'GIGAZINE Manga Award' September 2024 recruitment begins & top image making looks like this
GIGAZINE is currently serializing two works, '
In addition, in August 2024, we released the comic ' Gas Shop Desu!! ', the story of Kiyu's one year as a new employee of 'Gas Shop', in e-book and paperback. Please check it out!
Check out other ongoing manga and comics below!
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 Usoyandde ,' which depicts two weeks in the life of a girl who loves rain and a boy cursed by it!
If you've already read the recruitment guidelines and just want to apply, please fill out 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
◆Top image illustration making explanation
This illustration was created by Morino Moto to support 'The Part-Time Life of a Hero and Corporate Slave.' On one side of the main character, Kuzuru, is a hero equipped with a sword and cape, and on the other side is a company worker wearing a hoodie and carrying a bag, making this an interesting illustration that depicts the busy 'part-time life.' The monsters he fights as a hero (top left), the hero's party comrades (bottom left), and his company boss, Valkyrie (top right) are also cutely placed.
The adopted rough draft A shared the idea of being half another world, half real world, but had some differences, such as a demon lord-like character on the left and company colleagues in the bottom right. This draft was adopted as it looked interesting as it maximized the crossover element of the worlds, but some of the characters and items were changed to be easier to understand. Morino Moto: 'Plan A was the composition that first came to mind, and I drew it thinking, 'Wouldn't it be interesting to depict two situations on one screen?' At this point, I thought it might have some impact. I was able to enjoy drawing each character while actually working on it.'
Rough draft B depicts Kuzuru looking exhausted while working on his computer, with his friends on screen calling out to him. Morino: 'Plan B was drawn based on the theme, 'What if I were to depict two different worlds while avoiding the illustrative (unrealistic) composition of Plan A?' I liked this plan as well, but I thought it wasn't very good as an illustration composition.'
Rough draft C is an appealing proposal in that it features a party of heroes from another world, with the characters coming to the forefront.
Below is the finished rough draft after revisions. In addition to changes to what's drawn in the upper left and bottom right, the balance of the line in the middle has also been fine-tuned. Morino: 'In the end, plan A was approved, and we decided to go with this rough draft. I know I'm good at creating a comical touch, so I was relieved that plan A, which has the most fun composition, was approved. I made small corrections and additions based on plan A. I didn't make any major changes to the rough draft, and drew the line art based on this. However, it didn't stay like this until the end, and I corrected anything that bothered me as I was working, so there are some parts of the final line art that changed significantly.'
Morino: 'I drew the easy-to-read line drawings based on the rough sketches. I'll make corrections after I've drawn the line drawings to some extent, or after I've started coloring, so it's still in an unfinished state. The line drawings are easy to see, so it's easy to see mistakes and odd parts, so it's easy to make corrections, and that may have been the most time-consuming stage. Also, Kuzuru, which had to be drawn in half, was the most time-consuming part.'
Morino: 'I started with the line drawings and then proceeded to color the characters. Coloring makes the picture instantly more vibrant, so it's my favorite part. In particular, the characters' personalities really come out and they become more lively, so it's a really fun process to draw.'
Morino: 'After the characters, I drew in the background and made detailed color adjustments. By drawing the background, the overall balance becomes clear, so this is where I make the final adjustments to the line art and color. I aimed for a higher quality drawing by adding light effects with an overlay, etc.'
Morino: 'When the final product was in sight, I came up with the idea of using the line in the middle of the illustration as a manga frame border, and later added and fine-tuned manga frame borders. I thought that this composition and the composition without frame borders each had their merits, so I quickly submitted this as the second and final proposal.'
You can read the main story of 'The Part-Time Life of a Hero and Corporate Slave' as well as chapters 2.5, 3.5, and 4.5 illustrated by Morino below!
Read Deathma 2.5 'A Present from the Corporate Slave Hero'!
Read Death 3.5 'Never forgive people who push work onto others and leave early!'
Read the sneak preview of Deathma 4.5 'What if the succubus who came to charm the hero ends up falling for him instead?'
◆ '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 the content of your application is insufficient, 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.
・Deadline:
Monday, September 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
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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.
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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 all other cases, we will not 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 helpers
・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.
・How to apply :
On the GIGAZINE Manga Award application form , paste the URL where you can view your 'color manuscripts and portfolios you have worked on in the past' instead of 'address/URL for downloading work files'. Also, in the last 'Other necessary information we need to know', please enter the appropriate information for '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 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 .
・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:
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.
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