Yen Press and J-Novel Club Announce Print Publishing Partnership

Yen Press to Publish Print Editions of J-Novel Club Titles Under a New Imprint

NEW YORK, NY (11/19/22)--Yen Press and J-Novel Club have announced a partnership involving the publication of print editions of J-Novel Club's digital offerings. Under a newly created J-Novel Club imprint, Yen Press will produce and distribute high-quality physical editions of beloved light novel and manga series, such as Hell Mode and My Instant Death Ability Is So Overpowered, No One in This Other World Stands a Chance Against Me! Books published under this imprint will stay true to the translation and editing of J-Novel Club's digital publications, with Yen Press handling print production.

“One of the nice things about working under a single corporate umbrella is the ability to explore mutually beneficial opportunities like this. Leveraging Yen's strength in the print light novel market, we're excited by the prospect of putting physical editions of J-Novel Club's books into more readers' hands,” said Kurt Hassler, Publisher & Managing Director of Yen Press.

“After our joining the Kadokawa Group in early 2021, I am glad to see that opportunities for mutual cooperation like this are beginning to come to fruition,” said Samuel Pinansky, Managing Director and Founder of J-Novel Club. “With the strength of Yen Press's print publishing of Japanese light novels and manga, we hope that many more readers will be able to fall in love with these series.”

Print releases from this partnership are set to debut in Spring 2023, with the first of them scheduled for May 2023 release.

Hell Mode (light novel)

Story by Hamuo Illustration by Mo

“‘Level up even while offline'?! That's not a game on ‘easy mode'--that's just an AFK game!” The online game Yamada Kenichi had been playing religiously is shutting down its servers, leaving him with a void in his heart. He looks for a new game to fill it, but everything he finds is way too easy. The kind of game he likes--the kind punishing enough to make players want to spend thousands of hours on it--just isn't around anymore. “What's this? ‘You are invited to a game that will never end.'” Kenichi stumbles upon an untitled game, one promising incomparable challenge with unprecedented potential. Without hesitation, he selects the “Hell Mode” difficulty. Lo and behold, he finds himself reincarnated in another world as a serf! Now called Allen, he sets out to unlock the secrets of his mystery-laden Summoner class; without the convenience of walkthroughs, game guides, or online forums, he must grope his way to the top of his new world!

My Instant Death Ability Is So Overpowered, No One in This Other World Stands a Chance Against Me!

Story by Tsuyoshi Fujitaka Illustration and Character Design by Chisato Naruse Manga Art by Hanamaru Nanto

Awaking to absolute chaos and carnage while on a school trip, Yogiri Takatou discovers that everyone in his class has been transported to another world! He had somehow managed to sleep through the entire ordeal himself, missing out on the Gift -- powers bestowed upon the others by a mysterious Sage who appeared to transport them. Even worse, he and another classmate were ruthlessly abandoned
by their friends, left as bait to distract a nearby dragon. Although not terribly bothered by the thought of dying, he reluctantly decides to protect his lone companion. After all, a lowly Level 1000 monster doesn’t stand a chance against his secret power to invoke Instant Death with a single thought! If he can stay awake long enough to bother using it, that is…

The J-Novel Club imprint will publish both the original light novel and the manga adaptation titled My Instant Death Ability Is So Overpowered, No One in This Other World Stands a Chance Against Me! --AΩ--.


The Misfit of Demon King Academy (light novel)

Story by SHU Illustration by Shizumayoshinori

Tired of ceaseless war destroying humans, spirits, and demons alike, the Demon King of Tyranny, Anos Voldigoad, reincarnates to restore peace. Two thousand years have passed…but who could have known that his descendants' complacency would cause magic to regress so much? After receiving an invitation to the illustrious Demon King Academy, a school tasked with locating the reincarnated founding ancestor, Anos resolves to enroll, only to discover that his magic is off the charts--literally! With power too great to be measured, the former Demon King is branded a misfit. How will he convince demonkind that the school's founder stands before them? Thus begins a misfit's climb to the top of the demon hierarchy!

About Yen Press, LLC

Yen Press, LLC is a joint venture between Kadokawa Corporation and Hachette Book Group. Founded in 2006, Yen Press has quickly risen to become one of the largest and most prolific publishers of manga, manhwa, and original graphic novels in the North American marketplace and a driving force in the introduction of light novels and Japanese literature to new readers through its Yen On and Yen Audio imprints. For more information, visit www.yenpres.com.

About J-Novel Club

J-Novel Club is a digital and physical publishing company started by translators and fans like you! By focusing on digital releases and providing a membership service to let people read our books as they are being translated, our goal is to build a growing community of readers so that more releases can be officially licensed and translated. With the addition of the J-Novel Heart and J-Novel Pulp imprints, the company hopes to appeal to even more audiences worldwide. Since 2016, J-Novel Club has digitally published over 1,000 volumes and physically printed over 230 volumes of different series for you to enjoy.

2 thoughts on “Yen Press and J-Novel Club Announce Print Publishing Partnership

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.