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Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/46809
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/46809
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

Serializing a novel has been done before - traditionally this was done as part of periodic publications (so you would get say a chapter per issue of a magazine) but it has been done outside this environment as well.

The only recent notable example that comes to mind is Stephen King's [The Green Mile](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Green_Mile_(novel)) which was released in six smaller volumes - this worked IMO but there were some key differences from what you are proposing:

Firstly the released sections were probably more substantial than a typical "chapter" - each was between 92 and 144 pages long. Secondly King was already an established author - and having his name on the cover was always going to bring people along with his "experiment", he wasn't trying to use this as a way to market the book - it was a creative experiment where he (and his publishers) relied on this star power to overcome any skepticism.

Does that mean you shouldn't do it?

Not necessarily - but I think you are going to be putting quite a substantial amount of work and pressure on yourself. You would need to be able to stick to a release schedule, keep the "chapters" written in such a way as to hook people back for the next one and price them attractively.

Ultimately unless you are really planning on using this as a creative tool to format your story in a episodic manner then all you are doing is offering the reader a less convenient way to read the book, and I think that's going put more readers off then it entices.

So if you're plan is just to take a "normal" novel and release it piecemeal then I think you should reconsider.

Original score: 4