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Yen Press, LibraryPass Distribute Digital Manga to Libraries and Schools Through Comics Plus
posted on by Alex Mateo
LibraryPass and Yen Press announced on Thursday a distribution agreement to make a selection of Yen Press' digital catalog available to libraries and schools through Comics Plus. Comics Plus allows readers unlimited online and offline access to digital comics, graphic novels, and manga at a library or school.
Yen Press will add over 100 titles to the service (including Western comics). The service will include the following manga:
- Star Wars: Lost Stars
- Star Wars: Star Wars Leia, Princess of Alderaan
- Star Wars Rebels
- New Japan Academy, Vol. 1: The Tale of Tetsuya Naito
- Kingdom Hearts II
- Kingdom Hearts III
- Kingdom Hearts: Final Mix
- Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories
- Kingdom Hearts: 358/2 Days
- Big Hero 6
Yen Press announced Yen Audio, its new imprint for audiobooks, in May. The company is partnering with Hachette Audio to produce, sell, and distribute digital audiobooks for select titles.
Hassler stated in an interview with ICv2 published in March that 2020 was a record year for Yen Press. Hassler added that the manga market took a significant hit in the second quarter of 2020 due to the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19). The manga market then took a significant upswing last summer, and by fall, the company experienced sales significantly higher than in 2019. Hassler reported that the positive momentum has continued into 2021.
Due to Yen Press' increased sales, the company has been having some difficulty scheduling printer time and stocking books due to printer capacity issues in the publishing industry.
Hassler added that Yen Press' manga output over the last five years has increased since the business was spun off as a joint venture between Kadokawa and Hachette, and he attributed some of that growth to an expansion of Kadokawa content, while continuing to work with other licensors. He commented that the company's relationship with Kadokawa is much closer than it was prior to the joint venture, and they are constantly engaged in discussions to further business and the market.
Source: Press release
