This is basically a follow on from the previous post. Initially I had planned to have this in the other, but forgot lol. So it’s getting it’s own post

So, how can publishers increase their sales? There are several options available to them.

The most obvious is to improve the quality of their releases, in all ways. Improving the basic stuff, such as the paper quality, will go a long way. Manga use a very low quality paper that feels pretty yucky, and doesn’t allow the art to be shown at it’s best. However several publishers have moved the quality up a few notches which have improved the overall quality, and feel. Not to mention it makes the art look better.

The translators may be doing a good job, and it’s the adaptors/editors who are failing, so they need to be improved. Get rid of people who thing drugged out hippies are a good character (unless they’re like that in the original lol). What I mean is if a character says “Good Morning Nanami”, leave it as that. Don’t change it to “Heyas Dude” or worse “sport”. Fans don’t want over westernised manga, we want the original, just in english. Sure there are going to be some re-writes to tidy up the translation, but there should be limits to how it’s changed.

Increase the time frame for releases, rather than having fans waiting four to six months for releases, have them every two months, and for the more niche titles do a ‘VizBig’ style thing where there’s three volumes in one. Do this for all the double/triple series.

The other thing they should do is to bring the dead series back to life. Companies such as Viz and Tokyopop have dozens of titles that are now long out of print. Some of these are titles I would love to own. Rather than re-printing them they should join forces with a P.O.D service like Lulu and allow fans to order the titles directly. Sure the profit margin will be small, but since it’s a dead series, any profit is still profit. And since they’ve already made their money off the series, it’s a bonus. They won’t get hundreds of sales true, but allowing people the option to get classic series.

Viz and Tokyopop both need to drop their arrogance and attitudes towards the front line shops as well. Both tend to be very nasty towards stores, and then wonder why stores aren’t as hospitable as they could be.

I don’t like the fact that they seem to think that everything is up to the fans and it has nothing to do with them. It’s a two way street folks!!