|
You mentioned in your blog post re: Stephen King's THE PLANT as if this was something new. However, you should also recall that THE GREEN MILE was originally released in a serialized form in paperback. Seven short novellas each telling a different aspect to the story. It was later collected and sold as a single book.
In other words - the serial novel isn't new and can be successful if done well. (As with anything in life, eh?)
I also don't think serials are open-ended - at least not in terms of movie serials which is what many of my fellow posters here are referring. They generally ran between 12-15 chapters. When you discuss soap operas - you should probably refer to them more accurately as continuing dramas.
The benefit of a serial is that readers (if they are sufficiently intrigued) keep coming back for more story. Regular traffic is a boon to any web presence, and serialized content is the backbone of many a blog and web video. I see no legitimate reason to not apply that to ebooks.
|