The increasing trend in "serial" books.

[booklover6]

Originally Posted by susan_cassidy

I would not buy any books in that forrmat. I like to have a complete story to read. I don't mind series, bUt episodes is too much.

I completely agree. If a title has "part" in it, I don't get it, even if it turns up free. No thanks!

[booklover6]

Originally Posted by BearMountainBooks

There was another major publisher (I deleted the book off my GR because I hate serials) who released the book in two parts. So you could buy half the book and then (if I recall correctly) 3 months later, buy the second half. Or you could wait something like 8 months for the whole thing to come out. It was a steampunk novel that I had actually marked as TBR, but when I found out it was coming out in parts, I nixed it.

I know exactly what book you are talking about, because I was the fool that bought the first half, not realizing that PART meant it was only the first half. It was by Lynn Viehl, an author whom I enjoy. But I was seriously mad that it was only half the story. As a result of my disgruntlement, that book (both parts) only got 3 stars from me, and I have yet to read book 2. I don't think it's a library offering, either. So I may never read it. Leaves a sour taste, just thinking about it!

[BearMountainBooks]

Originally Posted by booklover6

I know exactly what book you are talking about, because I was the fool that bought the first half, not realizing that PART meant it was only the first half. It was by Lynn Viehl, an author whom I enjoy. But I was seriously mad that it was only half the story. As a result of my disgruntlement, that book (both parts) only got 3 stars from me, and I have yet to read book 2. I don't think it's a library offering, either. So I may never read it. Leaves a sour taste, just thinking about it!

I checked the cover of that one and I don't think it's the same book. It could be, but the cover I"m thinking of had both a man and woman on the front. I don't think Pocket Books was the publisher either--BUT all that said, they may have had one cover for "part one" and another cover for the finished book.

I hope this isn't some kind of mad trend where all the publishers think they have to try this idea. It's bad enough that indies thought/think it's a great idea, but the last thing I need is another minefield to avoid. HMPH.

[DiapDealer]

The excuse publishers often give (in recent years) for this is that "it's too large" for the binders to get it into one volume. Of course my 30+ yr old mass market paperbacks of Sacajawea and Shogun sit on the shelf and scoff at such a ridiculous notion.

[fjtorres]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

The excuse publishers often give (in recent years) for this is that "it's too large" for the binders to get it into one volume. Of course my 30+ yr old mass market paperbacks of Sacajawea and Shogun sit on the shelf and scoff at such a ridiculous notion.

The only case where I buy that argument is the recent David Weber honorverse title. Even the half volume released is b-i-g. And its pretty clear the second half isn't finished. There is enough story to justify reading it but it might've been better to end on a faux-resolution than an outright cliffhanger...

[ApK]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

The excuse publishers often give (in recent years) for this is that "it's too large" for the binders to get it into one volume. Of course my 30+ yr old mass market paperbacks of Sacajawea and Shogun sit on the shelf and scoff at such a ridiculous notion.

They don't build books like they used to.

[DiapDealer]

Originally Posted by ApK

They don't build books like they used to.

But not because they can't, of course.
It's not like the secret to binding huge books was lost in a flood in '78 or something.

I have no particular problem with publishers occasionally splitting very large (complete) works into two smaller books and releasing them in a relatively short time-frame. I'd just prefer that that they do me the honor of not making up silly lies about why they're doing it. I'm perfectly capable of understanding that selling two large books (6 months apart) is going to generate more profit than one huge book (especially when an author has a dedicated fanbase).

Doing something to make more money is not shameful--in and of itself. Do something to make more money, but pretending it's for other reasons ... is.

[theducks]

Paperbacks of the 60's and 70's typically were under 3/4" thick (and cost under $2).
Today, 2 inches and you need a derrick to hold it up (the cat now complains if you try and use it as a prop )

[murg]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

The excuse publishers often give (in recent years) for this is that "it's too large" for the binders to get it into one volume. Of course my 30+ yr old mass market paperbacks of Sacajawea and Shogun sit on the shelf and scoff at such a ridiculous notion.

