The 'GIGAZINE Manga Awards' April 2026 submission period has begun, and here's what the bonus manga included with the comics will look like.
The GIGAZINE Manga Awards accept manga submissions every month, with monthly updates and judging. From March 27th to April 6th, 2026, GIGAZINE is holding a '
◆Click here for the application guidelines for the 'GIGAZINE Manga Awards'
If you've already read the application requirements and just want to apply, please use the application form .
◆Submit your portfolio to apply for illustration, storyboarding, or illustration assistance positions.
◆Click here for the submission guidelines for original works in novel or screenplay format.
The bonus manga included with the sale book looks like this.
The 'New Life Support eBook Sale' includes two manga titles, ' The Hero's Side Hustle Life as a Corporate Slave ' and ' I'm a Gasman!! ', and two other books: the interview collection ' What's the Job of an Anime Director?: A Collection of Interviews in the Anime Industry ', and the illustration making-of collections ' 2019 Edition ' and ' 2018 Edition ', for a total of five titles on sale. Of these, 'The Hero's Side Hustle Life as a Corporate Slave' and 'I'm a Gasman!!' include bonus content that wasn't published during their serialization, so we'll give you a sneak peek of some of it here.
The comic book 'The Hero and the Corporate Slave's Side Job Life' includes a newly drawn special episode, 'The Hero and the Demon's Company Trip.' It's an episode where Kuzuru and his colleagues, who work at a game company where they're stuck at the office so much they can't even go home, go on an overnight 'company trip' with all the other employees.
The defining feature of 'The Hero and the Corporate Slave's Side Job Life' is the struggles of heroes in two different worlds: 'a hero in another world' and 'a corporate slave in Japan,' each with their respective companions. However, in this special episode, the hero's party members appear in cute casual clothes, even though it's a company trip in Japan.
However, there was no way Kuzuru and his friends would be given such a peaceful trip; instead, they were taken to a hellish training facility. A hellish company trip begins in order to level up into better 'corporate slaves.'
They are subjected to a rigorous, Spartan training regimen in which they are taught various game techniques. In addition to Kuzuru and his friends being tossed around by the unreasonable training camp, another point of interest is that the girls of the hero party, who are basically always wearing the same outfits, change into a variety of costumes throughout the story.
The 'Gasman's Guy!!' comic book includes the beginning of the first and second chapters of the original work, 'Koro Gas!'. As it is set in the gas shop called 'Hanasuma' that appears in 'Gasman's Guy!!', you can enjoy the work even more if you read it while paying attention to its connection to the main story.
In 'Koro Gas!', just like Kiyu in 'It's the Gas Company!!', a new employee who has just joined the gas company takes on their first job.
Furthermore, the story that served as the basis for the 'It's the Gas Man!!' episode, and characters that appear in 'It's the Gas Man!!', make the content even more enjoyable.
Furthermore, we've included a bonus gallery featuring sketches the author drew by hand, various setting illustrations, and other artwork the author had on hand, so please be sure to check it out.
Please submit your comments on the manga and characters via
◆ 'GIGAZINE Manga Award' Application Guidelines
▼What happens when you serialize a manga on GIGAZINE...?
・Fully remote work & flexible scheduling
- The serialized manga will be published on GIGAZINE, so it will definitely get read.
- There are no strict deadlines, making scheduling easy.
- No restrictions on genre or target audience; anything is OK as long as it's interesting.
- We have assistants available to handle coloring and backgrounds (no need to pay out of pocket).
Because it's a relatively young label, opinions and requests are more likely to be heard, just like in a startup company!
For those who have anxieties about working as a freelancer, such as 'I don't have any knowledge about laws or taxes, is that okay?' or 'What's it like working on a series with an editor?', we have published 'Guidelines for Creating an Environment Where Freelancers Can Work with Peace of Mind,' in accordance with the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry's guidelines. We have compiled common questions and concerns in a Q&A format, so please take a look.
And so on. If you have any other questions or concerns, please click here and feel free to contact us.
▼Basic conditions:
- Designed to be readable on smartphones (no double-page spreads, vertical scrolling standard)
- Full color, fully digital (black and white submissions may be treated as 'original works,' but submissions are still very welcome).
- The submission must be a completed manuscript of 'Episode 1' and its making-of materials , regardless of genre. The making-of materials should include character designs and settings, as well as a synopsis of the entire story, in the range of 200-800 characters. Please note that submissions with incomplete information may not be considered for review.
Manuscript format:
Please refer to ' Princess and Gamer ' for aspect ratio, file size, and resolution.
• Number of manuscript pages:
Freedom. Any number of pages is fine.
▼Other:
- Original works that you have already published on other media or platforms are acceptable.
Works that were published in magazines but never compiled into a book, or that were discontinued midway through due to unavoidable circumstances, are also acceptable. Don't give up!
▼Deadline:
Thursday, April 30, 2026, 23:59:59
▼Review process:
After the initial selection by the editorial team, the following review process is planned. Please note that the review process and stages may be subject to change, and we will send you a separate explanation and confirmation before the first stage of the review.
Phase 1: Evaluation conducted in a closed environment accessible only to GIGAZINE Secret Club members + evaluation by the editorial team including making-of materials.
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Stage 2: A review process based on a format more geared towards serialization, where you will be asked to create additional necessary information such as the 'First Chapter Manuscript' and 'Plot Outline up to the Final Chapter.' At this stage, we almost certainly guarantee that your work will be serialized in some form.
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Final Stage: The winning entry will be determined by a comprehensive review of the serialized manuscript by the GIGAZINE editor-in-chief, evaluation by GIGAZINE secret club members, and guest judges including authors currently serializing their work on GIGAZINE. Furthermore, those who reach the final stage are guaranteed a serialization contract.
