Bookstores and publishers have been offering subscriptions since the 1600s, when subscribers would not only be the first to receive a book, but also helped fund its publication. Novels, dictionaries, even Bibles were published in this manner. It’s been said that some authors, including Mark Twain, had their books sold on a subscription-only basis, meaning books were not sold to the public in stores. If you want to learn more about subscription publishing, you may need a subscription J (as seen here, on Oxford Reference).
Serialization has had an equally long lifespan. The serialization of novels has been around for hundreds of years, and was hugely popular in the 1700 and 1800s. In fact, having your work serialized in installments or in a newspaper or magazine was once a defining mark of a great writer. Authors like Alexandre Dumas, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Charles Dickens, Arthur Conan Doyle, and moreall had their work serialized. Today, blockbuster writers such as Stephen King have tried to revitalize the movement, though indie authors are finding creative ways to make the method work for them outside the traditional realms of print.
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Subscription and Serialization
What These Strategies Do for Books Today
New year, new strategies for writers, publishers, and booksellers alike. Two buzzwords in the industry right now are “subscription” and “serialization.” Neither are new to the book world (see the sidebar for more on that), but both approaches to the traditional publishing model are worth talking about in 2015.
The Subscription Model…
…For Publishers
Many publishers are experimenting with a subscription model these days—and many are having great success. For publishers, a subscription means getting readers to sign up to receive new books and special offerings each month, quarter, or year at a discounted price, thus creating a service readers couldn’t get anywhere else.
Take our own indie groundbreaking publisher Archipelago Books. As noted in the article, they’ve used subscriptions to get new content out to customers before the books are available anywhere else. Learn more about their method here.
Also take a look at Hand-Picked Words, a publisher that prides itself on a perfect and personalized reading experience. Or Unbound, a UK media company that bases their entire publishing platform on subscriptions, where readers help fund the release of their favorite authors’ books.
…For Booksellers (and E-tailers)
What company comes to mind first for the subscription model? Scribd. With a collection of more than half a million ebooks and audiobooks, Scribd is active in 194 countries and boosts over 80 million monthly users. For only $8.99 a month, you have unlimited access to bestsellers, indie stories, and more. (For more info on Scribd and similar resources like Oyster, check out this Tech Desk article.)
Amazon has recently unveiled its own project: Kindle Unlimited, which claims $9.99/month for access to 700,000 titles. Read up on reviews from Mashable, the Washington Post, and the New York Times.
Bookstores have joined the subscription game too. One such is the famous Powell’s Books of Oregon. Their club, Indispensible, provides “the best new books, with special attention to independent publishers. Signed first editions. Inventive, original sets. Exclusive printings… Every six weeks, another installment to read and admire.”
The Serialization Model
…For Publishers
Serialization has changed quite a bit over the years, especially with the decrease in magazine ad newspaper sales. Today some consider between-book novellas to be an evolution of the serialization model. These short stories lead you into reading more and more from an author. In the same vein, many publishers do releases of first chapters, whether that’s on an authors cite, at the end of another book, or as a free/cheap promo.
Additionally, many publishers are putting out their books in “chunks” where a customer can get the first third of a book for $0.99, the second for $1.99, and the third for $2.99 (for example). This allows publishers to get to their price points and also allows readers to decide if they’re enjoying the book enough to continue.
But who is doing serialization the old-fashioned way? Well, tough to say. In 2007, Michael Chabon published Gentlemen of the Road serially in NYT Magazine, and the book was later published by Del Rey (a division of Penguin Random House). Since then, there have not been many notable examples, likely because serialization is an author’s game (see below).
That being said, indie publishers might have a better go of things—they are better able to reach niche markets that the big houses, and often have much more personal engagement with readers.
…For Booksellers (and E-tailers)
It should come as no surprise that Amazon also offers Kindle Serials, where “books [are] published in episodes. Enjoy reading as the author creates the story, and discuss episodes with other readers in the Kindle forums.” Amazon strives to make the serial reading experience social through their platform, perhaps seeking the engagement sites like Goodreads get.
As for brick-and-mortar stores, a serial format book can be a tough sell. Serialization lends itself best to the digital realm these days, and customers aren’t likely to keep coming back to the store every week to pick up a new chapter of a book. We’ll see where stores go with this trend, but the serial format might not be a great match for bookstores. (However, if you’ve seen it work, we’d love to hear about it!)
…For Authors
While authors can’t really take advantage of the subscription model (unless you have magic powers and can write half a dozen books a year), serialization can be an extremely effective tool. If you’ve built up a readership and have an outlet for your content—a blog, a website, a cousin who runs a newspaper and owes you a favor—serializing your work could be a great way to try something new this year.
You can also check out sites like Wattpad that allow you to publish a story in installments…with the potential of reaching millions of readers. For inspiration, look to folks like Ali Novak, a 20-something writer who started on Wattpad, received millions of reads, and landed a book deal for her book My Life with the Walter Boys. Learn more about her story in this NYT article.
To wrap up, there are dozens of ways the players of publishing can use subscriptions and serializations to their advantage. If you’re looking to innovate in the New Year, perhaps one of these methods is right for you. And if you are an author, publisher, or bookseller already well on your way to finding success with these strategies, please let us know! We look forward to hearing your stories.
Jillian Bergsma Manning is a contributing editor for Independent Publisher. She graduated from the University of Michigan with a degree in English. She welcomes any questions or comments on her articles at jbergsma (at) bookpublishing.com. Follow her at @LillianJaine.