The first serial is a term in the book publishing industry. It refers to the first time a work is published serially, typically in magazines or journals, before its official book release date. This practice often generates interest for its upcoming publication by increasing buzz for it before launch; first serial rights may be sold by authors to magazines before its first serial publication date.
Pamela or Virtue Rewarded, Samuel Richardson’s epistolary novel, first made serialization possible during the 18th century with its publication in London’s Gentleman’s Magazine in 1740, for which he received PS100 in return. It was an instantaneous success and was printed as a book form the following year.
Since then, first serialization has become an established practice within publishing, particularly for works of fiction. First serial rights may be sold months or even years in advance to magazines or journals to allow them to print the work before its release date so readers may get an early peek of what lies ahead.
First serialization can be an invaluable marketing strategy, drawing attention and building anticipation for books that might go unnoticed.
First serial rights allow an author or publisher to create interest and generate excitement around a work before its official publication date, increasing sales and encouraging readers to seek it out when it becomes available in book form. Furthermore, first serial rights can help generate income as they can sell the rights at a higher price than it would fetch otherwise.