'GIGAZINE Manga Award' September 2025 submissions open & What is 'elaborative' that gives depth and breadth to a story?



The GIGAZINE Manga Awards , which is updated and judged monthly, is always open to manga submissions. When a manga is published, GIGAZINE offers advance access to the manga exclusively for

GIGAZINE Secret Club (GSC) members. We also provide commentary on the making of the manga, allowing readers to enjoy the work even more and learn about the know-how behind manga creation. We've compiled a list of the ' meticulous attention to detail ' of various manga from the making of the manga, so be sure to check them out.

Check out the ongoing manga and comics below!

'Let Me Make It! Ejima-san' Episode 1 'Let Me Make a Love Game!'



Read 'Secret Palace Garden' Episode 1: 'Loneliness, a Beautiful Girl, and an Android'



Check out the comics below for 'The Dual Life of a Hero and Corporate Slave,' a story about a man who works two jobs in two worlds : as a 'hero' and a 'corporate slave' !



Check out the comic '

I'm the Gas Man!!, ' the story of Kiyu's year as a new employee at the gas company, below!



Vampire x Maid x Garlic Gourmet ' Master Smells Like Garlic! ' Comic available below!



Also check out the comic '

Ame Ame Fure Fure Usoyande ,' which depicts two weeks with a girl who loves rain and a boy who is cursed by it!



◆Click here for the 'GIGAZINE Manga Award' application guidelines



If you have already read the recruitment requirements and would like to apply anyway, please use the application form .

◆Send your portfolio to apply for illustration, storyboarding, or illustration help



◆ For original scripts and novels, please click here



◆Detailed attention to detail
Even if it's not directly related to the story or depiction of the work, creating background settings and backgrounds can add depth and breadth to the work. For example, in ' Let Me Make It! Ejima-san ,' a lovey-dovey battle between Kaido, who wants to turn the woman of his dreams into a game, and Ejima, who wants the attention of the characters to be her, not the game, Kaido creates a game themed around Ejima almost every time. The details of these games don't really have much to do with the story, and the story will work regardless of what they are.



The easiest way to understand this is to look at the making of the name for '

Episode 8 ' below, with the initial name on the left and the revised name on the right. Episode 8 is about a trip to a hot spring, and the idea was to create a 'game where you go on a trip with Ejima' to reflect that experience, but the idea was slightly changed to 'a game where an AI makes a travel plan and you travel according to that plan.' This reflects the author's commitment to not just making a game through the story, but to making readers think, 'This would be an interesting game if it actually existed,' which would make the work even more enjoyable.



Furthermore, the gradual refinement of the game's content has had an impact on the story structure. In '

Episode 9 ,' an incident occurs that brings a decisive clash between Kaido and Ejima, who had been repeatedly getting together and fighting up until then. This flow itself was as originally planned, but by describing the details of the game Kaido creates, the 'escalating Kaido and the changing relationship between the two' became more convincing. In this way, even points that at first glance don't seem directly related to the story can be created with a variety of effects by being conscious of their construction.



In '

Ame Ame Fure Fure Usoyande ,' a young girl named Nao considers various ways to clear the mind of Kai, a boy who is so severely cursed that he has never seen clear skies. In the main story, the characters explore ways to see the sun, such as 'outrunning the rain clouds in a car,' 'flying through the clouds in an airplane,' and 'finding a 'sunny boy' with the same condition and canceling it out,' but the story also sprinkles in other ideas, conveying the desperation of the characters to 'try their hardest.' Below, a scene is shown of a boy offering 80 yen (hare) to a shrine, cleverly inserted as time passes between scenes in the main story.



The following is a conversation between friends, where they discuss absurd ideas like 'nuclear fusion to create an artificial sun.' This exchange isn't directly necessary to the story, but by considering these ideas, it adds depth to the characters' feelings.



Furthermore, an important element that gives a work depth and richness is the setting of the 'past' of the characters and the main story. In '

Master, I Smell Like Garlic! ', a vampire who is supposed to dislike garlic is tempted by a garlic-loving maid to try an exquisite garlic gourmet dish. The main characters are Mint, a vampire who is the owner of the mansion, and Kaori, a human who works as a maid, but there is no explanation as to why Kaori, a human, is working as a maid for the vampire.



However, when conceiving a work, the background stories of characters who do not appear in the story are also thought up to a certain extent, and when creating the main story, these backgrounds are solidified in more detail. You can hint at the past within the story or use it as a hint for the development of the story, but as in the case of 'I Smell Like Garlic, Master!', conceiving of past stories and backgrounds is also important in order to create a more three-dimensional effect when depicting the 'relationships between characters.'



If you have any comments about the manga or characters, please use

the manga review form . If you have any other questions or requests regarding applications or serialization, please use the contact form .

◆'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, making scheduling easy

・No restrictions on genre or target audience, anything is OK as long as it's interesting

・Assistants are available to help with coloring and backgrounds (no need to pay for them yourself)

・Because we are still a young label, it is easy for 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 take a look.

And more. If you have any other questions, please click here and contact us.



