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Why your favorite authors are going serial.

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When I announced the debut of Her Brother’s Billionaire Best Friend, I got a landslide of emails and Facebook messages that I was, frankly, expecting. Readers who, while being fans of my Abigail Barnette work, weren’t happy about its exclusivity to the new platform, especially after Taken By The Alpha King was only available on Radish. And the reason I expected this was because I was miffed that one of my favorites was doing an exclusive on Yonder and I also don’t like using serialized platforms as a reader.

When that favorite author, Ruby Dixon, announced her Yonder exclusive, Bound to the Shadow Prince, my immediate reaction was, “Ugh, I have to wait for chapters and figure out coins and shit? This suuuuucks.” Which I know I shouldn’t be saying about these platforms since I’ve had such ridiculous, unexpected success on them. I’m grateful for all of that, believe me, and I think it’s great that readers who enjoy the format or find it easier to read in small bites have so many options now, but I want to make it clear that I fully understand the frustration of readers who, like me, don’t like to read on their phones and don’t like to wait for chapters to release.

So, if I’m not a fan of using serial fiction platforms, why am I (and so many other authors) a fan of writing for them?

Money. The answer is money. Or, more accurately, feeling that my work is respected, valued, and properly promoted. And, once again, I don’t think I’m alone in this.

2022 exposed a lot of what authors already suspected about the publishing industry. They have no idea what the hell they’re doing. Most of their successes are luck, predicated on throwing as much money as they can into debut authors or “BookTok sensations.” Rather than supporting authors they’ve already invested in, they operate on a sort of gambling system, sucking up whatever they think the next big thing will be and tossing aside those who don’t make a social media splash right out of the gate. It truly seems like Colleen Hoover is single-handedly keeping traditional publishing on its feet with her painfully white, toxically heternormative bullshit abusemances. And while the biggest publishers keep swearing they’ll diversify and stop running their offices like literary sweatshops, they’ve yet to deliver on any of these promises.

Another thing about the industry that hasn’t changed? The money. In 2004, I was offered an advance of $18k for a three-book series. As a first-time author, this was a huge get. The money was, of course, broken down by book: $5k for the first title, $6k for the second, and $7k for the third. Each of those amounts was broken down into three payments: signing, delivery, and acceptance. Between 2004, when the contract was signed, and 2007, those payments were doled out a sliver at a time. And while royalty money did start to show up in 2007 (Harlequin had one full year after publication to start delivering on royalties), in that three-year period, I made $18k. There were no opportunities for writing on the side; all my potential work belonged to the publisher, who had right of first refusal. If I’d wanted to publish anything independently, it would have very much hurt my brand. Indie authors are still considered not “real” or “good enough,” no matter how much popularity they accrue, but in the ’00s, one self-published book was enough to destroy your entire career. I was locked into that contract, making far, far less than minimum wage.

But that was almost twenty years ago. Things have changed, right?

Right?

Wrong. If you look at Publisher’s Marketplace, most of the deals reported either fall into the “Nice Deal” category or the amount isn’t vaguely reported at all. How much of an advance does a publisher have to pay to qualify as a “Nice Deal?” Anywhere from $1 to $49,999. And no, I didn’t accidentally leave off zeroes anywhere. One single dollar is enough for a publisher and agent to claim that the author got a “Nice Deal.” My last traditional contract was a “Nice Deal.” It was $8k, once again split up into three payments. That was ten years after that first contract. I recently heard from an acquaintance that she’d gotten a contract with a traditional romance publisher. Her “Nice Deal?” Was $5k, exactly what I was paid for my first book in 2002. Twenty. Years. Ago.

I got lucky with my first contract in that the publisher very much wanted the books to be a success. They marketed them well, with full-page ads in national magazines, even. In Brazil, there was a television commercial. They pulled out all the stops to make me a successful debut author. But after that debut, the marketing really trickled away. My second book was featured in one quarter-page advertisement in Romantic Times. The cover was the same color as the advertisement’s background and partially hidden by the cover of a different author’s book from a completely different genre. But when the sales weren’t as high for the second book, it was my failure. I hadn’t promoted hard enough on MySpace and Second Life.

Yeah. Those were the mega-frontiers of digital author marketing in the ’00s.

When I later took out ads in British Glamour to boost sales of The Boss, I was shocked at how affordable it was to do so. And if it was affordable for my indie author ad budget… how come a major publisher didn’t want to splash out that kind of dough on a much larger investment they’d already made?

