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]
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]
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