I'm glasses.
![[up]](https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/smiles/arrow_up.png "[up]"){kind=icon}
The ebook idea has a lot of potential.
The earliest attempts at selling light novels in the NA market that I'm aware of essentially targetted them at manga readers only, which was a huge mistake. That's basically selling to a niche within a niche, with predictable sales results.
IIRC Yen Press successfully marketed Haruhi to general young adult audience with a non-anime looking paperback cover, with much more success than companies like Viz got with their light novel releases. That's really the way to go with marketing them.
More professional translations of light novels would be great. I tried to read the fan translations of To Aru Majutsu No Index, but quit before finishing the first chapter; the translation was simply unreadable.
Currently taking a break from the site. See my user page for more information.
Secret Character
Viz Media predicts that Light Novels will become popular in the US.
as silly as
Deus Ex games has rendered war invisible. CNN reporters flummoxed
...a little brother should belong to his older sister, right? - Orimura Chifuyu
A lot depends on the translation; some Light Novel translations I've seen haven't exactly had the most fluid and enjoyable prose around.
I'm glasses.
In general, translation from Japanese is pretty crap these days. If you read a manga you can see how much finesse the translation desperately lacks.
edited 16th Nov '11 8:24:55 AM by Sporkaganza
Always, somewhere, someone is fighting for you. As long as you remember them, you are not alone.
Slay foes with bow and arrow
Eh, I have read a lot of official translations that are excellent. The Genshiken manga comes to mind. Although Light Novels still do not have great translations even today.
A good start would be to not refer to them as 'light' novels. Just market them as novels, period.
Spice and Wolf and Haruhi Suzumiya seem to be doing well, so there very well could be a market for them.
I just want them to pick up the Bakemonogatari novels.
Also I feel that they would have a better chance of success is they started releasing Light Novels as Kindle or Nook eBooks.
edited 15th Nov '11 3:47:47 PM by dmysta3000