The Coronavirus pandemic is impacting the business of distributors and retailers and the purchasing power of customers, forcing comics publishers to rearrange and slow down their publishing schedules. Yen Press has just released a statement describing changes coming to its catalog and release dates between May and September, though April titles are still on track for publication.
Fans are encouraged to check out YenPress.com for their full statement and updates on specific titles. We’ll certainly keep you guys in the loop here on the site and on Manga Mavericks about any notable upcoming changes.
For now, check out Yen’s press release below for more details. Stay safe and wash your hands, y’all.
Yen Press Reschedules Light Novel and Manga Releases
A Reduction in Monthly Releases and a Shift in Schedule in Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic
NEW YORK, NY, April 3, 2020 – Yen Press announced today that it will forego the solicitation of their September 2020 catalog and will reschedule the print and digital publication of several volumes of manga and light novels. Titles originally solicited with an on-sale date between May and August will be redistributed through September, reducing new releases in the coming months. This decision is a response to the continued impact of the coronavirus pandemic on key Yen Press partners, in particular distributors and retailers, as well as fans and readers of Yen Press books.
April Yen Press titles will be released as scheduled.
Readers are encouraged to check YenPress.com for the full statement from the publisher and future updates on specific titles.
About Yen Press, LLC
Yen Press, LLC is a joint venture between Kadokawa Corporation and Hachette Book Group.
Founded in 2006, Yen Press is one of the largest and most prolific publishers of manga and original graphic novels in North America,
and is also a leading publisher of light novels and Japanese literature through its Yen On imprint.
For more information, please visit www.yenpress.com.
https://www.facebook.com/yenpress/
https://www.instagram.com/yenpress/
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Yen Press Publisher Statement:
Dear readers and bookselling colleagues,
It goes without saying that these are challenging times for everyone. We are all forced to deal with the pandemic crisis in our own ways, and we hope and trust that everyone reading this is enduring with a sense of optimism that we will all come through this together and see brighter days ahead – brighter days that we know are just over the horizon.
Reaching that horizon is the tricky part, of course, and for the health and safety of our coworkers and the security of our collective businesses, we are all tasked with finding solutions to overcome the hurdles set in our path. Like others in our industry, the particular hurdles Yen Press now faces are shelter-from-home orders and widespread disruption throughout our distribution channels and among our retail partners.
First and foremost, I want to take a moment to publicly thank our staff for deftly managing the transition to telecommuting while our offices are temporarily closed. Similarly, I’d like to express our profound appreciation to the freelancers with whom we work — be they translators, letterers, proofreaders, or copyeditors — for continuing to lend their talents to the books we produce. Last, but certainly not least, our heartfelt thanks to all of the creators we have the pleasure of calling Yen authors and whose creative sparks offer us all some relief, particularly in trying times. Our sincerest gratitude.
As Yen Press eyes that aforementioned horizon, it is clear that we cannot proceed as if we are not experiencing unprecedented disruption to our business. We must remain as nimble as possible and respond to changing market conditions. With that in mind, we have evaluated our publishing schedule for the next several months and determined that our best course of action is to forego the solicitation of our September 2020 catalog, which we would normally be finalizing in the next week or so. Instead, we will be taking the books previously solicited for May – August and relisting those titles throughout the May – September period. This will help to reduce the burden on our production and distribution channels as well as our retail partners, all of whom are coping with their own challenges now and in the coming months. At the same time, it will maintain a steady stream of new books flowing into the market and into the hands of our readers at a rate more appropriate to the current circumstances.
Our revised publication schedule will be communicated to our publishing partners via metadata next week as well as posted to our website for interested fans.
Thank you, everyone, for your remarkable endurance — and just a reminder that reading is a great way to escape when the walls seem to be closing in!
Warmest regards,
Kurt Hassler
Publisher & Managing Director
Yen Press
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