be sent to
the author. In some cases, the author will be told to make certain changes
and resubmit the work for additional consideration in six months, but
sometimes the work is rejected outright, especially if it is deemed too
violent or pornographic in nature (Virtual Tales rates its e-serials using
the MPAA Movie Rating Guidelines, and we will not publish anything beyond an
“R” rating).
If the story has received favorable comments, the Board will typically
ask the author to send in everything they’ve written so far. These materials
will be forwarded to a single staff editor for final evaluation and
acceptance. If the editor thinks the story is salable, the quality of
writing is professional, and he/she is willing to work with the author to
perfect and finish the piece, the Board will send out a contract to the
author.
Once the signed contract is received, the author will be asked to
describe their vision of the cover art so that an artist can be assigned to
create artwork. The author will begin working directly with the editor to
finalize as many issues of the e-serial as possible. The editor will mark up
the story text with questions, suggestions and changes and send it back to
the author for correction. The editor may also ask the author to rewrite
certain sections or add in new sections to tie up loose ends as needed.
Once the cover artwork is finished and the first 14 issues are completely
polished, formatted and approved by the editor for publication, the story is
added to the website and is available for immediate subscription. The editor
will continue working with the author on new material until the e-serial is
complete, approving new issues for publication and adding them to the
website for purchase as they become available.
Take the challenge!
Writing e-serials can be fun, but it is also challenging. If you are
willing to take the time to get organized, write good hooks for each issue
and remain disciplined, however, you could find that the potential rewards
and benefits are well worth the extra effort required. Serial writing is an
excellent way to develop your writing chops while getting paid to write your
story. It will also give you an opportunity to work with a professional
editor, many of whom are writing coaches and teachers themselves. So if you
are a new author and your story is chosen for publication, you will have a
unique opportunity to work with a mentor who can help you launch your
writing career.
To find out more about the submission requirements and sales for Virtual
Tales, you can visit the website at
www.VirtualTales.com.
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advertised or discussed on this site.
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