Yesterday's Gone: Season One

AUTHOR’S NOTE

    When I was a child in 1979, there was a TV show on NBC called Cliffhangers . Each week, they’d bring you three 20 minute segments of ongoing serials. One story was a horror tale about a vampire, the other was a sci-fi/western hybrid, and the last one, a mystery. I don’t remember much of the stories. But I do remember how excited I got each week when the show was about to come on.  
    And how frustrated I got at the end of each segment when the announcer would tell you that the adventure would be continued next week.
    “Arggghh!”
    God, how I loved being teased and tormented by that show.  
    Of course, the network had the last laugh when after just 10 episodes, they cancelled Cliffhangers — before they finished the stories!
    The ultimate, “ARGGGHH,” but not a good one.

    THE GOOD “ARGGGHH”
    Anyway, we’ve all had those “Arggghh!” moments when our favorite shows leave us hanging another week to see what happened. Or, in the case of a season ending cliffhanger, we’d have to wait a whole summer!
    “ARRRRGGGGHHHH!!”
    I love shows like these. My writing partner, Sean, loves shows like these.
    I’m guessing you love shows like these.
    Whether we’re entrenched in The Wire, Battlestar Galactica, LOST, X-Files, Game of Thrones, Dexter, Deadwood, Mad Men, The Walking Dead, or any of the other great shows on TV, there’s nothing better than episodic TV and the cliffhanger.
    In 1996, Stephen King released The Green Mile as six chap books, each of them around 100 pages, the first five ending with cliffhangers. He released one a month until he told the entire story.
    While writers have been doing serialized fiction forever, and I’d read a few serialized stories in magazines (and comic books), this was my first experience with serialized storytelling in book form.
    King had me hooked from book one.
    I remember going to the bookstore the minute it opened on the release date of each new book. Then I raced home to devour the book. As a writer, I loved the concept.  

    SERIALIZED FICTION
    Sean and I attempted to release our vampire thriller Available Darkness as serialized web fiction a couple of years ago, posting chapters weekly on our blog. We drew a few readers, but most people emailed us saying the same thing:

    “I hate reading on the web. When are you gonna come out with a book?”

    This was also the exact moment that our business was taking off and we were drowning in work. Putting a book out was not gonna happen. So we reluctantly put Available Darkness on hold until we could finish it properly and release it as a book.  
    And then last year, eBooks and Print On Demand took off. Suddenly people were reading on Kindles and iPads in record numbers.  
    That’s when we knew we had to finish Available Darkness and get it out to the few loyal people we left hanging. ( Released August 9, yay! )
    But in this era of indie publishing, we also saw another opportunity. To get back to what we really wanted to do — write serialized fiction and get it to you. As a writer, there’s no more awesome feeling than creating something that people get wrapped up in and can’t wait for the next installment.  
    And unlike 1996, you don’t have to drive to a bookstore to get the next copy. Instant downloads from Amazon at a low price.  

    THE PLAN
    Our plan is to release a new episode of Yesterday’s Gone every three weeks (updated from our original once a month plan) until the first season is over. Each book will be 100 pages or so (just like The Green Mile , that seemed like a good size) and each series will be six books.
    I’m not sure how many other writers are out there doing serialized eBooks. But I think the time has never been better for this type of fiction.  
    And we’re looking forward to taking you on one hell of a ride and giving you some “ARGGGHH!” moments that will make you throw your eReader across the room.
    Or just slam it down gently into your pillow.

    SEASON TWO
    Yesterday’s Gone is returning in January 2012 with a new season. And we’re stepping up our game!
    What’s the the biggest difference between serialized TV shows and serialized books? Besides the whole picture and sound thing?
    TV shows air every week. making it far easier to keep up with the running storylines.
    To that end, we’re releasing new episodes of Season Two every week!

    Let us know how we’re doing. Leave a review wherever you bought the book. If you want to keep up with Yesterday’s