View source for Atavist

{{Short description|Multimedia publishing platform}}
{{Distinguish|Atavism|Atavista}}
{{For|the Otep album|Atavist (album)}}
{{Multiple issues|
{{advert|date=April 2022}}
{{Missing information|article|what this company does, and the history of this company|date=March 2023}}
}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Atavist Inc.
| location_city = [[Brooklyn]]
| foundation = {{Start date and age|2009}}
| founder = Jefferson Rabb
[[Evan Ratliff]]
Nicholas Thompson.
| parent = [[Automattic]]
| homepage = {{URL|magazine.atavist.com}}
}}
'''Atavist''' '''Inc'''. was originally founded in 2011, by Jefferson Rabb, [[Evan Ratliff]], and [[Nicholas Thompson (editor)|Nicholas Thompson]] in [[Brooklyn|Brooklyn, United States]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-04-07 |title=Atavist - Company Profile - Tracxn |url=https://tracxn.com/d/companies/atavist/__uzpuWDg8tXklm1t8EkofjZvorxIuPy7lMT-o_9fKgOg |access-date=2024-04-10 |website=tracxn.com |language=en}}</ref>
== History ==
Atavist Books, a multi-platform book publishing company, was launched in partnership with [[Barry Diller]], [[Scott Rudin]], and [[Frances Coady]],<ref>{{Cite web|last=Krasny|first=Jill|date=2014-06-18|title=The Atavist Is the Future of Storytelling|url=https://www.inc.com/jill-krasny/the-atavist-profile.html|access-date=2021-03-30|website=Inc.com|language=en}}</ref> in the spring of 2014. Their idea was to publish multimedia stories combining text, video, and audio. ''Sleep Donation'' by [[Karen Russell]] was the venture's first [[novella]].<ref>Coffey, Michael (7 October 2013). [http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/publisher-news/article/59418-one-year-later-coady-s-atavist-books-set-to-launch.html "One Year Later, Coady’s Atavist Books Set to Launch"]. ''Publishers Weekly''.</ref>
The company started to sell the CMS it had built to create its own stories for ''The Atavist Magazine''<ref name=":0">Bilton, Ricardo (19 October 2015). [http://digiday.com/social/atavist-winning-publishers/ "How Atavist is winning over publishers"]. ''[[Digiday]]''.</ref> All titles were produced and distributed using the Atavist platform. ''[[The California Sunday Magazine]]'', ''[[Mental Floss]]'', ''[[The Daily Dot]]'', ''[[The Christian Science Monitor]]'' and ''[[Esquire (magazine)|Esquire]]'', among other magazines, used the Atavist platform to publish feature stories on the web.<ref name=":0" />
After Atavist Books published its first title, five more e-titles were published.{{Citation needed|date=November 2024}}
In 2015, Atavist Inc. reportedly cut half of its staff due to lack of funding.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=Atavist cuts half its staff and searches for a sustainable path as funding dries up |url=https://www.niemanlab.org/2015/12/atavist-cuts-half-its-staff-and-searches-for-a-sustainable-path-as-funding-dries-up/ |access-date=2021-03-30 |website=Nieman Lab}}</ref>
In June 2018, Atavist announced that it was being acquired by [[Automattic]], the parent company of [[WordPress.com]].<ref>{{cite news|last=Mullin|first=Benjamin|date=21 June 2018|title=WordPress.com Owner Buys Atavist, Maker of Subscription-Offering Publishing Software|work=[[The Wall Street Journal]]|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/wordpress-com-owner-buys-atavist-maker-of-subscription-offering-publishing-software-1529597700|access-date=22 June 2018}}</ref> In April 2021, the magazine moved to WordPress.com, joining the Newspack community of publishers.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Newspack |date=2021-06-14 |title=Award-winning Atavist Magazine relaunches on Newspack platform |url=https://newspack.com/award-winning-atavist-magazine-relaunches-o-newspack/ |access-date=2024-11-21 |website=Newspack |language=en-US}}</ref>
== Magazine ==
''The Atavist Magazine'' is a monthly publication of [[long form journalism|longform]] [[narrative journalism]].<ref>The Atavist Magazine. [[magazine.atavist.com]]</ref> It has been nominated for eight National Magazine Awards since its launch in 2011,<ref>Brownlee, John (23 March 2015). [http://www.fastcodesign.com/3044042/the-atavist-redesign-is-like-a-magic-word-processor "The Atavist Redesign Turns The Long-Form Portal Into A Magic Word Processor"]. ''Fast Company''.</ref> and in 2015 it won Best Feature Writing, with its piece "Love and Ruin" by James Verini. It was the first digital-only publication to receive the award.<ref>Sebastian, Michael (2 February 2015). [http://adage.com/article/media/vogue-wins-magazine-year-national-magazine-awards/296946/ "Vogue Wins Magazine of the Year at National Magazine Awards"]. ''Advertising Age''.</ref> Its titles have also been honored by the Livingston Awards, the Bayeux-Calvados Normandy Awards for War Correspondents, and the Clarion Awards, among other prizes.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Accolades|url=http://magazine.atavist.com/accolades/|access-date=2021-09-16|website=The Atavist Magazine|language=en-US}}</ref>
In June 2021, it launched its first-ever narrative podcast, ''No Place Like Home'', about the theft of the pair of ruby slippers worn by Judy Garland in ''The Wizard of Oz''. The podcast was produced by [[Cadence13|Cadence 13]].
Some of its stories have been optioned for film/TV projects.<ref>Fleming Jr., Mike (5 June 2014). [https://deadline.com/2014/06/ratpac-entertainment-edward-nortons-class-5-options-american-hippopotamus-740913/ "RatPac, Edward Norton’s Class 5 Options ‘American Hippopotamus'"]. ''Deadline''.</ref><ref>Sneider, Jeff (14 August 2014). [https://www.thewrap.com/bradley-cooper-todd-phillips-to-produce-a-thousand-pounds-of-dynamite-for-warner-bros-exclusive/ "Bradley Cooper, Todd Phillips to Produce ‘A Thousand Pounds of Dynamite’ for Warner Bros."]. ''The Wrap''.</ref><ref>Ford, Rebecca (9 October 2014). [https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/oblivion-director-joseph-kosinski-helm-738915 "'Oblivion' Director Joseph Kosinski to Helm 'The Trials of White Boy Rick'"]. ''Hollywood Reporter''.</ref> The magazine is represented by Creative Artists Agency. The editor in chief is Seyward Darby.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Seyward Darby|url=https://seywarddarby.com/|access-date=2021-09-16|website=Seyward Darby|language=en}}</ref> The art director is Ed Johnson.<ref>{{Cite web|title=About - Ed Johnson|url=https://cargocollective.com/edxjohnson/About|access-date=2021-09-16|website=cargocollective.com|language=en}}</ref>
==See also==
* [[Tech companies in the New York metropolitan area#Software|Tech companies in the New York metropolitan area]]
== References ==
{{Reflist}}
==External links==
* [http://www.niemanstoryboard.org/2011/02/09/evan-ratliff-on-the-atavist-narrative-throwback-or-the-future-of-nonfiction-storytelling/ Nieman Storyboard]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20131004220350/http://www.topappstoday.com/apps-food+%26+drink/522075873/babycakes-vegan-and-glute Top Apps Today]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Atavist}}
[[Category:Companies based in Brooklyn]]
[[Category:Online journalism]]
[[Category:Software companies based in New York City]]
[[Category:Automattic]]
[[Category:2018 mergers and acquisitions]]
[[Category:Defunct software companies of the United States]]
[[Category:American companies established in 2009]]