831stories
831 Stories is a publisher of contemporary romance fiction, co-founded by Erica Cerulo and Claire Mazur and launched on September 10, 2024.[1][2] The 831 Stories books are distributed by Simon & Schuster.
The company's name is an ode to "I Love You," in 90's pager code text, eight letters, three words, one meaning.[3]
History
[edit]Cerulo and Mazur met while students at the University of Chicago in 2002. They had an e-commerce site, 2010's Of A Kind[4]; in 2012, they launched a newsletter and podcast, A Thing or Two.[5] In 2015, Of A Kind was acquired by Bed, Bath and Beyond.[6]
During the pandemic, Cerulo and Mazur became "immersed" in romance fiction as well as its companion fan fiction.[7] They launched with four million dollars in funding.[8][9]
In 2026, Hulu announced it was in development of Alexandra Romanoff's Big Fan.
Style
[edit]They have a "distinctive marketing approach" using 360 strategy and approaching each book like an "album launch."[10] 831 Stories books are packaged with merchandise, romance lit tropes and curated design including the signature cupid logo. They are considered novellas as each book is under 200 pages.[11]
Published works
[edit]| YEAR | TITLE | AUTHOR | CIT. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Big Fan | Alexandra Romanoff | [12] |
| Hardly Strangers | A.C. Robinson | [13] | |
| 2025 | Comedic Timing | Upasana Barath | [14] |
| Set Piece | Lana Schartz | [15] | |
| Square Waves | Alexandra Romanoff | [16] | |
| Exit Lane | Erica Veurink | [17] | |
| Grape Juice | Eliza Dumais | [18] | |
| 2026 | Rooting Interest | Cat Disabato | [19] |
| Found Time | Caroline Goldstein | [20] | |
| Major Gift | Tiffany Ezuma | [21] | |
| Down To Earth | Julia Turshen | [22] | |
| Double Standard | Mallory Thomas | [23] |
References
[edit]- ↑ J; u; a; n; a; S; u; m; m (2025-09-29). "With 831 Stories, romance fans get more than a steamy read". NPR. Retrieved 2026-08-17.
- ↑ Moeslein, Anna (2024-09-11). "The Bravo of Romance Novels? Meet 831 Stories". Glamour. Retrieved 2026-08-17.
- ↑ Lenker, Maureen Lee (May 6, 2025). "How 831 Stories is building a romance fandom community that goes beyond books: Founders Claire Mazur and Erica Cerulo are looking to give readers an immersive, holistic experience". www.ew.com. Retrieved 26 August 2026.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ Hargrove, Calia (October 28, 2019). "On 'Of a Kind' and the Slow Death of Brand Discovery on the Internet: Mourning the loss of one of fashion's most innovative retailers". fashionista.com.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ Wickman, Kase (2024-08-13). "831 Stories Wants You to Read for Pleasure—No Guilt Allowed". Vanity Fair. Retrieved 2026-08-26.
- ↑ Decker, Vivienne. "Of A Kind: Claire Mazur and Erica Cerulo's E-Commerce Site Blends Retail And Editorial Content". Forbes. Retrieved 2026-08-27.
- ↑ "With 831 Stories, romance fans get more than a steamy read". NPR. 2025-09-29. Retrieved 2026-08-26.
- ↑ Hinchliffe, Emma. "The rise of the second-time female founder". Fortune. Retrieved 2026-08-26.
- ↑ Schinsky, Rebecca Joines (2025-11-14). "These Women Want to Remake the Romance Industry". BOOK RIOT. Retrieved 2026-08-26.
- ↑ "Two Screenwriters Talk Romance as Vroman's Launches a Debut Novel". Retrieved 2026-08-17.
- ↑ "We Asked the Authors of Your New Favorite Romance Books All Your Burning Questions". Who What Wear. 2026-03-02. Retrieved 2026-08-17.
- ↑ Iwasaki, Haruka (2026-03-18). "The Five Best Celebrity/Normal Person Romance Novels to Read". Literary Hub. Retrieved 2026-08-17.
- ↑ "Romance Book Review: 'Hardly Strangers' by A.C. Robinson". What Is Quinn Reading?. Retrieved 2026-08-17.
- ↑ "'Comedic Timing' is an unusually accurate depiction of dating as a bi woman | Xtra Magazine". 2025-02-03. Retrieved 2026-08-17.
- ↑ ""Set Piece" by Lana Schwartz Makes Us Giddy for a Happy Ending—Also, Sex". Harper's BAZAAR. 2025-06-02. Retrieved 2026-08-17.
- ↑ "The Founders of This Spicy Romance Publisher Share Everything Worth Buying and Reading This Summer". theSkimm. 2025-05-02. Retrieved 2026-08-28.
- ↑ "Fashion Writer Erika Veurink 'Wants to Be' the Next Nancy Meyers—And She Has a Plan to Pull It Off". ELLE. 2025-09-18. Retrieved 2026-08-17.
- ↑ Review, Masters (2025-11-04). "Book Review: Grape Juice by Eliza Dumais - The Masters Review". Retrieved 2026-08-17.
- ↑ Weekly, Publisher's (2026). "Rooting Interest Review". publishersweekly.com.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "Two Screenwriters Talk Romance as Vroman's Launches a Debut Novel". Retrieved 2026-08-17.
- ↑ Ezuma, Tiffany (2026-02-12). "Read an Exclusive Excerpt From 'Major Gift' by Tiffany Ezuma". Vogue. Retrieved 2026-08-17.
- ↑ Weekly, Publishers (2026). "Down To Earth Review". Publishersweekly.com.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ Weekly, Publisher's (2026). "Double Standard by Mallory Thomas". publishersweekly.com. Retrieved 2026-08-17.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)