Subscription Based Serial Fiction: The Technical Problems

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bluefirereaderWhen it comes to delivering serial fiction directly to the reader, Amazon has set the bar high. By operating the Kindle Serial Store, creating the Kindle device and rendering their branded ereading app ubiquitous across multiple platforms (iOS, Droid, etc.), they can take your money and deliver the product to your reading device of choice with one click. Booyah. And they will continue to deliver the serial installments every two weeks until the story has run its course. (Pay once, ie. subscribe, and the rest takes care of itself.)

If any storyteller is serious about monetizing serial fiction outside of the Kindle Serial Store, this high bar has to be the goal. Readers will demand it.

One Click Must Do it All! (But How?)

How does an indie writer attempt such a monumental technical and organizational feat? The most obvious solution to me was also the least practical: Create a specialized app of my own that will bridge my fiction onto every smartphone and tablet out there with access to Droid, Windows, or iOS app stores.

Since this requires a chunk of change upfront, as well as the determination to update the application continuously across all platforms… I quickly crossed this off the list of personal options. I don’t want to go into app development. I want to write stories from which I generate a living wage.

That leaves the indie writer/entrepreneur shopping for go-between services and trying to piece together a network to mimic the one Amazon has built. Let’s break down the necessary pieces: (and my preferences so far)

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Subscription Based Serial Fiction (Direct to Reader): Has the Time Come?

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iphone-ereaderThe Holy Grail (for some) seems nearer to hand than ever before. The time is ripe, the technology is there. Storytellers since the beginning of time have been drawn to episodic narrative. Great characters demand repeat stories be told of them. And the audience loves to keep coming back for more.

Subscription and the Written Word

The most cunning and successful model for monetizing serial fiction has always been subscription. In recent history this was most evident in newspaper and magazine. The upfront promise of payment by consumers made the publication of the story possible, while the routine and regularity of the media delivered tantalizing snippets in a convenient manner. It was a win/win.

The times have changed. The desire to tell and enjoy good stories hasn’t. Television, and more recently platforms such as Netflix and Hulu, continue to emphasize our love of serialized and episodic story. When it comes to visual media, we consumers receive the best of both worlds–we can allow the storyteller to tease us along on a weekly basis, or we can gorge at the trough of story by watching multiple episodes until our bleary eyes explode.

But what about the written story? Web fiction has quietly been popular in small circles of readers for a decade. The Kindle Store created an epic shift in the digital storytelling landscape by breaking down the gates and trampling the gatekeepers. Now readers have more direct access to writers than ever before.

In 2012, the inevitable finally came to fruition when Amazon created an online store specifically for serial fiction. It became possible for consumers to pay a small upfront cost and then receive regular installments/episodes of serial fiction delivered directly to their kindle ereading devices or apps.

Amazon: The New Gatekeepers

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Aurora’s Gamble: Video Gaming and the Written Word

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AErena, Clash of Champions

I’ve recently flown a sortie into the gaming realm and given the medium my best shot. The result is Aurora’s Gamble, a short story now being parceled out as part of the release build up for AErena: Clash of Champions by Cliffhanger Productions.

While I’m by no means a hardcore gamer, I’ve had my addictions over the years. The one I’ve never been able to completely kick is the turn based game, Civilization. Not a lot of great backstory to be written there (other than our world’s history, which has already been written about a fair amount from what I’ve been told). The other game I enjoyed for several years was StarCraft. (If you haven’t googled “zerg rush” give it a try. Hilarious.) That game always had the greatest backstory worked into game play via video clips, etc. Since then, I’ve been enamored with the idea of mining video game backstory.

But as a yet-to-be-famous schmuck writer, I was overlooked for the Halo contract which was handed to Greg Bear instead (Sure, he’s okay, I guess.) Since I’ve never lasted longer than like 5 seconds in a round of Halo, I suppose that’s fair. (I’m always the guy running around with his gun pointing at the ground and his POV at the sky.)

Due to my multiple dips into the stylish world of dieselpunk, my writing came to the attention of Cliffhanger Productions. In turn, they contracted me to help bring their cleverly imagined backstory into focus. I had a blast doing it. It’s a great world to explore, even if you aren’t a gamer.

Is Fiction Within a Game’s Universe Limited to Gamers?

And there in lies the gambit. When writing backstory within a gaming universe that has already breached the consciousness of pop culture, there are a few clear advantages: 1.) established readership 2.) some defined boundaries 3.) jargon, terms and culture built up among the fans. 4.) even non-gamers know about the game and its universe.

But when writing within a gaming universe yet to see the light of day, bold risks must be taken upfront.

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