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Step into the exciting and vibrant world of Yaoi Revolution! Are you a fan of romantic narratives, heart-stopping plots, and intricately designed Yaoi? Then you’re just in time to join the global movement that is flipping the script in the manga industry. Yaoi, often referred to as Boys’ Love (BL), has been making waves with its representation of LGBTQ+ relationships. And at the forefront of this narrative renaissance is Yaoi Revolution—an international powerhouse publisher and press leading the charge with its dazzling array of stories, and a dedicated fanbase eagerly awaiting a new release. Let’s dive into the revolution and discover more about the magic of Yaoi!
Also join us on Boys Love Universe, a new project from All Ages of Geek dedicated to Yaoi and Boys Love content.
How did Yaoi Revolution get started, and what was the initial inspiration behind its founding in 2012?
Hi folks, I’m Sharon Barela, Publisher and owner of Yaoi Revolution. Since our launch in 2012, it’s been a crazy decade for certain. And the industry has changed significantly since that weird summer evening when I clearly had too much time on my hands. I’m told most people don’t just wake up and launch a comics company overnight, but when I get obsessed with something, I get obsessed.
The initial inspiration was, funny enough, a personal collection gone amok. My collection of yaoi doujin, manga and the like was getting huge and I considered at one point if I wanted to become a reseller of BL collectibles out of Japan. At that point, I was studying Japanese language and traveling back and forth to Tokyo quite a bit. I’m also a web dev and periodicals publisher by trade, so I had the knowledge, software and skillset to get something like that going. I’d recently landed a pretty sweet job at a tech company, and you know, when there’s money to burn – why not try to make more?
Back in 2012, we didn’t have self-publishing websites and apps like we see today. Artists in the yaoi world were mostly posting their work for free on Tumblr and Twitter and those works (largely fanarts) were explicit. Tokyo had recently elected a mayor who wanted to “clean up” Japanese society so almost overnight all the Japanese BL publishers started erasing dicks en masse. I was obsessed to the point I subscribed to many of the giant monthly BL magazines and where there had been yummy cocks in the magazines, those eggplants of delight were now replaced with ugly white smudges in the resulting tankobons. I had to save the cocks!!! So why not become a publisher who can print dicks? There were plenty of artists who were just giving it away online so why not give them a place to publish outside of Japan? And that’s how it started.
What sets Yaoi Revolution apart from other yaoi publishers in the industry?
Well, I think the main thing is – we’re still here. I’ve not tried to blow the company out of proportion to where it’s no longer sustainable. I’ve seen dozens of publishers go under – trying to chase the market around in circles. I’ve more or less stuck to my guns: I print what I like, what engages me, what I would like to have in my collections, and not worry so much about what’s trending. Namely, I like real stories about real men living real lives with real bodies and real passions. Because of this – we’ve built a more mature and more dedicated audience, I think. When I look at the sales records, I see the same customer names come up again and again. They’ve stuck with us and I love that!
Can you discuss the process for selecting and publishing new artists and their works?
In the beginning I would actively approach artists and ask them if they’d like to see their ongoing works in print. Print, unlike online publishing, is hecka expensive to do alone. And we do high-end quality printing specifically to appeal to the collectors market and to tradeshow buyers. But – things have changed and most artists now make their living running an ongoing comic on apps which point their fans to their Patreon accounts – that’s where the real money gets made. Their content is private and only accessible by subscription – particularly if it’s adult content. So we see the rated-PG versions on Tapas or Webtoons and the sexy stuff is tucked away. I offer these artists a chance to see their title out there in less restrictive markets: Print, eBooks and bookstores. All those “secret scenes” can be restored within the body of work as intended. We also get many inquiries, too.
How does Yaoi Revolution support emerging artists in getting their works in print?
We have a conversation. If I think their aesthetic will appeal to our fanbase, I ask them what their goals and needs are. Most artists are self-managed nowadays and I try to not interfere with that. They create and sell to their direct fans whereas we sell to targeted print collectors and mass markets and foreign partners. This is an extra reach they don’t have. I tell them to think of it as an extension to their own base. Some artists would just rather have us handle the printing and fulfillment regardless. It’s a big job and hassle if you’re not set up for it. Plus we offer 50/50 profit sharing so they get a good cut of sales. I’ve always been adamant about this. I’m here to help make art happen, not starve it out.
What types of stories and themes are most commonly found in the works published by Yaoi Revolution?
