For those of you agonizing over Yen Press’s New Talent Search, the wait is over.
Our editorial staff sent email notices to those artists who caught our attention this morning, but we thank all of you for sharing your work with us!
If you were not contacted, we hope that creating a short story was a fun experience! Remember that this search has no “winners”—this was an opportunity for us to evaluate and promote young talent. We will not be providing individual feedback for your submissions, but here are a few general things to think about as you continue to develop your skills:
-Practice, practice, practice human anatomy. You can never practice it enough.
-Remember that your storytelling ability is as important as your artistic ability.
-Pay attention to how panel layout, “camera angle,” and text all work together to tell the story in the manga you like to read. What makes a certain scene so compelling? Is it that close-up? Is it the white background? Is it the use of tone? Learn from their work.
If you put the work and effort into it and remain critical of yourself, seeking ways to improve, you just might catch our eye next time around.
Next time?
Yes, next time!
We at Yen Press are eager to help budding artists reach their full potential, and therefore we have decided to make the Yen Press Talent Search an annual event! While we are not announcing the specifics of next year’s guidelines at this time, keep an eye out for the details in YEN PLUS magazine.
Thanks again to everyone who participated!
By clicking ‘Sign Up,’ I acknowledge that I have read and agree to Hachette Book Group’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Use
aaaaaaaaah it’s an annual event now?!! yaaaaaay!!! i knew about it this past year but didn’t enter because i felt like i wasn’t ready… i need to improve… (though i knew a couple of other people who did enter this time.) one day i’ll enter ^___^
wow the wait for this talent search to be over took forever lol >______<
This was a really great experience, and congrats to everyone who got an e-mail. And to those who didn’t, you know how it works so make sure you [email protected]#k up the competition next year!
Congratulates to everyone who got contacted! >w< And for everyone like me, lets shot for the stars next time around everyone! <3
You are still accepting regular submissions, yes? : )
Oh wow…I guess I can finally move on. Congratulations to the people who got it and good luck to the people in the future because I am just going to move on with life now and find a real job. =]
i didn’t get an e-mail so i probably didn’t make it. now i regret wasting that time working on it when i could of be working on my portfolio for nickelodeon. well, congratulations to the people who got picked. hopefully i can see the winners’ stuff on soon and it better be friggin’ good if not i am just going to be disappointed as hell, losing over someone who is …
peace out.
I also have another question, does the sample five to ten pages of sequential art in various stages have to be the project in question? Or can we show you pages of other projects as samples?
That’s really awesome. 😀
Congrats to those of you who caught the eyes of Yen, and please keep trying to those who didn’t. Can’t wait to see the awesome art that got picked. <3
And even more cool that this will be an annual thing from now on.
Talented search is over ^^
Now I’m waiting only for new japanese titles 🙂
Dear Yen Press!
Can you answer me one question?
I sent my work Threads of Life (Yana Priedite) to you without e-mail as a contact, only my adress. I doubt that I have been chosen here, but I want to know for sure. I don’t want to wait 1-2 weeks because I want to send my work to another publisher as soon as possible.
Thanks for understanding, and sorry for my english.
Waiting for your answer.
whoopee! annual event! I’m going to enter every year! It was really fun! (maybe this time I’ll find out about it on time, ’cause this year I found out like a month and a half before it was due….)
I think it would be awesome if YenPress attended a few conventions to review some ‘budding’ artists works, such as Anime Expo and Otakon. I think it would be helpful to those who work so hard but can’t figure out what they need to do to reach the professional threshold to have someone from the industry critic them in person.
yey! A next time 😀 Congrats to all the winners!
Thank you for the update, even though I didn’t enter but, I was curious of who would win.
Even though, there’s no winner. I appreciate YP for giving manga influenced comic artists an opportunity to put themselves out there.
I hope in the future you can go far and set a new standard for OEL manga.
Congrats to all who got an email
even if someone got contacted in the talent search this year, could they enter it again next year?
Upon seeing this new post, I think I just set the new world record for fastest email inbox checking ever.
I just wanna say to those who made it CONGRATUALTIONS!!