▼Basic conditions:
・It is assumed that it can be read on a smartphone (no double-page spreads, vertical scrolling is the standard)



・Full color, full digital (black and white works may be treated as 'original works', but submissions are welcome)

・Submissions must be of any genre, and must include the completed manuscript of the first episode and its behind-the-scenes materials . Please send behind-the-scenes materials including character designs and settings, as well as a summary of the entire story, in a range of approximately 200-800 characters. Please note that submissions that are insufficient may not be reviewed.



・Manuscript format:
Please refer to ' The Princess and the Gamer ' for aspect ratio, file size, and resolution.

・Number of manuscript pages:
Any number of pages is OK.

▼Other:
・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:
Tuesday, September 30, 2025, 11:59:59 PM



▼Review process:



After the first round of selection by the editorial team, the planned review process is 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
↓
Stage 2: This is a format that is more geared towards serialization, and the review will be conducted after additional necessary information has been created, such as the 'first episode manuscript' and 'plot up to the final episode.' If you have progressed this far, we will almost certainly guarantee that your work will be serialized in some form.
↓
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 comprehensively determine the Grand Prize winner. In addition, if the work remains in the final stage, the serialization will be guaranteed.

▼Rewards:



All those who passed the first round of judging and were selected for the first stage:
Prize money: 30,000 yen

Advance to the second stage:
An additional prize of 20,000 yen will be awarded, plus an editor will be assigned to help with serialization.

Finalists:
If you advance to the final stage, you will receive an additional prize of 50,000 yen (total of 100,000 yen) plus a guarantee that your submitted work will be serialized after being polished.

Prize 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 as is

▼Selection results of submitted works
For works that proceed to the first stage of judging, we will contact you via the email address provided at the time of application 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 generally notify you of the results of the review.

▼Procedure after winning the award
After publishing in serial form on GIGAZINE, it will be made into an e-book and sold on Amazon. We will pay the prescribed manuscript fee and royalties for each. GIGAZINE will also be responsible for selling and promoting the e-book.

▼Question form:
If you have any questions regarding your application, please click here to contact us. If we receive similar questions repeatedly, we will compile them into an FAQ, so we appreciate your understanding and cooperation.

▼Manga Award Application Form:

Click here




◆Applications for illustrations, storyboards, and illustration helpers



▼How to apply for 'drawing only':
Simply show the URL of your portfolio or collection of works on the Manga Award application form . In the 'Other' section, write 'Submitting artwork only.' There is no limit to the number of illustrations or manga you can submit for your portfolio, and there is no required minimum number, but the more you submit, the more likely you are to receive positive feedback.

▼How to apply for 'Name Composition Manager'
We are also looking for 'name composition' applicants, who will create names from the original script of the text. As with the illustration-only applicants, please send us as much information as possible about your portfolio, names of works you have created in the past, and manga works.

▼ 'Artwork only' and 'Storyboard composition' review flow:
We will contact you by the month following submission of the form if you pass the first stage of judging, which is based on your portfolio. In the second stage, we will ask you to actually draw a trial original, and if you pass, we will move on to the final stage of voting.

▼Rewards:
Participants who passed the first stage of portfolio screening and participated in the second stage:
Prize money: 50,000 yen
*As this stage of judging requires additional manuscript work, all applicants who advance to and participate in the second stage will receive a stipend.

Winners of the final judging:
Additional prize of 100,000 yen + guaranteed serialization

Grand Prize:
Additional prize of 200,000 yen + guaranteed serialization

*Due to the nature of the original script, it is not possible for the work to be serialized immediately, but we will guarantee serialization by making it a priority proposal.

▼How to apply for help:
We are also looking for helpers to help create full-color manga. We also welcome help with underpainting characters, text placement, and backgrounds. This is a completely remote project, and you can participate from home whenever you can.

▼Conditions :
Nothing in particular. The process 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, improve your skills, and create original works to submit 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 depending 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 or portfolios you have worked on in the past' instead of 'address/URL for downloading the work file.' Also, in the last section, 'Other necessary information we need to know,' please enter the appropriate information you would like: 'Coloring help,' 'Background help,' or 'Name composition.'

・Manga Award Application Form:
Click here




◆ Original script submission requirements



・In addition to the manuscript for the first episode , 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 long, and should be written on the first page of the manuscript.

・The first round of judging will simply look at the interest of the story and the level of completion of the first episode. If you advance from the second round to the final round, you will be judged on whether you can consistently create a script with stage directions right up to the final episode, with the aim of actually creating the original manga.

・If you are submitting an 'original work only' and only text, you can paste the text into a Google Doc and enter the shared link address 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 works will not be readable. For more information, please see 'Sharing files publicly' in the 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

Advance to the second stage:
An additional prize of 20,000 yen will be awarded, plus an editor will be assigned to help with serialization.

Finalists:
If you advance to the final stage, you will receive an additional prize of 50,000 yen (total of 100,000 yen) plus a guarantee that your submitted work will be serialized after being polished.

Prize winners and above:
Prize money of 100,000 yen + guaranteed serialization

Grand Prize:
Prize money of 200,000 yen + guaranteed serialization of submitted work as is

*Due to the matching process with the illustrator, 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 Judging.' Whether you're a GSC member or not, this is your chance to become a part of 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 very much.

in Manga,   Pick Up, Posted by log1e_dh