Serial writer is a writer of serial literature, like those novelists who published a chapter a week in the magazines of the 1800s. Or, nowadays, authors of fanfiction or zines. Literature magazines still exist, simply not published nearly as often or to as widespread an audience as they once were, and chances of acceptance are depressingly low, at least in the experience of this aspiring serial writer. More often, pieces written for literary magazines are written with the intention of only being a singular short story or poem. Serial writers can find purchase climbing more niche websites nowadays, such as Penana or, yes, Prose, as well as fanfiction archives such as archiveofourown.

The main difficulty with being a serial writer is knowing if or when a story is finished - many many readers refuse to take their chances on unfinished ongoing works, but serial writing by virtue of the serial nature is usually unfinished, so it’s an even lonelier form of the loneliest craft.