[IMPORTANT UPDATE] New Subscription Tiers + Readers Library Now Live as of October 3, 2025
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I'm going to miss catchup. The way they usually put LNs adapted to anime on it when said anime were airing was a convenient way to catch up (see what I did there?) on series with enough traction to see an adaption in the first place.
In that sense the reader library is much worse since partial availability doesn't allow actually getting fully caught up on a series. I've also already read a number of the complete series included in it, reducing its value for me.
With 51 series being in the full availability category, that would be the rough number of catchup series if we only had 4.25 series a month, and catchup was usually 5-6 IIRC, so currently it's also numerically weaker than catchup. This might change over time, but I'm not exactly sitting around watching glacier racing here.
I'm also in the camp that the communication from J-Novel regarding the changes failed to reach me and I'm fairly unimpressed about it.
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Found many of the series I love through the monthly catchups. There has been over a year since there appeared something new that I liked and hadn't known about. I will miss the catchups but oh well. In a few decades nothing will matter to me anyway so why getting worked up.
In the meantime, this made me rethink my premium subscription - I don't have enough time for the new things in my life so there's vanishingly small chance I'll return to read anything again. I rarely ever buy the books, opting to sit on a pile of coins that will probably remain unused. But in line with the tone of the changes, that people should be paying fairly for what they get, I downgraded to regular membership.
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I love JNC dearly and you've translated many great books over the years, so while I'm happy to continue to support you, I'm not happy about the changes and the loss of monthly catchup.
There was a certain amount of dopamine, at the start of every month, finding out what books you would release on catchup. I will miss it.
I've downgraded from Premium to Readers Club. The extra cost for Premium Club is no longer worth it and Premium Readers Club is just a blatant cash grab.
Previously for $120, people could read currently translated novels, catchup on 1-3 series a month and buy a single volume with their coins. Now they're paying $132, and all they get is whatever prepubs are available, plus buy a single volume with their coins.
If they want to access to Readers Library, they have to pay 42% more than the old Premium Subscription.
No thanks.
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What's the ETA on reader's club functionality for mobile? I mostly read on the app not on my desktop. Obviously you can read the reader's club stuff on the app if you find it. but when can we filter for it and when will be able to search within that filter?
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I don’t have any thoughts on the different tiers, but for me the most important thing is that J-novel Club continues with DRM-Free epubs when you buy the title. The pay-to-borrow-until-we-change-the-conditions spearheaded by Amazon is the worst way of selling e-books as far as I’m concerned. J-N Club currently uses the best model for e-book sales.
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@morbelek said in [IMPORTANT UPDATE] New Subscription Tiers + Readers Library Now Live as of October 3, 2025:
They have also given notice. They have sent out emails, held a stream, even posted on their website. I personally saw the stream and got the email before the October 3rd date.
I have received absolutely no notice and was on a premium subscription, I've upgraded but this has me significantly disgruntled. I only ever noticed because I visited the site today (usually use the app)
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@ShakyrNvar said in [IMPORTANT UPDATE] New Subscription Tiers + Readers Library Now Live as of October 3, 2025:
If they want to access to Readers Library, they have to pay 42% more than the old Premium Subscription.
Imo the price hikes are fine in isolation, it's objectively still a good deal (the extra coins each month alone making it "cheaper" than the regular subscription tiers if you are someone who would have bought those coins anyway) but the lack of proper notice ahead of time really doesn't sit right with me at all and is something I will not excuse a second time.
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Plenty has already been said, so I'll just provide additional votes for the key items from my perspective.
@admin The communication lack was the biggest negative with this whole thing. With it not on the official site in any official manner until after the change became effective, and email notifications relying on the newsletter opt-in, this was guaranteed to be a mess. Specific to emails for future reference, this is why 99% of companies have separate toggles in email preferences for notification of terms and other critical items separate from marketing (aka newsletter) opt-ins - please put this on the list to get implemented.
Regarding the new Reader memberships, yes they are great for anyone who doesn't buy books. JNC can get a little something for series that have passed their sales prime, and people who don't want to buy can Reader subscribe permanently and have access to all those complete titles and all future additions of older series.
What saddens me about the new tiers how nonsensically Premium was wrecked. Not only did the currently paid for Premium subscriptions get value removed from them (the top discount is why my subscription was on auto-renewal), but there is no equivalent replacement in the tiers for what was lost. Why did Premium Club not retain the 15% discount, and/or why is the new Reader option the one with it instead?
Premium Club isn't really premium because of this, and doesn't give the urge to upgrade from standard Club like it did in the previous model. Buyers don't need Reader, so giving Reader a better discount seems to be for show - more personally it is felt as being penalized for being a Premium member for many years and buying over 1400 JNC novels instead of just reading them.
I realize I am a minority group of members here with my library size, but you really don't want me to maintain a Premium membership at all with this change. I'll leave my 9 months of remaining legacy Premium active until we get some official word of how annual legacy membership upgrades/downgrades will be handled. The remaining thing I am questioning is whether paying $5/month after that specifically to gain access to the marketing I do use (volume 1 pre-pubs of new series to see if I want to add the series to my buy list) is worth it or if I should drop to Amazon reviews or something once the books are out. I feel like I've got a black eye and a couple busted ribs from how this change was handled so yes I am a little gun shy now.
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B Bye-JNC referenced this topic on
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@Cryten said in [IMPORTANT UPDATE] New Subscription Tiers + Readers Library Now Live as of October 3, 2025:
Im not particularly fond of the credit I earned from last months premium subscription being not enough to buy a book this month. And finding out about it after the price change went through. No before price change get it while you can event, which would of softened it all.
The actual price change I do not mind. Just that month not equalling a book credit despite that being its purpose.
