Licensing Light Novels

[RelaxRelapse]

I was wondering if Light Novels would be cheaper to license than a manga series. As far as I know Manga is relatively pricey to license. I could be wrong though.. I don't have the best memory ..

anyways.. Do you think it's cheaper to license light novels?

I'm just wondering based on curiosity not because I have plans on licensing anything. I'm sure it's at least a couple thousand either way.

[Vexx]

It is probably the same magnitude (the details are pretty closely guarded)....but there's definitely a large difference in *labor* costs. A light novel is *all* about the translator. A manga has image transfer, word balloon, and clean up issues. I have no idea which end is pricier.

Then there's the problem that you've moved out of "picture books" and into "chapter books with lots of words" .... publishers worry about things like that.

[Genten]

I assume that light novels would have cheaper licensing fees. Light novels are mostly text with a few illustrations while manga is all illustrations with a bit of text. I just think it would be cheaper to buy a license to a light novel series than a manga but I can't exactly pin down the reason.

However, the labor cost would cost more than a manga. A manga series does require text fitting and picture cleaning but translation is not such a big deal. As text is seperated by bubbles the grammatical structure of the page is not as important. Grammar and other issues are still important but it doesn't take as much effort. However, novels would be exponentially harder to work with. You're translating and entire book, not a few texts. You need to rearrange the sentences in a comprehensible order that would work in the context of a paragraph. It is nothing but rearranging grammar stuctures, changing lines to make sense, and making the translation more than a flat representation of the Japanese dialogue. If someone is going to be reading only translated text you better make sure you do a good job with it.

[TJR]

As a potential argument for lower licensing fees, readership could be a factor. Generally, light novels are far less popular than manga (on a critical level, they're also far less respected overall, but I don't think that would affect licensing costs). Nevertheless, only the publishing companies would know how much a license would cost.

[RelaxRelapse]

Interesting..

There was a lot of things you guys said that I didn't factor in. I guess this explains why there aren't many Light Novels being licensed.

[DragoZERO]

I think the license cost is proportionate to the value, at least that's what logical. But light novels are, as Vexx said, a lot of work on the translator. Plus so many light novels were made into animes and mangas.

Toradora's manga was licensed but not the light novel. There is definitely potential in light novels, however they would have to change things up and either release multiple volumes at once or keep a steady schedule, which does not happen. I do think if they advertise it and promote it, like at conventions, it would sell.

[darkchibi07]

Originally Posted by TJR

As a potential argument for lower licensing fees, readership could be a factor. Generally, light novels are far less popular than manga (on a critical level, they're also far less respected overall, but I don't think that would affect licensing costs). Nevertheless, only the publishing companies would know how much a license would cost.

THIS!!!!!

Not all manga readers are light novel readers (this is where Viz, Tokyopop and Seven Seas fumbled). Hell, the term "light novel" just gives out a rather childish connotation. If you ask me, U.S. companies needs to market these light novels beyond just American otaku and go for maybe the general teen market, and not to mention get bookstores to put these in the teen novel section of the bookstore and not the manga section.

And if it means changing the cover so more general readers would even glance at it, so be it!

[RelaxRelapse]

Originally Posted by darkchibi07

THIS!!!!!

Not all manga readers are light novel readers (this is where Viz, Tokyopop and Seven Seas fumbled). Hell, the term "light novel" just gives out a rather childish connotation. If you ask me, U.S. companies needs to market these light novels beyond just American otaku and go for maybe the general teen market, and not to mention get bookstores to put these in the teen novel section of the bookstore and not the manga section.

And if it means changing the cover so more general readers would even glance at it, so be it!

I agree.. That's pretty much exactly what Yen Press is doing with Spice & Wolf and as far as I know it's doing fairly well.

[RRW]

on related news. how successful is Haruhi LN on western?

[Genten]

Originally Posted by rrw

on related news. how successful is Haruhi LN on western?

