It’s fair to stop calling Eric July a YouTuber and give him the credit he deserves as CEO of Rippaverse Publishing as he announces a massive partnership with Hachette Book Group. Beginning on 6 July 2026, Hachette Book Group will exclusively handle worldwide Rippaverse and Rippasend retail.
This agreement with Hachette Book Group expands the Rippaverse’ reach and opens the universe to an entirely new customer base.
The press release states:
Under the agreement, HBG will sell and distribute Rippaverse Publishing titles across all retail and wholesale accounts in all territories worldwide, encompassing both of the company’s imprints: Rippaverse, the flagship line carrying the core shared universe continuity, and RippaSend, which publishes creator-owned titles under the Rippaverse Publishing umbrella. Through HBG’s distribution network, Rippaverse titles will reach trade bookstores, big-box retailers, library systems, comic specialty retailers, and wholesale accounts across the United States, Canada, and international markets.
Founder of the Rippaverse, Eric July, further clarifies what this means to his company:
“This is the next evolution of what we set out to build,” said Eric July, founder and CEO of Rippaverse Publishing. “We spent the last four years proving the demand existed by going directly to readers ourselves, and we built a real publishing company around that demand. Hachette Book Group is the partner that lets us take everything we’ve built and put it on shelves and in libraries around the world without changing what makes Rippaverse what it is. Their team understood our company from the first conversation, and they made it clear they were here to expand what we do, not to reshape it. That alignment is rare, and it is the reason we said yes when we have said no to many others.”
A point of emphasis is that this is not a merger. Eric July remains the sole owner of the Rippaverse and that will not change with this partnership. And for customers who are concerned that this deal will change the synergetic relationship the Rippaverse has with their customers who are used to their Direct-to-Consumer business model, have no fear.
As stated in their press release:
Direct-to-Consumer Operations Remain Unchanged: Rippaverse Publishing will continue operating directly through rippaverse.com, with the Hachette partnership serving as an expansion of sales channels rather than a replacement of its existing business model.
Another overlooked portion of this announcement is the addition of Rippasend. In the FAQ section one of the questions are What titles are included?
And the answer is:
The agreement includes both Rippaverse Publishing imprints: the flagship Rippaverse shared universe and RippaSend, which publishes creator-owned titles.
This means that independent comic creators who publish and distribute out of Rippasend will now have access to the worldwide retail distribution deal with Hachette Book Group. Speaking of international, there is now the potential for Rippaverse to be read outside of English-speaking countries.
The press release includes:
The agreement also creates the long-term infrastructure for foreign-language editions and international retail placement in territories outside the U.S. and Canada, expansions Rippaverse Publishing intends to pursue on a deliberate, market-by-market basis in the years following the partnership launch.
This deal with Hachette Book Group potentially sets up the Rippaverse for long term growth as most new readers of American comics and Manga discover such books in bookstores and libraries. This will also allow comic book shops to easily order Rippaverse comics through their existing network with Hachette Book Group.
The Rippaverse continues its rise in becoming a major contender in the independent comic book market. While companies like IDW and Dark Horse abdicate their places in line, Eric July is positioning his company to take their spots, while bringing along other independent comic creators using Rippasend.
The Biggest Announcement in Our History | Rippaverse × Hachette Book Group
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