Strengthening Product Development and Sales Capabilities for Paperback Books

「これまでもさまざまな歴史・時代小説を刊行してきましたが、この度「アルファポリス時代小説文庫」として装いも新たに、さらにエンタメ性に富んだ歴史・時代小説を毎月刊行いたします。」

「A total of 210 titles were published during the consolidated fiscal year, up 16 from the previous fiscal year. We also worked to further expand the genres we handle and strengthen our lineup by publishing a diverse range of new titles, primarily award-winning works from the monthly Web Content Awards, spanning character-driven literary fiction through historical fiction.」

「当連結会計年度の刊行点数は前期を上回る210点（前期比16点増）となりました。」

「A total of 105 titles were published in the interim accounting period, up 9 from the same period of the previous year. We published several outstanding works, primarily award-winning titles from the Web Content Awards held across various genres, including character-driven literary fiction, historical and period fiction and children's books, and focused on strengthening and expanding the genres we handle.」

「A total of 194 titles were published during the fiscal year, up 9 from the previous fiscal year. We continued to focus on expanding and strengthening the book genres we handle, including by publishing the young adult novel 『#消えたい僕は君に１５０字の愛をあげる』, which won the grand prize at the "Young Adult Fiction × Vocaloid Producer Cup" hosted by the Company.」

「The number of books published during the interim accounting period was 96, up 10 year on year. We continued to focus on expanding the genres we publish by publishing multiple award-winning works from Web Content Awards, including the Character-Focused Fiction Awards and Light Fiction Awards. In addition, we advanced our entry into the children's book market, which has remained steady despite the challenging market environment for physical books, including by publishing "Rainbow Fireflies," a long-selling novel adapted into an animated film by Toei Animation in 2012, as a children's paperback from the "Alphapolis Kizuna Bunko" imprint.」

「A total of 185 titles were published during the fiscal year, up 26 from the previous fiscal year. The paperback edition of the popular 『居酒屋ぼったくり』 series, which has sold more than 1.44 million copies, continued to perform solidly and drove sales in the genre. We also continued to focus on expanding the genres we handle, including by publishing a sequel to the period novel 『谷中の用心棒 萩尾大楽』, which won the Newcomer Award for Original Paperback Fiction at the 11th Japan Historical and Period Writers Association Awards, sponsored by the Japan Historical and Period Writers Association.」

「The number of books published during the cumulative third quarter was 136, up 16 year on year. In this category, we published multiple high-quality works, primarily award-winning works from the various Web Content Awards, in genres under development, including character-focused fiction, light fiction, and horror and mystery, with the aim of expanding the genres we publish.」

「A total of 86 titles were published in the six-month period ended 30 September, up 8 from the same period of the previous year. We continued to focus on expanding and strengthening the genres we handle by publishing several titles, primarily award-winning works from the character-driven literary fiction and light literary fiction genres, including winners of the Web Content Awards hosted by the Company. In addition, we published several titles under the children's paperback imprint "アルファポリスきずな文庫," launched in the same period of the previous year to make a full-scale entry into the steadily growing children's book market, and worked to develop a new market.」

「A total of 43 titles were published in the three-month period ended 30 June, up 8 from the same period of the previous year. The latest installment of 『きよのお江戸料理日記』, a period novel by the author of 『居酒屋ぼったくり』, which has sold more than 1.37 million copies across the series, continued to perform well and drove sales in the genre. We also continued to focus on strengthening the genres we handle, including by publishing 『大正石華恋蕾物語』, which won the Romance Award at the 5th Character-Driven Literary Fiction Awards.」

「A total of 159 titles were published during the fiscal year, up 17 from the previous fiscal year. We published several books in the character-driven literary fiction genre, including 『後宮の棘』 and Volume 2 of 『あやかし狐の身代わり花嫁』, and worked to strengthen the genre. We also continued to focus on expanding the genres we handle by publishing 『さよなら私のドッペルゲンガー』, the winning title in the 12th Dream Novel Awards, as a young adult novel.」

「A total of 120 titles were published in the nine-month period ended 31 December, up 13 from the same period of the previous year. In historical fiction, we published 『あしでまとい』, the grand-prize winner of the 7th Historical and Period Fiction Awards. We also continued to focus on developing and expanding the genres we handle by publishing several books in the character-driven literary fiction genre, including 『こちら鎌倉あやかし社務所保険窓口』 and 『久遠の呪祓師―― 怪異探偵犬神零の大正帝都アヤカシ奇譚』.」

「A total of 78 titles were published in the six-month period ended 30 September, up 7 from the same period of the previous year. We published several titles in the character-driven literary fiction genre, including 『後宮の棘』 and Volume 2 of 『あやかし鬼嫁婚姻譚』, and worked to strengthen this genre. In addition, to make a full-scale entry into the children's book market, which has continued to grow steadily even amid the difficult conditions in the print book market in recent years, we launched the children's paperback imprint "アルファポリスきずな文庫" in August 2022. We sought to develop a new market by simultaneously publishing 3 titles as its first releases.」

「A total of 142 titles were published during the fiscal year, down 3 from the previous fiscal year. Paperback editions of major titles such as 『居酒屋ぼったくり』 and 『ゲートSEASON2』 remained solid and drove sales. However, net sales for the fiscal year were lower than in the previous fiscal year, mainly because the number of titles published declined.」

「The number of titles published during the cumulative second-quarter period was 71, up 2 from the same period of the previous year. The company published volume 2 of 『Kiyo’s Edo Cooking Diary』, the first historical novel by the author of the popular title 『Izakaya Bottakuri』, whose cumulative series circulation exceeded 1.26 million copies, and the title drove sales. It also continued to focus on expanding the genres it handles, including by publishing a sequel to 『Kakoku Ayakashi Kyūgūtan』 in the character-focused literary genre. However, due to the publication schedule, the number of copies published per title fell short of the same period of the previous year, resulting in revenue below the same period of the previous year for the cumulative second-quarter period.」

「The number of titles published during the cumulative first-quarter period was 36, well above the same period of the previous year and up 7 titles year on year. The paperback edition of the popular series 『Gate SEASON2』 was published and drove sales in the genre.」

「The company published 145 titles during the fiscal year, an increase of 7 year on year. It advanced the strengthening of the character-focused literary genre by publishing several works, including 『Kakoku Ayakashi Kyūgūtan』. It also continued to focus on expanding the genres it handles, including by publishing 『Oishii Futari Gurashi』, winner of the grand prize at the company’s Light Literature Awards.」

「The company is currently considering measures to strengthen its product development and sales capabilities.」