Forum - View topicManga Answerman - Why Do Publishers Sometimes Stop Publishing Manga Before They're Finished?
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Coup d'État
 Posts: 179 |
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A German publisher's department head (I think it was Carlsen Manga) explained once that the longer the consecutive (and first) volumes of a series are sitting on the shelfes at the book shop, the more a series can sell.* Sometimes, they would stretch out releases for that, so the time between volumes get's longer. Shelf space in bookstores is a rare, valuable currency. Shops order what's new (or what they know to sell anyway). Customers buy what's in front of them (Most readers aren't obsessed collectors like we are). Unless those complete sets were best-sellers, the shops would order them when they get released, but they wouldn't get more of it like clockwork every x months. In my personal opinion, they'd also be too expensive for casual buyers, as it's the entire price all at once. Heck, even I don't do that - I'm not spending 800$+taxes+customs on that Legend of the Galactic Heroes set. If I could buy that seperatelly, over the course of, say, 2 years, however ... Our publishers do complete bundles sometimes, but only after the single volumes had been out for a while, and for a better price (to get those pesky people who want it, but didn't buy it the first time around), never as the initial product. * although I think that can also go the opposite way, if customers forget the series even existed with too long breaks. It's a bit of a balance. |
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Shiratori-san
 Posts: 59 |
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Of course it is impossible to do complete packs for series that are longer than 20 volumes like Naruto and such  If we were talking about a 15 volume pack, it should not be much more than 150$.
Of course, it may still be a sum that's too difficult to spend all at once like that for some people, but if you are planing to buy it all anyway... I'm a bit of a mad collector, so I think it's a worse deal to spend 10-20/€ on one or two volumes right after they come out and end up with an incomplete manga for whatever reason. Furthermore, for those who (have to) buy online like me (I have to import english manga since in my country, ugh...), with the cost of delivery, buying all at once makes even more sense to save on delivery costs! Like, usually you pay the same (around 10$) either you order 1 or 20volumes (up to a certain weight, 15kg or so usually, and that's a lot of volumes). If for each volume, I have to pay the same or more than the article's cost for delivery, I end up spending more than double the money... Of course, one must know that the manga is good beforehand. It would be madness to spend that much in a complete collection that I'm not sure I'd like. About shelf space in stores... well, yes, that's a problem. And the main reason certain volumes get hard to find and out of print just a few months after release and they disappear before the final volume (like Twin Spica)... That and the fact that when publishers print, it must be in big batches. But that's how it is. |
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retroshojo
Posts: 28 |
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Made an account just to post here.
I've been waiting four years for Udon to release Rose of Versailles. The last update they sent out was in January, 2018. I can't tell you how frustrated I am. And while I'm excited about the upcoming Urusei Yatsura release, I'm a little worried that VIZ will stop halfway through, or bow out after two or three volumes. OR they'll pull a Kaze Hikaru and release them at a painfully, pointlessly slow rate. |
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whiskeyii
 Posts: 2249 |
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Holy flip, you're right! Man, I've even already spoiled myself on the scans since I read them before Udon's announcement, and I'll still mad! I wonder if it's a slow release too-niche-thing like the other slow-running series on here? |
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ZeetherKID77
 Posts: 981 |
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I'm pretty sure I saw new volumes of it being released by Kodansha USA, albeit digital only. |
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harminia
 Posts: 2006 Location: australia |
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That's cool if so, though I really don't want to buy digital copies 
EDIT: Just looked and they did release it all digitally! And the sequel series (I didn't know existed) too. Well, I'm happy it got fully released at least, even if it leaves a big gap in my bookshelf... Thanks for letting me know! |
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wmderemer
 It...it's not like I post for you or anything! Posts: 302 Location: Stroudsburg, PA |
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Previously mentioned, but adding my vote for completion:
Ichigo/Strawberry 100% [even though I have read scans, still salty on this drop and would buy remaining PRINT volumes] Inubaka Crazy for Dogs [still salty about this drop too, have not read scans] Yubisaki Milk Tea [read scans, but would buy the remaining volume] and some Del Rey titles that got abandoned in the Kodonsha takeover: Suzuka (which was not far from done) Pastel (which stopped on like 12 or 13 or something, just after spoiler[Yuu agreed to start dating Mugi], but ran for 35-40 volumes in Japan...a rom-com that long ain't getting license-rescued) and other assorted publisher drops: Futari no H/Manga Sutra [we got the 1st 6 Japanese tankoban as Tokyopop gave us jumbo sized 2-in-one volumes, but 50 vol. in Japan!? Not happening here] Couple [a 4 volume Korean manwha that CPM gave us the 1st 3 volumes of... one damned volume!] I am also concerned of bad sales possibly impacting 2 current titles I read who have dropped to 1-2 volumes a year in US, being Masamune-kun's Revenge and Shomin Sample, but those 2 could also be the "Caught up to Japanese release" syndrome... Last edited by wmderemer on Wed Jan 16, 2019 9:42 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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fuuma_monou
 Posts: 1821 Location: Quezon City, Philippines |
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Yeah, one more 3-in-1 omnibus would've finished the series, though the fact that the last print volume was an omnibus probably meant sales weren't so hot. |
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johnnysasaki
Posts: 929 |
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meanwhile,Rose of Versailles is being published in my country right now in omnibus format,and later this year...Fist of The North Star(and it will be the most recent Extreme Edition from Japan!) |
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msgundam2
 Posts: 271 Location: Indiana USA |
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My favorite manga Mobile Suit Gundam Ecole du Ciel was a victim of this. It's a Gundam manga by Haruhiko Mikimoto. How has nobody pick this up? Can't even find Scanlations past volume 9 which I already have.
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