Erica Friedman, a prominent writer and expert on yuri content, has been named Managing Editor of Manga Mavericks Books.
Manga Mavericks Books
—the publishing arm born from the Manga Mavericks podcast and website—made the announcement on Monday, bringing Friedman on board to guide their upcoming editorial direction.
In her new role, Friedman will oversee a busy year for the publisher, which has slated the release of more than 40 titles spanning classic, alternative, shojo, josei, and LGBTQ+ manga.
Friedman brings a wealth of industry experience to the position. Alongside her writing for various outlets, she has authored extensive commentary and reports on yuri for publications such as Eureka, Animerica, Forbes, Slate, the Huffington Post, The Mary Sue, and Dark Horse, among others. She wrote By Your Side: The First 100 years of Yuri Anime and Manga, contributed to DK’s Manga A Visual History, and has maintained her dedicated yuri blog, Okazu, since 2002. Furthermore, she is the founder and former president of Yuricon and ALC Publishing, and has lectured at prestigious institutions including Harvard, MIT, and Keio University. She holds a B.A. in Comparative Literature and a Master’s Degree in Library Science.
The Manga Mavericks Books imprint was originally launched in April 2025 to bring works by independent Japanese creators to a global audience through licensing, localization, and distribution.
To facilitate its worldwide reach, Manga Mavericks Books secured international distribution partnerships with Pathway Book Service (handling warehousing, fulfillment, and retail distribution) and Gazelle Book Services Ltd for European markets.
Disclosure: Erica Friedman is a contributor for Anime News Network.
Source: Press release