The 19th century serialized novel, which radically enhanced the popular reading of novels, began to dwindle in the 20th century. Books had become much cheaper. Libraries became ubiquitous, with greater access to books at a far lower cost (or no cost) for readers. Newspapers, which had been dependent on subscribers (with serialized fiction as a magnet for readers), shifted their business model to advertisements for income. There was also a growth of magazines, which published fiction. And then came radio and movies, both of which used serialization, as does current streaming.
As you may recall (from Chapter 1, my previous posting) when I was a boy, I read children’s serialized fiction in the New York Herald-Tribune. The New York Daily News also ran serialized fiction. That knowledge of the serialized novel led me to write (1996) Beyond the Western Sea, a 700-page story with a multitude of short, cliff-hanging chapters, taking the form of a serialized Victorian novel.
By the time it was published, I was living in Boulder, Colorado, which had its own local newspaper, the Boulder Daily Camera. It was then that I decided to write a real serialized story, illustrated by the nationally known but local artist Janet Stevens.
Keep Your Eye on Amanda began to appear, serialized, in the Camera. Then it was published by a Colorado Springs paper, and soon thereafter, in a Casper, Wyoming paper. Other newspapers soon joined in. Breakfast Serials was born, but very quickly became far more than I could handle. Fortunately, my wife, Linda Wright, offered to take over, and it was she who transformed my small project into a publishing phenomenon. At its peak in 2005, thirty-three million readers had access to seventeen stories written by twenty-seven celebrated writers such as Katheren Paterson, Jonathan London, Joseph Bruchac, and Betty Miles, among others. Illustrators were Brian Floca, Peter Catalanotto, and Emily Arnold McCully, along with others.
And responses!
The circulation director of the Butler Eagle wrote: “Two things everyone looks for around here, Steelers coverage and Breakfast Serials.”
The New Hampshire Union Leader head of marketing wrote:
“The Union Leader increased their circulation for the first time in six years by publishing a Breakfast Serials novel …”
The Arizona Republic wrote, “One reader called me just last week and said that Breakfast Serials is the reason she and her husband are continuing their subscription to the Republic.”
Sample pages of two Breakfast Serials stories, published in local newspapers nationally. The Shadow of My Father’s Hand, written by Craig Crist-Evans, illustrated by Anna Rich, is shown as published in The Morning Call in 2006. Long Road Home, written by Katherine Paterson and illustrated by Emily Arnold McCully, is shown as published in the Minnesota StarTribune in 2005. Click on the image to see a larger version.
A reader wrote: “I love what I have read so far. I have not been reading lately, and Breakfast Serials has me enthused about reading again. I can’t wait to read more.”
Another: “My name is Katie M. I am nine years old and going into fourth grade … I would really enjoy it if you put more stories in the paper like that. I make my dad buy the paper every day.”
And another reader: “Please keep Breakfast Serials coming. I have dug madly through the paper recycling bin upon realizing I missed a segment when out of town.”
From the publisher: “The Detroit News has published Breakfast Serials for five years. [It] continues to grow in popularity and has increased our general readership, in addition to reaching more than 25,000 students in schools every week.”
There are plenty more responses to Breakfast Serials, too numerous to cite here.
But one incident I can’t resist including. I was back East, riding the New York Subway. As we raced along through the underground tunnel, me clinging to an overhead strap, I realized the man sitting in front of me was reading the New York Post, a Breakfast Serials story, The Secret School. Oh, how I was tempted to lean forward to say, “I wrote that.”
Starting in 2008, our country experienced a huge national cultural shift: the internet, along with social media, had come along. One of the results: The number of local newspapers began to decline in large numbers. Since that time, 2,500 local newspapers in the United States have shut down. That waning continues today. Moreover, the number of readers in the nation has also declined to a radical degree. One result: much less access to Breakfast Serials’ illustrated stories.
While there are still some newspapers that continue Breakfast Serials, it is nothing like it used to be.
Just as Breakfast Serials followed readers to newspapers for decades, now, in 2025, we’re bringing a library of 25 original serial stories to Substack, where 50 million active subscribers are already discovering our stories and ideas.
Find Breakfast Serials on Substack.
The story of Breakfast Serials to be continued next week.