Yen Press & J-Novel Club Announce Print Publishing Partnership

Yen Press and J-Novel Club have jointly announced a partnership involving the publication of print editions of J-Novel Club’s digital offerings. The print releases will be organized under a newly created J-Novel Club imprint,

Yen Press will be handling the print production and distribution of high-quality physical editions of select titles from J-Novel Club’s digital catalog. Physical books published under this new imprint will retain the original translation and edits of the digital publications on the service. 

Print releases from this partnership will debut in Spring 2023, with the first two works scheduled for a May 2023 release. The initial announced titles to be printed physically include:

• • Hell Mode by Hamuo with illustrations by Mo
• • The Misfit of Demon King Academy by SHU with illustrations by Shizumayoshinori
• • My Instant Death Ability Is So Overpowered, No One in This Other World Stands a Chance Against Me! by Tsuyoshi Fujitaka with illustrations by Chisato Naruse
• • My Instant Death Ability Is So Overpowered, No One in This Other World Stands a Chance Against Me! —AΩ— (Manga) by Hanamaru Nanto

Hell Mode is a light novel series written by Hamuo and Illustrated by Mo that was first published on July 15, 2020. The series began as a web novel on Shousetsuka ni Narou on November 17, 2019. Earth Star Entertainment later released the first official volume on July 15, 2020 under its Earth Star Novel label.

J-Novel Club has published the series in English digitally since October 13, 2021. The publisher describes the Hell Mode light novels as: 

“‘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!

The Misfit of Demon King Academy light novels are written by SHU and illustrated by Shizumayoshinori. The series was first published by ASCII Media Works on March 10, 2018 and released 12 physical volumes as of October 2022. It originated as a web novel on Shousetsuka ni Narou on April 2, 2017. J-Novel Club has been digitally publishing the light novels in English since March 2022. 

The light novels also inspired a 13-episode anime adaptation in 2020. A second season is due for release in January 2023. 

J-Novel Club describes the synopsis of The Misfit of Demon King Academy as: 

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!

Yen Press’s new J-Novel Club imprint will also physically publish the light novel series My Instant Death Ability Is So Overpowered, No One in This Other World Stands a Chance Against Me! and its manga adaptation, My Instant Death Ability Is So Overpowered, No One in This Other World Stands a Chance Against Me! —AΩ—. 

The light novels are written by Tsuyoshi Fujitaka and illustrated by Chisato Naruse, having first been published by Earth Star Entertainment on October 15, 2016. J-Novel Club has been publishing the series digitally since September 21, 2020.

Hanamaru Nanto’s manga adaptation was launched in Earth Star Entertainment’s Comic Earth☆Star magazine on March 30, 2018. 

J-Novel Club describes the light novels and manga series as: 

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…

Source: press release