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Results of Another Web Publishing Experiment

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the pulp-fiction dept.

Dienyddio writes "Shadowmarch, an ambitious web publishing project launched by Tad Williams last year (previously mentioned on slashdot) is to cease the bi-monthly story format after one year. The sad news was broken by Tad on the site. It seems that there were just too few subscribers to make the format pay, this combined with the heavy load placed on Tad by writing two episodes a month and a paper book to pay the bills has proved too much. All is not lost, DAW books has purchased the rights to three books based on the Shadowmarch story. It is hoped that these books will maintain the community side of the site. Tad will also be increasing the number of background stories and details relating to the Shadowmarch world on the site in order to promote fan interaction."

5 of 117 comments (clear)

  1. Not bi-monthly. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

    ...heavy load placed on Tad by writing two episodes a month...

    Twice per month is semi-monthly not bi-monthly.

    Bi-monthly is every two months.

    1. Re:Not bi-monthly. by AdamJ · · Score: 3, Informative
      Bi-monthly and semi-monthly are synonymous in modern English. According to dictionary.com:

      bimonthly (b-mnthl)
      adj.

      1. Happening every two months.
      2. Happening twice a month; semimonthly.

      adv.

      1. Once every two months.
      2. Twice a month; semimonthly.

      However, it also says:

      "Usage Note: Bimonthly and biweekly mean "once every two months" and "once every two weeks." For "twice a month" and "twice a week," the words semimonthly and semiweekly should be used. Since there is a great deal of confusion over the distinction, a writer is well advised to substitute expressions like every two months or twice a month where possible. However, each noun form has only one sense in the publishing world. Thus, a bimonthly is published every two months, and a biweekly every two weeks."

      dictionary.com reference

  2. Re:Micropayments by e-gold · · Score: 1, Informative

    Micropayments can be done with e-gold, but it's not just one click to do a spend. (If any system were just one click, criminals would probably find a way to steal from the customers of any payment system that tried it, IMO.) While they're possible, stats.e-gold.com shows that micropayments are not popular compared to slightly larger spends.

    Micropayments are also very small compared to the average tip tossed into a guitar case, so rather than pay-per-view as a model I'd prefer to see a more-voluntary system spring up, but I'm an idealist. Now that there are tiphat-style interfaces like clicktwocents.com and fastsci.com I think things will improve for us, but I doubt that any micropayments-only system will ever emerge. Nobody wants them enough to make it pay to produce it. Micropayments will always be "just a feature," and one that few people actually use. IMO.
    JMR

    Speaking ONLY for myself!!!

    --
    Try e-gold - (contact me). I'm NOT e-
  3. Re:Let's bear in mind by lloer · · Score: 2, Informative

    The other problem that Tad mentioned, of course, is that it also meant he was neglecting the work that WAS going to put food on the table. I like Shadowmarch and one good thing is that the community that has grown around it is going to continue. Lloer

  4. Re:Books vs. serials by LES.. · · Score: 2, Informative
    erm the cost is $17.99 (US). This is significanly less than a hardcover Tad novel in my neck of the woods. Still it is more than a paperback which most people seem to consider closer to what you are getting... I personally rate the art work as being well worth the difference.

    Shadowmarch is published in plain HTML fairly portable and open really.