A chance to debut as a manga writer! The Weekly Shonen Magazine Editorial Department and note are looking for super-entertaining manga story drafts
December 22 update:
The Grand Prize, Excellence Award, and Encouragement Award winnershave been announced!
https://note.com/info/n/nf6122311c79f
November 20 update:
The 44 finalists and 46 works that passed the preliminary selectionhave been announced!
https://note.com/info/n/n976b610d9779
August 9 update:
We interviewed Nobu Toki from the Weekly Shonen Magazine Editorial Department about the goals of this contest and how to create manga stories! Please take a look.
https://note.com/notemag/n/n74e00ee49d77
To discover future manga writers, the Weekly Shonen Magazine Editorial Department, which handles many popular manga works such as "Blue Lock," "Attack on Titan," and "The Fragrant Flower Blooms With Dignity," is teaming up with note tohold a contest called "#WeeklyShonenMagazineMangaStoryAward" to solicit text-based works that will serve as the basis for manga!hold a contest!
We are looking for works with outstanding entertainment value that get more and more interesting as the story progresses. If you feel that "drawing manga manuscripts is a high hurdle, but I want to turn my ideas into manga through text-based stories," please apply.
Submissions will be accepted in two categories: the "Serialized Series Category" and the "Proposal Category." Genres such as action, fantasy, mystery, and romantic comedy are all welcome. For both categories, works posted on note in text format with the hashtag "#WeeklyShonenMagazineMangaStoryAward" will be eligible for judging. Winning works will be assigned an editor from the Weekly Shonen Magazine Editorial Department, with the goal of being adapted into manga and published in "Weekly Shonen Magazine," "Bessatsu Shonen Magazine," or "Magazine Pocket."
Please see below for details on how to apply and messages from the Weekly Shonen Magazine Editorial Department and the note management office, who will be conducting the judging.
We look forward to receiving many entries!
Application Details
■ Contest Schedule
Application period: August 1, 2023 (Tue) 11:00 to September 30, 2023 (Sat) 23:59
Preliminary announcement: Scheduled for mid-November 2023
Results announcement: Scheduled for late December 2023
■ Application Overview
Genres: Any
Format: Any format is acceptable as long as it is Japanese text suitable for a manga story (e.g., scripts, novels, etc. Please refer to "How to Submit" below for specific submission methods)
■ Categories
Serialized Series Category: Please submit episodes 1-3 of a serialized work. It does not need to be completed in 3 episodes. Works with only up to 2 episodes submitted will not be eligible for judging.
Proposal Category: Please submit a proposal for a serialized work. The number of completed episodes does not matter.
■ How to Apply
① Serialized Series Category
Submission method: Please submit the synopsis and the 3-episode serialized work in 4 separate articles. The breakdown of the articles is as follows.
Synopsis (up to 300 characters) and links to episodes 1-3
Episode 1 (up to 10,000 characters)
Episode 2 (up to 4,000 characters)
Episode 3 (up to 4,000 characters)
* Please add the hashtags "#WeeklyShonenMagazineOriginalStoryAward" and "#SerializationCategory" only to the article containing the synopsis.
* The order of submission does not matter.
② Proposal Category
Submission method: Please include all of the following elements in a single article and post it with the hashtags "#WeeklyShonenMagazineOriginalStoryAward" and "#ProposalCategory".
Catchphrase (up to 50 characters in one sentence)
Synopsis (up to 300 characters)
Story of Episode 1 (up to 1,000 characters)
Story of Episode 2 and beyond (up to 3,000 characters)
* For works submitted to the Serialization Category, there is no problem if you post episodes 4 and beyond, but they will not be subject to review. Please include links to episodes 1 through 3 in the "Synopsis" article.
* Please publish your entry for "free" when submitting.
* If you are unsure how to submit on note, please refer to the explanatory article that summarizes the submission method with images.
■ Application Guidelines
・You may submit up to 3 titles per person in total across the Serialization Category and Proposal Category. If you submit 4 or more titles, all of your submitted works will be excluded from review. In this case, a serialized work consisting of up to 3 episodes in the Serialization Category counts as 1 title.
・The applicant's track record, whether professional or amateur, does not matter.
・Works that you have previously published yourself on social media or in doujinshi (fan magazines) can be submitted.
・Works previously posted on "note" should be formatted according to the submission method for each category before applying. As long as the post follows the application guidelines, articles published before the start of the call for entries will also be subject to review.
・Works that have already been published in commercial magazines, on commercial websites, or as books are excluded from selection.
・Works that have won other contests in the past but have not been published in commercial magazines, on commercial websites, or as books are subject to review.
