Light novel
To please their audience, in the 1970s, most of the Japanese pulp magazines began to put illustrations at the beginning of each story and included articles about popular anime, movies and video games.
[5] As such, publishing companies are constantly searching for new talent with annual contests, many of which earn the winner a cash prize and publication of their novel.
[8] Other United States English-language publishers that license light novels are Tokyopop, Viz Media, DMP, Dark Horse, J-Novel Club, Yen Press (Kadokawa's American joint-venture with Hachette Book Group), and Del Rey Manga.
The founder of Viz Media, Seiji Horibuchi, speculates that the US market for light novels will experience a similar increase in popularity as it has in the Japanese subculture once it becomes recognized by the consumer audience.
[10] Kim Morrissy of Anime News Network reported that Keita Kamikita, the system operator of a science fiction and fantasy forum, is usually credited with coining the term "light novel" in 1990.
Some years later MediaWorks founded a pop-lit imprint called Dengeki Bunko, which produces well-known light novel series to this day.
Dengeki Bunko writers continued to slowly gain attention until the small light novel world experienced a boom around 2006.
After the huge success of the Haruhi Suzumiya series, the number of publishers and readers interested in light novels suddenly skyrocketed.
Light novels became an important part of the Japanese 2D culture in the late 2000s, with series such as A Certain Magical Index selling large amounts of copies with each volume release.
The number of light novels series put out every year increases, usually illustrated by the most celebrated artists from pixiv and the most successful works are adapted into manga, anime, games and live-action movies.
[12] The success of Sword Art Online and 'isekai' as a whole contributed to the creation of write-your-own fiction websites in Japan and increasing popularity of light novels in the west as well.
In the United States, hundreds of different light novels have been translated into English, the two largest publishers being Yen Press, a joint venture between Kadokawa and Hachette Book Group, and Seven Seas Entertainment.
Web novels offer authors the opportunity to share their stories directly online in a continuous format, reaching a wide audience.
The low entry barrier also provides unknown authors with the chance to gain recognition and build a fan base without relying on the support of a traditional publisher.
