Serial News

Serialized Fiction in the News: Fellowes's "Belgravia"

Downton Abbey creator Julian Fellowes is joining Serial Box, Wattpad, and others in creating episodic web-based fiction with his newly launched Belgravia!

"Serial episodic publishing, a mainstay of publishing in Victorian literary magazines, is back in fashion due to 21st century technology," (The Literary Platform).Serial Box has been passionate about the promise of episodic publishing since our launch in 2015 and we are very excited to see beloved creators like Julian Fellowes joining the chorus of authors and readers who see all the possibilities of this delivery strategy.

As reported by the London Telegraph: in a recent survey commissioned by the London Bookfair, 41% of respondents aged 18-23 were reading serialized fiction on sites at least once a month.This reality has been observable through the growing popularity of sites like Wattpad, and episodic podcasts like Serial, so it's no surprise when sites like Bookriot - which tracks book trends - declare the serialized novel to be more relevant than ever: "Releasing the book in digestible bites makes it a less daunting prospect for a public that might not feel it has the time to sit down and read an entire book."Many fans of Fellowes' wildly popular Downton Abbey enjoyed the weekly ritual of stepping back into a world for a time - just long enough to gain respite from reality, but not long enough to pull you too far away from your regular obligations. This unique appeal of the serialized format is something Serial Box is excited to continue bringing to our readers: "Serialization takes the anything-goes chaos that has been one of the consequences of Internetted media and injects just a tiny bit of order back into the world," (The Atlantic).[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aN49_qcLWFo[/embed]Here at Serial Box, we’ve been hard at work creating groundbreaking, convention-smashing serialized fiction. It’s released through our app, our site, or available for purchase on third-party sites.Each episode can be read or listened to in about an hour, just like a TV show. Likewise, our episodes are self-contained plots, with threads and arcs that span the season. The serial’s authors work to plan the season together, so that all the episodes seamlessly transition, providing a totally immersive experience.Currently we have three exciting published serials, with another one lau

nching May 11th and more to come this year!If you like…

And coming May 11th: WHITEHALL A romantic historical drama set in the mid-late 17th century English court and focused upon Catherine of Braganza, the wife of King Charles II. Catherine was a pious Catholic from Portugal thrown into a decadent Anglican court during the English Restoration (a period that saw a sensual renaissance of art, culture, and sex), and this fish-out-of-water story will explore themes of love, betrayal, and politics before a background of religious tolerance and persecution. Fans of Belgravia, Philippa Gregory, and TV shows such as Reign, The Tudors, and The Borgias will find much to love.

So grab an episode and dive into a serial now - exciting fiction awaits!

Sources:

The London Telegraph - "Why Julian Fellowes's new app Belgravia won't start a revolution"
The Atlantic - "Triumph of the Serial"
NPR - "'Downton' creator brings drama on the installment plan in 'Belgravia'"
Book Riot - "Julian Fellowes's BELGRAVIA: Why the Serialized Novel is More Relevant than Ever"
The Literary Platform - "Episodic publishing back in vogue: Julian Fellowes launches episodic publishing app"

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