MANGA SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

In February 2008, TOKYOPOP launched its Manga Pilot program, an exciting new stage in creative and artistic development for TOKYOPOP.

In this new program, promising manga creators are selected and hired by our editorial team to create a 24-to-36-page “Manga Pilot”—a short-form manga that will be used to determine whether or not a full-length manga or other manga-based product will be commissioned by TOKYOPOP. The Manga Pilot will be published on TOKYOPOP.com for TOKYOPOP community members to review, rate, and comment upon.

The Manga Pilot program is not a competition; it’s a way to give more manga creators further exposure and develop their careers with TOKYOPOP. See below for a description of the Manga Pilot Program and instructions on how to submit your Pilot pitch for consideration.

The TOKYOPOP Manga Pilot page is coming soon!

What Is the Pilot Program?
Promising manga creators are selected by TOKYOPOP’s editors to create a 24-to-36-page Manga Pilot, which will be used to determine whether or not the story will work as a full-length manga.

A Pilot is a short-form manga that will be published on TOKYOPOP.com, where TOKYOPOP community members can read, review, and comment upon. The Pilot program is another way that TOKYOPOP offers creators to develop their careers. We’re happy to hear your proposals – but since you’re submitting an original property to us, don’t forget to download, sign and turn in a copy of the Submissions Release Agreement with your proposal.

The Pilot Program is not a competition, but a proving ground that will give manga creators exposure to an enormous audience and help TOKYOPOP determine which stories will be made into a full-length manga.

TOKYOPOP is looking for creators who can deliver tight, punchy, well-paced Pilots that entertain and introduce a new property. The primary task of a Manga Pilot is to captivate its audience with characters, concepts and worlds. A Manga Pilot may be the first chapter of a planned graphic novel, but it doesn’t have to be. A self-contained side story or a short story may be a better way to introduce the property.

TOKYOPOP will select Pilots to continue their creative evolution based on a combination of user feedback, editorial judgement and market opportunity. The next level of development could be a second Pilot instalment. After that, the possibilities are broad.

A successful Manga Pilot may find its first major incarnation in one or more different media. The nature of the property will indicate what it should first become—a full graphic novel, a movie, a TV show, a game, a mobile manga or any other medium.

YOU are the ones making and reading our manga—and we want to know what YOU think. Please check www.tokyopop.com for the upcoming launch of the Manga Pilot program section.


TOKYOPOP Encourages and Values Manga Creators
Thank you for your interest in submitting your manga stories and samples of your work to TOKYOPOP. If you think you have what it takes to be a manga writer or artist, we want to see what you can do! We are open to submissions from teams and individuals who can create an entire graphic novel. We also accept portfolios from individuals who can contribute to a single aspect of manga creation. Please review the guidelines before sending in samples of your work.

How to Submit
If you submit an original manga idea and not just samples of your pencilling, inking or toning work, be sure to download and include a completed copy of our Submissions Release Agreement or we will not be able to consider your submission. All original submissions should be available for acquisition.

All submissions should be sent via mail or courier. Please submit photocopies or printouts on 8.5'' X 11'' regular paper only. For printouts, we suggest using a high-quality laser printer. Please do not submit originals because your work will not be returned to you. Make sure your manga page samples conform to TOKYOPOP's mechanical specifications.

Mail your materials to:

MANGA SUBMISSIONS DEPT.
TOKYOPOP Inc.
5900 Wilshire Blvd. # 2000
Los Angeles, CA 90036

For e-mail correspondence send to:
mangaka@tokyopop.com, with the subject line PROJECT SUBMISSION

Because we get a ton of submissions, we do not guarantee a response. While we do review all submissions, please do not expect a reply from our editorial department and do not contact us to ask about your submission. If we are interested in your work, we will be in touch. We do not post deal terms, page rates or schedules. These topics will be discussed only if we're interested in working with you.


Submitting Samples:
Manga Pencillers, Inkers, and Toners
Review the specific guidelines for pencillers, inkers, or toners below (scroll down). Then send us a portfolio with samples of your work. You may also choose to download and complete one of the tests.


Submitting Manga Proposals:
Manga Writers, Artists & Teams
If you are a writer, a creator or a creative team and have an idea for a new manga that you plan to write, draw or do both, send us your Manga Proposal in the following format. Writers, just send in the text portions if you haven't yet teamed up with an artist.

