Danica Davidson
August 3, 2021 
Asahi Shimbun Publishing and Pixiv have announced that they’re looking for horror stories, and the winner will be crowned in the Asahi Horror Comic Awards. They’ve tapped some important people to be judges, including horror master and Eisner Award winner Junji Ito.
Ito won’t be judging alone, though. Akiko Hatsu, who was once Moto Hagio’s assistant and whose works Devil in the Water and Mourning of Autumn Rain have been licensed in America, will also be taking part because of her extensive work in the horror genre. (She also helped coin the word “yaoi” but that’s a different story for a different day.)
The next judge is Hiroyuki Goto. While he’s not in the manga world, he has his horror credentials as the general producer of Fuji Television Network’s program Scary Stories That Really Happened.
The last judge is Hyo Nen, the Visual Image Division of Toho Corporation’s development team leader.
They’re seeking two different types of stories to be submitted. They want horror stories based on reality (or what someone claims has happened). They also want horror stories that are completely fiction, like the type of horror stories Ito creates. While it’s labeled “Horror Comic Awards,” they are willing to look at novels and original scenarios.
There are some nice rewards for winning. Whoever takes first place will be paid for it, and their work will be published in both the HONKOWA and Nemuki+ manga magazines. They’ll get an editor to work with, and it’s possible they’ll be hired in for serial work for their project.
If you want to submit, you can upload your story at Pixiv. Be aware the website is in Japanese and it’s important to understand what something says before you submit. Go here for a manga submission and here for a novel submission.
Source: grape
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Danica Davidson is the author of the bestselling Manga Art for Beginners with artist Melanie Westin, and its sequel, Manga Art for Intermediates, with professional Japanese mangaka Rena Saiya. Check out her other comics and books at www.danicadavidson.com.
