Amazon Serials
A new introduction from Amazon is an old form of reading a story: The Serial.
These were a hit back in the day when people got to read an episode each week in the newspaper. Just as the Kindle has revived reading, it has revived the practice. When you buy a Kindle Serial, you will receive all existing episodes on your Kindle immediately, followed by future episodes as they are published. You can enjoy reading as the author creates the story.
Westerns are classic for the serial genre, so I started with The Circuit Rider by Dani Amore (a pen name, I assume.) On the ordering page, it states that the serial contains six episodes and one will be delivered each month. That is nice to know that information up front.
The first installment was about 500 locations which I read in two sittings. A month feels like a long time to wait in between episodes, which appears to be a typical for the serials Amazon is now offering.
The Circuit Rider was divided into very short chapters. It ended with enough of a satisfying ending to wrap up that episode, but created suspense for the next installment. This serialized Western, however, was not particularly well written and was very violent, so I’m not exactly holding my breath waiting for the next month to pass.
I also downloaded The Many Lives of Lilith Lane which has new episode every two weeks. Two episodes had been released when I bought it and it came as one file.
The Many Lives of Lilith Lane was a fresh, fun story with lots of plot twists that made this very entertaining for the episodic format.
Both of these were priced at just $1.99 each. You pay that price to receive the first download and subsequent installments are delivered at no additional cost. Amazon states that “New episodes will be added to the same book on your Kindle, keeping your place and retaining your notes and highlights.”
Amazon also has opened customer discussion forums for each serial where you can join other readers in a virtual review of the plot and characters. You will find the link on the serial’s webpage.
The serial is a neat way to capitalize on the technology of the Kindle by automatically sending new episodes to readers’ devices. In a way, though, it feels out of place. When there are so many great books out there for instant download, why wait six months to read a story in fits and starts? I’m also curious to find out how Amazon will notify me that a new episode has been downloaded.
Has anyone else read the serials? What’s your take?
Cheap Reads – More serials – mysteries, thrillers, and more – selling for $1.99 each
And if you would like to relive a book that was originally a serial, these two Charles Dickens’ novels are free in serial form.
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Serials are a total bomb with me. I mean it’s an instant “NO” not for me, do not even go there. I won’t watch a soap opera. Why would I want a story in dribbles and drabs? Shoot, most people don’t even like short stories that well. This idea is just foreign to me.
I wish them well with it, of course, but it is not for me.
Maria –
Amazon has reported that a million of these have been downloaded. I believe the appeal is the price and perhaps the novelty of them. When serials enjoyed their heyday, it was the only way some people received reading material. A newspaper couldn’t print the complete book in one publication, so the serial was born.
Today it is only nostalgic and quaint. And perhaps overbilled. The audience 100 years ago may have just been grateful for any reading material, but to write a serial today? An author would have to start with a superb plot that is superbly written and leaves an element of anticipation at the end while tying up a few loose ends so not everything is left dangling. Not an easy task.
Trad pubs are trying something similar, but they are charging for every serial installment, so Amazon’s idea is superior to that. And I sure don’t want six files on my Kindle for one novel. UGH.
–Paula
I remember reading an inspirational historical romance that was about a heroine who wrote these. It was a great read. I need to go figure out who wrote it because it was a trilogy. Now back to reading them myself I have no patience! I like to keep reading. I like the price tho but wouldn’t read until all the chapters are out. When all the chapters are out will they also give you the full download as one book?
Yes, Caffey -
When all of the chapters are out, you will get the full download, but I don’t know if the price will be the same.
You might want to purchase any that interest you now and just let them be sent to your Kindle. When the last installment is received, then you can read it. You just have to resist the temptation to read it before you have all of it. Some of the books have installments every two weeks, while the free public domain books deliver every week.
I don’t know that these will be very popular, but they are something different. Perhaps they will appeal more to young readers who have a shorter attention span. I’m afraid if I had two weeks or a month between installments, I would have developed the rest of the story in my mind and not be satisfied with the author’s version of the plot! He/She got it wrong!
–Paula
Lol Paula on the rest of the book! I’ve gone to bed because it was getting too late reading still and I would be thinking this and that may have happened and not getting to sleep (I would.be better off staying up to finish it lol)