From the LA Times comes an article titled "Mad for stories born as manga" that looks at manga-based light novels in the U.S.:

Japanese writers and readers describe these books as "light novels," recognizing that they're not serious literature. In English, they read like a cross between the pulp fiction of the '40s and the juvenile novels of the postwar decades.

Via: MangaBlog

According to Dengeki Online, Alchemist will be starting a new web delivery light novel magazine titled Shounen Alchemist. Light novels will be serialized weekly on Shounen Alchemist's website and will be available to read free of charge. Shounen Alchemist is scheduled to start on May 1, 2007.

Alchemist originally announced Shounen Alchemist on April 1st, and the news was thought to be an April fools joke.

According to this Amazon.com listing, Tokyopop will release volume one of Gakuto Koda's light novel Missing on November 13. Currently Tokyopop has not made any official announcement regarding the license.

Source: AoD

Kodakawa Shoten's 2007 Light Novel Award is now open to public voting. The award contain five categories:

• Love Comedy category
• School Life story category
• Action category
• Mystery category
• Novelize category

According to the awards page, those who vote will receive a chance to win gifts:

Read More »

From NeoSam comes a list of all the light novel releases in Japan for the month of March. The list has been divided into 3 sections: male-oriented (shounen and adult), female-oriented (shoujo and BL), and an other section (which includes general labels):

Male oriented light novels:

Shounen light novels:

• HJ Bunko for March 1, 2007
• Sneaker Bunko for March 1, 2007
• Zeta Bunko for March 1, 2007
• ZIGZAG NOVELS for March 5, 2007
• Dengeki Bunko for March 10, 2007
• Mystery Bunko for March 10, 2007
• JUMP jBOOKS for March 12, 2007
• GA Bunko for March 15, 2007
• Dragon Book for March 20, 2007
• Fujimi Fantasia Bunko for March 20, 2007
• MF Bunko J for March 23, 2007
• Super Dash Bunko for March 23, 2007
• Famitsu Bunko for March 30, 2007
• Megami Bunko for March 2007

Read More »

Two new light novel imprints were launched by Gakushuu Kenkyusha and Frontier Works in March:

Gakken:
- Moegi Bunko Purely [shoujo]
A new shoujo novel label that will cover "BL system" novels and "Otome system" novels.

Frontier Works:
- Filia Bunko [shoujo]

According to a post from Adam Arnold in the Seven Seas forum, the launch date of Seven Seas' new Light Novel imprint has been pushed back to the Fall of 2007:

Adam Arnold:
Yes, the launch of Seven Seas' new Light Novel imprint has been pushed back to the Fall '07 so we have a better chance to promote the titles and ensure the line's success. We have some very exciting things in the works, so pushing the Light Novels back was the right choice. We know everyone is dying to read these books, so we hope you can hold out a little longer!

Via: ActiveAnime

Houbunsha has launched a new light novel label titled Houbunsha KR Bunko (?????????KR??????). Works published under this label will be novel adaptations of 4-panel manga serialized in Houbunsha's 4-panel manga magazines.

The first 4-panel manga to be adapted to a light novel and published under the Houbunsha KR will be Ume Aoki's Hidamari Sketch.

Shogakukan has announced that its new shounen light novel label Gagaga Bunko will launch on May 24th. The label's 10-title lineup includes a novel adaptation of Kenjiro Hata's Hayate the Combat Butler, written by Toshihiko Tsukiji.

Source: Ultimatum Chat

Shogakukan has announced the suspension of its BL (Boy's Love) light novel label Palette Bunko. The last light novels published under the Palette label were released in December 2006. The Palette Bunko will be replaced by two new light novel labels, Gagaga and Lululu, from Shogakukan in Fall 2007.