Digital Manga Guild has a very interesting business model. It’s purpose is to get more manga published in English and other non-Japanese languages but the twist is that they have fans do the translating, typesetting, and editing.
Fans who sign up will of course be paid in royalties depending on the sales success of the work they did. This way, the company will not have to invest heavily in a localization team and fans can get experience, get credited for their work, earn money, and have a hand in bringing out new manga into the market. Overall, it’s a win-win situation.
From news just a couple of months ago, applicants will receive their assignments this spring with titles to be released by summer. Six Japanese publishers have signed up for the program allowing up to 5,000 possible titles for release.
Early titles will be yaoi as they tend to be short stories and seem to sell very well with so many yaoi titles in the market but as time progresses, other genre’s will be introduced as well.
If you are interested in joining the Digital Manga Guild, drop by their website. You can apply for three positions: Letterer, Editor, or Translator. For more details and answers, drop by their forum.