JNC previously advertised "Premium Members get 699 Coins every month to download a Premium light novel directly from J-Novel Club" which implies they will be able to spend those monthly benefits on a whole premium book.
As such it would be reasonable for anyone who did not spend their JNC premium credit to request a refund on the premium they paid for premium if they wish to downgrade or cancel their premium tier and have unspent monthly premium coins in exchange for returning those coins.
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i've been a premium member for a couple of years now, with my main purpose to read the catchup books that i like every month. now i have to spend $170 some a year to do read some books every month for the same and am finding about the financial impact after the fact instead of like a month ahead of time?
i get there was a youtube video or something, but i avoid youtube, why would it not be on the front page here instead as big news?
Now i contemplate downgrading or cancelling entirely ( i went ahead and cancelled the membership i had since 2023.) not worth it anymore. Honestly heartbreaking. This website and the series carried me through some tough times.
i have to find light novels elsewhere. i do have a lirbrary around the corner. this is mentally exhausting.
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@subarctic said in [IMPORTANT UPDATE] New Subscription Tiers + Readers Library Now Live as of October 3, 2025:
So my understanding of this is that, for those on the "Legacy" Premium Annual Plan, it's better to just stay on the current Legacy plan? Switching to the "new" Premium Annual Plan is $12/year more, gives 1200 coins/year more, but we can spend $12 to get 1333 coins.
depends: when is your renewal date? also depends on if you care about catchups? if so - you can upgrade and get pro-rated credit for however much is left of your annual subscription (pay slightly less for premium+reader annual than otherwise) , if (like me) premium annual is about having access to pre-pubs, allotment of coins, and access to forums, just leave it alone (renew when the time comes into the new premium plan, not the premium + reader plan) and pay the $12 more a year
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@eroschilles said in [IMPORTANT UPDATE] New Subscription Tiers + Readers Library Now Live as of October 3, 2025:
i've been a premium member for a couple of years now, with my main purpose to read the catchup books that i like every month.
This should have never been why you were premium instead of normal member. With that reasoning, you were overpaying for no reason to begin with. So I am unsure why you care about a price change now.
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I think I've adjusted to the new tiers.
Premium has kinda became a dead end, both Premium Club and Premium Club Legacy. If you miss Catch Up AND you like using coins to buy favored books and get all their premium content, or just to read all the other 293 series that are not part of the Readers Library, then Premium Readers Club is the way to go.
If you don't care about bonus book material and are happy for now reading the 44 full series in the Readers Library list and the 21 partial series (ie first three volumes are free to read), then Readers Club is probably where you want to be. But you may want to go month to month so you can easily upgrade in the future.
Also, if you have accumulated so many coins that you're concerned about inflation reducing their value, you should probably coast on Readers Club for a while and spend out your reserves.
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After reading this thread, I agree with many of the opinions given. I would have expected to have been informed of major upcoming changes at least a month prior as well as given a choice to move existing subscriptions to a new plan or cancel them with a pro-rated discount. The way this change has been handled is highly unprofessional and reflects poorly on Kadokawa, as they're ultimately responsible for your actions.
The majority of what I have been reading has been catch-up series, so I am losing my main reason to be using this service. I grew up reading printed novels, so I personally prefer reading full volumes over reading a chapter at a time. This is is why I hadn't used this service until recently, as I was rightly under the impression that the focus here is on reading chapters as they release. This is a valuable service for many, it makes sense to focus on your strengths and I'm sure you have thousands that love what you provide, but it just isn't for me.
I started an annual Premium subscription back on July 30th as the terms offered seemed to have good value and I thought locking in a year would be a good way to support the company. With this change I'm essentially paying $10 a month to get 699 coins and am locked in for 9 more months. That doesn't even buy me a single e-book each month and I'd much rather just go to my local bookstore and buy a physical book for $10. To be completely honest, at this point, I don't even want to spend the coins currently sitting in my account. It kinda feels like I got scammed, even though I know that wasn't your intention.
Honestly, I think most people would have been perfectly fine with both the price increase as well as a change in what the subscriptions offered if it had been done in a more professional manner. I hope you can do better going forward and will provide a positive experience to your current and future customers.
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I started a new topic w/ a suggestion : but I can't imagine it hurts to post it here also:
my anniversary month is May, so I essentially pre-paid for the next 7 (8?) months of my premium membership; however, my membership grants an allowance benefit of 699 credits, and a ebook now costs 799. JNC should honor the terms (at least the implied terms) that a membership includes enough coins to purchase an ebook per month.
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JNC should honor prices of ebooks (1 per month) for premium annual members for the remainder of the subscription year. Alternately, JNC should add a credit of 100 coins per month remaining to accounts of annual premium members to 'make them whole'
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a nice thing to do, (in addition) would be grant members that pre-paid annual memberships access to reader library for the remainder of the annual term (until their respective anniversaries) - this would lessen the 'sting' of losing catch-ups to those who valued that, and encourage upgrading to premium+ reader when they renew at anniversary time
I know the cost is going up when I renew next year, but the value of what I already 'own' for the remainder of my membership subscription should not be eroded. I am not talking about legal terms and conditions or EULAs, or what a member is 'entitled' to. I'm talking about what likely feels right for member community
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Thanks for implementing the price changes before actually posting on the front page or emailing about changes. All my saved coins just became 15% more worthless but cool, we still get a book worth per month with a 10% price increase.
Even steel and fastener suppliers I barely use for work are capable of giving 3 months notice of price increases across the board. It’s an email list. It’s not hard. Take all the crap you just wrote for the website, dump into email. Done.
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@sygish They did. I received an email from them about a week ago.
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@Nubz_Unite I and many others in this thread didn’t.
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@Nubz_Unite the email was part of the regular newsletter, if you aren't subscribed to it (or the youtube channel), you didn't get a notification about this change
