The basic method for debuting as a manga artist was to submit your work to a manga award or to bring your work to a publishing company. Nowadays, more and more manga artists are being approached by publishers after posting their works on social networking sites. Even if they don’t have any qualifications or exams, they ha to have the “skill” to draw manga. One way to become a manga artist is to attend a vocational school where you can learn the skills and know-how.
How to Apply for Manga Prizes
Most manga magazines have manga awards that are open for submissions. Recently, manga prizes are not only offered by manga magazines but also by websites run by publishers. Check the manga magazines and websites that you read often to see what kinds of applications are being accepted.
When applying to both magazines and websites, you should pay attention to the content of the application. If your manga is not in the genre that the magazine or website is looking for, it will not win the prize. Of course, it is not impossible that there are some fortunate events in the world of manga, such as a magazine saying that: “It is not suitable for our magazine, but it can be submitted to another magazine within the same publishing company at…” However, basically, it is important that the genre and theme of your application match the contents of the call for entries.
How to bring your work to the publisher
It makes sense to submit your work directly to the publisher rather than send data by e-mail or mail. If you bring your work to a publisher, you can have an editor of a manga magazine look at your work and give you advice. It is worthwhile to listen to the opinions of editors who have seen countless pieces. If the quality of your work improves thanks to their advice, not to mention the potential of your work, you may be entered for a manga award, or they may even help you get your work published in a magazine.
First of all, why don’t you ask for professional opinions from several publishers to find out how good your manga is? Don’t forget to contact the editorial department of the magazine you want your work to be published in and make an appointment.
Communicate your work on social networking sites
It is not limited to manga, but more and more people are publishing their own works on social networking and communication sites, and it is not unusual for a work that has been serialized on the web to be published into a printed comic. It is not uncommon for a work that has been serialized on the web to be made into a comic book. Many of you may have seen such works appearing around the world with such catchphrases as “Twitter is buzzing” or “Popular on manga-posting site XX! This has the potential to spread by “word of mouth”, as the work is seen by not only publishers and editors but also by many other people. “Word of mouth” may even reach the ears of publishers and editors. The basic premise is that the work must attract people’s attention, so it is not easy, but it is not imposible.
Attend a vocational school where you can learn about manga
Manga prizes, submissions to publishers, and social networking sites are all based on the premise that you can draw manga. If you want to become a manga artist but do not know what to do or how to draw manga, we recommend attending a vocational school where you can learn the skills necessary for making manga. Just being able to draw pictures is not enough to create a manga. You need to know the story, characters, frame layout, direction, effects, and, of course, drawing skills. There is no guarantee that you will become a manga artist if you go to a technical college, but that is true of any technical college. However, in addition to learning the basics and acquiring skills, there are also the advantages of classes and events that only a technical college can offer, such as listening to professional manga artists and manga magazine editors. In terms of expanding your opportunities, a technical college is a good choice.
Experience as an assistant
I have the skills to draw manga. However, there is another way to make your debut as a manga artist.
One is to become a manga artist’s assistant. Working under a professional cartoonist, they support the popular cartoonist by doing solid coloring, toning, background drawing, eraser application, and so on. Since these skills are necessary for a cartoonist, it is often the case that an assistant hones his or her skills and improves them while working on the cartoon he or she wants to draw in order to make a debut. There is no age limit, and there are many people who have been working as assistants for a long time. Nevertheless, it is a fact that many popular manga artists debut at a young age. This can be said to be necessary for growth and nurturing as a manga artist.
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