Apr 04, 2024 09:00:00

'GIGAZINE Manga Awards' starts accepting submissions for April 2024 & reveals upcoming attractive characters

The GIGAZINE Manga Awards are always looking for works with various appeals. In addition to the story and setting, the appeal of the characters is also an important point for an interesting work. We have picked out some characters who will appear in GIGAZINE's manga in the future, so please look forward to their appearance and use them as a reference for character creation. Also, please check out

the GIGAZINE Secret Club (GSC), where you can see the secret making of the character designs and read the manga updates before anyone else.

Check out the ongoing manga and comics below!

Read 'I'm the Gas Man!!' Episode 1 'I'm Kayo Kiyuu, the new gas man!'

Read 'Secret Palace' Episode 1: 'Loneliness, a Beautiful Girl, and an Android'

Vampire x Maid x Garlic Gourmet ' Master, I Smell Like Garlic! ' Comic available below!

Also check out the comic '

Ame Ame Fure Fure Usoyandee ,' which depicts two weeks in the life of a girl who loves rain and a boy cursed by it!

◆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 .

◆ Send your portfolio to apply for illustrations, storyboards, and illustration help positions

◆Click here for original script submissions for novels and screenplays

◆ A collection of characters scheduled to appear in the future
I discovered some fascinating characters in the materials and manuscripts that were in production, so I'll be showing some of them to those who saw the announcement for the Manga Award. I hope you'll enjoy the works and episodes that will actually appear.

First up is Lilimil, who appears as a new employee at the game company where the main character Kuzuru works, in 'The Part-Time Life of a Hero and a Corporate Slave.' In a workplace that is always busy and doesn't have time to pay attention to the details, Lilimil is thoughtful and does her job well, so she quickly becomes popular at work.

In the episode where Lilimil appears, she also happens to show off a cute cosplay outfit. Please wait for the main story update to find out why this happened and what Lilimil's hidden secret is.

Another mysterious girl from 'The Part-time Life of a Hero and a Corporate Slave' is also shown in this video. Her facial expression and hairstyle alone are appealing, but her full-body appearance scene, which we haven't shown yet, should be even more charming, so please look forward to it.

'Let Me Make It! Ejima-san,' scheduled to begin in the fall of 2024, will bring out the charm of the character 'Ejima Aya,' who is constantly targeted as the heroine of a game by Kaidou, a university student whose hobby is game development. In addition to the carefully drawn feelings and expressions of Ejima, we are also looking forward to her casual clothes and costumes, which change every time.

In the serialized project 'An End to Infinite Reincarnation,' key visuals of extremely diverse girls with different color schemes and worldviews are revealed.

The character below is 'Myrrh.' Pay attention to the complex worldview that can be sensed from her delicately drawn facial expression.

Detailed explanations of character designs and settings are provided during the serialization. In 'Gasman Desu!!', which ended in March 2024, a new character, Mitsuki, who becomes the protagonist's rival, appeared in the eighth episode. An explanation was released exclusively

to GSC members that adjusted Mitsuki's character while changing the story. 'Gasman Desu!!' is also scheduled to be released in comic form, and character sketches and designs will be included as bonuses in the comic, so be sure to check it out.

What is the ingenuity put into the story seen in the character's first appearance scene? 'Gas Shop!!' Episode 8 Making Commentary Complete Edition - GIGAZINE

We will not only continue to serialize and solicit manga, but will also be releasing and explaining the making of the manga, so if you have any comments such as 'I would like to see the making of this!' or 'I would like to know more behind-the-scenes information', we would appreciate it if you could send us your feedback via the Contact Us form.

◆ '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!

・For those who have concerns about working as a freelancer, such as 'Is it okay if I don't know anything about laws or taxes?' or 'What is it like working on a serial with an editor?', we have

published 'Guidelines for creating an environment where freelancers can work with peace of mind' in line with the guidelines of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. We have compiled a Q&A to answer any questions or concerns you may have, so please check it out.