Or pretty much anything by Peter F Hamilton...

[LadyKate]

Originally Posted by fjtorres

The only case where I buy that argument is the recent David Weber honorverse title. Even the half volume released is b-i-g. And its pretty clear the second half isn't finished. There is enough story to justify reading it but it might've been better to end on a faux-resolution than an outright cliffhanger...

Argh... I haven't read the last three or four honorverse books and totally hate cliffhangers. Could you share the title of this book?

[fjtorres]

Originally Posted by LadyKate

Argh... I haven't read the last three or four honorverse books and totally hate cliffhangers. Could you share the title of this book?

SHADOW OF FREEDOM.
It's a fun read with a full novel's worth and more.
The way it works out the last six books (two in each of the three narrative arcs) are tightly linked. They can be read independently but collectively they add up to a single mega novel, like the first set of Amber stories.
The biggest issue is the last two chapters or so of SHADOEW are a teaser for the next volume. He reached a fine pseudo ending... and kept going.

[DiapDealer]

What I get a kick out of is when stories have "grown in the telling." A series that was initially planned for three novels, gets expanded to four or five because it, "all just wouldn't fit" into three novels. Which is all fine and dandy at face value, by the way. The funny part is how the story always seems to "grow" in whole-novel increments (each commensurate with the page-count of the previous books). Nobody ever needs to add a novella's worth of material to get things "just right."

[BearMountainBooks]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

What I get a kick out of is when stories have "grown in the telling." A series that was initially planned for three novels, gets expanded to four or five because it, "all just wouldn't fit" into three novels. Which is all fine and dandy at face value, by the way. The funny part is how the story always seems to "grow" in whole-novel increments (each commensurate with the page-count of the previous books). Nobody ever needs to add a novella's worth of material to get things "just right."

Well, I've added short stories to series. And originally I planned the Moon Shadow series to be just three books. The fourth is a spinoff and a full novel. BUT, I did actually write it because people buy the series and the spinoff was originally just a short story. The short stories (tweeners as they are sometimes referred to) don't go over all that well. I suspect novellas would get the same bit of sneering that sometimes goes with a short story. It really depends on the reader, I think. I also thing novellas and short "tweeners" are becoming a l lot more common. It seems like publisher are asking their writers to write "Christmas episodes" and the like. I see tweeners for urban fantasy as well as cozy mysteries.

As for me as a reader, I don't download the tweeners. Well, I have downloaded a couple (Lindsay Buroker wrote a novella in between Torrent and the second novel). I haven't actually read it, but I do think I downloaded it. I could be wrong about that though. It might just be on my list to watch in case it goes free.

[DiapDealer]

The tweeners, sure. That's just smart marketing on the part of authors who release their main series novels once every 2-3 years. I'm talking about the author who's giving us her/his three--nay, four!--book magnum opus. Just once, I'd like to see a series author say, "I tried to wrap it up in three decent-sized novels, but I didn't want to rush things. So here's an additional 175 page book that wraps things up quite nicely I think." The End.

[BearMountainBooks]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

The tweeners, sure. That's just smart marketing on the part of authors who release their main series novels once every 2-3 years. I'm talking about the author who's giving us her/his three--nay, four!--book magnum opus. Just once, I'd like to see a series author say, "I tried to wrap it up in three decent-sized novels, but I didn't want to rush things. So here's an additional 175 page book that wraps things up quite nicely I think." The End.

I think that writers who tend to write lengthy books...are going to always write lengthy books. Writing a short story or novella is actually a different technique. Some writers won't even TRY writing a short story because you really have to think differently. It's like when novelist Richard Ford asked Mark Knopfler (song writer/musician) if he had any advice to share about song-writing. The answer: Stick to novels. Telling a convincing story in a song is an incredible talent that I'm sure takes practice. Just like novels or short stories. But they are different practices...