It all started about the second week in September 2012 when Caleb Pirtle and I were talking one day.

“I’m thinking that I may write my next novel as a serial and put it up a chapter at a time on Caleb and Linda Pirtle,” Caleb said. “That would allow me to kill two birds with one stone. Each chapter would be a blog, and at end of the process, I would have another book to add to my list of works.”

That sounded like a good plan to me, so I did what I usually do in such situations.  I began researching serials to see what I could learn about how people were handling them on the Internet.

I called Caleb back a little while later.

“It looks like you and Jeff Bezos over at Amazon must have had that brainstorm about the same time,” I said. “Amazon just announced a new Kindle category called Kindle Serials.”

“Great minds,” Caleb said.

httpv://youtu.be/JU7a_h0Fsrs

Before long, I found Tuesday Serial and Denver Cereal (that’s not a typo).  I listened to a Google+ Hangout that featured a number of persons who were working  hard to usher in a new renaissance of serial writing.

So, Caleb and I took a deep breath and jumped in.  

Now we have more than ten authors writing serials on Caleb and Linda Pirtle and others who have promised to join the ranks.  In the two and half months since we started VG Serials, Caleb has managed to complete two novels, one that he wrote on the fly a chapter a day, the other which was a revision of an earlier novel of his. I have joined the fray with the second in  a series of murder mysteries with major college football as a backdrop.

Our other authors are writing mainline fiction, cozy murder mysteries, historical fiction, literary fiction, and horror.  Soon to come are serials in science fiction, romance and a new thriller.

All this at no cost to you, the reader.  Each chapter of each serial remains on Caleb and Linda Pirtle’ archives, so that anyone who finds a chapter she likes can catch up with the story at her leisure.

It is win for our authors, too.  As they show their writing skills to our audience, they build a loyal fan base and develop their author brands.  This is also free to our authors.  They retain all their rights in their works. Caleb and Linda Pirtle gets great fresh new content, and serial authors gain a place to strut their stuff for a world audience.

Is that a great deal or what?  Of course, Caleb and I hope that readers who discover our serial authors will show their support by purchasing the completed book when it comes up for sale, or by purchasing another of the authors’ works.

A workman is worthy of his hire, after all.

If you are an author who thinks he would like to try his hand at a serial novel, please contact Caleb at caleb@calebandlindapirtle.com.  Include the first chapter of your proposed serial in your submission.

And to our readers, please let us know what genres you would like to see on VG Serials.

Whatever genre it is, I bet we can make it happen.

And if you missed Caleb Pirtle’s serial Secrets of the Dead, all is not lost.  You can click on the book’s cover to see it, or better yet buy it, on the Kindle store.

(Stephen Woodfin is an attorney and author of legal thrillers.  He is presently trying to stay ahead of the story in his serial, The Lazarus Deception.)