▼Rewards:
All those who passed the first round of judging and were selected for the first stage:
Prize money: 30,000 yen
Advancing to the second stage:
An additional 20,000 yen in prize money plus an assigned editor for serialization will be provided.
Finalists:
Upon reaching the final stage, an additional 50,000 yen in prize money will be awarded (totaling 100,000 yen) plus a guaranteed serialization of the submitted work after it has been polished.
Prize winners and above:
Additional prize money of 100,000 yen or more + guaranteed serialization
Grand Prize:
Prize money of 1 million yen + guaranteed serialization of the submitted work as is.
▼Selection results of submitted works
For works that advance to the initial stage of judging, we will contact you with details about the judging process via the email address you provided by the end of the month following the month of submission.
Please note that in all other cases, we generally do not notify applicants of the results of their application review.
▼Post-award process
After the series concludes its run on GIGAZINE, it will be digitized and sold on Amazon. We will pay the standard manuscript fees and royalties. GIGAZINE will also be responsible for the sales and promotion of the ebook.
▼Question submission form:
If you have any questions regarding your application, please click here to contact us. We will compile similar questions into an FAQ, so we appreciate your understanding and cooperation.
▼Manga Grand Prize Application Form:
Click here
◆Applications for Illustrator, Storyboard Writer, and Illustrator Assistant
▼ How to apply for 'drawing only':
Simply submit the URL of your portfolio or a collection of your works on the Manga Grand Prize application form . In the 'Other' section, please write 'Artwork only application.' There is no limit to the number of illustrations or manga you can submit to your portfolio, and there is no minimum number of pages required, but the more you submit, the more likely you are to receive a positive evaluation.
▼ How to apply for the 'Name Composition' position
We are also looking for 'storyboard composition' services, which involve turning text-based scripts into storyboards. Similar to the drawing-only submissions, please submit as many examples of your portfolio, including storyboards and manga works you have created in the past.
▼Review process for 'drawing only' and 'storyboard composition':
For those who pass the first stage of the portfolio review, we will contact you by the following month after you submit the form. In the second stage of the review, you will be asked to actually draw a sample original story, and if you pass, you will proceed to the final stage of voting.
▼Rewards:
Passed the first stage of portfolio review and moved on to the second stage:
Prize money: 50,000 yen
*Since this stage of the review process requires additional manuscript work, a prize will be awarded to everyone who advances to and participates in the second stage.
Winning an award or higher in the final round:
Additional prize money of 100,000 yen + guaranteed serialization
Grand Prize:
Additional prize money of 200,000 yen + guaranteed serialization
*Due to the circumstances of the original script, it may not be possible to start serialization immediately, but we will guarantee serialization by prioritizing your proposal.
▼Steps to apply for help:
We are also looking for help to support the creation of full-color manga. We welcome assistance with tasks such as character coloring, text placement, and background art. This is a completely remote position; you can participate from home whenever it suits you.
▼Conditions :
Nothing in particular. The process is to 'choose tasks from the task list and work on them if you are able to,' so it is possible to not participate during busy periods.
Additionally, you can participate as a helper, earn some pocket money and improve your skills while creating original works and proposing them to the editors.
▼Rewards :
For 'coloring help' and 'background help,' the hourly rate is calculated using work management software. The hourly rate is initially set as a trial period, and then increased based on work proficiency and the amount of contribution made.
For 'storyboarding,' the fee is calculated per page.
▼How to apply :
On the GIGAZINE Manga Award application form , instead of the 'Address/URL for downloading the artwork file,' please paste a URL where you can view 'color manuscripts and portfolios you have worked on in the past.' Also, in the last section, 'Other necessary information we should know,' please indicate which of the following you would like: 'Coloring help,' 'Background help,' or 'Storyboard composition.'
Manga Grand Prize Application Form:
Click here
◆Submission Guidelines for Original Scripts
Please prepare a plot (synopsis) for the entire story, from episode 1 to the final episode , in addition to the manuscript for episode 1. The synopsis should be a detailed overview of the entire story, between 100 and 800 characters long, and should be included on the first page of the manuscript.
The first round of judging will assess the simple appeal of the story and the completeness of the first episode. If you advance to the second round or final round, we will assess whether you can consistently create a script with stage directions up to the final episode, keeping in mind the actual process of creating a manga.
- If you are submitting only the original work in text format, please paste the text into a Google Doc and then include the sharing link address in the application form. In this case, please do not edit the document after submission.
Please ensure your Google sharing settings are set to 'Anyone with the link.' If it remains set to 'Restricted,' you will not be able to read the submitted works. For more information, please check 'Share files publicly' in Google Docs Help .
▼Rewards:
All those who passed the first round of judging and were selected for the first stage:
Prize money: 30,000 yen
Advancing to the second stage:
An additional 20,000 yen in prize money plus an assigned editor for serialization will be provided.
Finalists:
Upon reaching the final stage, an additional 50,000 yen in prize money will be awarded (totaling 100,000 yen) plus a guaranteed serialization of the submitted work after it has been polished.
Prize winners and above:
Prize money of 100,000 yen + guaranteed serialization
Grand Prize:
Prize money of 200,000 yen + guaranteed serialization of the submitted work as is.
*Due to the matching process with the artist, we cannot guarantee that your work will immediately begin serialization. However, we will prioritize your application and guarantee serialization.
Click here for the application form.
The Manga Taisho selection process includes a 'GIGAZINE Secret Club (GSC) Closed Judging' stage. Whether you're already a GSC member or not, we encourage you to take this opportunity to become a part of the GSC and witness the birth of a future masterpiece. Register for the GIGAZINE Secret Club here .
We look forward to receiving applications from all creators. Thank you.
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in Manga, Posted by log1e_dh