Serial Box

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.

Official logo of Serial Box
FoundedSeptember 2015 (2015-September)
FoundersJulian Yap & Molly Barton
Country of originUnited States
Headquarters locationNew York City
Publication typesSerialized fiction; audio dramas
Official websitehttps://www.serialbox.com/

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 SeasonsShowrunnerOther authors
Alternis1N/AMaurice Broaddus, Jacqueline Koyanagi, E.C. Myers, and Andrea Phillips
Bookburners5Max GladstoneMargaret Dunlap, Amal El-Mohtar, Mur Lafferty, Brian Francis Slattery, and Andrea Phillips
Born to the Blade1Michael R. UnderwoodMarie Brennan, Cassandra Khaw, and Malka Older
Bullet Catcher 3 Joaquin Lowe None
Dark Heights 1 CD Miller None
Dead Air1Gwenda BondRachel Caine and Carrie Ryan
Exquisite Corpse1Prompt from Dread CentralRichard Chizmar, Paul Cornell, Christopher Golden, Brian Keene, Cassandra Khaw, Stephen Kozeniewski, Nick Mamatas, Sisters of Slaughter, Paul Tremblay, and Alyssa Wong
False Idols1N/ALisa 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 Actually1N/ACathy 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 Woman1Brenda CloughNone
Ninth Step Station2Malka OlderCurtis 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
ReMade2Matthew CodyGwenda Bond, Amy Rose Capetta, Carrie Harris, E.C. Myers, Andrea Phillips, and Kiersten White
Tremontaine4Ellen KushnerLiz 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 Triangle1Dan KoboldtMindy McGinnis and Sylvia Spruck Wrigley
The Vela2Yoon Ha LeeBecky Chambers, SL Huang, and Rivers Solomon
Whitehall2Liz Duffy AdamsMary Robinette Kowal, Madeleine Robins, Barbara Samuel, and Delia Sherman
The Witch Who Came in from the Cold2Max Gladstone and Lindsay SmithCassandra Rose Clarke, Michael Swanwick, Ian Tregillis, and Fran Wilde

References

  1. 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.
  2. Neary, Lynn (26 July 2016). "Can Serialized Fiction Convert Binge Watchers Into Binge Readers?". NPR. Retrieved 24 July 2019.
  3. Kevin Smith (30 Dec 2017). "17 iPhone Apps That You Need To Have On Your Phone". Buzzfeed. Retrieved 27 Sep 2019.
  4. Reid, Calvin (18 September 2015). "Startup Serial Box Wants To Be the 'HBO for Readers'". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved 24 July 2019.
  5. Locke, Charley (14 September 2016). "THIS EBOOK PUBLISHER DOESN'T HAVE AUTHORS. IT HAS WRITERS' ROOMS". Wired. Retrieved 24 July 2019.
  6. Grady, Constance (6 August 2018). "Meet a new kind of book, designed for the age of Peak TV". Vox. Retrieved 24 July 2019.
  7. "World Fantasy Awards 2019". SFADB. Retrieved 1 Aug 2019.
  8. "All Serials". Serial Box.
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