Manga Proposal Components
Manga Pages
Four to six pages of finished sequential art (inked, toned and lettered) from any part of the story.

Property Synopsis
A one-page synopsis selling the story concept. This should include a two-sentence "log line" summary, and a story arc explaining how the main conflict plays out. Include the eventual conclusion to your story.

Pilot Chapter Synopsis
One to two pages breaking down the action of one 24-36 page Pilot. Keep in mind that the Pilot does not have to be a first chapter of a graphic novel. It also can be a self-contained short story. It should present the essential parts of your story (characters, concepts and world). If your Pilot proposal is accepted, we will work with you to present these 24-36 pages on www.tokyopop.com as part of the Pilot Program.

Character Descriptions
One page giving us some information on the main characters (name, background, role and personality, as well as how they will develop throughout the story arc, what path they will take and why).

Character Designs
One to three pages with finished character designs (inked and toned) of your three most important characters.

Marketing Points
Five or so bullet points about the target audience appeal, competing stories from other manga-ka or in other media and reasons why we should consider publishing this series

Why This Submission Format?
The reason we suggest this format is that it has worked well for us in the past and gives you the best chance for success. Our team can quickly evaluate your idea. It demonstrates to us how well you have thought out your story and characters. Remember, more is not better. Conveying the general idea economically and making it interesting is the real challenge. We've set aside lots of submissions that were too long and detailed and never got the point across. They're just too overwhelming for a busy editor to read.

Don't forget to include a completed and signed Submission Release Agreement. (Our geeky lawyers made us say that again.)


Submissions From Pencillers
The penciller leads the visual team and defines the look and feel of the project. Our ideal artist not only needs to be competent, disciplined and have an appealing style, but he or she needs to be familiar with the visual storytelling conventions of manga. The pencilled pages must stand on their own, enabling a reader to understand the action and emotion -- even in the absence of any text or dialogue.

Panel Layout and Pacing
The penciller is the entrepreneur of the manga and is the one most responsible for the success of the visual storytelling. Remember that the key element to layout is visual pacing. The rhythm of manga is sometimes more measured than syncopated. But the story may stop to take a breath as well. Cinematic cutaway shots, looking around at a scene, can seem to make time stand still. Manga frequently uses full-page and double-page panels to good effect. In general, keep the momentum going with consistent pacing unless a specific story situation calls for an abrupt deviation. There are usually few panels per page to support a faster, smoother flow. While the pace is more fluid, manga panel structure is conversely more dynamic and unrestrained. With a few exceptions, most American comics use a grid-style layout. By comparison, manga layouts generally use an unconventional panel layout with characters breaking out of the panel borders and scenes bleeding off the edges. We like to see pencilled submissions that demonstrate you've looked at a lot of manga and understand the layout style. Keep in mind that it's not just for show. Every art technique you use should support the story you're telling. It needs to flow and at no time should our beloved reader be confused about what's happening. Good-looking art panels and strong storytelling go hand in hand.

Rendering
Your skill at transferring manga concepts to the blank page can only improve with repeated and rigorous practice. Be aware of the aesthetic nuances that give manga its unique feel, but also don't be afraid to challenge the established parameters of the medium. Because of the faster pace, manga rendering should favor simpler and cleaner line-work, and not be bogged down in excessive detail. A result of this is manga's relative greater dependence on characterization to drive the story--therefore the rendering must have superior character design, body language, and all the variations of expression. To be successful, a character's interaction with the environment needs to be as visually convincing as the design. Make sure your backgrounds reflect the mood, pacing, and action of characters -- thus enhancing your storytelling.

Anatomy
While manga is highly stylized, it is important to remember that the human body follows rules of physics -- an elbow bends at a certain point, a neck turns only so far, a foot should look like ... a foot. If you don't know how the body works, you will not be successful at using the most important language of visual storytelling: body language. Whether you are portraying an ancient demon slayer or a high school girl with dreams of becoming a newscaster, anatomical expression tells what a character is doing and thinking at a given moment. In a well-drawn manga, the reader will be able to understand the action and emotion without reading the text.