Fast forward two decades, over some successes and failures. After a YA serial for Radish that didn’t take off, they approached me about monetizing my backlist on their site. And they offered me an advance larger than any of the books in my first three-book contract, for material that had already been published. I retained the rights to my work and walked away happy. Later, when they approached me about writing a serial exclusively for them, they offered a larger advance than I would have gotten from a traditional publisher, based on deals I’ve seen reported and things I’ve heard behind-the-scenes lately. And they launched a heavy advertising campaign, complete with promotional codes, custom graphics, and a whole team of people working on the launch. In one weekend, I watched over a million views stack up on the story. They promoted the hell out of it because they cared whether or not it did well. They didn’t view the money they paid me in the advance as disposable; this is in contrast to major publishing houses who often won’t bother to pursue repayment of “Nice Deal” advances when a work isn’t delivered. They also don’t own the rights to the work in perpetuity. While I’ll never own my Blood Ties or Lightword/Darkworld series again, I’ll be able to publish Taken By The Alpha King as an ebook and paperback someday, opening it up to an entirely new audience. I’ll be able to sell the foreign and audio rights. Hell, I retain the film and television rights, too.

The same thing is happening with Yonder. They’ve purchased the exclusive rights to Her Brother’s Billionaire Best Friend… for a limited time. And they paid me fairly for my work, far more money than a traditional publishing house would have offered me for the same book, while allowing me to retain certain rights after the conclusion of our exclusivity agreement. Both Radish and Yonder came to me with serious offers that proved they not only understood the value of my work, but they also respected me as a creator and a business person. No one has taken the attitude that they were somehow doing me a favor by offering me a contract. No one has tried to keep their hands on rights they don’t plan to monetize, so that they can have them “in case.”

This has just been my experience, but I know I can’t be the only author who has faced the disappointment of traditional publishing, the relentless grind of self-publishing, and the developing horizon of serialized publishing and said, “Yes, door number three. The one that combines the best of both worlds, please.”

Still, not every reader (including myself) likes the format. While none of my favorites have gone all-serial, and while I have no plans to go all-serial, either, I’m a little afraid that one day someone will be like, “Hey, I’m going all-serial.” If you share this fear, please know that I don’t have any plans to just abandon writing self-published books. This year, my output has been low everywhere due to grief and now, medical circumstances. Focusing on those serialized projects is how I paid my bills. It might shock people to know this, but the only self-published books that have ever made me a sustainable living have been The Boss series. All my other titles have sold between fifty and a hundred copies. It’s disheartening to dedicate six or more months to a book only to publish it and see that for that six or more months of work, you’ve made thirty dollars and then the title fizzled out. When faced with the prospect of guaranteed money I can live off or the possibility that maybe a book might net me more than a hundred dollars in royalties in a year? I have to follow that money. I have to be able to survive.

Hopefully, 2023 will see some new releases as ebooks and paperbacks, but until I find out what’s going on with my injuries from the car accident (some may require surgery), and with the resultant lawsuit (that I’m required to file in order for my auto insurance to pay for my medical treatment, which my regular insurance won’t cover because the injuries were incurred in an auto accident), that just might not be financially possible. But I do have projects I’m continuing to work on, at a sloth-like pace. Thanks for understanding and not giving up on me.

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Here for the first time because you’re in quarantine and someone on Reddit recommended my Fifty Shades of Grey recaps? Welcome! Consider checking out my own take on the Billionaire BDSM genre, The Boss. Find it on AmazonB&NSmashwords, iBooks, and Radish!

17 Comments

  1. Stormy
    Stormy

    I understand the need to follow the money. Trad publishing is such a shitshow. I have a friend who recently had a two-book deal announced and she’s already over it because her indie titles are so much more lucrative and she has all of her creative freedom. Also all of the bullshit about “advances” actually being dragged out into more and more installments.

    I also understand the frustration with signing up for umpty-million apps. Yonder is the first serial app I’ve tried and while I find myself liking it more than I expected, it’s not my favorite mode of reading. Still, in addition to your book, I found another title that I’m also digging with a complementary release schedule so I have a new chapter to read mostly every day.

    I’m really surprised to hear that your Penny/Ian books didn’t do very well. I enjoyed them a lot and still re-read them, and I generally do not enjoy depictions of pregnancy in romance novels at all. Is that why a fourth installment never appeared? I enjoyed their cameos in the last Boss book and I’m content to imagine them living in their dream house in Connecticut.

