It was nine in the morning, on a cold and rainy night

[rolanni]

With Steve’s connivance, Binjali got to his state inspection today. The shop boss called me mid-morning to say that “The Subaru passed inspection.” But! “There’s a pretty major leak in the tranny line. We can replace the line if you want; cost about twenty, twenty-five dollars.”

I do love a system where a car can pass its yearly inspection, but still have a ruptured transmission line. I gave my permission to proceed with the needed repair and after work I settled my honest debt, picked up the car and drove home.

Once at my own desk, I undertook to compile Two Tales of Korval: Adventures in the Liaden Universe® Number One for uploading to Smashwords, which took about an hour and a half, working from an html file. In order to convert it to a document acceptable to Smashwords’ Meatgrinder, all the code has to be stripped out, which isn’t exactly hard, but is time-consuming, most especially the part where you have to delete the html code for itals and put in the Word itals. And then going through the document one word at a time to make sure that you haven’t missed any < or >.

Be that as is, Two Tales is now available on Smashwords, for them what indulges.

The ironic part of this whole exercise is that we went with Smashwords so that they could do the hard work and distribute to Apple. It would, however, appear that our publications, even meatground and verified do not meet Apple’s Stringent and Exacting Standards for publications it will permit to be listed in the iBooks store. Some things? Are just too much trouble.

I know I said I’d put the unbound copy of I Dare up on eBay last week. Time got away from me, and that didn’t happen. Now, it just seems reasonable to wait until after the upcoming US high holiday — Memorial Day, celebrated Monday, May 30. Watch this space for an announcement that the auction has gone live.

I’ve been spending a fair amount of thought on how to design the delivery of the linked short stories I talked about here a little while ago. Serializing a novel is fairly straightforward — you write a chapter, you post a chapter; when the chapter earns its piece of the action, or the next posting day arrives, whichever comes first, you lather-rinse-repeat.

Short stories seem to be something different. It’s my impression that, for web serialization, one must publish something at least once a week to keep reader interest, and I’m pretty sure I can’t sustain an output of a short story a week for very long before my brain explodes.

I’d thought of just writing a short story a quarter and publishing it directly to Nook/Kindle/Smashwords (hmm; not sure Smashwords allows single short story publication — must check), but that would leave folks who are looking for a serialization out in left field.

Anybody have any idea how a series of short stories would work as a web serial? I know some authors have taken subscriptions and mailed the story when complete to subscribers. This also doesn’t seem to be completely satisfactory, but I could be wrong.

So! Brainstorming session’s open! Who’s got something to say?

Originally published at Sharon Lee, Writer. You can comment here or there.

Comments

[liadan-m.livejournal.com]

I would look at the model that Shadow Unit is using. They're doing a full short story every month/two months, with teasers and deleted scenes filling in the blank space. That fulfills both the engagement issues and spaces out the time commitment.

[rolanni.livejournal.com]

Thanks! I'll take a look.

[otterb.livejournal.com]

I also was going to suggest a more drawn-out schedule. I don't need weekly to stay engaged, but would prefer more often than quarterly, and thought perhaps every month to six weeks might work.

[tuftears.livejournal.com]

Aren't short stories typically divided into sections?

I could see something like this, where you make a friends-only journal for 'preview subscribers' and they can view sections in development.

At the end of each short story, you send subscribers a coupon for the completed story and deduct the cost from their balance, and if they have completely used the cost of their subscription, remove them from the friends list of the journal. Then you sell the story at a normal price, for all the fans who preferred to see the story as a whole.

Preview subscribers, of course, would be cautioned that they are witnessing a story in progress, and there may be scenes excised, revisited, modified in gory fashion, young viewers should seek parental guidance... >_>

[kalimeg.livejournal.com]

Please! Use FIND as in FIND < and FIND > -- it beats doing it one word at a time, and find is available on all word processors and in HTML. I'd like you to have time for George, after all.

[rolanni.livejournal.com]

Did that. Just wanted to be sure I hadn't left any garbage lying around in between the commas.

