How to publish your first manga

Make your breakthrough Tanya Combrinck meets six top manga artists to uncover the secrets behind their success

- Tanya Combrinck

Producing and publishing your first manga might seem like a big project. But with online publishing platforms that can place a global audience of comic fans within easy reach, you don't need anything beyond your own drive and creativity to find an audience for your work.

Your first step is to decide which of your ideas to develop. Brandon Chen, a prolific writer and producer of manga with six comics on Webtoon and a popular YouTube channel, tells us that you shouldn't put too much pressure on yourself for your first project.

“It’s meant to be a learning experience,” he says. “In five years, you'll look back on that project and say, ‘Oh god.’ Not because you won't be proud of the work, but because you're constantly getting better. The first one is about learning the process rather than being perfect. It's about finishing something and using that experience to develop.”

Brandon recommends starting with a one-shot for your first project. He explains: “One-shots are short, one-off projects that complete a short story within a chapter. One- shot competitions are common in Japan as a way to test concepts and stories before committing to a longer serialisation. For creators, they are a way to learn how to finish a chapter without committing to an intensive project. There are many one-shot competitions in Japan that allow for serialisation opportunities for aspiring mangaka [manga artists], so it's a great way to practice and break into the industry. These competitions are increasingly becoming available to international artists.”

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