Information for authors

Read this if you're an author/publisher of a software utility or program, and would like to have it distributed and promoted in Japan.

A few facts about Japan

• Japan is the second largest software market in the world.  This does not however means that every title will sell millions of copies.  A few title do.  Most other titles don't.  
• The shareware concept has never been widely known nor accepted as people in Japan are more used to freeware than shareware, mainly when it comes to what is called Online Soft.
• Not all Japanese people are fluent in English (actually, very few of them are) and most of them won't bother with a program in English. There is no doubt that today, only a very small minority of the Japanese people would even consider a program that has not been fully translated and localized into Japanese. Unless your program is really unique and/or very special, local presence and local support in Japanese are an obvious must for selling it in Japan.
• It is fairly difficult and quite expensive to send money by bank transfer/wire from Japan. This means that very few people will actually take the trouble to do it. In other words, even if one would like to, it isn't easy to pay for something from abroad.
• Credit cards are definitely not as popular in Japan as they are in some other countries.  Many Japanese people will seriously hesitate before entering their credit card number on a foreign web site.
• Programs that are highly technical, that requires intensive use of English, that need long explanation to be used have almost no chance in Japan.
• Our best selling utilities are for Windows 98/me/2000/XP. Don't even bother anymore with any DOS utilities or Windows 3.1/ 95 programs. There are Japanese versions of all Windows versions that support double byte characters and while most English programs can run under the Japanese Windows environment, some don't or presents incompatibility problems (mainly with Japanese characters which are sometimes used in filenames, folder names, etc). If you're interested in selling your program in Japan, do check out what the DBCS (Double Byte Characters Set) is. In other words, any title sold in Japan should fully support the Japanese language to have any chance of success.. 
• Still, some programs do sell pretty well here. While a very difficult market, Japan is still the second largest software market in the world!

What can P. & A. do for you?

• We can test your program(s) and frankly let you know what we think about the possibility of marketing it (them)  in Japan. We'll discuss the various possibilities and the various options for your program(s) in Japan. 
• We can take care of the complete translation and localization into Japanese (localization of the program, GUI, help, manual, box, sales material, web pages, etc.). 
• We can work on your behalf for selling and promoting your program(s) in Japan. We take care of the promotion of your program(s) by
  • making sure your program is mentioned/reviewed in Japanese computer magazines
  • making sure your program is featured on cover CD-ROMs (offered with magazines)
  • making sure your program is locally available for download, in shops, etc.
  • trying to find bundle and/or OEM deals with local companies and manufacturers.
• We take care of the sales of your program(s) in Japan. With us, your programs become locally available in Japan and are sold and supported by Japanese people in Japanese. We accept payment on your behalf using local bank transfer, credit card, COD service, etc. We pay you monthly or quarterly royalties by US$ checks, bank wire, credit card, etc. (or any other agreed upon currency)
• We can provide for your program(s):
  • instruction and user manual in Japanese (we take care of the translation and/or original writing, as necessary)
  • local phone number for tech support in Japanese
  • local phone number for registration / purchase (with price in Yen, invoice, etc.)
  • local fax number (24 hours)
  • local access point for download (Internet), information/presentation pages in Japanese on our web site, popular download sites, etc.
• Our service isn't free, but we only ask for a commission on actual sales, so we really do try our best to sell your program(s). We are very flexible and would consider any business offer that makes sense for both parties.
• I'll be glad to answer any questions you may have about our services and the possibility of marketing your program(s) in Japan.

Submission

Please, do not e-mail me your program before contacting me.

The best way is to first contact me is by e-mail, then send me a samples of your program(s) by air mail, if possible with printed information, PR, screen shots, etc. Another alternative is to let me know from where I can download your program and the related information. 

You can contact me (Patrick Hochner) at the following address:

E-mail:
patrick @ pandasw.com 

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