Rocket Bomber - article - manga - commentary - Recycling: Actually - yes - an accelerated release schedule is one of those things that will help manga sales.

An announcement on the recent Tokyopop Insider webcast/webinar/whatever that Gakuen Alice would see accelerated release (along the lines of—but not to the extent of—Viz’s Naruto and One Piece initiatives) combined with this post from Manga Widget reminded me quite strongly of a post I wrote 27 July 2008 — no, you don’t have to click that last link, I’m about to re-post the pertinent bits below.

There are factors that make a manga more appealing to your average shopper. In true game fashion, I’d describe these as “attack bonuses” or “force multipliers”

From the Jul 08 article:

Manga Force Multipliers
also known as ‘intangible sales factors’

Cartoon Network Afternoon Anime Broadcast:
Instant Win. Hire another two translators to get the books out faster, and hire an accountant to count the money,

Adult Swim 10pm Broadcast
+5

Adult Swim 11pm Broadcast
+3

Adult Swin post-Midnight Broadcast
+2

Other Cable Broadcast
+1

New. (volume released in the past month)
+1

Volume Five.
The customers like longer series: part of that is the appeal of long-running stories; mostly it’s that 5 volumes take up at least 4 inches of shelf space and combined with even rudimentary graphic design a block like that will catch the customers eye. +1

Frequency.
Viz has capably proven that releases every other month seem to engage the fan base moreso than titles that slowly exit the gate at the rate of 2 or 3 a year. The average 14-year-old fan just can’t wait that long — their interests change before you can get the next book out and into their greedy mitts. If you’re Dark Horse and you’re selling to the 30-year-old-with-a-14-year-old-mindset the math is different, but most publishers need to pump the volumes out faster. Bi-monthly merits a +5, 4-a-year gets you +1, anything else is a push (or a negative).

Anime available on DVD
+2

Anime available as a Fansub
+8

Sucks. Yes. But this is our customer base. They also hang out in the aisles, reading reading reading without buying anything. Cheap frickin’ bastards, the lot of them. It is what it is, though: We’re looking to capture the percentage that buys, not the rest, and shop-wear and unwrapped 18+ titles are just the cost of doing business.

And yet, I have a dream… a GN-only store that would not only cater to these sponges, but would sell them coffee and pastries until they do come around to buying the books they read.

related:

Manga available as scanlation
+1

This kinda-sorta-helps but not for the reason you think: it’s not that online comics sap legitimate bookstore sales, it’s that we hate hate hate reading comics online. Give us the anime adaptation, or give us a book. …there is no such thing as bad publicity, though; An online manga is just a teaser: If a person is ever going to buy a book than a scanlated chapter merely whets the appetite. The rest weren’t going to buy it anyway.

Fansubs are a different model: online video might as well be DVD for most consumers. It takes an exceptionally bad sub (or shite video quality) to keep a fan from downloading. A significant fraction download anyway (and complain about the legitimate DVD dubs and subs not being ‘authentic’ on forums).

(I can’t explain that, and won’t try)

##

Proofs:
Cartoon Network Afternoon Anime Broadcast: Pokemon
Adult Swim 10pm Broadcast: (historically) Dragon Ball Z, Inuyasha
Adult Swim 11pm Broadcast: Bleach
Adult Swin post-Midnight Broadcast: Death Note
Other Cable Broadcast: numerous 3rd tier titles on AZN, Jetix, Sci-fi, Starz, Toon Disney and ABC Family — take yer pick.
New: you know, I’ve started posting these weekly.
Volume Five: Vampire Knight
Frequency: Duh. Naruto
Anime available on DVD: many previously cited, also Fullmetal Alchemist, Full Metal Panic, and .hack//
Anime available as a Fansub: right now? Rosario+Vampire
Manga available as scanlation: Any. Naruto and Negima spring immediately to mind, however.

That’s only my take on it.

And 20 months on, I think this is still a fair take on the popularity of some titles vs others.