This kind of attention to detail helps bring forth the emotions that are driving the story. When you're drawing manga you're directing a movie and your characters are the actors.

Perspective
Getting it right brings a reader into the environment of your story -- and there is nothing more distracting (or unprofessional) than objects out of perspective. Take a walk downtown or to a park and bring your sketchpad. Sit down and start drawing the street in front of you or the trees around you. See how perspective continuously plays a role in your visual environment.

Backgrounds
Your backgrounds can be simple or they can be highly detailed. Use whatever serves your style and storyline. Filling your panels with too much information is distracting; but a significant building, car or plant in the background brings your reader into the world of your story. Don't shy away from including background objects necessary for the story, even if they are hard for you to draw. Practice on the things that stump you until you get them right.


Submissions From Inkers
We're looking for inkers who understand the nature and distinguishing characteristics of manga inking. Inkers should develop a broad repertoire of inking techniques and learn to work with a range of pens, brushes and markers. Variety in line weight is crucial. However, whether the line weight is light or heavy, the line still must maintain a sense of confidence. It's that balance between a feather touch and a confident line that we're looking for in our inkers.

Line Weight
One of the biggest differences in Western and manga inking is the line weight. In manga, the line work varies in weight more than in any other comic form. In general, lines are more delicate than those in most American comics. You'll notice a wispier feel in the hair, a lighter, thinner outline around the characters and a more sparing use of cross-hatching and spot blacks. Varying the width of your lines will add dimension and depth to the underlying pencils; it will also increase the fluidity of the panel and page layout. If you use the same line weight for everything, you risk flattening the image.

Depth
Evoking a sense of depth is one of the more difficult aspects of inking in a manga style. Cross-hatching, spot blacks or other shading methods should generally be minimized. Toning is what will accentuate depth. Plan ahead for toning when you ink and work closely with the toner if you're not going to be toning the art yourself.

Tests for Inkers
While a general portfolio is valuable for initial evaluation purposes, the best way to convince TOKYOPOP that you have what it takes to ink a full-length manga is to show us that you understand the aesthetics and style specific to the genre. To help you do this, we have provided inking test samples for your use. You will find that each one allows for a range of inking possibilities.

Inking Test Sample #1

Inking Test Sample #2

Print out, ink and scan these inking test sample files. Then e-mail a JPG to us at mangaka@tokyopop.com with INK SAMPLE at the beginning of the subject line, followed by your name. Include your contact information and professional experience in the e-mail.


Submissions From Toners
The toner completes the manga page, adding depth and texture to the finished line art. Because of the variety of styles and genres in TOKYOPOP manga, our toners should have a broad repertoire of toning methods. Our toners use Photoshop and other software to apply digital grayscale coloring and digital screen tones. Occasionally we work with manga-ka who use traditional sheets of tone, but we prefer the digital process, as we find it more cost-effective and easier to manipulate.

Digital Screen Toning
Tones and patterns add depth, lighting and texture. They can also help tell the story by setting the mood. Remember to use toning judiciously; be sure to resist the impulse to tone every inch of the art.

Digital Grayscale Coloring
Some of our manga uses grayscale coloring instead of screen toning. This is a technique that works well with certain projects, although it is not our preferred method.

Toning Teamwork
A good toner is in synch with the penciller and inker. Often these other artists will give toning suggestions and leave out details or black areas, counting on the toner to fill them in.

Technical Note
To avoid moiré patterns associated with resizing toned artwork, TOKYOPOP requires that you apply digital tones to a scan that is the exact size for reproduction in our books.

Tests for Toners
While a general portfolio is valuable for initial evaluation purposes, the best way to convince TOKYOPOP that you have what it takes to tone a full-length manga is to show us that you understand the aesthetics and style specific to the genre. To help you do this, we have provided toning test samples for your use. You will find that each one allows for a range of toning possibilities.

Toning Test Sample #1

Toning Test Sample #2

Tone the file, preserving the size and 600dpi resolution of the test samples. If you use grayscale coloring, save the file as a grayscale jpeg. If you use screen tones, save it as a one-bit tiff or psd. Then e-mail the file to us at mangaka@tokyopop.com with TONE SAMPLE at the beginning of the subject line, followed by your name. Include your contact information and professional experience in the e-mail.