|
meckard
|
|
|
|
I'm in the middle of an experiment, and I wonder if I could get some feedback from more experienced hands.
I've decided to self-publish my novel, "The Nevsky Wall", as a weekly serial on the web (http://www.thenevskywall.com). The experimental parts of the exercise are:
1. to see if I can keep up with the weekly deadlines (an exercise in discipline)
2. to try to generate growing readership in the book via the web serial format (an exercise in publicity)
3. to catch the eye of an agent or publisher (likely, an exercise in futility)
So far, I've been able to keep to the schedule, and Chapter 4 will be published on Friday. Has anyone else here tried to introduce new work by this method or know someone who has? I'd be curious to hear their thoughts. I've noticed that established authors,like Alexander McCall Smith (via the Daily Telegraph), have tried web serialization with some success of late.
My second question involves the marketing of this type of work. I suppose it's analogous to marketing a blog, but are there channels that might work better than others? Since the novel falls under the loose category of 'historical fiction', I've looked at organizations and web communities that may have a common interest - specifically, WWII Russia. I've used Facebook and sites like Red Room and Authonomy (I won't incite that discussion again), with some small success. In my limited experience, YWO has been the best community I've seen so far in terms of quality writing and advice. Maybe someone here has walked the same path.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Mark Eckard
http://www.thenevskywall.com
|
|
sulcus
|
|
|
|
Twitter is the best tool for directing people, but the problem if you're starting out is you won't have any followers to direct there. There are lots of success stories - all those dreary blogs by women about their sex lives that got turned into books - Belle Du Jour and others. There was a bookcalled "The Book With No Name" that started out as a serialised web book and got offered a print publishing deal. Just look 'em up on the Web. Whether it can work for historical fiction I really don't know. The above examples were either sex or shoot 'em up action thrillers.
"A,B&E", "Not In My Name" and "52FF" (flash fiction anthology) all available on Amazon Kindle"How a psychopath makes sweet love. I can get you ringside. Royal box even."
|
|
morrisman
|
|
|
|
Marc, you make me laugh... the dreary sex books... Anyway, Mark - I will be following your experiment. Best mark PS - That's too many Mar(c)k's.
"Inevitably, It's the man with the gun who decides what the language of the day is going to be." - Tobias Wolff www.markporter.weebly.com
|
|
meckard
|
|
|
|
I've noticed that most of the serial web novels out there are of the fantasy or teen vampire variety. I did stumble across one the other day called "The Lazurus Smile" (http://lazurussmile.wordpress.com) that looks interesting. It's Clive Cussler meets Dan Brown, but it reads well.
|
|
sulcus
|
|
|
|
Quote: meckard, Thursday, 8 Jul 2010 14:37I've noticed that most of the serial web novels out there are of the fantasy or teen vampire variety. I did stumble across one the other day called "The Lazurus Smile" (http://lazurussmile.wordpress.com) that looks interesting. It's Clive Cussler meets Dan Brown, but it reads well. I assume the key is to have a good hook each week to get them returning the following week for the next instalment
"A,B&E", "Not In My Name" and "52FF" (flash fiction anthology) all available on Amazon Kindle"How a psychopath makes sweet love. I can get you ringside. Royal box even."
|
Marketing the serialized web novel
06 Jul 2010, 23:02
