In 1841, the works of Charles Dickens were so popular that fan obsession was almost responsible for causing a riot. The final installment of his novel, The Old Curiosity Shop, had just arrived in New York by ship and, as it docked, thousands of readers were there to meet it. In a desperate bid to read the ending of their favorite novel, they had stormed the harbor.

It is true to say that readers were incredibly passionate in Victorian times. Several authors from that time were blessed with fan followings that some of today's authors can only dream of. Fans were desperate to read anything and everything their favorite writer produced; nothing short of miraculous when you think that marketing technology was at the bare minimum. Why was this so? Why were Victorian novels so popular, so powerful? Much of it is thanks to the fact that the most popular publishing format of the Victorian novel was episodic in nature and we can learn a lot from that when it comes to polishing up our online marketing campaigns. Episodic content, provided it is meaty and has an enticing hook at the end, will encourage your fans and followers to get excited about each episode you release – although hopefully, they won’t cause riots.

What is Episodic Content?

In the time of Charles Dickens, books were never published as one complete novel. They would be split down into chapters with one or two published at a time, usually in serial magazines produced weekly or monthly. It was like watching your favorite TV show and having to wait a week for the next episode instead of watching the entire show in one hit.

Although this process was very simple, it was also very successful. As the story was published, fans would snap it up, following its course eagerly and many allowed that story to become a big part of their lives. Over dinner parties, the main topic would be the plot points in the story; they would reread the earlier chapters to ensure they were keeping up with the story and they would rush to get the next installment.

This way, instead of reading the novel in its entirety and then pushing it to one side, each episode would draw the reader deeper in, ensuring that they returned for next episode and keeping them hooked.

Online Episodes

This kind of publishing will not suit all novels; for some, it can even hurt them. But episodic marketing is the perfect fit for the way we use the internet. Social media studies have already shown that short posts tend to garner more attention than long ones; if it looks like a lot of effort, users tend to scroll past. So, when you do your book marketing, use short regular posts to reach more people and make sure you have a call to action or a hook at the end of the post. Share a few details of new work and build up some hype, drawing your followers in as they eagerly await your next book.