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Decoder with Nilay Patel

Recode Decode: Serial Box CEO Molly Barton

Decoder with Nilay Patel

Vox Media Podcast Network

Technology, Business

4.33.2K Ratings

🗓️ 7 January 2019

⏱️ 43 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Molly Barton, the CEO and co-founder of serialized reading app Serial Box, talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about trying to make a Netflix-style digital platform for books. In this episode: (01:19) Barton's background and the early days of e-books; (06:45) Looking for digital innovation in publishing; (12:38) Combining e-books with audiobooks; (15:48) Why Barton started Serial Box; (20:13) How it works; (26:42) The business side and fundraising; (29:52) How the traditional publishing industry has reacted and what sort of books perform best; (33:52) Copyright and contract writers; (37:07) How well does a successful Serial Box book do?; (40:01) Where does reading go from here? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0

When you drive a Chevy electric vehicle, you're getting more than a way to get from point A to point B.

0:06.0

You're saying goodbye to gas stations and how low to open roads.

0:09.0

With the growing network of public charging stations, you'll be able to charge your EV while you shop, work, or do whatever you want to be doing with your time.

0:17.0

Chevy is making EVs for everyone, everywhere. Go to chevrelay.com slash electric to learn more.

0:25.0

Did you know choosing the train over your car can cut your carbon footprint by up to two thirds.

0:33.0

So, one family outing at a time, one little adventurer at a time, one trip to the museum, one dinner in the city, one nap on the way home at a time.

0:45.0

One train journey at a time can help create a greener future.

0:51.0

So when will you take your next trip? Find out more at nationalrail.co.uk slash greener.

0:59.0

Hi, I'm Cara Swisher, Editor at Large of Recode. You may know me as someone who thinks all workplace should be illegal and anyone who breaks a law should be severely punished.

1:08.0

But in my spare time, I talked tech and you're listening to Recode Decode from the Vox Media Podcast Network.

1:13.0

Today in the red chair is Molly Barton, the CEO of serial box. That serial spelled S-E-R-I-A-L.

1:20.0

It's an app that delivers fictional stories to its users in a serialized installments every week.

1:24.0

Each episode is available both as an e-book, as an audio file. Molly, welcome to Recode Decode.

1:29.0

Thank you. Happy to be here.

1:31.0

Thanks for coming in. So I want to talk, I'm really interested in this area.

1:36.0

There's been a lot going on in it and different things have been tried and the sort of how we read and consume, I guess, books in a lot of ways has changed.

1:44.0

So talk a little bit about how you got to this first. How did you create serial box early?

1:50.0

Like how did you move to something like this?

1:52.0

Sure. I came to serial box from traditional publishing, actually. I started as an editor at Penguin.

2:01.0

And I worked on that with your goal to be a fiction.

2:03.0

I thought it was going to be an editor for my life and had a great editorial job at Viking.

2:09.0

And I worked with writers like Terry McMillan, who wrote House Delegg, got her groove back.

...

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