Serial Writing: The Ongoing Paycheck

by Alina Sandor

There is a great untapped niche for writers that can bring in good income for those courageous enough to try it. Serial stories on the Internet are quickly becoming the entertainment choice for web savvy readers. "People want their heroes to live full lives," says Greg Buckles, founder of Heartfires.com, a site featuring fantasy, sci-fi, and horror serials. "The web takes away 90% of the publication cost and allows the public direct access to the creators. It's a beautiful medium."

With the readership flourishing, the need for writers is also growing. How can you get in on the fast track to becoming a well-paid serial writer? Read on.

What Exactly is a Serial Story, Anyway?

After becoming a serial writer a lot of people have asked me, "What is a serial story?" I have to admit, a year ago, I would have been one of those people.

Basically, a serial is an ongoing story not much different from the format of a soap opera. Just as "Days of Our Lives" gives the viewer a story that runs on in daily, manageable bites, serial stories break a story down into segments, keeping the reader coming back for more. "Serial stories provide people with a depth of story that can't be achieved in a short story," explains John D. Baker of DriftersOasis.com. "At the same time, it provides these ‘deeper' stories in small, easily digestible chunks. It appeals to literate crowds that grew up in the sitcom world."

The Rules

Writing for a serial website is a lot like writing for any other publication, but there are some differences.

Most sites parcel out their serial stories in issues or chapters, lasting anywhere from six months to indefinitely. Generally, a serial story runs from 700 to 2,500 words an issue or chapter, depending on the site, with some wanting as much as 10,000 a chapter. So, you must be committed to your story to see it through its contract. No room for writer's block here!

Editors of these sites want e-mail quires that are short and to the point. They want to know if you have your characters developed, enough tangents to make the story last, and if you are committed to writing your quota.

They don't want sloppy prose, ideas that aren't thought out, or stories inappropriate for their site. One site's guidelines went so far as stating three quick ways to ensure your submission ends up on the rejection pile:

1. Failure to follow the submission guidelines.

2. Submission of work requiring more than minor edits.

3. Submission to any email address other than the one listed strictly for submissions.

The Perks

Many find that serials supply more freedom to explore characters and new plot avenues, than, say, short stories or novels. "This is the opportunity for me to stretch my wings," says Devon Ellington, author of the series "Tapestry" and "The Widow's Chamber" for Keepitcoming.net. "Novels need to drive to a conclusion. With a serial, I can take tangents and explore the characters and situations at length without worrying that the novel is running too long."

Serial writing is great for novices because the editors don't care what you've had published before; they just want to know if you have a great story now. The unpublished writer can also experiment and play with a story, with limited repercussions. Plus, it is a great way to get a loyal readership going. Most sites provide bios for their authors, pictures, and one, Keepitcoming.net, has a radio show providing interviews of authors for curious, eager readers.

"Everyone loves the suspense involved in serials, as has been proven with television shows," says Kelli Ballard, editor of Keepitcoming.net. "You simply can't wait until the next episode to find out what happens. The same concept applies to our stories. You can read them at your leisure, print them for later, and simply enjoy unique, original stories that leave you waiting for more."

Since serials are easier to get published than traditional means, having a serial published can also make you an instant expert. If you would love to get into writing how-to books writing one for a serial website may be your ticket to getting your foot in the door with a more traditional publisher. You would already have a publishing credit to prove your skills.

What's the Catch?

So, we've learned serial writing for an Internet audience is a great way for novice and expert writers alike to earn money, prestige, and fans. Sounds too good to be true, right? Well, there are some catches.

First, you have to have an idea for a story. If you already have a novel in progress, this might not be too hard; you can edit your story to fit the site's format. Using your incomplete novel as the basis for an ongoing story also encourages you to keep going, pressing you to come up with new scenes. The only problem is that you have to continuing your story into infinity, maybe even farther than your conceived ending. "Think in terms of soap operas, you don't expect them to end for quite a while," says Ballard. "Same with our stories, they are not planned with an end in sight, rather develop strong and interesting subplots and new characters. That isn't to say that a story won't eventually end, but the goal is to keep going as long as possible."

The second problem is the pay is iffy. Just like with traditional publishers, serials pay a percentage of profits to the author, and some don't give you anything but a byline. Also, just like with traditional book publishers, you don't get paid if the story doesn't sell.

And that leads us to catch number three. To get people to buy your story you must do a lot of the advertising yourself. Sure, the site helps by putting clips of your story in their newsletters or a special "story of the month" banner on their site, but it is up to the author to do the real selling. Successful authors have promotional websites, create bookmarks with their story's web address and teasing clips on them, send e-mails to everyone they know, and more.

So, Are You Up For It?

Finding the right publisher, marketing your work, and all of those deadlines can be difficult to keep up with. If you are passionate about your story, though, serial writing can be a very satisfying facet of your career, or the very thing that launches it, if you decide you're up for the challenge. So, shop around and start brainstorming. You big break could be found in a serial.

Markets:

All Genres

Keep It Coming

http://www.keepitcoming.net

Xenith

http://www.xenith.net

Another Chapter

http://www.anotherchapter.com

Cereal

http://www.qqw.org/motion/cereal

Horror or Dark Fiction

Blood Writes

http://www.bloodwrites.com

Dark Moon Rising

http://www.darkmoonrising.com

Sci-Fi/ Fantasy

Heartfires

http://www.heartfires.com

Science Fiction Resource Guide

http://www.sflovers.org/sfrg/sfrgo2.htm

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