[eseme]

haikujaguar sells short stories on Amazon and Smashwords regularly. Smashwords allows you to set a price that includes $0.00 if you want to give away a short, introductory story.

Take a look at her LJ - she has a story launch tag here : http://haikujaguar.livejournal.com/tag/story%20launch

And her Welcome post links to all her writing at her own site, www.stardancer.org : http://haikujaguar.livejournal.com/517693.html

She is a multitalented person - she's also an artist - so she paints her own covers.

She also does serials, and has been for a while. Both the Aphorisms of the Kerdishar and the Admonishments of the Kerdishar were posted serially, one incense story (under 500 words) a week. She has also nearly completed Spots the Space Marine, a novel-length tale told in a screenplay-esque style, posting one or two scenes (not chapters) a week. She's also started a new work, Black Blossom, which is currently posting irregularly.

She has quite an LJ following, and is paid professional rates for her work. Spots the Space Marine has eight chapters/posts funded, which means that she has met her income per word goals for those, before posting them.

You could also try asking on the crowdfunding community at crowdfunding.

[rolanni.livejournal.com]

I hadn't realized haikujaguar was being so ambitious. I haven't visited for a while; I'll go take a look at what she's been up to.

[eseme]

She's been at it for a while. Before I started reading her LJ (oh man, has it been since 2007 or 2008?) she was working on a posted-to-LJ novel called Flight of the Griffin Godkin, which will be out in paper through Sofawolf Press at some point in the next year or so.

I followed her back to her writing and art (from the longhair community of all places) in time to catch her more recent serialized work, starting with the Aphorisms of the Kerdishar. I can highly recommend that project and its companion: both are up in full on her website and do not take long to read, though they cause much thought.

The ebooks she has been putting up in the last few months are all either previously published or unsold short stories written some time ago.

I also read her LJ for her daily posts which feature snippets of life with her daughter. I never fail to leave with a smile! She also has a business column called the Three Micahs (artist, business manager, and marketer) and also has posted analysis of which of her stories are selling well. She's a good addition to any friends list, and is definitely a busy and inspirational person.

serials

[(Anonymous)]

I find the Shadow Unit model eminently satisfactory. Not sure how it would jive with your needs, but a variant might work. I even have a "widget"? on my google page to let me know when a new piece is up.
Nanette

[ebartley.livejournal.com]

Personally, I'll subscribe at whatever speed you output and at any halfway reasonable cost. I suspect I'm not alone among your readers in feeling this way. :)

I wouldn't try to serialize quarterly -- so few people think quarterly. If that's the speed you're writing, I'd pick four yearly holidays and target them instead.

If you could manage a story monthly, I think your existing fan base would make that work, and it could fall into people's existing patterns (e.g. first of the month, pay the bills and read the new Liaden story.)

You managed a chapter a week pretty well for a while. Was that enough of a strain that you don't want to do it again? I think people would be happy to get part of a story weekly, and the story would be as many parts as it is.

[rolanni.livejournal.com]

You managed a chapter a week pretty well for a while. Was that enough of a strain that you don't want to do it again? I think people would be happy to get part of a story weekly, and the story would be as many parts as it is.

This is the crux, I think. A short story isn't a chapter. Writing a chapter a week was fun, actually. But a chapter isn't a whole story unto itself; it's a building block in a larger story. It's perfectly acceptable to link up something that happened in Chapter Two to something else that happens in Chapter Fifteen. A short story has to be self-contained, the linkages are much tighter. Typically, when I write a short story, I throw away at least as much stuff as remains in the final draft.

This is why some writers will tell you, very earnestly, that novels are easier to write than short stories. Personally, I don't think that novels are easier than short stories, but the two sure go together 'way different.

[joycependle.livejournal.com]

I'd be happy to pay to read the first drafts, with all the stuff still in. You could then tighten the story for selling.

