Tentai Books Discussion Thread
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You can download a free sample of the rom-com from their site right now.
https://tentaibooks.com/en/books/theres-no-way-a-side-character-like-me-could-be-popular-right/
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@Jon-Mitchell what you're describing is still English readers subsidizing the Spanish readers for no reason other than then wanting to appeal to Spanish readers and being unable to afford equivalent price. I understand you're trying the glass half full instead of half empty approach but I'm not able to do that in this case because it feels like a rip-off. They have done nothing to prove credibility or superior quality as a publisher to justify the mark up
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I don't know enough about Tentai's business model to be certain, but if I can draw a parallel from an industry I am familiar with (software sales) different prices in different markets isn't about one market subsidizing the other, it's about getting the most that the market will bear in every area you decide to play in. For example: Microsoft office (open corporate perpetual license) might cost $325 in USA and the same license might cost the equivalent of only $75 US in India, and $449 in Japan. Why? Microsoft charges more in Japan: because. they. can. And they charge less in India because they have to. They'll say that the increase in Japanese market is about language sets or software distribution models, but the reality is that Microsoft Office is marketed as a premium product in Japan, and they charge as much as they can get away with...the most the market will bear. In India, strict adherence to (and enforcement of) EULA's isn't part of the business landscape like it is in some other markets, if Microsoft charged more than they do, they'd find that business would be running Office without paying (at all). Bottom line: I don't know what the 'cost' of the product is (to Tentai) so I don't know that they have more profit margin (more markup) in English than they do in Spanish- maybe they have a surplus of cheap translators in Spanish, and English translators cost more? or they outsource editing in English but do Spanish in house? or they get marketing money from Overlap to penetrate the Spanish speaking market (that they use to lower the cost)... or it might be that in central/south America the equivalent of $10 is too expensive for an ePub? Whereas in the USA it isn't
I read banned books
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@Terrence said in Tentai Books Discussion Thread:
free sample of the rom-com
I gave the sample a read, not enough to really get an idea if it's good or not. The first three chapters pepper in enough cliche and often used tropes that I can't get an idea of where the story is going to go...will there be an entertaining twist or is this really that vanilla. Which still might be worth the read, sometimes I like vanilla.
In any case, once it's available to purchase on Amazon, I have some electronic currency to burn there, I'll buy it. Both to support the industry (and vote with my dollars for more companies to do translations) and to vote with my dollars for more LN romcoms
I read banned books
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@Jon-Mitchell I'll give a better reply when I'm not walking but just briefly I definitely understand regional segmentation but that isn't what this company is doing. They are charging these prices globally for the same thing. If MSFT charged $100 for Spanish on Windows despite similar costs to produce they would get boycotted and called racist
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@Jon-Mitchell said in Tentai Books Discussion Thread:
@Terrence said in Tentai Books Discussion Thread:
free sample of the rom-com
The first three chapters pepper in enough cliche and often used tropes that I can't get an idea of where the story is going to go...will there be an entertaining twist or is this really that vanilla. Which still might be worth the read, sometimes I like vanilla.It's at least got a bit of appeal for me early...
(Spoilers from the sample and color inserts)
Definitely was super short. I'd have at least liked to see the "answer" to the ending there, but I guess not knowing what it is could entice people to buy the book. It just makes me want a bigger sampler (I'm guessing the Google Play automatic sample will be bigger if it's on there). >_>
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@Terrence My bet is bug-repellent. Who is going to pester her if he’s involved? The MC comes across like if Ryuuji from Toradora had just given up completely before the start of the series. Not really something I want to see, but I might wind up checking it out to see if he gets any better by the end of the first volume.
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So Tentai has an update on their physical versions.
The big thing there is that the physical editions will have bonus stories, of the same sort that would be in JNC's premium epubs. The bonus stories are exclusive to the physical editions.
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I hope they drop the "exclusive to print version" thing for later series.
Other than that it good to see that they seems pretty serious, they better not become another 'shining star of the localisation industry'. -
I don’t buy physical anymore, so the bonuses don’t matter to me but I do think it’s a smart way to make the more expensive physical editions enticing to fans.
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@stardf29 said in Tentai Books Discussion Thread:
So Tentai has an update on their physical versions.
The big thing there is that the physical editions will have bonus stories, of the same sort that would be in JNC's premium epubs. The bonus stories are exclusive to the physical editions.
That makes me much less likely to buy titles from them.
I don't want to use the space or the resources for physical editions, and I object to missing out on the bonus stories because of my choice of format.
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I hope they drop the extra's being only in print, I'm not going to pay double (physicals cost more + shipping) to get stories that they say are not central to the plot. (They call them fan service, but I know that phrase can have more than one meaning) I will be throwing some money their way as I believe it's good to support this new venture, but the way they are promoting physicals, I believe is a tactical error.
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@HarmlessDave said in Tentai Books Discussion Thread:
missing out on the bonus stories because of my choice of format.
That's even more applicable to JNC, tbh, where the most expensive version of the book is also one that lacks bonuses.
Limiting it to one version is bad thing either way, but oh, well. -
@Wellwisher said in Tentai Books Discussion Thread:
the most expensive version of the book is also one that lacks bonuses
at least I can wrap my head around bonuses being a membership exclusive (and I believe that JNC gets a larger portion of sale/profit for premiums vs. physical or ePub on amazon or whatever)
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In case some people are looking for what the bonuses will likely be here the link to Overlap site http://blog.over-lap.co.jp/tokuten_yujinchara/
From the short blurbs it does seems like just fan service. -
If Tentai Books licenses a novel I’m interested in, I think I’m in for it too. If I can get more nice novels like from J-Novel Club (DRM-free, high quality pictures), it would be awesome!
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Tentai seems to have account set up (on their site) and you can place pre-orders on Amazon (or via PayPal direct w/ Tentai?)
I hope they do well, more publishers of LN's in English (and Spanish) is a good thing
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There was some kind of hangup with the accounts on their site, so no pre-orders through them yet it seems.
https://twitter.com/TentaiBooks/status/1263826912037797888?s=20
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@EmpactWB said in Tentai Books Discussion Thread:
@Terrence My bet is bug-repellent. Who is going to pester her if he’s involved? The MC comes across like if Ryuuji from Toradora had just given up completely before the start of the series. Not really something I want to see, but I might wind up checking it out to see if he gets any better by the end of the first volume.
@Terrence
Just bought/read Side Character, the romcom was a little saccharine, a little predictable, but had a different take on a few of the tropes to not be entirely cliche. I'd say it was a entertaining read and a safe starting point for Tentai - there was enough there for me to want to read the next volume at least. $10 us seems a little steep for the Ebook on amazon (it felt pretty short, JNC's $6.99 for just feels 'right' for cost/length) and somehow I'm mildly irritated the the bonus content is only for physical, but, that aside, I'd say it's worth giving them a try -
Binged through Side Character. It was a nice read but nothing to sing the praises from the rooftops about. I really hope it doesn't fall into harem later on and keeps focusing on the two main characters. It's nice that unlike way too many other """""""""""rom"""""""""""-coms it actually has some traces of rom in it and from the first book to boot.
If it does go harem it deserves all of the cancellations Overlap can throw at it for ruining one of the way too few rom-coms that manage to came over into English. Let's hope Tentai doesn't pull a Slow Press and never releases the next volume with it being coming soon(tm) forever.
