Viz Standardizes Shonen Jump, Shojo Beat Prices at $9.99

Thanks to a reader comment in my post on Tokyopop’s varying pricing, I was made aware that Viz appears to be standardizing on higher prices later this year. Previously, Shonen Jump titles were $7.99, while Shojo Beat books were $8.99. (A discrepancy that caused some conversation back in 2006. In that post, Christopher Butcher predicted this price rise, three years early.)

I checked out some series I follow on Amazon. The only Shonen Jump book I buy regularly is Hikaru no Go. Volume 16, due in August, is still listed at the usual $7.95. Volume 17, due November 3, is $9.99.

The same is true of Naruto and Eyeshield, just to check a couple.
Naruto volume 45, July 7, $7.95 — Volume 46, October 6, $9.99.
Eyeshield 21 volume 27, August 4, $7.99 — Volume 28, October 6, $9.99.

I read a lot more Shojo Beat titles, and the same is true of them. Here are just some samples:
High School Debut volume 11, September 1, $8.99 — Volume 12, November 3, $9.99
Sand Chronicles volume 6, September 1, $8.99 — Volume 7, January 5, 2010, $9.99
And the beloved Nana volume 18, September 1, $8.99 — Volume 19, November 3, $9.99

(Wow, September 1 is going to be a great day for shojo manga. Must be targeting back-to-school shoppers.)

Overall, this isn’t particularly surprising. Publication prices are going up all over, and many people think manga’s all $10 or more anyway.

Update: Viz’s response is as follows: “VIZ Media made the decision to stay consistent with the pricing in the marketplace for this industry, which in some cases might be a slight increase from previous years.”

That makes sense to me. Will this change your buying habits at all?



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