ANd to those who didn’t..CONGRADULATIONS!!!
WHy because wheather we won or we failed it was the hard and the and the gut and belief the practice and the hard earn work that truly got us to learn and continue on to the very end!!
SO….Congrates!!!!!
LOL~! ~_~ I wish I would have heard about this when it was announced, then I could have sent you guys something decent, so I wouldn’t have to waste money AGAIN to send you guys another submission, ;_; but that’s really no ones fault but mine, 9_9; *pout* anyways….
Congrats everyone~ be sure to enter next year~!!! to those selected, I’m jelly~
So should we reply email to send our detailed information regarding contact time?
SIgh.
Deep breath.
Siiiiiiiiiigh.
Ah, well. I guess I’ll just have to get better, and like Bryan Bradford says, be ready to [email protected]#k up the competition next time around.
woah, it finally hit me. was there a winner at all? if no one got chosen means we really need to practice more.
yeah i am wondering what’s the threshold also…i need to know or else we feel like beating the bushes blind folded.
I’m glad that waiting is over, congratz to everyone who got contacted! 😀
I wanna see selected works because they gonna be awesome for sure!<3
Congratulations to everyone who got picked! I didn’t enter the Talent Search, but I’m excited to see who YP has an intrest in…
And I also agree in hoping that in the future, you’ll go far and set a new standard for OEL Manga. [I remember Amazing Agent Luna being my first and favorite OEL Manga when I was younger.] Anyway, good luck to everyone who wishes to pursue this industry! :]]]
Hello I have an important question, so the 5-10 sequential art, does it have to be really short form beginning to end? Please let me know what you mean! Thank you <3
ERRRERRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!………woooooooo!
sorry i had to get that out. yay! its an annual event now?, this means maybe ill find out that its happening before its over this time….
(runs to get started)
I was too late for this one, but you better believe I’m gonna make the next one!
@bryan
dude did you get contacted?!
from your last comment if seems like yenpress contacted you!!!
dude are you guys looking for ?!
i entered and I know mine was not so great and I rushed it BUT a friend I knew and I think should totally deserve to win and you guys didn’t pick them.
i am sooo furious right now because one of my other friend who entered is totally up for publishing standard.
That’s great to know that’ll happen again next year. 😀
I decided not to enter this year until I’ve had a chance to develop myself.
But hopefully I’ll feel a little more ‘ready’ next year.
Congradulations to those who got contacted!
It’s not just about the art, but the story, too. Congrats to those who made it and to those who are whining about not winning: get over it. Life isn’t fair, and sometimes you just have to keep trying over and over again until you succeed.
Sorry if this sounds harsh, and maybe I shouldn’t say anything because I didn’t participate, but I am just getting tired of some people blaming YP that there art wasn’t “good enough” for them. If you think it was a wasting effort than don’t bother with it again. Seriously.
It’s not the end of the world! YP says that this is going to be a yearly event, so just keep practicing until they announce the next one! :>
Don’t get upset Cristina, I’m sure that Yen press has a very good reason for not picking people. Regardless of whether or not your friends are up to standards, it may not be in yen press’s style or preference.
Ahh… I was so disappointed I didn’t make it.
Although at the same time I’m not surprised.
I found out about the contest late, so I rushed it, and I feel kinda bad for making my first ever finished manga chapter kinda sloppy.
This has been a valuable experience for me, I’ve never worked so hard for my dream up til’ now thanks to this.
I’ll be training myself and working harder to improve myself.
Next time this contest is up, I’ll join again, with something much better.
wow cristina stop being so nasty!
you’re behaving like such a sore loser
congrats everyone!
Congratulations to everyone who made it! I’m actually happy I didn’t. Am I the only one?
Thank you for making this annual, YP!
Some books I recommend for anatomy:
-“Classic Human Anatomy”
Valerie Winslow
-“Dynamic Figure Drawing”
Burne Hogarth
And for inking and stuff
“Style School 1-3”
Dark Horse Manga
Also, don’t be afraid to copy panels from Takeshi Obata’s work
to get a feel for your absolute blacks and proportions. And apply it to your own style.
also, I would suggest taking a look at pose maniacs, but their site is down.