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 content 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.

·The deadline:
Tuesday, April 30, 2024, 11:59:59 PM

・Review process:

After the first round of selection by the editorial team, the review process is scheduled as follows: The review process and stages may be subject to slight changes, so we will send you separate explanations and confirmations before the first round of review.

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 more geared towards serialization, we will review your work after you have prepared additional necessary information, such as the first episode manuscript and a plot up to the final episode. If you make it this far, 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:

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

2nd stage advancement:
An additional 20,000 yen prize will be awarded, plus an editor will be assigned to serialize the work.

Finalists:
If you advance to the final stage, you will receive an additional 50,000 yen prize (total of 100,000 yen) plus a guarantee that your submitted work will be serialized after being polished.

Winners and above:
Additional prize money from 100,000 yen + guaranteed serialization

Grand Prize:
Prize money of 1 million yen + guaranteed serialization of submitted work

・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 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 you the prescribed manuscript fee and royalties. 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

◆Applications for illustration staff, storyboard staff, and illustration help staff

・How to apply for 'drawing only':
Just show the URL of your portfolio or collection of works in the Manga Award application form . Please write 'Applying for illustrations only' in the 'Other' column. There is no limit to the number of illustrations or manga for your portfolio, and there is no line on how many you need, but the more you have, the easier it will be to get recognition.

・How to apply for 'Name Composition Manager'
We are also looking for 'name composition' who will turn the original text script into a name. As with the illustration only, please send us as much information as possible about your portfolio, names of works you have created in the past, and manga works.

・Judging process for 'Artwork only' and 'Name composition':
If you pass the first stage of the screening, which is based on your portfolio, we will contact you by the month after you submit the form. In the second stage, we ask you to actually draw a trial original. If you pass, it will move on to the final stage of the voting.

・Rewards:
Participants who passed the first stage portfolio screening and participated in the second stage:
Prize money: 50,000 yen
*Because this stage of judging requires additional manuscript work, all applicants who advance to the second stage will receive a stipend.

Winners of the final judging:
Additional prize of 100,000 yen + serialization guarantee

Grand Prize:
Additional prize of 200,000 yen + serialization guarantee

*Due to the nature of the original script, we cannot guarantee that your work will be serialized immediately, but we will guarantee that it will be serialized by making it a priority proposal.

・How to apply for help:
We are also looking for helpers who can help with the production of full-color manga. We also welcome helpers with underpainting characters, text placement, and backgrounds. This is a completely remote project and you can participate from home only when you can.

·conditions :
Nothing in particular. The flow is 'if you can work, choose what you want to take on from the task list and work on it,' so it's possible to not participate if you're busy.
You can also help out, earn some pocket money and improve your skills, while also creating original works and making suggestions to the editors.

・Rewards :
For 'coloring help' and 'background help,' the hourly rate is calculated using work management software. The hourly rate is set as a trial period at first, and can be increased based on the level of skill and the number of contributions made.
In the case of 'name composition', the manuscript fee will be calculated per page.

·Application method :
On the GIGAZINE Manga Award application form , paste the URL where you can view your past color manuscripts and portfolios instead of the 'address/URL for downloading the work file.' Also, in the last 'Other necessary information we need to know,' enter the appropriate information you would like: 'Coloring help,' 'Background help,' or 'Name composition.'

・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 it is text only, 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 .

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

2nd stage advancement:
An additional prize of 20,000 yen will be awarded, plus an editor will be assigned to serialize the work.

Finalists:
If you advance to the final stage, you will receive an additional 50,000 yen prize (total of 100,000 yen) plus a guarantee that your submitted work will be serialized after being polished.

Winners and above:
Prize money of 100,000 yen + serialization guarantee

Grand Prize:
Prize money of 200,000 yen + guaranteed serialization of submitted work

*Due to the issue of matching with illustrators, we cannot guarantee that your work will be serialized immediately, but we will guarantee that your work will be serialized by making it a priority proposal.

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.