Monday, January 24, 2011

Web Serials...are they worth it?


Good evening constant reader.

I was approached by an author who inquired as to whether or not I'd be interested in reviewing a web serial for The Written Universe.  I took a look at her web page and one belonging to a friend who was also a web serialist, and said, yes, I'd do reviews of both.

I will be completely honest.  Trying to read the stories were like the labours of Hercules. 
Not because they were poorly written or uninteresting.  For me, it was the medium in which they were presented.  That was my own personal hindrance to enjoying them.  Reading a little, then trying to find where I had left off from the last time, writing it down if I forgot, losing the piece of paper with that information;  scrolling, endlessly scrolling down the page; and being stuck to my computer screen, with no way to really "take it with me".  All these factors added up to a bad reading experience.
(My other bias is pdf files, but that's what an e-reader is for).

Were the stories any good?
For the most part.
Are web serials viable for readers?
Possibly.  It depends on what kind of reader you are, if you prefer mobility in your reading, if you can hack sitting behind a computer screen for extended periods of time to read.
These things need to be taken into account before staring a web serial.

Are web serials a good way for a writer to get noticed?
Possibly.
But you're going to have to watch your length and make sure your story moves along.  If you spend too much time establishing a character or describing a location or an action, you're going to bog it down so your reader is falling asleep in front of their computer.

No, web serials are not for me.
I prefer my books in book form for portability, for the ease of marking my place, for being able to go sit in a comfy chair and read.

Here are the authors and their websites for your perusal.

Candace McBride's Tattoo

Candace's site offers her original web serial, Tattoo, as well as a host of other related writings.

Zoe Whitten

Zoe Whitten's site offers not only ebooks to read for free online, but also information on where to obtain her printed works.

Give them a look constant reader and decide for yourself.  You might not have the problems I did and may find jewels you never thought possible.

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