Serial novels... and the Wovel

With so many news stories about publishing houses failing, I want to post about a possible new trend in publishing: serial novels, aka the Wovel when it's published on the Web.

NPR did a story about a woman who started a new publishing house that publishes Wovels along with traditional books. The Wovels are published in weekly installments. At the end of each "chapter", online readers can vote to decide where the story goes. They're meant to be read when you have a few minutes to yourself--you know, the many times a day when you might check Facebook or your email.

Slate just published a serial novella by one of my favorite authors, Curtis Sittenfeld. It's got a political bent, and it was posted in 5 parts around the time of the inauguration.

What do these serial novels have to do with failing publishing houses? Well, I think this new trend means that publishers are continuing to think outside the book (box) to figure out how to allow people to make money through their writing. So hopefully this will mean new opportunities for publishers and writers, not an end to opportunities for them.