I began receiving your newsletter only a month ago because I liked your writing, and I haven't read your serial and have no idea what it is about. Therefore, I'm not the right person to answer your question merely to state I'm a book reader, not a serial reader, if that helps at all.
I will start by saying I am enjoying The Wistful and the Good. Although I have been busy these past two weeks and am now two chapters behind. My problem with serials is the wait. I hate waiting a week for chapters. But if you published daily, I would probably have trouble keeping up. 🤣 Perhaps two or three chapters per week is a happy medium? Who knows? Which is why most people like ebooks. No waiting.
Although I would have never read The Wistful and the Good if it had been released as an ebook initially. It was only through discussing your newsletter venture on Discord that I discovered it. So...
I tried Kindle Unlimited when I published my first novel. I only got one full book read from it totaling 76 cents. I think KU works best for genres with voracious readers, like romance. And you have to crank out the books regularly. For me it wasn't worth the exclusivity.
I see no reason you can't continue publishing the serial and offer the book for those who don't want to wait (unless you plan to be tied to Amazon exclusivity that KU requires.)
As far as your newsletter, I am asking myself the same question. What do readers want? My most popular newsletters are my short humor and fiction. Then in December I did one humorous non-fiction newsletter about eggnog that is now my most popular post. My serials are the least popular. I have no sage advice.
But I will continue to read The Wistful and the Good as long as you continue to publish it. Honestly, I have too many unread books in my Kindle library. So reading your serial is working for me. Knowing my track record, if I buy it, it will probably go unread. Too easy to put it off. But when I see a chapter in my Substack app, it is a reminder.
Heck, I'd keep reading it if you published as a serial. And no, you don't get a lower rate outside of Kindle Unlimited. Price the book between 2.99-9.99 and you get a 70% royalty. It's actually a better deal than KU. You aren't writing in a genre that is going to be particularly attractive in KU, but you want to be on Amazon. So. Publish on the 'Zon, but also go to Draft2Digital and put it up there. Same price. This way you end up on Apple, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, and library outlets that you won't have via KU. I've made more money over the years by going wide.
Kindle Unlimited works best for certain genres, and not that well for others. Use the Substack as a reader magnet, and promote the other books when you post.
I admit that I don't read much fiction. The only fiction I consume, I listen to with Audible. But my attention span fizzles out before I finish most books (sadly). I recently switched to Blinkist and really like that shorter format. I only say this to add some context my answers to your questions.
Re serializing the novel on substatck, I'd rather have it as a single ebook. That way I can maintain context if I were to read it it all the way through. Personally, I'd also investigate ways to have an AI read it (so that I could simply listen to it while biking).
Again, I'm much more into non-fiction, but I enjoy your non-fiction essay posts much more than fiction. I do think your natural mode is the essay. Your style and cadence just seem more engaging.
I have so enjoyed the instalments on the 4 weeks I have been with Substack but would prefer it as an ebook to be read in one fell-swoop. I'm an indie author, have been since 2010 and am currently writing my 14th book. My experience within the indie industry has been the greatest experience of my life and I went into it with absolutely no expectations.
Would I ever serialise on Substack? Never. It would, I feel, dilute the narrative. But that's just my opinion.
I'm surprised that agents/publishers are telling you that Dark Age fiction is not sale-able. It's one of the fastest rising timeframes currently, led by the likes of Cornwell, Harffy, Turney and many others. It's one of my favourite timeframes to read.
If you want freedom to continue as you do AND maintain what you already have on Substack, have you thought of publishing through Draft2Digital. Their rules are less stringent than Amazon's. I have published through both but am currently exclusively with Amazon for business reasons. I do not engage with Kindle Unlimited though. That's a personal choice.
If you want to ask me any questions at all, feel free to contact me through my website pruebatten.com
I began receiving your newsletter only a month ago because I liked your writing, and I haven't read your serial and have no idea what it is about. Therefore, I'm not the right person to answer your question merely to state I'm a book reader, not a serial reader, if that helps at all.
I will start by saying I am enjoying The Wistful and the Good. Although I have been busy these past two weeks and am now two chapters behind. My problem with serials is the wait. I hate waiting a week for chapters. But if you published daily, I would probably have trouble keeping up. 🤣 Perhaps two or three chapters per week is a happy medium? Who knows? Which is why most people like ebooks. No waiting.
Although I would have never read The Wistful and the Good if it had been released as an ebook initially. It was only through discussing your newsletter venture on Discord that I discovered it. So...
I tried Kindle Unlimited when I published my first novel. I only got one full book read from it totaling 76 cents. I think KU works best for genres with voracious readers, like romance. And you have to crank out the books regularly. For me it wasn't worth the exclusivity.
I see no reason you can't continue publishing the serial and offer the book for those who don't want to wait (unless you plan to be tied to Amazon exclusivity that KU requires.)
As far as your newsletter, I am asking myself the same question. What do readers want? My most popular newsletters are my short humor and fiction. Then in December I did one humorous non-fiction newsletter about eggnog that is now my most popular post. My serials are the least popular. I have no sage advice.
But I will continue to read The Wistful and the Good as long as you continue to publish it. Honestly, I have too many unread books in my Kindle library. So reading your serial is working for me. Knowing my track record, if I buy it, it will probably go unread. Too easy to put it off. But when I see a chapter in my Substack app, it is a reminder.
Heck, I'd keep reading it if you published as a serial. And no, you don't get a lower rate outside of Kindle Unlimited. Price the book between 2.99-9.99 and you get a 70% royalty. It's actually a better deal than KU. You aren't writing in a genre that is going to be particularly attractive in KU, but you want to be on Amazon. So. Publish on the 'Zon, but also go to Draft2Digital and put it up there. Same price. This way you end up on Apple, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, and library outlets that you won't have via KU. I've made more money over the years by going wide.
Kindle Unlimited works best for certain genres, and not that well for others. Use the Substack as a reader magnet, and promote the other books when you post.
I admit that I don't read much fiction. The only fiction I consume, I listen to with Audible. But my attention span fizzles out before I finish most books (sadly). I recently switched to Blinkist and really like that shorter format. I only say this to add some context my answers to your questions.
Re serializing the novel on substatck, I'd rather have it as a single ebook. That way I can maintain context if I were to read it it all the way through. Personally, I'd also investigate ways to have an AI read it (so that I could simply listen to it while biking).
Again, I'm much more into non-fiction, but I enjoy your non-fiction essay posts much more than fiction. I do think your natural mode is the essay. Your style and cadence just seem more engaging.
I have so enjoyed the instalments on the 4 weeks I have been with Substack but would prefer it as an ebook to be read in one fell-swoop. I'm an indie author, have been since 2010 and am currently writing my 14th book. My experience within the indie industry has been the greatest experience of my life and I went into it with absolutely no expectations.
Would I ever serialise on Substack? Never. It would, I feel, dilute the narrative. But that's just my opinion.
I'm surprised that agents/publishers are telling you that Dark Age fiction is not sale-able. It's one of the fastest rising timeframes currently, led by the likes of Cornwell, Harffy, Turney and many others. It's one of my favourite timeframes to read.
If you want freedom to continue as you do AND maintain what you already have on Substack, have you thought of publishing through Draft2Digital. Their rules are less stringent than Amazon's. I have published through both but am currently exclusively with Amazon for business reasons. I do not engage with Kindle Unlimited though. That's a personal choice.
If you want to ask me any questions at all, feel free to contact me through my website pruebatten.com
Best of luck with what you decide going forward.