With several highly popular titles like The Apothecary Diaries, My Happy Marriage, Soul Eater, and My Dress Up Darling to name only a few, Square Enix is quickly establishing itself as a major publisher even in the West, with an ever-growing cult following. As the manga medium itself continues to gain steam outside of Japan, demand for these manga titles continues to grow as well. Fortunately, Square Enix’s latest partnership with a major mainstream publisher could see these beloved titles soon displayed in even more comic bookstores across North America, making Japanese manga and web novels easier to find and buy than ever before.
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As per a recent press release via Anime News Network, Square Enix Manga has teamed up with Penguin Random House and has launched a new initiative called Comic Partner which aims to support and promote the sale of Japanese manga across North America. As part of this new initiative, retailers that are part of Penguin Random House’s Direct Partnership Program will also be regarded as Square Enix Comic Partner stores and will receive various forms of support, including in-store promotional material, early access to select new Square Enix launches, and providing managers and sales staff education about manga to help bridge knowledge gaps about the medium. The Comic Partner initiative will take effect from April 2025, which means in only a few weeks fans may be able to find even more comic book stores carrying their favorite manga.
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Square Enix Takes A Major Step Forward in Making Manga More Accessible
As detailed in the press release, the manga market in the US is currently valued at $1.28 billion, a number which is only expected to increase in the years to come and could even exceed $3.73 billion by 2030. As manga continues to grow in popularity, the press release explains that physical bookstores continue to face challenges keeping up with the new, vast, and ever-growing medium, which is where Square Enix’s new Comic Partner project enters the picture.
According to Morgan Perry, the Marketing Manager for Square Enix, the aim of the collaboration with Penguin Random House is, “To make it easier for our comic shop partners to unlock the potential of manga sales.” Perry also states, “We’re committed to helping comic shop retailers who are interested in expanding to carry more manga and build those communities in their stores through this partnership.”
What this means for fans is that finding and buying their favorite Square Enix releases could soon get even more accessible as more retailers enter the fray with the support of Square Enix and Penguin Random House. The marketing support provided by Comic Partner means that manga fans and bonafide collectors can now also expect better assistance at local bookstores, making it even more pleasant and inviting to shop offline. All in all, Square Enix’s new partnership with Penguin Random House could prove to be a huge step forward in helping Japanese manga continue to thrive in the mainstream market.
Source: ANN
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