A serialization? In Print?

No way this was going to work.

Don’t get me wrong, I was honored that the Montecito Journal wanted to serialize my novel, I just didn’t think anyone was going to read it. Not in the age of binge-watching television and all-you-can-listen audiobooks. How was a novel written by a nobody, printed in 2,000 word chunks going to grab anyone’s attention?

Also, I was also scared …

Scared to hear the chorus of crickets. Scared for the blank stares when I asked if anyone had seen it. Scared to be laughed at even if only behind closed doors.

But my good friend, Jennifer Hulford — who introduced me to Gwyn Lurie, CEO and Executive Editor of the Montecito Journal — was convinced it could work and Gwyn was game to give it a go, and truthfully, what did I have to lose? (other than what remained of my self-esteem)

So on July 7th, 2022, the Montecito Journal began a trial serializtion of my novel Montecito. Shown here is the initial Montecito Journal cover graced by the suited shark standing atop Montecito Union Elementary — an image that would become the story’s mascot.*

A cartoon illustration of a white shark wearing a suit and holding a glass of white wine, standing on top of a building in Montecito, California. The headline reads 'It Happened in Montecito.'

The first installment was the opening chapter of the novel — less than 2,000 words — but it felt like the public response (or lack thereof) to those 2,000 words might be enough to sink my dream. I wanted to believe but rational thinking had me bracing for a blow to the solar plexus.

But by week four — the planned finale of the print serialization — a curious thing happened. On the Montecito Journal’s website, was an activity tracker showing what articles were receiving the most clicks and lo and behold, look what was at the top of the tracker that week:

August 4, 2022, most popular reads at www.montecitojournal.net:

Illustration of three sharks dressed in business suits, each holding a glass of wine, representing chapters of a book titled "Montecito." The chapters are labeled as 01 "Chapter 1," 02 "Chapter 4: A Walk to the Beach," and 03 "Chapter 3: Dinner at the Wimby's."

Little did I know that the serialization’s popularity was not just online. The Monecito Journal’s office received phone calls and emails from genuine fans! Readers were excited by the experiment and loving the story!

Given that the material was free and it’s owner — me — was more than happy to comply, the Montecito Journal ditched their plan to stop at four chapters and started printing multiple chapters per week - 3,500 plus words.

When the dust settled, Montecito ran for a total of thirty weeks, finishing on February 2nd, 2023, edition with the novel’s final four chapters and a thank you from me to the readers:

A letter addressed to readers, discussing the journey of serializing a novel called Montecito, mentioning writers, chapters, and the experience of sharing the story online.

For its entire run, the installments of Montecito were the most read weekly feature on the Montecito Journal’s website. In the week of the serialization’s finale — just as had happened at the beginning of this wild ride — three of the serializations installments topped the most read features on the Montecito Journal’s website:

Screenshots of recent trending articles, featuring illustrated sharks in suits holding drinks, with titles about chapters from the book 'Montecito' and a photo of a landscaped entry road to a estate.

Over the next two weeks, the Journal editors printed a selection of the dozens of “letters to the editor” they received in praise of the story:

A letter from David Taylor, Montecito, thanking readers for their support of Michael Cox's novel Montecito, praising the story, and mentioning upcoming editions and adaptations into TV.
A typed letter with a poignant message ending with a signature from Pearl Bloom of Buellton, discussing books, chapters, and reading habits.
Letter expressing gratitude for Michael Cox's novel Montecito, signed by Cathy Randall.
A typed excerpt of a message from Betsy Friedl expressing appreciation for Michael's book and anticipation of new chapters.
A handwritten letter addressed to Michael, expressing appreciation for a novel and discussing a shared interest in a book series called Montecito.
Close-up of a typed letter praising a serialized story, signed by Kristen Salontay.
Text excerpt from a publication, mentioning the Montecito Journal, Michael Cox, his novel, and Michael Jordan's latest chapters; signed by Tal Avitzur.
A printed letter from Kim Holmquist addressed to Michael, thanking him for sharing his novel Montecito Journal and mentioning reading about places in Santa Barbara, with a note about finding burritos and pistachio salsa.
A letter addressed to Mr. Cox, written by Katey O’Neill, discussing her enjoyment of reading his novel in the 'MJ' series, her belief that Cyrus faked his death, her speculation about the ending of 'Montecito: The Sequel?' and the importance of a good decision in printing the serial version of 'MJ,' ending with well wishes.
A page of a letter titled 'More Letters to 'Montecito' by Michael Cox,' discussing the novel, its reception, and the author's thoughts.
Partial text from a printed or typed document with the quote "Sad to see it end... enjoyed reading your work. Keep writing." followed by the name Annette Robson in bold.
A handwritten note expressing love for someone's story, mentioning Thursdays as 'periodical day' for reading a Montecio paper and serializing a novel, signing off as L. Berrett, 5th-generation Santa Barbaran.
A typed letter addressed to Michael, praising his novel Montecito and expressing appreciation for his work. The letter is signed by Michael Hamilton.
A typed letter addressed to Michael from Jeanette Nadeau expressing gratitude for his book Montecito and discussing the book's plot and characters, including Hollis, Genevieve, and Cyrus.

I am incredibly grateful to the Montecito Journal for gifting me this opportunity to publish my story, receive feedback, and discover that there was an audience for my work.