Free serialized novels on the Internet are really in fashion

The Good Book says, “Throw your bread into the water and be sure it will come back to you.” The publishing industry seems to be embracing this philosophy more each week as the number of free serialized novels available on the internet increases exponentially.

I have been offering my novel, Horizons Past, for free in serialized form (http://www.horizonspast.com) for about five months now. I had no illusions about inventing the wheel with this unusual approach, because I knew that a handful of authors had preceded me. Now several times a week I read another novel that comes out for free in serialized e-book format.

Many of the comments I receive address the question, “Why would you give your book away?” The answer to that depends on how established the author is. Established authors create markets for their book catalog and interest in their upcoming releases. They now also get paid for their serialized books from sponsors who display the books on their websites to attract business.

MJ Rose in the article “Serial E-Authors Make a Killing” talked about authors Doug Clegg, Steven Lee Climer, and Charles Compo who leveraged their published books to increase readership with free serialized novels. Apparently, internet marketers like Cybergold have also latched on to serialized novels as a way to attract customers to their site.

Booktrade.info reports that Headline Publishing’s Contact, the first novel by British comics author Simon Spurrier, will be published online for free from May 24. The book will be released over a six-week period to coincide with the release of the print edition. Headline claims to be the first mainstream commercial publisher to make such a move.

For aspiring authors and minor authors, the free serialized novel serves to build visibility and name recognition, but apparently for established authors, giving away your book seems to generate big cash gains.