Japanese e-book publisher BookLive revealed on October 1 that its publishing platform Xfolio (クロスフォリオ) will commence commercial distribution and sales of fan-created doujin works for the Touhou Project series. The project is being carried out with the blessing of Team Shanghai Alice, the doujin circle run by ZUN, who serves as the creator and rights holder for the series.
The announcement from BookLive also disclosed that applications for participation are now open. Eligible submissions encompass a broad spectrum of media, including manga, art books, novels, and other publications, irrespective of their digital or physical format.
The publisher characterized the initiative as a novel method to digitally publish and monetize Touhou Project doujinshi through a commercial e-book marketplace, all while operating within an officially sanctioned framework. The platform emphasized its goal to provide a digital space for doujin works that will be more globally accessible moving forward.
BookLive also underscored the importance of creator compensation, noting that participating creators could earn royalties as high as 75%. A special time-limited campaign running from October 1 to November 3 will grant up to 80% royalty rates for the inaugural year of any submitted work.
This development marks a rare instance of a major Japanese intellectual property establishing an officially endorsed commercial e-book channel for fan-produced content. The initiative has the potential to broaden the reach and sustainability of doujin publications that were previously confined to limited physical distribution avenues.
Xfolio (Cross Folio) is a Japanese creator platform managed by BookLive, designed to facilitate both content hosting and creator monetization. BookLive states that the platform is dedicated to assisting creators in showcasing their work and engaging with fans within a unified ecosystem.