Quote:
Originally Posted by E.M.DuBois
I think I’m missing quite a bit of the conversation because I don’t understand the difference between “Episodic” fiction and a “series.” I know it’s probably a pain to do, but could someone point out the definitions/differences to me? With the exception of comic books, it seems like everyone’s talking about the same thing. Because I seem people talking about combining and others comparing that to complete series, like the Dark Tower, which would be way too long to combine into a single novel (physically, I mean, but completely doable as an e-book.) Is “Episodic” fiction like when someone publishes installments that could better be labelled as “Chapters” and combined into a book?
|
Perry Mason, Miss Marple, Stephanie Plum, Nancy Drew, The Hardy Boys, Jack Daniels, Jet, Black, and dozens of others are series. Full books that can be read alone with no tune in next week to see if the giant clam really ate Robin. Now it may have a sub story that goes on through several books like who will Stephanie wind up with this month but that is not the main story line. Those are series.
Serials or episodes are where the author leaves the main plot open for the next part of his book. You pretty much have to buy the next book to find out what happens.
The good ones will be like NCIS (except the season enders) where they do resolve something but leave the reader wanting more.
The bad ones will just leave you tied to the railroad track with no resolution of any kind and the train is coming at 70 mph.
The awful ones will not only not resolve anything but throw up more problems in the final chapter.
If I see a part one or an episode one, I am very skeptical. Especially if the "book" is 100 pages or less.
Now if it was a full length book that is part one of say 6 or 8 I can understand it because it would cost 3 arms and 4 legs to print the entire thing at once and would be too heavy to lift.
Think Game of Thrones here.
Hope that helps.
And the worst of the lot, do sell chapters individually. I have seen that a time or two.