I like real stories – contemporary or historical. I’m not a big fan of high fantasy: demons, elves, dwarves, wizards…so many yaoi titles are already written in this vein. I do like science fiction and dystopia, however, as well as supernatural. I prefer to publish stories featuring adult men in adult roles: cops, dads, thieves, doctors, etc. But if the artwork appeals to me enough, I’ll take on lighter, sweeter stories. Especially recently, I’ve been taking on some “younger” titles because of a partnership with Lovaboy Comics that occurred last year. A very dear friend of mine in the industry passed away so I’ve adopted her business and am now managing two types of audiences. So I have to think bigger! Or younger as the case may be.
How do you ensure the quality and originality of the Yaoi novels, comics, and doujinshi that you publish?
On originality – Most of the yaoi I read and collected pre-dates 2013. So if it’s hot now, I probably haven’t read it. I do follow various artists and publishers and know what they’re up to in general – but not in an exhaustive manner. I just don’t have the time to read as much as I’d like. I’ve gotten older too – so my interests have shifted somewhat as well. I’m still a sucker for Historic, SciFi and Dystopian worlds so I write my own BL novels in those categories that I publish under a penname – Itoshi. I also still write comic scripts for my own company as well as some other BL publishers. I’m first and foremost a writer. Some of our works are still homebaked, but the majority comes from individuals with their own unique perspectives. Like most things in life, I like to discover new visions and to promote them. If I’ve seen it or heard of it before – no thanks. I’m just not interested. I publish what engages me, not what’s been done to death already.
On quality – I spent 15 years in the periodicals world as an editor, journalist and publisher. I know how to make a book. And I know it matters that the book looks good to the eyes and feels good in the hand. Cheap doesn’t sell. It’s true. It’s better to go up a step in price and in quality than down. Fans often comment how nice our books are. We don’t print on cheap paper or make the pages tiny. We want you to enjoy owning and collecting our books.
Can you share some of your most popular and successful publications to date?
This Vacant Body by T Zysk is our most current comic best-seller. We just finished printing and shipping the final chapter! It’s a very unique story – a mystery horror crime drama. It’s a story that hits hard with artwork that doesn’t hold back on making a visceral impact while still being highly aesthetically pleasing. I’m very proud of it. And very very glad T decided to work with us to bring this work into print and digital markets.
As for novels – the Orochi no Kishi series by Itoshi has been a steady seller for going on ten years now. Our BL novels are illustrated inside and out like Japanese light novels. I was inspired to do that for our print books – to provide greater value through art. I’m always pleasantly surprised to see international sales reports still come in monthly for these novels. We’ve printed two of the three novels plus a companion comic from this series to date: Orochi no Kishi, Orochi no Yaiba and Orochi no Saido plus The Hourglass (doujin).
How do you maintain a balance between catering to the existing yaoi fanbase and attracting new readers to the genre?
Well…I’ve tried various tactics in terms of social media, SEO and advertising, etc. to various results, but I think our fans have a way of finding us one way or another. We seem to attract and retain the people we want to sell to organically. Tradeshows are a great way to reach out and grab new fans. We operate out of Southern CA so there’s plenty of them on the West Coast to participate in each year. People who know Yaoi will always stop and look.
As for circulating titles online on subscription sites and apps – I’m not fond of censorship or sharing custody of a title with any third parties who might want to chop our works up into bits. If I can’t assure 100% artist’s creative control, I won’t pursue that market. Yes, millions of people read Yaoi on apps now, but a lot of it is just the same ol’ stuff over and over. Everyone has to create in fear of the prude police shutting them down for showing a pubic hair.
I’m 1000% opposed to censorship (as long as the content is legal). Someone’s “opinion” of what is decent or indecent is not interesting to me. I don’t play that game. That’s not why I’m here. It’s not why I do this. I have acquired some titles still entangled with third parties like this and it’s always my first goal to extract the fierceless beating heart of the comic out from under the boot of content control. Does this mean less people will read it? Yeah – but those people weren’t paying to view it in the first place. Dollar over dollar it doesn’t matter. If you have the ways and means to go it alone without signing your life away for likes, I say do it. Otherwise, it’s just another magical elf crush story.
What challenges have you faced as a U.S. based English Yaoi Publisher, and how have you overcome them?