Also, yes I got an email.
So what do you do with the submissions you picked?
Cristina… no experience is ever wasted. Keep drawing and telling stories–the more you do it, the more you’ll learn, and the more you learn, the better you’ll get. And when you’ve developed a great portfolio, you’ll be able to pursue pretty much any dream job! Also… some free advice. There is no reason to be so upset about not getting picked. If you’re also looking into working at a studio like Nickelodeon, you have to learn to be respectful of other artists. Trust me when I say that when it comes to the film and animation industry, your reputation matters just as much as your skill. No one wants to work with unpleasant people–they’ll take someone with much less talent but with a better personality over someone who is super talented but really hard to deal with any day.
I didn’t try out for this talent search but I’m really glad I found out about it. Congratulations to everyone who entered–I know how much hard work it is to submit an entry–and to those who got chosen, well done! C:
I am doing a school project on this site.
Bryan: what are absolute blacks?
Congrats to those that got picked! 🙂 And for those that didn’t make it, like me lol, keep trying! It’s the experience that counts! (o wo)
you know what you guys are right.
i shouldn’t be acting this way.
i haven’t had sleep for weeks bcuz of finals
and i am definitely not at my best.
if you knew me in real life i always
lose gracefully and a really good sport.
life is not exactly treating me great as of lately,
so i have a tendency to over react and saying
whatever comes to my mouth.
but yeah looking forward to next year’s competition. =]
i definitely want to apologize to everyone especially bryan and congratulations to you again.
btw i saw your picture on dev art you are totally cute. XD
I’m going to blame it on the post office (not the fact that I rushed it and was under a few pages, lol).
congrats and good luck for everyone next year!
Awesome! A million congrats to everyone who got picked. And for those who didn’t, don’t worry: You’ve got plenty of time to learn how to get even better!
It’s fantastic to hear there’ll be another competition next year. Maybe then I’ll have the time – and a short enough idea – to give it a try for myself! :]
YAY~ good thing there’s going to be another talent search next year, hopefully I’ll hear about it earlier this time.
@Misakite
Bro, I’m on the same boat as you, found out late and rushed it…I drew up a quick comparison between what I sent in and what I SHOULD have sent in… ;_;
Check it…
http://fav.me/d3cuylr
it’s still not publishable but at least I wouldn’t have felt like I wasted someones time…
Remember everyone: no one, not even a publisher like YP, is the final word on the success of an individual creator. If you’ve failed YP’s NTS this year, you’ve failed YP’s NTS this year. And that’s all.
Likewise, a number of those contacted will likely decide in time that a career in Comics isn’t what they wish for despite their initial successes–or mayhaps they’ll fail to go anywhere from here even if their passion stays the course. That said, hopefully not, but unfortunately more than likely.
Either way, realise that you WILL NOT be an overnight success. Not in comics. Not in this industry.
You’re going to have to be smart and figure out the best possible way to improve–and then dedicate as many waking hours as you can to DOING SO.
And if you want in sooner than later, you’ll have to sacrifice–I know, I know, it doesn’t sound like a very good deal; sacrificing something fun for something that used to be fun but now just seems like work, work and more work–but that’s what you’ve got to do, so just accept it and get moving.
Or quit.
@Leisha
absolute blacks are places where you want to ink in all black, because the shadows in that area are very prominent. Absolute blacks are usually found in places like under the chin and in between really deep folds in clothes. good example:
http://lambiek.net/artists/o/obata_takeshi.htm
@Cristina
O//_//O
thank you very much, it’s nice to own up to your own behavior. And I’m sure that you’ll do a lot better next year.
I’m so happy that the submission was actually picked, because I wasn’t able to draw my full potential because of the deadline. Phew.
@Bryan: That makes so much sense now! Thank you!
ah, i’m glad you’re going to do it again~
in the end moving, senior exams, travelling, family troubles…it was just the busiest i’ve ever been, and i didn’t make (imo) a satisfying project ._. . i’ll work hard when you guys announce the next one, so that i can aim for this with all of my ability <3 . until then…i'll practice this 'digital inking' thing…my wallet isn't very happy with all the ink getting used up so fast…
Count me as one who rushed because we found out about the talent search too late.
