As American publishing companies grapple with the recession, some encouraging reading statistics have emerged in Japan. According to a recent report, ten of Japan’s print bestsellers in 2007 were based on cell phone novels–successfully selling about 400,000 copies apiece.
The cell phone novel was born in 2002, when the author Yoshi wrote Deep Love: Ayu’s Story for the cell phone. The book exploded in popularity, spawning print books, cartoons, and a film. The genre evolved, as authors published short novels in 70-word installments for the cell phone.
Here’s more from Japan Today: “[One company] has released 40 titles that have sold 10 million copies … cell phone novels proved that there was a market for females between the ages of 10 and 20, a demographic thought to be apathetic toward reading. According to a recent Mainichi Shinbum newspaper survey, 86% of high school, 75% of middle school and 23% of grade school girls read cell phone novels.” (Via TeleRead.)