Hm – two major things:migrating markets and censorship. I just spoke to that in the question above. You can rush over and try to flood the market with the same crap on the same platform as everyone else, or you can stick to what you do best. I’ve never known any Yaoi publisher to do great just flip-flopping around like that. I try to keep to my principles and never put all my eggs in one basket. Yeah, some fans will leave, but more often they stay. I try to spread out our reach more or less evenly so when some hot app bans Yaoi/BL for the thousandth time, I don’t lose my shirt.
Censorship is the other issue. This is America, afterall, and you’d be surprised how many religious families own print houses. Do they teach pre-press techniques in Sunday school? I dunno, but it’s rampant. The relationships I have with printers have been forged from years of navigating the ever changing landscape of conservatism. Yes, we have explicit content. But so do most long-standing comic book publishers. The problem here of course is: it’s men. Men on men is the most suppressed sexual activity out there. You can openly rape school girls with tentacles, but show two adult consenting men engaging in loving, passionate sex and suddenly we are destroying the fabric of reality. It’s perfectly legal to print and sell illustrated gay sex – to adults. And yes, we card. It’s not cool to scream in horror in public over LGBTQ anymore so they pretend it’s about “protecting children” when they try to shut us down. I just shrug and move on. Someone will want our business – somewhere. But yes, it’s a pain in my ass to switch gears everytime.
Can you discuss the importance of representation and diversity in the yaoi genre and how Yaoi Revolution addresses this issue?
Just like in all genres of entertainment, I absolutely believe diversity is important. People are diverse in many wonderful ways and artworks should represent this. Not every artist or writer feels inclined or comfortable to write a variety of characters, but I encourage it. When we’ve had the opportunity, I especially look forward to seeing skin tone contrasts in print. Cream and coffee go well together, don’t they? It’s visually stunning. Some artists have really brought this human color palette forward in their work. Adonis and This Vacant Body are two examples of when we strongly featured this. I love it and our audience does too. That the characters be adults and identify as male is our only request. I could care less what genitals they have.
Where Yaoi Revolution is even more diverse, I think, is behind the scenes. Our authors, artists, editors, sales staff, etc. have come from many different cultural and racial backgrounds as well as gender/sexual identities/orientations and the like. But when I first meet them – typically online via emails or text – I don’t know anything about them except what they’ve written or drawn. I look at the creation first before I get to know the creator. And when I do meet them, it’s always very exciting. Creators are not boring people!
What kind of collaborations or partnerships have you established with other publishers, artists, or organizations within the yaoi community?
Many. I’m always open to collaboration. We’ve table-shared and cross-sold with many dozens of co-publishers and friends over the years in the U.S. and overseas. We have re-seller relationships, co-publishing and other special relationships even with the artists themselves. I write it into the contract that an artist is welcome to sell at the same show we’re at if they like. Heck, I’ll even provide the books for them. Some artists who do shows have asked if we will not sell something until after they premiere it first. I’m fine with that too. Whatever helps an artist out in their own business practice is fine by me. The more money they make, the more they’re able to create. I don’t stand in the way.
We’ve also done a number of subscription boxes with various vendors. Those are fun! I like seeing what kinds of products they come up with. I save them, too. It’s a fun collection and the artists are always thrilled! I’ve worked with many renowned international BL publishers, too, in various languages. We’ve done quite a few foreign language editions as well as been the U.S. publisher for a number of foreign-language series. We even did a book in Russian once! That was fun.
How has the Yaoi genre evolved since the founding of Yaoi Revolution, and what role has your company played in that evolution?
I think I’ve covered this already, but the big shift to online publishing vs traditional. A lot of creators don’t even know traditional is still an option. And with apps dictating censorship and narrowing the scope of the kinds of stories being told – I think that’s been the biggest evolution. And we played no part in it! I like books and physical goods too much.
How do you approach marketing and promoting the works published by Yaoi Revolution? What strategies do you use to stay up-to-date with industry trends and ensure that your publications remain relevant and appealing to readers?
We do a little bit of everything: social media, direct email, SEO, tradeshows, advertising, cross-selling with partners, international book marketplaces, etc.. I’m open to digital markets beyond Amazon, too. If someone reaches out with a deal I like, I’ll go for it. A lot of foreign digital companies want our content, but it’s a penny market. I won’t do it if the contract is too binding or I have to do any of the formatting work. I’m way too busy for that! I’m a web developer, too, so I can program my own website tuning and tracking. Having loads of tech skills in this industry is a huge help.
Can you talk about any upcoming projects or releases that Yaoi Revolution has in the pipeline?
