Response to “Ask John”

One of our readers with some insider knowledge took some time to expand on yesterday’s “Ask John” column addressing why more Japanese animation gets translated for the American market than manga.

Hello. I work for a mainstream bookstore and am friends with the owner of a comic book store, and I can tell you right now why there is less manga than anime. Bookstores and comic stores don’t like taking too many chances. The average profit per book for a bookstore is $1.50-$2.50 per paperback book, and it’s even less per issue for a comic store. Every title we have sitting on the shelves is lost money, so putting a $16.95 graphic novel on the shelf to just sit isn’t a smart business decision. For video stores, putting an anime title on the shelf is just like putting anything else on the shelf, as the prices are relatively the same and, especially with the surge of anime on American TV, there’s a demand for it. However, the prices of the average manga graphic novel ($12.95 – $21.95) are much higher than those of the average paperback book ($4.99 – $7.99), and there is much less demand compared to other stock, such as romance novels or the new John Grisham. Almost any bookstore will be able to special-order your favorite manga, but it’s just not cost-effective to keep it in stock for most non-chain bookstores. And publishers don’t like committing to a book that most bookstores won’t stock.

The bottom line is that if bookstores can’t sell it, they won’t carry it. So make sure you check your local bookstore and have them special-order that new graphic novel every week so they’ll know there’s a demand for it. Then cross your fingers and hope they catch on, because it’s a domino effect up the chain. Harry Potter became a household name just because someone went to their local bookstore and asked for it. Maybe Ranma 1/2 will be next.

Article provided by Jason Byrons