    December 5, 2022
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    • Al
      Al

      The one on Radish that didn’t do well was Nightmare Born; Penny/Ian was from earlier and was probably on Radish from the backlist. Jenny said in another blog post that she didn’t continue because it felt like a natural stopping point for their story.

      November 10, 2023
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  2. Makayla
    Makayla

    It’s not burden at all for me to follow you! I discovered serial apps towards the end of 2021, and that’s how I found you (through The Boss books on Radish). I’ve tried several, and I genuinely believe that Radish and Yonder are the best. Radish gives you plenty of opportunities to earn free coins if you don’t want to spend a lot or any money and desire to binge read (when the work is already fully released), and Yonder has done a LOT of promo giveaways (I currently have 3,054 coins after spending them on every single chapter release of My Brother’s Billionaire Best Friend and Bound to the Shadow Prince). Sure, waiting can suck, but I can still get binging experiences with other books, and I’m always excited when the end of the night comes around and I realize I have new stories I can read (spread across Yonder, Webtoons, and Manta). The platforms do not have a NECESSARY cost barrier like others, or if they do, it’s $5 a month for unlimited access (Manta). And knowing that I’m reading a story of yours for which you’re being fairly compensated makes it even better! So keep doing what you need to do to take care of yourself. The fact that you’re still creating at all and sharing it with us is a huge blessing in my mind. I don’t fully buy into the mentality that artists are beholden to their fans. I think there’s a line somewhere around artists using fans for unnecessary, excessive capitalistic gain (in a way that is a huge f*** you to the fans – Taylor Swift’s recent ticketmaster debacle comes to mind. TM is monstrous, but she’s one of the most savvy business women out there, and played the system in a way that benefited her the most and left a lot of tickets priced up and in the hands of scalper); but artists are human with human experiences, and they can do whatever they want with their work. And yours is still easily accessible. So keep doing what you need to do, and I (and I’m sure others) will continue supporting you through it all!

    December 5, 2022
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  3. I hate reading on serial apps too but I love your books so damn much XD I’ll follow you anywhere. 🙂 At least Yonder has dark mode which is nice!

    December 5, 2022
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  4. Kerry
    Kerry

    I meant to tell you I was playing Alphabears2 and got served an ad for Yonder specifically mentioning your book. I was tickled! I am happy you are doing well and feel supported by the companies.

    December 5, 2022
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  5. Sheila the Wonderbink
    Sheila the Wonderbink

    I’m working on revisions for a sci-Fi romance series and leaning toward self publishing so I can retain control of the property, since it’s part of a universe that approaches Marvel in terms of complexity.

    Which is to say: where do I sign up for this?

    December 5, 2022
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  6. Tina
    Tina

    I’m one of those readers who hate serials and exclusives. I was really disappointed when Taken by the Alpha King went that way as I’m sure you are the author who will finally be able to give me a good werewolf romance. Hearing that I may still get it one day as an e-book makes me totally happy! I can wait for great stories 🙂

    That being said, you don’t owe me (or anybody) anything. Writing is a business and you have to make decisions based on what is best for you. Not using a serialized app is MY fault, not yours. I’m happy to see you have success in any way you get it.

    Now I’m reminded that I have not yet finished Blood Ties (will get to my one copy in 50-100 asap). American Vampire is yours, too, right?! That one took me by surprise in how much I loved it. Totally underrated books!

    I wish you all the best and a speedy recovery from your injuries, body and mind.

    December 5, 2022
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  7. zstar
    zstar

    i’m so glad that these kinds of companies exist, because authors deserve SO MUCH more compensation than they usually get. when i saw the title, i was like “money probably, and deservedly so”, because i figured that like with comic sites that are similar, the authors would get a bit of the money that readers paid to access the content or whatever. i’ve never used a serialized site for books, mostly because i devour a whole book in one or two sittings if it’s good enough (or just return it to the library immediately if it isn’t lol), and i don’t know if i’d enjoy that style. i would likely forget that it’s there entirely!

    but just because at this time it’s not the way i’d prefer to get my content, that doesn’t mean that i don’t think that it’s an excellent way of doing it. and i’m glad to see an insider’s voice on it! it’s nice knowing that it is as good as i thought, and appears to actually be BETTER than i was expecting!

