This is stemming from a post I made over on AnimeSuki a short while ago, when talking about light novels.
I had some ideas, and the more I thought on them the more I wanted to expand on them.
The first thing that has to be done, and this applies to all publishers, is to separate the light novels and manga departments, and keep them that way.
Also light novels need their own imprint, and one that’s totally separated from the manga imprint, with a unique and unattached name. So no Tokyopop or Viz labels on them. Why? you ask, it’s simple. Most western people who see a title with the normal manga logos (Tokyopop/Viz/Del Rey etc etc) discount it as kids stuff and comic books.
By setting up an independent imprint that is totally separate with it’s own logo, you remove this, and more people will be attracted to try a new title.
That is just the first step however. When you have you’re shiny new imprint, you need to alter the format used. Follow the same format as DMP with the Vampire Hunter D novels, in other words standard novel format. Yes they leave the images in, but the main format is that of standard novels. Due to this, most stores put the volumes in the mainstream fantasy section, where it’s more likely to be bought. It’s also important to keep the format however. No swapping to a different style with other series, pick a style and keep to it.
The next important element is trust, fans need to be able to trust their publishers. Tokyopop and Seven Seas have learnt this the hard way. Licensing a series and making a big fuss over it, but then never publishing it is a way to lose fans, especially if you do it repeatedly. When you do do releases, don’t let a series run for twenty plus volumes, then claim it’s not selling and cancel it, or release two volumes and say it’s not selling and cancel it.
This is a sure way to alienate fans even more, and they’re more likely to simply wait until a series is fully released to buy it. Of course you can see the vicious circle here right? Any series needs to be given a chance to build up a fan base, and two or three volumes just isn’t long enough to judge that. Equally if you kill a series after say twenty-five volumes as not selling, no one is going to buy it, lets face it, most series you can judge after six volumes or so. If you say you needed twenty plus volumes, then you’re definitely in the wrong business.
If you license a series that’s only say three or four volumes, release it in it’s entirety and forget the profitability of the series. Instead use the short series as a showcase of how well the releases are. Just because a series doesn’t bring in the $$ doesn’t mean it’s not a profitable title, in other areas.
Be prepared to lose money, lots of it. Any new imprint is going to lose money for a while, quite a while. In truth I’d be surprised if it broke even the first year, and we’re talking a few years to show a sustained profit. As such they need to bear that in mind. That’s why they need a separate imprint, but also to support it while it’s growing and setting down roots.
The titles you release need to be promoted, and I’m not talking about in the odd anime magazine. I’m talking newspaper ads, book events, book signings, TV spots, the full works. If you do it right, you can capture a good audience. Look at the Vampire Hunter D series which has sold over 17 million copies world wide.
Light novels are in a unique position, they’re what’s needed to bridge the gap between anime/manga and the west. Why? Because reading is a central part of the western culture. While it’s not as popular as it used to be, it’s still a huge money earner. By introducing people to the light novel version of a series first, and getting them hooked on it, there’s a higher chance for them to try out the anime or manga.
That said you should never advertise the manga or anime in the light novel, keep them separate and leave them that way.
Promotion is the key, yes promotion is going to cost, but as I said before you need to lose money at first to make it in the long term.
Over time as people get used to the new label, see the good quality (that is if you’re putting out a good quality release), and that you’re being consistent with you’re releases, the uptake will increase. You can’t go into it expecting to make a profit right from the outset, and on everything you publish
February 26, 2009 @ 23:38.
I guess the big question is: why bother? You’re basically saying to invest a whole lot of money in promotion and releases without any expectation of return over the short or mid-term. And your method is basically to carve out a brand new niche that’s separate from the anime or manga markets (new imprint, no visible tie-in, etc.) — is there really a market there? Plus, given the economic situation of all these companies at the moment, where are these deep pockets that would fund all this publishing and high-cost mainstream media promotion (with no expectation of profit anytime soon) when they’re currently laying off big chunks of their existing staff?
Of course, it’s not as if I wouldn’t love to see the market grow and expand, and I’ve been more than a little disappointed at all the cancellations and false starts in the sector, but at the same time, I think what you’re proposing is a tad unrealistic. If you had a few million from investors, who presumably want to maximize their return, could you really convince them that this long-term, “spend now to gain later” Light Novel strategy is the best way to invest?
Rather than trying to solve the problem by telling publishers to dump a ton of money they probably don’t have into the sector to make it successful, we might also try to convince those who are already fans of the properties in question to actually buy the books when they’re released, despite the risk of cancellation. As far as I can see, the Japanese popularity of light novels grew out of the anime/manga community, so I’m not sure that we can count on the mainstream market to carry the ball on this side of the world. As it stands, jumping from “a niche of a niche” to mainstream acceptance seems a bit out of reach; if you can’t even convince those comfortable with the properties and the culture to buy the books, why do we think others will lap it up (even if we would all argue that it’s really good stuff)?
I certainly don’t envy publishers these days…