I would imagine a large number of sales came from anime fans that were already familiar with the Haruhi Suzumiya anime or manga. If I were to estimate a percent, probably around 80%. Ten percent would be fans randomly browsing the manga section of a local bookstore, where many light novels are shelved. Another five percent would be people who have had the book recommended to them by a friend. The last measely five percent would be people with no knowledge of anime and manga at all, stumbling upon them. I can't give you exact sales numbers but I can give you an approximation of the audiences buying the books. I can only guess that sales of the English novels are much, much lower than their Japanese equivalents.

For those interested in some ideas for marketing light novels I've read an interesting blog post at Gar Gar Stegosaurus entitled, obviously, The Failure of Light Novels in America.

In a perfect world I would be holding all of the Zaregoto and Katanagatari novels in my hands right now. Le sigh. . .

[DragoZERO]

I saw Spice and Wolf the other week and it had a real life girl and it looked bad, really bad. I get the adapting to broader audiences by not putting the anime design on it, but they don't have to put her on the cover. Put a wagon and a fox tail sticking out.

[Vexx]

Originally Posted by DragoZERO

I saw Spice and Wolf the other week and it had a real life girl and it looked bad, really bad. I get the adapting to broader audiences by not putting the anime design on it, but they don't have to put her on the cover. Put a wagon and a fox tail sticking out.

Yen went for the broader audience... and if you look at all the fiction novels in the bookstore they tend to have "Live-action" art on the jackets.

Fortunately, the "live art" is only on the book jacket - the real cover underneath duplicates the original Japanese cover. And yes... I think the 'live' cover art could have been much better. I don't mind the idea they were going for... but the execution was amateurish. The wolf fur tail is a blotchy mess.

[CrowKenobi]

Originally Posted by Genten

In a perfect world I would be holding all of the Zaregoto and Katanagatari novels in my hands right now. Le sigh. . .

And I would be holding all fifteen of The Slayers novels in my hands as well (stuck at eight! ).

[GDB]

Originally Posted by CrowKenobi

And I would be holding all fifteen of The Slayers novels in my hands as well (stuck at eight! ).

Seconded. I really wish Yen would pick up volumes 9 through 15, but if they didn't do it when they could piggyback on Revolution/Evolution-R, I don't think they're ever going to.

[DragoZERO]

There should be a law that says they have to finish it! It's the worst when the company stops working on it, and holds onto the license preventing another company from completing it.

[Genten]

Originally Posted by DragoZERO

There should be a law that says they have to finish it! It's the worst when the company stops working on it, and holds onto the license preventing another company from completing it.

I would totally agree to this law. After two years of delay I finally get the second novel of Zaregoto and now Del Rey won't release the last seven? That's not fair.

[bayoab]

Originally Posted by DragoZERO

There should be a law that says they have to finish it! It's the worst when the company stops working on it, and holds onto the license preventing another company from completing it.

Actually, what usually happens is that if someone drops it, it means it was a sales failure and nobody else wants to lose money in licensing the rest. Most manga and light novels are licensed a few books at a time, not as a series.

[GDB]

Originally Posted by DragoZERO

There should be a law that says they have to finish it! It's the worst when the company stops working on it, and holds onto the license preventing another company from completing it.

Well, to be fair, TokyoPop did finish out the story arc they were on in Slayers, even though they didn't want to (and released volumes 7 and 8). They've also released the license in this case, and wished the fans luck that someone else would pick it up.

[DragoZERO]

Originally Posted by GDB

Well, to be fair, TokyoPop did finish out the story arc they were on in Slayers, even though they didn't want to (and released volumes 7 and 8). They've also released the license in this case, and wished the fans luck that someone else would pick it up.

That is the best solution. The sales may be poor but another company me want to try a new approach and what better way is there than with something that already has a fanbase.

[Vexx]

Still waiting for the manga ARIA from Tokyopop..... and Tsukuyomi Moon Phase.... so lets just say their track record isn't great on manga so I'd be even less sanguine about them handling a riskier light novel.