Aug 01, 2020 21:00:00

'GIGAZINE Manga Award' August 2020 Entries Open & Manga Making Guide for Manga Creation

Although opportunities to present manga at sales events and the like are decreasing, GIGAZINE is still accepting submissions for the GIGAZINE Manga Award this month. If you want as many people as possible to see your story, please submit your work

here , regardless of the format or genre. In addition, we are publishing the process from script to name, showing how serialized manga are made on GIGAZINE, so whether you want a peek at the making of the manga or want reference for creating your own manga, please check out Manga Making .

◆Click here for the 'GIGAZINE Manga Award' application guidelines

If you have already read the recruitment requirements and just want to apply, please use the application form .

◆Click here for original script submission requirements

If you are thinking of applying in the form of a novel or script, please check the application requirements at the link above.


◆We've compiled behind-the-scenes data on manga that will help you understand what kind of manga and illustrations catch the reader's eye
All five manga works serialized by GIGAZINE up until July 2020 were produced by separate people in charge of the original story/script and the illustrations/coloring. We have unearthed the making of how each work progressed from the original story to the script, name, and illustration, so we will reveal the behind-the-scenes. This should be a useful reference for those who are thinking of applying with a scenario, those who are considering applying as an illustrator, and of course those who want to apply with a completed work.

' The Princess and the Gamer ' was created by Kyo Miki, the original author, who wrote a text-only script, and Sho Io, the illustrator, drew the storyboard and illustrations. The image shows the storyboard at the check stage, and the lines are handwritten with just an idea of the size.

Once the storyboard is complete, I start by creating the line drawings for the characters, then ask for help with underpainting and backgrounds, and so on, and the drawing continues in this order.

' Grimoire Exchange Diary ' is also a work by the same author and illustrator duo, but some production flow has changed based on the experience of the previous work. First, in the script stage, unnecessary instructions are cut out as much as possible, and only the minimum lines and situations are added. This allows the illustrator to draw freely.

Before creating the name from the script, this film goes through the storyboard process. The script specifies the pages and frames, but these are used as a reference, and scenes are added with lines and situations lined up vertically. By creating the name from this stage, it became possible to respond flexibly, such as by devising frame layouts and adding or deleting frames as the case may be. Also, halfway through, in order to shorten the work, it seems that they started skipping the name stage and going straight from storyboard to line drawings.

The original script for '

The Part-time Life of a Hero and a Corporate Slave ' is just text, but the original author, Unagiya Sansho (Tsumabiku) , has added detailed notes. In addition to the emotions and settings contained in the dialogue, he explains what kind of frame layout the script is based on and what kind of composition the situation is based on, sometimes with images.

When

Hyaku , the illustrator, writes down the script, he has been using the storyboard process since episode 2. Creating a rough page and frame layout in the storyboard makes it easier to change the number of pages or frames when required by the script, and also makes it easier to respond to corrections made during the check stage.

The storyboard is followed by a name, line drawing, and then the final product. Sometimes, I draw a character in name form, but when I clean it up, I find that it's difficult to draw, or I come up with a composition that's more appealing than the name. In that case, I often ignore the name and redraw the character.

For '

Ame Ame Fure Fure Usoyande ,' Torataro , the original author, created very detailed names. The background is often only roughly specified, but the characters are drawn so carefully that the names alone are appealing to read. He also writes instructions to the illustrator, his intentions for the composition, and points of attention in the margins to ensure there is no discrepancy in the image.

Yumeki , who is in charge of illustrations, first draws the name into line art, then shares the image with the other illustrator, and if there are no problems, they can proceed with the illustration.

Although the workflow varies depending on who is in charge of the original story and who is in charge of illustrations, we adjust each to make it as easy as possible for them to work. We are looking forward to receiving not only manga works, but also scripts with only text, name stages, and portfolios with only illustrations.


◆ 'GIGAZINE Manga Award' Application Guidelines

・What happens if you serialize a manga on GIGAZINE?
・Completely remote work & work timing can be left to your discretion

・Serialized manga will be published on GIGAZINE, so people can read it first.

No strict deadlines make scheduling easy

- No restrictions on genre or target audience, anything is OK as long as it's interesting

・Assistants available to help with coloring and backgrounds (no need to pay for yourself)

・Because we are still a young label, it is easier for our opinions and requests to be accepted, just like a venture company!

Etc. If you have any other questions, please

click here to contact us.