[keristor.livejournal.com]

How 'short' are you thinking? I'd be happy if longer ones (like the ones in the chapbooks) were split, and I'm happy with a longer period as long as they are easily findable (for instance with a common tag or better in a separate journal). In fact, as others have said, I'm going to be happy to see anything between novels, whether it's weekly, fortnightly, monthly or whatever; 'polished' or first draft. OK, perhaps not the shopping list *g*.

[(Anonymous)]

As others have said, I'll take it in whatever units you can issue it - but I fear that a weekly schedule might conflict with your other writing obligations, and I really wouldn't want that! Monthly would work well for me - I'd just mark it on my calendar. Or tie it to holidays, as someone suggested.

On a different topic, I see in the Uncle Hugo's/Uncle Edgar's Newsletter that you and Steve will be here in Minnesota in August. HURRAH!!!
Had you noticed that Patricia Wrede will also be at the store that day signing the 2nd in her Frontier Magic series? I remember that you read Thirteenth Child, and thought you might be interested.

Mary

[james parks (from livejournal.com)]

I would like something in a format that would work on my Kindle or Kindle for Android. About once a month would be okey dokey with me.

serializing

[furballtiger.livejournal.com]

I have several stories I get in serial form, and I love it. It does keep me hooked! I favor the "write what you can, when you can, and publish (by any means) as it happens" model. I have one good author who emails segments on an ad-hoc basis. Others post to web on a regular basis. Some do less regular and/or less often solutions, but I really prefer the "water torture" approach of more frequent snippets and I suspect it works better with an author's lifestyle and muse. Frequent is better as it becomes almost RT-like, but the key is what works for The Overworked Artist Who Has Many Things To Juggle. You write, we'll enjoy...

Reaching the readers

[claire774.livejournal.com]

Whatever you all decide to do please remember the non tech savvy. I have absolutely no idea what "Smashwords" is for example. Will need directions as to how to access anything you write. I will have the Kindle for PC software on my computer sometime soon when my friend who helps me with such things helps me.

Some one tell the tech people on Live Journal that the ads they make you watch have had no sound for....maybe over a month now. Nothing wrong with my computer. I can get the sound on You Tube just fine.

thanks,
C.

Good luck,
C.

Kindle for PC

[(Anonymous)]

Claire,
Beg your tech person to come quickly! Once you have that app, you can download the e-ARC of GHOST SHIP from Baen for $15 and believe me, it's the best money you'll spend until August when the dead tree version comes out. I've read and re-read my copy many times already and I HATE sitting in front of a computer for extended periods of time. Would much rather curl up in bed to read.

Would be a happy participant in any scheme that gives us all more Liaden stories and two most deserving authors an additional stream of income. Might even have to break down and get some sort of e-reader, either Kindle or Nook, to travel with this summer instead of the usual backpack full of books!

Anne in Virginia

Stripping out html

[zola.livejournal.com]

Make life easier on yourself.

Open the html document. Open notepad.exe

Select all of the html document. Paste into notepad. Bye bye code. ;)

Re: Stripping out html

[rolanni.livejournal.com]

Ayuh.

And all the itals and other markers that need to be in the document, too.

So! Since the document has to have the correct formatting, I have to search on < insert whatever coding is needed, usually itals, then delete the html. Lather-rinse-repeat. Then once more through the document to make sure I haven't missed taking out a bit-or-half-bit of coding.

. . .we use too many itals...

[greylady.livejournal.com]

I'm with the others on the "Whatever schedule works for you" front. I'm a big fan of e-material, and a simple notice that something is available from you usually has me pushing the "buy" button. I"m even guilty of re-buying the same stories in different formats to get an extra short story. :)

A schedule would be a thing of beauty, but isn't necessary.

Ghost Ship

[colleen smith (from livejournal.com)]

I have just finished reading the ARC copy of Ghost Ship. Dammmmmmmmmmm now I have to wait for the next book. It was so good I read it in one sitting. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for this series.

If you write it I will buy it.

[colleen smith (from livejournal.com)]

I enjoy your writing so much I automatically hit purchase on the Baen Site. I have several copies of all your works in various formats.G-Forbid that my kindle runs out of charge mid-read.