Aim for your debut! Opportunities for book publication and serialization. #CreativeAwards2023 call for entries is now open!

With the cooperation of 16 media outlets in total, including publishers and television stations, we are holding the second edition of the "Creative Awards," one of Japan's largest submission contests covering all forms of internet-based creation, and it's even bigger than last time!The submission period is from today, April 25, to July 17.

There are a total of 9 categories for submission. All categories are open to both professionals and amateurs.

A total of 16 media outlets (11 publishers) are supporting the novel, manga original, essay, and comic essay categories.Winning works will be assigned an editor to aim for publication in magazines/media, book publication, or screen adaptation. Please see the bottom of the article for details on each category.

In addition, works that do not fall into the above categories will be accepted in the "All-Category" section. We welcome any genre or format, including know-how, recipes, music, photography, or game scenarios.Outstanding works will receive support, such as being introduced to media, through the note Creator Support Program.

This time, we have also established a "Reader's Award." We will present awards to works that are popular with readers, based on a comprehensive judgment of factors such as the number of likes, comments, and completion rates.

We want works born in the city of note to reach many people outside of it. We want this to lead to a future that expands the possibilities for all creators. With this in mind, we have decided to hold the 2nd "Creative Awards" with the cooperation of a wide range of partner media. We would be happy if both creators and readers could participate and enjoy the event together.

Schedule

Submission period: April 25, 2023 (Tue) - July 17 (Mon) 23:59
Reader support period: April 25, 2023 (Tue) - July 24 (Mon) 23:59
Intermediate results announcement: Mid-September (planned)
Final results announcement: Late October (planned)

How to apply

1. Log in to note

2. Create an article

3. Set two hashtags and post the article
   ① #CreativeAwards2023
   ② Set one designated hashtag for the category you are applying to

Note: Please publish as "free" when applying (application is complete if a banner image is displayed under the article after publication).
Note: You can also apply by adding hashtags to previously posted articles. However, works that do not follow the application requirements and regulations will not be eligible for judging.
Note: The submission method, such as the number of characters per article, differs for each category. For details, please see the special page for each category.

Submission Categories

#MysteryNovelCategory
#RomanceNovelCategory
#FantasyNovelCategory
#WorkplaceNovelCategory
We are looking for novels in each genre. The character count should be between 20,000 and 140,000 characters; one-shot short stories, linked short stories, and full-length novels are all acceptable.

#IllustrationStoryCategory
We are looking for novels inspired by the specified illustrations. Any genre is acceptable. The character count should be between 20,000 and 140,000 characters; one-shot short stories, linked short stories, and full-length novels are all acceptable.

#MangaOriginalCategory
Regardless of genre, we are looking for works that will serve as the original story for a serialized manga. The format can be a novel, scenario, or any other written form. Only up to the first 3 episodes will be judged.

#Essay Category
We are accepting essay works (text) based on your own experiences. The word count limit is 10,000 characters.

#Comic Essay Category
We are accepting comic essay works (manga). There is no page limit; one-shots, short series, and long-form works are all welcome.

#All-Category Category
We are accepting a wide range of works that do not fit into the categories above. Any format is acceptable, including text, images, audio, or video.

*For details on the types of works, themes, and submission formats sought by each editorial department, pleasevisit the special page.

Awards and Prize Money

Editorial Department Award (1 winner each)

Main Prize: Commemorative gift
Supplementary Prize: 100,000 yen

• Each editorial department will select one winner.

• Winning works will be assigned an editor from the selecting department to discuss publication in media (web media, magazines) or book publication. Since the handling of winning works varies by editorial department, please check the special page for details.

Adaptation Award (1 winner)

Main Prize: Commemorative gift
Supplementary Prize: 100,000 yen

• Regardless of the category, TV Tokyo will review a wide range of works and select one winner.

• The winning work will be assigned a producer to discuss potential screen adaptation.

note Award (a few winners)

Main Prize: Commemorative gift
Supplementary Prize: 100,000 yen

• The note management office will select a few winners from works submitted to the All-Category category.

• Winning works will receive support, such as being introduced in media, through thenote Creator Support Program.

Selected Entry (a few winners)

Main Prize: Commemorative gift
Supplementary Prize: 10,000 yen

• Selected regardless of category.

• Some works may be assigned an editor from a sponsoring publishing house.

Reader's Award (a few winners)

Main Prize: Commemorative gift
Supplementary Prize: 10,000 yen cash

• Regardless of the category, we will select a few works that were highly popular with readers.

