Interesting experiment with online serial

[Torgo]

Not sure how this is going to work yet but it sounds interesting....

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010/sep/06/random-house-stardoll-mortal-kiss

Essentially Random House are publishing a serial novel into Stardoll, which is a sort of game/social net thing for girls. How does anyone make money out of this do you reckon? Ad revenue?

[Melanie Nilles]

I publish an epic fantasy serial on my website but don't ask for money. There's a donate button for anyone who wants to, but I find that no one does. Some who start reading just go on to purchase the complete ebooks rather than read in segments. (I've been making them available for purchase this year, but it's still fun to see how many new readers I pick up for the serial.)

RH must be learning that serials are gaining a foothold among indie authors and hope to capitalize on a trend that's in the early stages. It can work, but you have to keep it regular and interesting.

[Medievalist]

Not sure how this is going to work yet but it sounds interesting....

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010/sep/06/random-house-stardoll-mortal-kiss

Essentially Random House are publishing a serial novel into Stardoll, which is a sort of game/social net thing for girls. How does anyone make money out of this do you reckon? Ad revenue?

Affiliated product sales--toys etc.?

[Torgo]

Affiliated product sales--toys etc.?

Stardoll seems to be all virtual but perhaps it's virtual sales?

[Medievalist]

Stardoll seems to be all virtual but perhaps it's virtual sales?

Possibly--or possibly the idea is to release the game, and hope it, or aspects, goes viral, then release real-world products--or charge beyond a certain level, after the kid is hooked.

[Plot Device]

BUMP



I have a question about the copyright when e-publishing a serial.

How do you copyright it?

I would imagine that it would be more economical to write the entire 80-chapter story in one document, copyright just that one document, then start to serialize it in little pieces all spread out over 80 weeks, one chapter a week.

But ....

Once something hits the Library of Congress, it's available to the poublic, right? Or am I misunderstanding copyright law?

What I'm saying is that if you want to do this yourself and if you want to slowly build up a readership over the course of 80 months, how do you PREVENT an avid fan (or a Third World entrepeneur) from getting his hands on the Library of Congress copy and then spreading the BIG CLIMACTIC ENDING (which you wanted to keep a secret) all over the internet before the ending chapters have a chance to get published?

The alternative is copyrighting each individual chapter each week. But that's a crapload of money that you'd NEVER get back unless you really hit the bigtime with your serial. And at the current price of just one copyright, I'd just assume buy a crapload of lottery tickets very week.

[Theo81]

BUMP



I have a question about the copyright when e-publishing a serial.

How do you copyright it?

You don't *need* to register copyright. By virtue of having written it, you own the copyright. As you are posting online, it's probably worth putting a footer in to make people aware it doesn't have a Creative Commons Licence.

I would imagine that it would be more economical to write the entire 80-chapter story in one document, copyright just that one document, then start to serialize it in little pieces all spread out over 80 weeks, one chapter a week.


But ....

Once something hits the Library of Congress, it's available to the poublic, right? Or am I misunderstanding copyright law?


What I'm saying is that if you want to do this yourself and if you want to slowly build up a readership over the course of 80 months, how do you PREVENT an avid fan (or a Third World entrepeneur) from getting his hands on the Library of Congress copy and then spreading the BIG CLIMACTIC ENDING (which you wanted to keep a secret) all over the internet before the ending chapters have a chance to get published?

The alternative is copyrighting each individual chapter each week. But that's a crapload of money that you'd NEVER get back unless you really hit the bigtime with your serial. And at the current price of just one copyright, I'd just assume buy a crapload of lottery tickets very week.

The AW Copyright FAQ (http://absolutewrite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=58845)

[Torgo]

BUMP
I have a question about the copyright when e-publishing a serial.

There's no need to do anything, or worry about this at all. You write it, it's copyrighted the second you put the words on the page. Each chapter is (c) you, as is the whole thing.

Paying money to register the copyright is unnecessary and I would say not worth doing. There's no need to send anything to the LoC or to anyone else either before you have revealed the ending, or after.

[Chazevelt]

I've considered setting up a website for a serial that's pay as you go. First few chapters would be free, then if the reader wants to keep going, they make periodic payments through PayPal. The initial advertising costs would be dauting, though, and I have to wonder if it would ever realize a profit. Ideally, the site would encompass a number of writers and genres- ala fanfic sites. The key would be to create ongoing plots and scenes like a TV show or soap opera. (Any less could be marketed as an E-published book.) Anybody know if this already exists, or if it's absolutely not possible... or plausible? Magazines used to do it to boost sales.