Mook (publishing)

Summary

A mook (/mʊk/) is a publication which is physically similar to a magazine but is intended to remain on bookstore shelves for longer periods than traditional magazines, and is a popular format in Japan.[1][2]

The term is a portmanteau of "magazine" and "book". It was first used in 1971, at a convention of the Fédération Internationale de la Presse Périodique.[3]

American examples of mooks include Make and Craft.[4]

In Japan edit

The format remains popular in Japan, where it has been in use since at least the 1970s.[5][6] An identical format, predating the term "mook", existed since the 1950s.[7]

The number of new mooks published in one year peaked in 2013, with over 8,000 different new mooks published. A little over 6,000 were published in 2019. Sales revenue, however, peaked in 1997 and has been mostly dropping ever since.[8]

References edit

  1. ^ Osawa, Juro (October 20, 2010). "Meet Japan's 'Brand Mooks': Half-magazine, Half-book, All Hit". Japan Real Time. The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved May 10, 2014.
  2. ^ Taillandier, Fanny (January 13, 2014). "Mooks are here to stay". FranceLivre. Archived from the original on February 7, 2015. Retrieved May 10, 2014.
  3. ^ Cannon, Garland (2000). The Innovative Attraction of English. Associated University Presses. p. 237. ISBN 9780838754405. Retrieved May 10, 2014. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  4. ^ Lupton, Ellen (May 24, 2007). "It's a Magazine, It's a Book, It's a Mook". Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum. Smithsonian. Archived from the original on May 12, 2014. Retrieved July 16, 2014.
  5. ^ https://www.jbpa.or.jp/nenshi/pdf/p16-34.pdf [bare URL PDF]
  6. ^ "出科研コラム | 出版科学研究所".
  7. ^ "【ムック本とは】雑誌・写真集との違いは何?特徴や人気ムックも".
  8. ^ "日本の出版統計 | 出版科学研究所".