I had a blast doing this and may try for the next round.
We will still work to make our idea a reality and start putting this together from the begining and shop it around because we still want to see our creation in print.
I wasn’t disappointed not to be selected because in this kind of business, you have to accept rejection.
Congratulation to those who made it and thank you YP for giving us a chance to show our stuff.
I–wow! I’m pretty glad that everyone’s resolved their issues! I was actually scared when I posted me comment! XD I figured a lot of people would jump me or something…
But it’s really great that everyone is coming together and helping each other~ I hope that everyone who has tried for YP’s talent search will keep on practicing! <3
Congrats to all those, who made it in! ^__^
As RJ said, you will not be an overnight success. No one is perfect regardless of their ability. With the power of art, you also need a good story and character development. Art is only one part of the whole.
I’ve submitted a very poor amateurish piece of work for Tokyo Pop’s very first manga contest years ago. I don’t really care what TP did with it at that time. Currently that company, as you can see, didn’t do so well with accumulating too much manga licenses and promoting probably the wrong kind of OEL. OEL has potential but it has a lot of negativity attached to it. Hopefully, Yen Press can change the mentality in some way. I’m not too crazy on the term, OEL, itself. If countries like South Korea and Taiwan can have their own manhwa/manhua industry, why can’t the rest of the world?
(Or I guess, the West needs to open up a manga school?)
I’m thinking of submitting something for Yen Press next year, but at the same time, I’m no pro. But, this seems like something fun to join in as there aren’t too manga contests these days. It would be nice, out of curiosity, to see a compilation book (or online viewing) of all the work that submitters have done. Even if they’re not set to the right printing dimensions…
Question for all.
In a previous thread, Bryan suggested that we should start a Deviant Art group for talent search submitters. I might do this myself (although I haven’t really used DA very extensively so I really don’t know what I’d be getting myself into) but some questions arise…
1. Is there still interest in this?
2. Maybe a forum would be a better thing to look into?
3. Or is there an existing forum that most of you already frequent and that we can invade?
I’m actually kinda leaning towards a forum solution and expand the scope of it beyond Yen Press* Talent Search topics and just make it a general art & comics forum. I suspect, however, that this would require considerable more effort.
*With apologies to our YP overlords who are gracious enough to let me post this.
🙂
@adr and all~
Overlord. I like that…
I definitely think it might be a good idea to move this conversation to Deviant Art or some similar site and loop more people into the conversation.
Not that I don’t enjoy reading your comments, but at some point this post will be pushed off the front page of our site, and I’m guessing most people don’t visit our site frequently enough to stay up to date on these conversations. Posting on Deviant Art would also allow other users to more readily view your work…
Since this is going to be an annual thing now I might give it a shot. I hope we get to see who one too.
Then it’s decided that someone beside computer challenged me is gonna make a group on Dev Art, or make a forum. Heh heh.
Unfourtunatly, not everyone uses DA. And I personally don’t because people assume it’s the default site for artists. Which annoys me.
Oh! (this has nothing to do with the talent search, but) cna Yen Press consider publishing Wandering Son, (also known as Transient Son and Hourou Musuko) b/c The anime for this series has already finished and the only way I can read it is online, and I’d really like to own the manga…
@adr
A DeviantArt group sounds like fun ^-^ I actually check that more than facebook (my classmates cannot fathom me).
What exactly will happen if an artist’s entry catches your attention again?
@adr i’d follow something like that~. it would be fun to interact with a board of people who want to be professionals…like smackjeeves, except better?
forumotion, invisionfree, proboards, and lefora are all good forum sites that host them for free. if you do end up starting one, keep the topic count small until it’s necessary to make a new one. make sure to invite us, too :9 .
then again, wouldn’t it be cool if yenpress got their own forums? :9
Congrats to people who were chosen, and congrats to those who earned an experience.
I didn’t enter this year because I have other things to do (i.e. Work…and writing my novel <.<…) but if it's going to be an annual thing, I may at some point…Hm.
