For those of you that have read about the history of complex storytelling, many people trace the trends currently taking hold of television to the serialization of Charles Dickens' novels and other popular serials throughout the years (including those great 1940s Batman and Robin serial flicks I used to collect).
It's not as if this is a phenomenon that has gone away, though. That thought struck me as I was reading through this week's Entertainment Weekly, which included the first two chapters of Stephen King's CELL.
I'm not a big Stephen King fan, really just because I've never read any of his books, but my understanding is that he is an author that has quite a good grasp on issues like product placement and transmedia. He isn't afraid to share the first two chapters of his book or to try new methods of distribution (such as eBooks and releasing books a piece at a time). And I can't say that it's hurt him in the least when it comes to profits.
Has anyone else read through the stories in EW (where King is a regular columnist)? And for those of you who are probably far more experienced with King than I am, does he do this for a lot of his books?
