I usually avoid serials until they are done. But then, I haven't seen many serials as books (and I don't know how many magazines are doing serialized stories). The last serial I remember is Stephen King's
The Green Mile - and I waited until he was done (and bought the books as a one-volume compilation).
Then again, I also avoid series until they are done. Again, using Stephen King as an example, I didn't read
The Dark Tower novels until he finished number seven. I don't mind books with the same character (e.g. Sue Grafton Kinsey Millhone mysteries) that continue to grow/evolve as each book comes out. I just don't like waiting for the ending.
Of course, this has nothing to do with my short attention span.
Marilyn