Yes, we’ve been adapting more webcomics into print for certain artists like the Bone’s Tarot series by Sera Swati. She’s a remarkable artist and a real go-getter! She draws at an incredible speed with a quality I’m envious of. We’re also getting set up to launch orders for #MUTED by Kandismon.
It’s also an adapted series going from web/apps to print. The artwork is adorable and very inviting. It’s part of an exploration of attracting a younger customer to Yaoi Revolution as we adapt to cross-selling with Lovaboy Comics. I’m anxious to see how it agrees with our market and of course to take it beyond our direct sales into mass media, bookstores and international. The bigger you go, the harder the competition of course, so it’s a process. But I like the challenge of trying something new.
How has the rise of digital platforms and online reading affected Yaoi Revolution, and how do you adapt to these changes?
One thing I didn’t mention about this previously is that I don’t believe we have much cross-over with the app-based reading audience. That audience tends to skew too young for our titles anyway. But I am now actively selling more prior web-based comics in a print format. So it is useful for audience building but only about the same percent of followers as with social media actually buy. It’s a human thing. We look a very long time before we leap into something new.
What advice would you give to aspiring Yaoi artists or writers who are looking to get their work published?
Finish something. Yes. Conceive an idea and take it to completion. Please. That’s the #1 thing I’m looking for: Did this creator finish what they set out to do? Even if it’s a work that’s not right for our audience – just finishing something is a minimum requirement. I’ve been burned too many times by creators who just lose interest. Money is not a motivator, either. I’ve tried paying advances – page rates, etc. When the artist loses interest, it’s over. No amount of cash will motivate them.
Secondly, you better your odds of being published by reading the submission guidelines. Many publishers are mission-based in some manner or other. We have a focus. We don’t buy just anything. We’re looking for certain talent to fit a certain audience. Find the right fit for your work. It goes easier that way.
How does Yaoi Revolution engage with its audience and build a community around the works it publishes?
I vastly prefer tradeshows to blogs or social media. I like to meet people in person, honestly. I’ve done several years of panels and presentations. Maybe it’s just how I click. I get bored staring into my phone all day. I like the energy real live people give me. I’m not a big digital chit-chatter. Probably not the best attitude to have in 2023 but it’s how I roll. I’m GenX. We drank from hoses.
What are the long-term goals and aspirations for Yaoi Revolution as a publisher in the yaoi genre?
I want to shift back to doing more novels, honestly. We started out strong in that category and then drifted more toward comics specifically. But comics have a shorter shelf life, honestly. Novels you can sell for forever at a very consistent rate. I’ve got three I’m working on (as author personally) with three different digital artists. I’m enjoying that quite a bit and pushing chapters out on Patreon for now. Once we have a book completed, it will go through the normal publishing process at Yaoi Revolution. The Patrons keep me engaged though. I have way too much on my plate daily! Yaoi Revolution is one of three businesses I manage so yeah…yikes. I also like to study languages (Ukrainian, Russian, Japanese, French and Italian) and music (guitar). You need spare time for that.
Are there any plans to expand Yaoi Revolution’s offerings or explore new formats, genres, or collaborations in the future?
I’m hoping to get something going with a collaborating BL partner of note with whom I’ve been discussing our series’ titles with for the past year. I’ve met the editorial team – we just need to work out specifics. I probably owe them a call. As for formats…there’s nothing about interactive novels, audio CDs, etc. that interests me. It’s too many assets to keep track of…and I’m overworked as it is. I like books. Artists want to see their webcomics printed. I think I’ll stick with that. And like I said – do more personal projects, too. I have ideas for stories I’ve not seen anyone else tell and those need to come to light. Again, it’s all about use of my time. I’ve had a lot of opportunities to travel recently – from Alaska to Cambodia and Amsterdam! I want some time to see the world – stay balanced. I’m not getting any younger and the people of earth fascinate me and help inspire me to help myself and others create great stories!
We hope you’ve enjoyed this thrilling ride through the groundbreaking work of Yaoi Revolution. This manga revolution has opened up a new universe of storytelling possibilities, where love knows no bounds, characters break stereotypes, and plots turn conventional norms on their head. The fans’ love for Yaoi Revolution shows just how much the world craves for more Yaoi and gay narratives. If you’re new to this genre, there’s no better time to dive in. And for seasoned fans, the revolution continues, with new chapters and stories being crafted every day. This is a love revolution. This is Yaoi Revolution.
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