    December 5, 2022
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  8. Ace Dragon
    Ace Dragon

    I enjoy serial fiction and was excited when Taken was announced to be on Radish, but I’ve spent several weeks trying to get the Radish app to work and still have not been able to actually see Taken. That’s the only complaint I have, and it might just be a personal issue (the amount of tech that’s gone wrong in esoteric ways around me, I’m beginning to suspect I might be cursed )

    I am, however, very glad it pays well! As someone who’s been looking with fear at traditional publishing and hearing various horror stories for years, it’s good to know Radish and Yonder at least respect and properly market the authors signed with them.

    December 5, 2022
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  9. Tez Miller
    Tez Miller

    (Feel free not to answer these if too personal or NDA or couldn’t be arsed. I’m not a writer or a reader-of-serials, so these questions being unanswered will not affect me. Just plain curiosity.)

    So do these serials have an advance payment structure? Some on signing, some on delivery, some on publication?

    If a reader buys an episode, how much of the cover price goes toward the author, and thus toward earning out an advance or royalties?

    What is the exclusivity period – 1 year, or more?

    (I’m a crime reader, so I don’t really know other authors who’ve gone serial. I’m more affected by them signing exclusivity deals with Audible. *sigh* I just don’t have the attention span for LISTENING. I read with my eyes!)

    December 5, 2022
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  10. Kelsey
    Kelsey

    I have the opposite reaction to the one you described here. I love reading traditional books (or, these days, e-books) but serial apps are my guilty pleasure – with one problem. I find the quality of the writing is hit or miss.

    Seeing this post and knowing you’re on serial apps made me immediately install both Radish and Yonder and look you up. Seeing that The Boss series is on there… that’s where I plan to start, because that’s what got me into your writing in the first place. I can’t wait!

    December 5, 2022
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  11. Al
    Al

    Tbh I think with the streaming wars, there’s definitely going to be a market for serialized fiction. Nowadays people consume most of their TV shows by binging or watching it later than it came out, and it seems like there’s an audience for stuff that comes out in regular installments, where everyone can get together and talk about each installment as it comes out.

    December 6, 2022
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  12. Alana Skye
    Alana Skye

    I like that it’s serialised, because it forces me to slow down and not binge read, and it gives me something to look forward to every couple of days. Thank you for continuing to write such amazing stories for us!

    December 8, 2022
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  13. Des
    Des

    Wait….. you’ll NEVER?!?!?! get Blood Ties and Lightworld back..?!?! NEVER.
    WTF?!?! I thought stuff always eventually reverted.

    December 8, 2022
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  14. Tez Miller
    Tez Miller

    Do you still earn royalties on the HQN published books? (If people purchase them?)

    The U.S. Kindle Editions, if anyone wants to purchase:

    The Turning $1.99 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0098ISXTU?tag=tesa06-20
    Possession $4.99 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0098ISVII?tag=tesa06-20
    Ashes to Ashes $6.99 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0098IT03S?tag=tesa06-20
    All Souls’ Night $9.99 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0098IT0HO?tag=tesa06-20
    Blood Ties Bundle $14.99 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001AS6H3U?tag=tesa06-20

    Queene of Light $5.99 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0098IIRFK?tag=tesa06-20
    Child of Darkness $5.99 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0098IT0BU?tag=tesa06-20
    Veil of Shadows $5.99 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0098IXZCK?tag=tesa06-20

    American Vampire $0.99 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004MPRZNY?tag=tesa06-20

    December 9, 2022
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  15. Al
    Al

    Weirdly enough, I’m finding I actually strongly prefer serial apps to buying ebooks. I usually will read the first 10-20% of something, getting really into it; and then just… wane down, reading little bits and pieces at a time over the course of months or even years. Usually by that point I find that the ebook I purchased is on sale for an even lower price… but the nice thing about Radish was that for some of your serials, I could unlock a whole lot of chapters for the price of a bit of patience, which was great! No buyer’s remorse later. Sadly the baseball romance and the other wolf one are coins-only, but I guess Radish needs to make its money! And I do actually like the struggle of having to wait for chapters XD it’s fun.

    November 10, 2023
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  16. I found webtoon in 2018 and while I don’t exactly love the way they monetize the work, I really like the way they give artists space and resources to produce high quality comics or manwhas.

    I think it is great that authors also have different options to sell their work and I for one love it that more people get to experience your work!

    Also, of course the money is important. It is devastating how some authors are treated by publishing companys.

    January 12, 2024
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