・Basic conditions:
・It is assumed that it can be read on a smartphone (no double pages, vertical scrolling is the standard)

・Full color, full digital (black and white works may be treated as 'original works', but applications are welcome)

・Any genre and the completed manuscript of 'Episode 1' and its behind -the-scenes materials should be submitted. Please send behind-the-scenes materials including character designs and settings, as well as a summary of the entire story in a range of 200-800 characters. Please note that if there are insufficient details in your application, we may not be able to proceed with the review.

・Manuscript format:
Please refer to ' The Princess and the Gamer ' for aspect ratio, file size, and resolution.

・Number of manuscript pages:
Free. Any number of pages is OK.

·others:
・Original works that you have already published in other media or on other platforms are OK

・Works that were published in magazines but never published in book form, or that were discontinued midway through due to unavoidable circumstances, are also OK. Please don't give up.

・For 'drawing only', you can show us the URL of your portfolio or a collection of your work. For those who pass the first stage of judging, we will ask you to actually draw a trial original in the second stage, and if you pass, we will move on to the final stage of voting.

・Deadline:
Monday, August 31, 2020, 11:59:59 PM

・Review process:

After the first round of selection by the editorial team, the review process is planned as follows:

Phase 1: Evaluation in a closed environment that can only be viewed by GIGAZINE Secret Club members + Evaluation including making materials by the editorial department
↓
Stage 2: In a format that is more conscious of serialization, we will review the work after you have prepared additional necessary information such as the 'first episode manuscript' and 'plot up to the final episode.' If you have advanced to this stage, we will almost guarantee that your work will be serialized in some form.
↓
Final stage: The serialized manuscript will be judged by the editor-in-chief of GIGAZINE, evaluated by GIGAZINE Secret Club members, and judged by guests such as writers currently serializing in GIGAZINE, to determine the winner of the Grand Prize. In addition, if the work remains in the final stage, the serialization will be guaranteed.

・Rewards:

To commemorate the new development of GIGAZINE Manga from March 2020, the rewards, including the prize money, have been revamped as follows. We have clarified the question of 'how far can I serialize?', so please don't miss it. The left side of the arrow is the conventional setting, and the right side is the reward from March 2020.

All the people who passed the first round and were selected for the first stage:
Prize money 10,000 yen → Prize money 30,000 yen

2nd stage advancement:
Additional prize money of 20,000 yen → Additional prize money of 20,000 yen + an editor will be assigned to serialize the work

Finalists:
Prize money will only be awarded if the winner or grand prize winner is selected → If you advance to the final stage, you will receive an additional 50,000 yen prize (total 100,000 yen) + a guarantee that your submitted work will be serialized after being polished

Winners:
Prize money 50,000 yen → Prize money 100,000 yen + serialization guarantee

Grand Prize:
Prize money of 100,000 yen → Prize money of 500,000 yen + guaranteed serialization of submitted work as is

・Results of submitted works selection
For works that proceed to the first stage of judging, we will contact you via email at the address you provided when you applied by the end of the month following the month of application with details about the judging.
Please note that in all other cases, we will not generally notify you of the results of the screening.

・Procedure after winning the award
After the serialization on GIGAZINE is over, the work will be made into an e-book and sold on Amazon. We will pay the prescribed manuscript fee and royalties to each of them. GIGAZINE will also be responsible for the sale and promotion of the e-book.

・Question Form:
If you have any questions about applying, please click here to contact us. If we receive similar questions repeatedly, we will compile them as an FAQ, so we appreciate your understanding and cooperation.

・Manga Award Application Form:

Click here

◆ Original script submission requirements

・In addition to the manuscript for Episode 1 , please also prepare a plot (synopsis) from Episode 1 to the final episode . The synopsis should be a detailed summary of the entire story, between 100 and 800 characters, on the first page of the manuscript.

・The first round of judging will simply look at the entertainment value of the story and the completion of the first episode. If you make it through the second round to the final round, you will be judged on whether you can consistently write stage directions right up to the final episode, with the idea of actually creating the original manga.

・If you are submitting an 'original work only' and only text, you can simply paste the text into a Google document and enter the address of the shared link in the application form. In this case, please do not edit the document after submitting.

・Please make sure that your Google sharing settings are set to 'Anyone with the link.' If you leave it set to 'Restricted,' submitted work will not be readable. For more information, please check 'Share files publicly' in the Google Docs Help .

Click here for the application form

The Manga Award selection process includes the 'GIGAZINE Secret Club (GSC) Closed Review.' Whether you are a GSC member or not, please take this opportunity to become a member of GSC and witness the birth of a future masterpiece. Register for the GIGAZINE Secret Club here .

We look forward to receiving your submissions from all creators. Thank you very much.