FAQ – SILENT MANGA AUDITION®︎

Index

1. DRAWING YOUR SILENT MANGA

1.1 The “language” of Silent Manga

Silent Manga is a story told entirely through illustration, without the use of dialogue. Judged entirely on the ability to tell an entertaining, wordless short story, you may however make use of onomatopoeia by incorporating SFX into your art.

Examples:
http://ma-dev-main.coamix.net/en/examples/
http://ma-dev-main.coamix.net/share/pdf/ex5_PumpkinHead.pdf

1.2 Page count

The page count for a single Manga Audition entry is 31 pages or less.

The aim of the Manga Audition is to demonstrate your ability to tell a simple story through a visual narrative. Consequently, the shorter the page count, the easier it is to achieve this goal. It’s the quality of this ability, rather than the quantity that counts.

1.3 Canvas size

If “B4” Size paper is available:

• If available use JIS Standard B4 (257 × 364), for drawing directly onto paper.
• Final output size, when printed, trimmed and bound as a book is W 220mm x H 310mm – inclusive of in-page content margin (“20mm” surround), but exclusive of “3mm” trimming margin (the gutter).
• Draw fully to the outer trim margin (including the 3mm gutter), remembering that the gutter will be TRIMMED OFF.
• “20mm” safe margin MAY be trimmed off when printing in a reduced size (e.g. tankobon), or on paper standards different to ISO/JAPAN B-series.
• If JIS Standard B4 is unavailable, you can use any paper size (e.g. A4 or US Letter). But remember to keep the aspect ratio unchanged, eg. draw in 90% size (279 x 198mm, 18mm margin, + around 3mm trim) to fit A4 paper.

1.4 Drawing digitally

Many artists use drawing software such as Clip Studio, Manga Studio, GIMP, Adobe Photoshop, MediBang Paint, etc. in their creation. Just as we welcome all drawing methods, any and all digital drawing tools are welcome in SMA. However, please remember to NOT use any copyrighted materials as part of your creation.

Pre-set tools like brushes and screen tones are welcome, but preset photos or drawings of people and backgrounds are forbidden by the submission agreement as their use may be copyright infringement. The ONLY exception is photos you’ve taken yourself.

1.5 Reading order

The reading order of your Silent Manga must be the Japanese standard Right-to-Left. Make sure you utilize the first page to begin your story, rather than using it as a title page.

1.6 Submitting multiple works

We actively encourage multiple works, however the maxim “quality over quantity” also applies. If you feel your multiple works perfectly capture the theme and is a worthy contender, please send them in.

2. PREPARING YOUR SILENT MANGA

2.1 Preparing the image data of your work (data format)

Please prepare image data of your work according to the format below. (One image file for each page / two-page spread divided into two image files)

• Image format: JPG or PNG format
• File size: 1 file 2 MB or less
• Image file name: Add serial number at the end
• Resolution / Dimension Size: Up to 300 dpi / 4000 px x 4000 px

If the file name is not correct, it may be displayed in the wrong order after uploading.

[Correct example] 
page_001.jpg, page_002.jpg, etc. …

[Incorrect example] 
page1.jpg / 1_page.jpg, etc. …

　　　　

*ATTENTION If you name the first file “01”, make sure to omit the first zero when you reach double figures (e.g. _10.jpg, _11.jpg, _12.jpg etc.)

[Correct example] 
page_09.jpg, page_10.jpg, etc. …

[Incorrect example] 
page_09.jpg, page_010.jpg, etc. …

2.2 Preparation of your work information (public/private)

The following information is required when you upload your entry on our web system. Please prepare the following in advance:

[Manga information]

When your manga is published on our website at the time of the event results announcement.

• Title of manga
• Work credits (in case of a team creation, team pen name)
• Work comment (To the editorial department / To the reader)

[Personal information]

This information is necessary at the registration stage in the event of winning an award. All information will be treated with strictest privacy.