Best Reviewer Award (about 10 winners)

3,000 yen Amazon Gift Card
Invitation to the Creative Award Ceremony (to be held at the end of October / location TBD)

• We will select winners who provided wonderful feedback from among those who posted their thoughts on Creative Award entries to note using the hashtag #CreativeAwardFeedback or shared them on Twitter.

Selection Process

For works submitted to any category, we will determine the works that pass the first round of selection by referring to their popularity during the reader support period (comprehensively judging factors such as the number of 'likes', comments, and completion rates). Afterward, the note management office will conduct a second round of selection. The note management office will perform the final selection for works submitted to the All-Category section, while sponsoring editorial departments will perform the final selection for works submitted to other categories to determine the winning entries.

Submission Guidelines

• Only original works created by the applicant are eligible for submission. Works created using AI such as ChatGPT are only eligible for the 'All-Category' section (for categories other than the All-Category section, if it is discovered after the award that the work was created using AI, the award may be revoked).

• You may submit two or more works as an individual.

• You cannot submit the same work to multiple categories.

• The applicant's track record, whether professional or amateur, does not matter.

• Please format works previously posted on note to match the submission requirements for each category before applying. As long as the post follows the submission guidelines, articles published before the start of the recruitment period are also eligible for review.

• Works previously published by the individual on other posting sites, social media, or in fanzines are also eligible for submission (for the Illustration Story category, only new works written for this specific theme are eligible).

• Works that have been previously published in commercial magazines, on commercial websites, or as books are not eligible for selection.

• Works that have been submitted to other contests in the past may be submitted, but if they win in another contest before the results of this contest are announced, they will be excluded from selection (for the Illustration Story category, only new works written for this specific theme are eligible).

• The copyright of the submitted work belongs to the creator.

• Please ensure that your post complies with copyright law. For details, please check 'Copyright concepts to support your creation'.

• Note management may remove hashtags from submitted articles that are unrelated to the submission content.

Regarding Judging and Winning Works

• Please note that we cannot respond to inquiries regarding the judging process, such as judging criteria or selection results.

• Works that do not comply with the Terms of Service and submission guidelines will be excluded from selection. Please also note that we will not contact you individually if the Terms of Service or submission guidelines are not followed.

• Submissions are limited to works that do not infringe upon the copyrights or other rights of third parties, or are recognized as having no risk of doing so. If you receive claims of plagiarism or similar issues from a third party, you must handle them yourself as the applicant.

• Terms of Serviceor submission guidelines, your award may be revoked even after the judging process.

• Winners will be announced via an article and a notification email sent to the winners. If we are unable to contact you within 20 days from the date the email is sent, your award will be revoked.

• The handling of personal information will be in accordance with the Privacy Policy of note inc.

• Specific details and procedures regarding media publication, book releases, etc., will be decided upon consultation after selection. If you are under 18, you must obtain the consent of a guardian.

• Even in the case of media publication or book releases, the copyright for the selected work remains with the winner.

• You agree to grant note and the relevant sponsoring editorial departments free permission to use the work for the purpose of announcing and promoting it. Please note that modifications may be made for layout purposes during this process.

• Royalties and usage fees for book publication, etc., will be determined through separate consultation.

Special Page

FAQ

For frequently asked questions regarding how to apply and the judging process, please see the help page below.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) about the Creation Award

Related Events (*Updated as needed)

[7/11 (Tue)] Asking the 1st Creation Award winners and their editors: 'How to polish and evaluate works'

We will ask about 'how to polish works' from the perspective of authors and editors, and 'how to evaluate works' from the perspective of the judges. We will deliver a session packed with practical points, such as how to develop characters and how to make your work easier to understand.

[7/2 (Sun)] Offline Creative Session

This is the second installment of the "Offline Creative Session," which was held on May 6th and concluded with great success. On the day, we will provide a space open all day for creators to work silently on their writing, and as with the previous event, we will also host a cross-talk event featuring popular authors.

[Ended] Creative Award RADIO

We will be hosting Twitter Space broadcasts every Thursday (excluding holidays) from April 27th to June 22nd. On April 27th, members of the note management team will answer any questions submitted by everyone. Starting May 11th, representatives from the sponsoring editorial departments will appear on a rotating basis to discuss the types of works they are looking for and provide advice on creative writing.

[Ended] note Offline Creative Session

For those who are thinking of applying to the Creative Award, we will open the note event space (Gaienmae) for the day to provide a place where you can work silently on your writing. We will also hold talk sessions with popular authors and plot review sessions.

[Ended] Hotaru Shinkawa: Please teach us how to write mystery novels.

We will hold a novel-writing workshop by author Hotaru Shinkawa, who serves as a special judge for the "Bessatsu Bungeishunju" editorial department.