Japanese writers to publish electronic magazine

A dozen Japanese writers and researchers will begin paid versions of an electronic publication next week. The move comes amid the rising popularity of e-books and e-magazines in Japan.

Science fiction novelist Hideaki Sena, playwright Eriko Kitagawa, and 10 other authors, researchers, and journalists are planning to release their works without going through publishing firms.

The publication will include 11 new novels and essays and will be distributed online for about 7 dollars on Monday. It can be read with the use of mobile terminals.

A provisional version went on sale on June 17th for about the half the price, selling more than 5,000 copies in one month.
This is the first time that well-known Japanese writers will put out an electronic publication by themselves.

Writers who joined the project explained its merits at an event on Friday, held to mark its launch.

One of them said writers can publish works in a short period without going through publishing houses and that they would not be bound by page limits.

Plans for regular editions of the publication are still pending. But Sena said he hopes to continue publishing works which will well reflect writers' individuality