We should raid the Gomanga fourms, They have a creator’s corner that’s been dead for years. Only another person and me post there, so I say RAID IT NAO~
GoManga Forums it is!
I’ll be right there ;D
O.m.g i can’t wait till the next one i houpe i hear from them. and good luck to the people wh made it this year.
@ Bryan
YAY~ Someone already started a thread there so post there and introduce yourself~
Gomanga, huh? I’m sure the site moderators will be pleased!
Congrats to everyone who got an email! And good luck to everyone who plans to come back and enter again next year!! >33
Go go GoManga! I’m just about to register.
Interesting though that it’s affiliated with another publisher (SevenSeas.)
@Abby, I’m assuming it wouldn’t be for you to approve the budget, but maybe YenPress really should look into getting their own forums. Keep the fanbase engaged with the brand, n’ all that. Might even be able to pre-scout developing talent, or even help foster that talent while creating brand advocates for YenPress.
🙂
@adr Not so much to do with the budget as it has to do with not having a dedicated web person. But rest assured that it’s on our radar and is something we hope to have for you soon!
@Sorrano
Pssh yeah. I stopped using Youtube, because everyone thinks that the default for online videos. So conformist it’s annoying. I’m so against the grain it’s almost comical.
@Autumn Smith: isn’t Wandering Son being published by Fantagraphics?
whoa! dude there are a lot of comments since i last posted … … …
[email protected] lets all try our best next year and maybe with practice and luck we the unfortunate this time will become the aspiring, fortunate, and artistic leaders of the manga/anime drawing world… …
that is all… PEACE!!!
When will you write something about licencing new titles…?
@hikaru WAIT! so does that mean I can by it in stores someday, (or even right now?) I see the first volume on amazon, but it says available in july…
Oh my gosh! Thank you for making it an annual year contest, I’ve been struggling to get something done for you amazing Yen Press, but for me it was coming up with a story concept. I will try again the 2nd time, with better experience.
Congrats to the artists who got in! By the way, if I were to submit a portfolio before the contest, would it still be checked over? I’m afraid of my work being thrown in the corner, untouched for months unless assigned to a mailing topic.
@Autumn Smith: Fantagraphics has the license for the Wandering Son manga. The first volume will be released in July of this year.
Hey YP!
This is just a license request/look into this request.
I love Shinryaku! Ika-musume and think you guys should seriously check it out !! It’s one of my favorite series!
@picari musume
i LOVED the anime of that xD it was funny P: I would love to see that licensed 😀 aswell as The World God Only Knows and elfen lied [im surprized no one has picked that up yet :/]
I’m curious. Are you guys going to post any of the short stories anywhere(on this site/another site or in the magazine)
I’d love to read them. >U>
was a little late
but i still got to pratice
to draw at a professional level
[…] this on getting picked by the editors at Yen Press, one of the few reputable manga publishers left soliciting original manga submissions. I was contacted as one of the finalists but they never followed through with providing feedback […]
Ahh…. over again. NEXT YEAR! (and next and next next…) OPTIMISTIC ATTITUDE RULES!
I’m wondering if I could get in… I write more… um… “realistic fiction” (no action or fantasy) and I’m not exactly lyrical or metaphorical with my works… hmm…
It’s ok to send in photocopies on regular computer paper right? (As long as the proportions of the live area is correct)?
[…] this on getting picked by the editors at Yen Press, one of the few reputable manga publishers left soliciting original manga submissions. I was contacted as one of the finalists but they never followed through with providing feedback […]
congratulations to eveyone who won! WHOOOO! i did’nt eneter (could’nt eneter on time)i’m happy that fellow manga artists got there dreams turned to reality! i hope that i get as lucky as you damn lucky bastards who won! i cheered like crazy when i found out! (though it might be that i was high on…HAPPINESS! lol) anyway congrats and good luck to nest year’s contestants! and WATCH OUT FOR ME OR YOU MIGHT JUST GET CRUSHED BY A DYNAMO DUO OF 12 YEAR OLD SCHOOL GIRLS!!!!!!! BUHAHAHAHA!!!! seriously good luck >v<
is this thing still going on?