>>150849951
>i thought they are first printed in larger magazines.
They are.
>if so, why?
Just like comics get reprinted into trade paperbacks, manga does that with the tankobon format.
>could it be that's the sustainable model?
Here and there, yes.
>i'm sure american publishers would switch to tpbs or phonebooks if those were profitable, but in the direct market they're not.
Bro, floppies aren't profitable. Who has the money to shell out $5 for a measly 22 pages of pin art pretending to be an action book? Use the brain.