• Full legal name
• Address and country
• E-mail address
• Phone Number

2.3 Deadline

The deadline for each audition is listed on the audition page. All entries are valid up until 23:59 in your countries timezone on the deadline date*. In case of mailed entries, the postmark must be within the deadline limit.

*However, we will consider delays due to internet connectivity issues, etc. In this case, the SILENT MANGA AUDITION Committee will approve your entries, so please do not panic even after the deadline.

3. UPLOADING YOUR SILENT MANGA

3.1 Step 1: Creating an account

Once you have completed your manga, you will need to create an account to upload it. For those who have already set up an account, please skip to “Step 2: How to enter the Audition”.

Entry portal (Create account / Log in) >>

• On the Log in screen, click “Create account to enter your Manga!”
• Complete the “Username”, “E-mail”, “Password” and “Confirm Password” fields, and click “REGISTER”.
  

  *Your username will be used for all future log ins and cannot be changed later.
  *For security reasons, username and password you entered will NOT be sent by e-mail. Please keep it in a safe place.

  

• Once registered, you will then need to complete your CREATOR PROFILE. Fill in all the information required in both the public and private sections.
  (Information in the private section will NOT be displayed online.)
• Once you have filled in all the fields, click “UPDATE PROFILE” to complete your account setup.

* In cases of log in issues, click “Lost Password” to reissue your password or contact the SMAC! Editorial department.

3.2 Step 2: Uploading your manga

• Log into your account.
• In the entry system menu, click “MAKE NEW ENTRY”.
• Click the banner of the Audition you are entering.
• This will take you to the “UPLOAD FILES” section. Please upload your manga in the following 3 sections:
  
  • Page Images ( .JPG or .PNG ) *required
    The image file of your manga (as described in the previous section).
  • Thumbnail Image ( .JPG or .PNG ) *optional
    Optional.
• “Drag and Drop” files, or alternatively click “ADD FILES” and select your page image files. We recommend renaming the files locally on your computer, but filenames can be edited on screen if you need to make alterations.
• Once you have added all your page files, click “START UPLOAD”. The green “ticks” indicate a successful upload. If there are errors, check your internet connection and reload this page to start again.
  

  

• Enter information about your manga (you can edit this information before deadline):
  • [ Manga Format ] 
    Single page or Double page spread / Page order
  • [ Title + Credit ] 
    The manga title and the creator’s name (May differ from your profile name. Use this feature to credit “one-time partnership” etc.)
  • [ Favorite Part / Message for the Readers ] 
    Introduce your work. This will be displayed online, together with your manga.
  • [ Detailed Credit ] 
    If you work as a team, enter the names of all contributors here. The person who holds access to the registered email address acts as the representative for the team. (We recommend the person who illustrates the work to represent)
  • [ Message to Editorial Team ] 
    To the SILENT MAGNA AUDITION® Community and the SMAC! editorial team… Have your say!
• Once you have completed all the required fields, click “MAKE NEW ENTRY”.

If you fail to upload images, please use the Quick Uploader.
*No need for registration. Refer to the page informations details to know how to upload your work correctly.

3.3 Checking your entry has loaded successfully.

In the side menu, click “DASHBOARD”.
Initially, your entry will have “1. Awaiting verification” status. The SMAC! Editorial team will confirm each new entry, so please allow 5-10 days for this to happen. (You will receive an email when this has occurred).

Please ensure that your entry is displayed correctly in the viewer. If you experience any problems, please use the “CONTACT SMAC! EDITORIAL” box to send a message.

3.4 Editing an entry

• Until your work is published, you may make alterations to an existing entry. To edit, click on “EDIT THIS ENTRY”.
• The following screen allows you to preview and edit the entry. Once you have finished editing, click “SAVE CHANGES”. You can re-upload your files by clicking on the “YES RE-UPLOAD FILES” box.
• You will then see “Update Success” displayed. Once finished, return to your dashboard and re-confirm your changes.
　
• You will receive email approval by the SMAC! Editorial team.

[End of FAQ]