Harry Potter magically saves Japanese publishers

[Taro Toporific]

Latest Potter Feat May Be Saving Japan Publishers
Bloomberg - Sept 1-- Harry Potter may come to the rescue of local publishers as the Japanese edition of the fifth book in the series about a boy wizard goes on sale today, the Yomiuri newspaper said without citing anyone.
The Japanese-language ``Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix,'' published by Say-zan-sha Publications Ltd., may help revive a publishing industry that hasn't seen growth since 1997, the paper said. Amazon.com Inc.'s Japan unit has received as many as 80,000 orders for the latest novel in the series, it said.....
...Publication of the fourth episode, in October 2002, helped raise overall book sales 18.4 percent from a year earlier for that month, it said.

[Taro Toporific]

WOTS a "book"?

I guess it's something Japanese used to carry in the old days around before keitai.


" Keitai Addiction" via JuergenSpecht.com

[kurohinge1]

WOTS a "book"?

I thought it was something Hawaiin Police used to do to naughty people.


Those publishers need to evolve if they don't want to become extinct.

[canman]

Holy Crap Batman, 4200 Yen for the latest book. I don't think people in the west would have gone as crazy for good old Harry if they had to pony up $40 for the book. It looks like that translator/publisher hit the jackpot with this one. My wife lined up get the reserved copy she had waiting, and was asked if she wanted to reserve for numbers 6 and 7. But the bookstore had no idea when they would be published.