There is a reason that this site is called “IGC Publishing.” Despite the online format, I’m largely modeling my efforts after traditional publishing methods, wherein I go through the steps of writing a story, advertising it, formatting it, building the front and back matter, and then selling the story as a stand-alone piece of work, available for download at a prescribed price point. That is, I am treating my stories as products.
However, I’m debating if this is the best method, particularly for shorter works, like The Grounds Warden. After all, investment in a product is a greater barrier to entry than other methods I might choose, which means that anyone who chooses to buy a story from me is putting greater trust in me than they might otherwise have to place. Perhaps, in starting off, it is necessary to take a different approach, that better leverages this online format.
To some extent, that is why I’m intending to release the Blood Magic series directly on this site. Rather than buying and downloading a carefully formatted and prepared, standalone PDF version of each episode, I intend for readers to be able to simply read directly from the website. Instead of charging for a download, I’ll offer advertisement slots in the “commercial breaks” of each “episode.” This is how many television programs work, and in the social media age, it is the way many online products are made economically viable. So this scheme is something of an experiment in revenue generation and audience building.
As I’m building the Blood Magic series infrastructure, and writing the first few episodes, I find myself wondering if it might be worthwhile re-releasing The Grounds Warden in a similar format, directly on the site instead of as a download. I haven’t made a decision yet, but I’ll keep you, assiduous readers, apprised.
IGC Publishing 