・The copyright of the submitted work belongs to the creator.
・Please ensure your content complies with copyright law. For details, please check "Copyright concepts to support creation".
・The note management team may remove hashtags from submitted articles that are unrelated to the recruitment content.
About the Awards
Grand Prize (Serialization Category only)
Prize money of 500,000 yen
You will be assigned an editor from the Weekly Shonen Magazine editorial department, and serialization will be considered in either "Weekly Shonen Magazine," "Bessatsu Shonen Magazine," or "Magazine Pocket."
Excellence Award (Serialization Category / Proposal Category)
Prize money of 100,000 yen
You will be assigned an editor from the Weekly Shonen Magazine editorial department, and serialization will be considered in "Magazine Pocket."
Encouragement Award (Serialization Category / Proposal Category)
Prize money of 10,000 yen
Judges
Weekly Shonen Magazine Editorial Department
A Message from the Editor in Charge
In order to discover raw, unseen talent, we have teamed up with note, a platform that brings together a diverse range of creators, to hold this contest.
The key point for evaluation is: "Is it interesting when turned into manga?" We will be evaluating works that possess the charm that would make readers want to pay to read them once they are output in the form of a serialized manga.
Serialized manga are required to "get more and more interesting," so we would be happy if you could think about it with the image of grabbing the reader's heart in the first chapter and increasing the appeal of the project with each subsequent episode.
Also, "whether the intent is easy to convey through the writing" is an important element. If the reading itself is difficult, it might confuse the manga artist, so please be careful about that (※ Of course, it is fine if the character dialogue has a unique personality).
Since its inception, "Weekly Shonen Magazine" has been a magazine where many text-based original writers have been active. We are sincerely looking forward to encountering works that are new, full of a spirit of service, and filled with the ambition to surprise the world.
note Management Office
A Message from note
Following the Creative Awards, I am very happy to be able to support everyone aiming to become a manga original writer.
While holding several contests calling for manga original stories, I have realized something once again. That is that there are many talented creators on note who can produce wonderful stories. Although the formats vary—manga, novels, and scripts—I feel the passion from the entries to deliver works to many people with their own unique originality.
"Weekly Shonen Magazine" is an editorial department that has produced many manga original writers to date. We hope that future hit works will be born through the collaboration between the Weekly Shonen Magazine editorial department, which has always been creating entertainment works, and the talents of all you creators.
Please give it your all and post the works you find interesting. We are waiting for many entries!
Regarding Judging and Winning Works
・Please note in advance that we cannot respond to inquiries regarding the judging, such as judging criteria or selection results.
・Works that do not comply with the application guidelines will be excluded from the selection process. Also, please note that we will not contact you individually if the application guidelines are not followed.
・Entries are limited to works that do not infringe upon the copyrights or other rights of third parties, or are recognized as having no such risk. If you receive allegations of plagiarism or similar issues from a third party, you must handle them yourself as the applicant.
・Terms of Serviceor if the application guidelines are violated, the award may be revoked even after the judging.
・The announcement of winners will be made via an article and an email to the winners. If we cannot contact you within 14 days from the date the award is confirmed, the award will be revoked.
・The handling of personal information will be in accordance with Kodansha Ltd.'sPrivacy Policyand note Inc.'sPrivacy Policy. Personal information of applicants will be strictly managed and will not be used for any purpose other than the execution of this project without the consent of the individual. Whether or not to adapt the winning work into a serialized manga will be decided by Kodansha Ltd. after review. Furthermore, the content and procedures will be decided upon consultation with the winner after the award. If a winner is under 18 years old, we will obtain the consent of a guardian.
・The copyright of the winning work belongs to the winner. However, the creator shall grant Kodansha Ltd. the right of first refusal regarding the use of the winning work. If it is decided to adapt the work into a serialized manga in "Weekly Shonen Magazine," "Bessatsu Shonen Magazine," or "Magazine Pocket," a separate contract will be concluded between Kodansha Ltd. and the winner.
・When adapting the winning work into manga, or when publishing it in "Weekly Shonen Magazine," "Bessatsu Shonen Magazine," or "Magazine Pocket," or releasing it as an e-book, we may request some changes. In addition, the artist will be decided upon consultation between the winner and the editorial department.
・For the announcement and promotion of the winning work, you agree to grant Kodansha Ltd. and note Inc. (hereinafter referred to as the "two operating companies") the right to use the winning work free of charge. Furthermore, if the winning work is adapted into manga, you agree to grant the two operating companies the right to use the book cover of the winning work free of charge for the announcement and promotion of the manga adaptation.