Publisher Kodansha made an interesting announcement – as reported by BOOK Asahi (national newpaper Asahi‘s book section) – last week about the timing of publishing the digital edition and the print edition.
Kodansha is known for — aside from being the largest privately-owned publisher in Japan — publishing a huge range of books. From fiction to non-fiction, from craft books to comics, and from magazines to dictionaries. It also publishes bilingual novels and children’s books (usually, English/Japanese) and various works in foreign languages including English, French and German. It also has a couple of toes in media including television, film, newspaper and (via benevolent awards, scholarship and sponsorship) the arts.
The statement basically says that although it’s already made its move in digital field, Kodansha will now prepare the digital edition of new and future publications at same time as preparing the print edition, but the timing of the digital edition – let alone whether it’d be released at all - depends on each author.
And if author’s permission is given, Kodansha and author will discuss to decide when is the best time to release the digital edition. Kodansha however admits that it’s likely the digital edition would be released at same time or after the paperback edition, e.g. no digital edition until the paperback edition is released, and that there’s a possibility they will hold back the digital edition until all volumes of a series are released. The final paragraph basically says Kodansha believes in thinking with the copyright holder’s interest in mind.
In other words: they want to maximise the financial potential possible for authors (or their estates) or current copyright holders and themselves, but the final word still goes to author/copyright holder. If author/copyright holder wants the digital edition to be released at same time as the hardback edition, Kodansha will go with this.