Realm Media
| File:Serial Box Publishing.png Official logo of Serial Box | |
| Founded | September 2015 |
|---|---|
| Founders | Julian Yap & Molly Barton |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Headquarters location | New York City |
| Publication types | Serialized fiction; audio dramas |
| Official website | https://www.serialbox.com/ |
Serial Box is a premium digital audio and reading platform and publisher that delivers ongoing stories via online and mobile in short, serialized installments. Designed for consumption on smartphones in either audiobook or e-book format, users can read or listen to each weekly episodic installment.
The installments are typically 25 minutes to read or about an hour to listen, and are delivered to consumers via mobile apps. The company produces original fiction with a focus on science fiction, fantasy, mystery, crime and thrillers. Users can use the Serial Box mobile app to access both audio and text and even toggle between them.[1]
NPR stated that Serial Box aimed to be "HBO for readers"[2] and BuzzFeed named it a must-have app in 2017.[3]
History
In September 2015, Julian Yap and Molly Barton launched Serial Box.[1] The first production was Bookburners, created by Max Gladstone.[4] The writing process was based on television serials rather than novels.[2] Founder Yap realized that he was reading fewer novels due to time constraints from work. Both Yap and Barton believe that serialized fiction will make reading more accessible and social.[1]
Process
Serial Box hires a lead author, or showrunner, write a pilot episode and a "show bible" which will outline the plot for each season. After this, Serial Box brings together a team of writers who will contribute ideas in a manner similar to a television writers' room. At the end of this period, each author is assigned episodes to write. Whereas a novel generally takes 2–3 years to be written and published, a Serial Box production can be completed 6 months from the start date. Because the first episode is published before the season is completed, the authors can tailor the ending of the season to the audience's reactions.[5] It is the responsibility of the showrunner to ensure that all episodes maintain a consistent writing style despite the involvement of multiple authors.[6]
Awards
Molly Barton, Jeff Li, James Stuart, and Julian Yap were nominated for the 2019 World Fantasy Professional Award for their work with Serial Box.[7]
Serial Box Original Productions
| Show name[8] | Number of Seasons | Showrunner | Other authors |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alternis | 1 | N/A | Maurice Broaddus, Jacqueline Koyanagi, E.C. Myers, and Andrea Phillips |
| Bookburners | 5 | Max Gladstone | Margaret Dunlap, Amal El-Mohtar, Mur Lafferty, Brian Francis Slattery, and Andrea Phillips |
| Born to the Blade | 1 | Michael R. Underwood | Marie Brennan, Cassandra Khaw, and Malka Older |
| Bullet Catcher | 3 | Joaquin Lowe | None |
| Dark Heights | 1 | CD Miller | None |
| Dead Air | 1 | Gwenda Bond | Rachel Caine and Carrie Ryan |
| Exquisite Corpse | 1 | Prompt from Dread Central | Richard Chizmar, Paul Cornell, Christopher Golden, Brian Keene, Cassandra Khaw, Stephen Kozeniewski, Nick Mamatas, Sisters of Slaughter, Paul Tremblay, and Alyssa Wong |
| False Idols | 1 | N/A | Lisa Klink, Patrick Lohier, Diana Renn, and Robert K. Wittman |
| First Street | 1 | Catherine McKenzie | Catherine McKenzie, Jasmine Guillory, Elyssa Friedland, Shawn Klomparens, Randy Susan Meyers, Kermit Roosevelt III |
| Geek Actually | 1 | N/A | Cathy Yardley, Melissa Blue, Rachel Stuhler, and Cecilia Tan |
| Gods and Lies | 1 | Elizabeth Vail | None |
| Knox | 1 | N/A | K Arsenault Rivera, Brooke Bolander, Gabino Iglesias, and Sunny Moraine |
| Machina | 1 | Fran Wilde | Fran Wilde, Malka Older, and Curtis C. Chen, with Martha Wells |
| Marvel's Black Widow: Bad Blood | 1 | N/A | Lindsay Smith, Margaret Dunlap, Mikki Kendall, L.L. McKinney, and Taylor Stevens |
| Marvel's Jessica Jones: Playing With Fire | 1 | N/A | Lauren Beukes, Vita Ayala, Sam Beckbessinger, Zoe Quinn, and Elsa Sjunneson |
| Marvel's Thor: Metal Gods | 1 | N/A | Aaron Stewart-Ahn, Jay Edidin, Brian Keene, and Yoon Ha Lee |
| A Most Dangerous Woman | 1 | Brenda Clough | None |
| Ninth Step Station | 2 | Malka Older | Curtis C. Chen, Jacqueline Koyanagi, and Fran Wilde |
| Orphan Black: The Next Chapter | 1 | Malka Older | Madeline Ashby, Mishell Baker, Heli Kennedy, E. C. Myers and Lindsay Smith |
| ReMade | 2 | Matthew Cody | Gwenda Bond, Amy Rose Capetta, Carrie Harris, E.C. Myers, Andrea Phillips, and Kiersten White |
| Tremontaine | 4 | Ellen Kushner | Liz Duffy Adams, Patty Bryant, Joel Derfner, Tessa Gratton, Alaya Dawn Johnson, Malinda Lo, Karen Lord, Racheline Maltese, Mary Anne Mohanraj, Delia Sherman, and Pat Witcover. |
| The Triangle | 1 | Dan Koboldt | Mindy McGinnis and Sylvia Spruck Wrigley |
| The Vela | 2 | Yoon Ha Lee | Becky Chambers, SL Huang, and Rivers Solomon |
| Whitehall | 2 | Liz Duffy Adams | Mary Robinette Kowal, Madeleine Robins, Barbara Samuel, and Delia Sherman |
| The Witch Who Came in from the Cold | 2 | Max Gladstone and Lindsay Smith | Cassandra Rose Clarke, Michael Swanwick, Ian Tregillis, and Fran Wilde |
References
- ^ a b c Dawn, Randee (28 September 2015). "'HBO for reading': Serial Box delivers new fiction to your phone in TV-style episodes". Today. Retrieved 24 July 2019.
- ^ a b Neary, Lynn (26 July 2016). "Can Serialized Fiction Convert Binge Watchers Into Binge Readers?". NPR. Retrieved 24 July 2019.
- ^ Kevin Smith (30 Dec 2017). "17 iPhone Apps That You Need To Have On Your Phone". Buzzfeed. Retrieved 27 Sep 2019.
- ^ Reid, Calvin (18 September 2015). "Startup Serial Box Wants To Be the 'HBO for Readers'". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved 24 July 2019.
- ^ Locke, Charley (14 September 2016). "THIS EBOOK PUBLISHER DOESN'T HAVE AUTHORS. IT HAS WRITERS' ROOMS". Wired. Retrieved 24 July 2019.
- ^ Grady, Constance (6 August 2018). "Meet a new kind of book, designed for the age of Peak TV". Vox. Retrieved 24 July 2019.
- ^ "World Fantasy Awards 2019". SFADB. Retrieved 1 Aug 2019.
- ^ "All Serials". Serial Box.