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U.S. Company to be First to Publish Original English Light Novels

NEW LIGHT NOVEL PUBLISHER TO MAKE HISTORY

DANVILLE, VA (Sept. 2, 2014) – A new light novel publishing company, Vic's Lab, LLC, will make history in the publishing industry.

“Vic's Lab will be the first U.S. company to publish original English light novels, the first to distribute original content and similar self-published books on a social networking website, and the first to have suggested age ratings on the front of each book published,” said company founder and publisher Chad “Vic” Adams. “I'm not aware of an American company that does these.”

The company will focus on fans of young adult science fiction and fantasy books—especially those who also like anime, superhero movies, JRPG video games, and similar media.

Paul Witcover is the editor for the company's first book, Vecto: Vengeance, an original English light novel written by Reid Kemper. Witcover has worked for Tokyopop, Del Rey, Tor, and DC Comics and has written a Nebula-nominated book.

Light novels are short novels or novellas that are popular in Japan. These stories often are made into manga and anime shows. They are easy to read, can be read in one sitting, and are typically heavy on dialogue and action. Although companies have published translated light novels in America, Vic's Lab wants to encourage English-speaking authors to embrace this short form of writing.

“If an English-language author writes a light novel, it's very difficult to find a publisher that will accept a story with such a low word count. The author may resort to self-publishing and struggle with discoverability,” Adams said. “To solve this issue, we are creating a social networking website targeted specifically to their intended readers. We will distribute their books on our website and will consider publishing their books as well—providing value-add to authors who don't have the upfront costs or knowledge needed to professionally publish a book and market to readers.”

The company's website, VicsLab.com, is under construction, but the company is accepting beta testers. An updated design is planned for this fall.

The goal of the website is to connect authors and fans of young adult science fiction and fantasy stories, with a focus on written content similar in theme to superhero movies and anime. Light novels and typical-length books will be offered for sale on the website.

“It can be difficult for fans of superhero movies, anime, and video games to find books that are similar in theme,” Adams said. “With VicsLab.com, we want to make their search easy by collecting them onto one site. We also believe it's increasingly important for authors and fans to connect, so we are making the site a social network as well.”

Books published by Vic's Lab also will be distributed to major online retailers such as Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Apple. Vic's Lab will concentrate on e-books but will offer print books as well.

Each book published by Vic's Lab will have a suggested age rating on the front cover. There also will be a short list of content descriptors that explain the ratings, such as “violence” and “mild language.”

“Similar to the movie and video game industry, we want our readers to know if our books contain anything objectionable,” Adams said. “Although we don't advocate for a universal rating system for all books, we want to provide this service to our customers to help them make an informed decision. Some young adult books already have descriptors on the back cover, but we want to go the extra mile and implement them across the board.”

Vecto: Vengeance will be the first book to include the rating. It's rated 13+ for violence and has been described as a fast-paced, character-driven book packed with over-the-top action. The story is about a robot with emotions named Vecto who, after a friend dies, goes on a revengeful search for a longtime nemesis. He meets up with a sword-wielding teenage thief, sniper/assassin, martial arts master/farmer and others along the way.

The chapters are written as if they are anime episodes. Each chapter can be read in the time it takes to watch an episode, and the whole book can be read in the time it takes to watch a three-hour movie.

Vecto: Vengeance, the first book of a planned trilogy, will officially be released Nov. 18. For a limited time, the e-book can be preordered for 99 cents on Amazon.com. Preorders will soon be accepted at Barnes & Noble, Apple, and other online retailers. When the preorder sale ends, the e-book will retail for $3.99. The price for the print edition is undetermined, but the company will offer bundling discounts.

Kemper has written five unpublished novels before making his debut with Vecto: Vengeance. He blogs at ReidKemper.com.

Adams has worked in the publishing industry for nearly a decade and is pursuing a Master of Professional Studies in Publishing at George Washington University with a focus on business and marketing.

For more information about the company, visit VicsLab.com. Interested authors, partners, and investors may contact the company via the “Contact” link at the footer of the website.


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