[Dellaster]

Further thoughts: The serialized works of Dumas, Dickens, et al, supported and were supported by the publications in which they were printed. They lent an extra reason to purchase a particular magazine or newspaper rather than a competitor, and (presumably) the newspapers and magazines were worth purchasing sans the serial. They were incentive, a bonus.

Standalone ebook portions of a novel are neither supported nor supporters of anything. There's no reason not to wait until after completion.

That doesn't mean there's no place nowadays for serialized novels. On an author's blog? Makes sense to build audience (and page hits) with the caveat that getting a book deal part way through and yanking it off the site will produce a nasty backlash.

How about if CNet ran serialized gadget-oriented SF novels in order to get people to go there instead of ZDNet? Or TechCrunch vs Engadget? Serialized novels may still have a place in our networked future. I just don't think it's in standalone ebook installments.