S1E2: Molly Barton and Julian Yap

Julian Yap was a lawyer for the Justice Department and an avid reader who wanted to create an “HBO for books.“ So did Molly Barton, who led digital innovation at a big publishing house. Together, they started Serial Box, which develops original fiction and delivers it one episode at a time.

What does it mean to be HBO for books? Serial Box borrows from the TV series model: head writer, team production, series bible. It also means building a strong brand — a departure for book publishers.

If you walked into a room and asked everyone there who publishes Game of Thrones, not a single person could tell you. But if you asked everyone what television station Game of Thrones is on, everyone knows it’s HBO.

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The Design of Business | The Business of Design is recorded at the Yale School of Management.

A big thanks to our launch sponsor, IBM.

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By Michael Bierut & Jessica Helfand

Jessica Helfand, a founding editor of Design Observer, is an award-winning graphic designer and writer and a former contributing editor and columnist for Print, Communications Arts and Eye magazines. A member of the Alliance Graphique Internationale and a recent laureate of the Art Director’s Hall of Fame, Helfand received her B.A. and her M.F.A. from Yale University where she has taught since 1994.