/lit/ - Literature

The more I think about it, the more persuaded I am to try and release my book in some serialized format. Either on this new Kindle Vella system, when it debuts, or I'll put it up segments at a time on my Substack. Or maybe on some other fiction website that gets good viewership. I keep seeing advantages given some of the things this story has going for it.

For one thing, the story isn't really segmented into chapters like a "normal" story. From the beginning I didn't have an interest in dividing it along those lines. It's divided into segments and stories, and they're a bit self-contained. It's a single story, and the plot moves forward, but the more I think about it, the more it seems like each segment almost functions as a unit of story in its own right. Less like one single story divided into chapters, and more like a bunch of little stories coming together to make a bigger story, united around my main characters and the relationship between them. So I could release each segment individually.

For another, this book is the first book in a series I'm planning on. I'm already writing the second book as we speak. And the second book is organized like the first book, less in one single narrative organized into chapters and more as a bunch of short stories that follow in a chronological sequence. I also have a huge cast that I juggle, and we can sometimes dramatically change perspectives, settings, and circumstances from one segment to the next. And this is the case for every book I have planned going forward. So if I start it now, I can keep it up for months and years to come.

Thirdly, and perhaps most persuasively: to release the story in a serialized fashion could potentially help me build up hype and readership. As others have remarked, releasing fiction in a serialized manner is quite similar to how most fanfics are written and released. And I'm intimiately familiar with that because I've spent years writing fanfiction, in addition to writing original fiction. I know how powerful fanfiction's serialized release format can be for building up an audience. Some of my fics have become somewhat massive in their respective fandoms. So, over the years, I like to think I've learned how to work the serialized fiction format to maximize effect. I know how to space out chapters. I know how to use social media to build hype. I know how to, essentially, game the system, or at least I'm better at it than a lot of people are. This has been proved out by my actual experiences as a fanfic writer.

So, releasing big stories in serialized format seems like a thing that plays to the strengths I've developed. Thus, it's deeply tempting to use such a method for this big book of mine, this work of original fiction. It might be a good ticket to actually getting lots of people to read it.

What do you guys think?

One thing I don't seem to see in the sticky and its links is any kind of guide on really good translations. Like, we constantly have threads on here asking for the best translation of this or that, whether it's a work of literature, a work of philosophy, a work of theology, and so on.

So maybe we can try to have a big thread on that subject? I'd love a thread where people ask for their opinion on translations of famous works and Anons give commentary on what they think the best ones are.

We could even have Anons commenting on the best translations of English-language works into other languages. Like the best Portuguese translation of Faulkner, just as an example.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mFgGDYYAw4

Who are some philosophers that argued against the existence of free will?

Hello /lit/, what books would be beneficial for a depressed person to read?