About the Contest

Have you ever dreamt about one of your stories being adapted into manga? Thought of the perfect plot, but weren't sure how to get published?

MyAnimeList and Honeyfeed collaboration is back in 2022 to help you realize that dream and debut with your very own manga—published by Kodansha in Japan! From web novels to manga, your writing journey begins here.

Honeyfeed is an English web novel writing platform created with the goal of introducing international writing talent directly to Japan, making it the best place for you to publish your anime-inspired stories. Once submissions close, your story will be curated by our panel of judges, and together with the MyAnimeList community, we’ll vote on the best three stories to win the MAL x HF Writing Contest 2022. These winners have the chance to see their hard work get published in Japan as light novels that could end up being adapted into manga or anime.

This contest has finished.
We hope to see you next time!

Entry Period: June 1 to September 1, 2022
Judges Voting Period: September 2 to November 2, 2022
Public Voting Period (Finals): November 3 to November 30, 2022
Winner Announced: December 12, 2022

Winners

School
Prompt Board

$3,000USD

Rom-Com
Prompt Board

$3,000USD

Cyberpunk
Prompt Board

$3,000USD

Each prompt board will have one winner, for a total of 3 winners for this contest. Each winner will receive a monetary reward of $3,000, and may be eligible to receive a light novel or manga adaptation published in Japan by Kodansha.

Major Works by Kodansha

Please note that the above works are not examples of manga based on web novels nor will the authors be involved with comicalization of the winners’ stories.

Contest Prompt Boards

Prompt boards are a list of keywords to guide you into creating the story we are looking for. Each prompt board communicates an idea, a concept to help you structure your story’s plot and characters to cater for this contest. Take each prompt board’s keywords as building blocks for your story, combine them, arrange them how you want, focus on one over the others, etc.

*No need to use all keywords in the prompt board.

School Prompt Board

Rom-Com Prompt Board

Cyberpunk Prompt Board

Judges Vote
Sep.2 to Nov.2

All novel entries submitted to the contest will be read, debated, and voted on by our judging committee. The judges will narrow down the entries to the best 4 stories per prompt board, for a total of 12 finalists for the public voting phase.

Judges' votes will take place from September 2 to November 2, 2022. After their selection, the novels will be passed on to a Jury, who will review, rate, and evaluate the finalists' novels. The jury’s feedback will be taken into consideration and be combined with the public vote to determine the 3 contest winners.

Jury & Public Vote (Finals)
Nov.3 to Nov.30

You too can become part of the jury! More details about how to become a juror will be revealed at a later date. Voting will take place during the majority of November, to give new users ample time to read all finalist’s novels. Votes will be collected using the MyAnimeList Android and iOS apps only.

Winners will be announced on December 12, 2022.

How to Enter: Regular Novel

Details

1

Sign up or Log in

Log into your Honeyfeed account and click on “Create Novel”.

2

Genres & Prompt Boards

Input your novel's title, and synopsis and set your novel's maturity rating to "All audiences". When selecting the genre(s) make sure you are selecting the one that matches the prompt board of your choosing:

A. School Prompt Board

B. Rom-Com Prompt Board

C. Cyberpunk Prompt Board

3

Don’t Mix & Match

After selecting your prompt board’s specific genre, you can pick other genres that describe your story. Avoid mixing and matching genres that target other prompt boards, this may cause your novel not to be eligible for any prompt board. Please refrain from switching your initial prompt board after your novel has been published.

A. Invalid genre selection

B. Correct genre selection: Rom-Com

4

Click the Submission Box

Before saving and continuing, make sure to click the checkbox located next to "Would you like to submit this novel to the MAL x Honeyfeed Writing Contest 2022?"

5

Verify Your Entry

Write your first chapter and submit it. After the chapter is published, make sure your novel appears under the newly published novels for the MAL x Honeyfeed Writing Contest section on Honeyfeed’s home page.

6

Complete

After successfully following these steps, your novel will now be participating in the MAL x Honeyfeed Writing Contest. Good luck!

  • Note: Authors can submit more than one novel to increase their chances of winning, but only one entry per author will be selected as a finalist candidate.

How to Enter: Previously Published Novel as [Short]

Details

1

Prepare to Rewrite

Decide which of your previously published novels you’d like to submit to the contest. Post that novel on Honeyfeed before September 1, 2022.

Think about how to rewrite your original novel to fit all the contest criteria. After deciding on a prompt board you’d like your novel to participate under, click “Create novel” on the Honeyfeed site.

2

Setting Up Your [Short]

Input your novel's title. It should be the same title as your original novel, followed by “[Short]”

Original

Burned Out Heroes

Contest Entry

Burned Out Heroes [Short]

*It’s allowed to slightly modify the name of your original story for the [Short] to better suit the prompt

Original

Burned Out Heroes

Contest Entry

Hyped Up Heros [Short]

3

About Genres, Prompt Boards and Mix & Matching

Write the novel synopsis and set the maturity rating to "All audiences". When selecting the genre(s) make sure you are selecting the one that matches the prompt board of your choosing. * After selecting your main genre, you can pick other genres that describe your story. Avoid mixing and matching genres that target other prompt boards, this may cause your novel not to be eligible for any prompt board.

4

Link Your Original Novel

In the "Note from author" field, post the Honeyfeed URL of the original novel. Example

Please note that failing to link the original novel of a [Short] will automatically disqualify you from the contest. Please refrain from switching your initial prompt board after your novel has been published.

5

Click the Submission Box & Verify Your Entry

Before saving and continuing, make sure to click the checkbox located next to "Would you like to submit this novel to the MAL x Honeyfeed Writing Contest 2022?

Write your first chapter and submit it. After the chapter is published, make sure your novel appears under the newly published novels for the MAL x Honeyfeed Writing Contest section on Honeyfeed’s home page.

6

Complete

After successfully following these steps, your novel will now be participating in the MAL x Honeyfeed Writing Contest. Good luck!

  • The [Short] novel’s version must be exclusive to Honeyfeed. The original novel does not need to be a Honeyfeed exclusive.
  • Both original and [Short] novel entries must belong solely to the author (no collaborations).
  • [Short] contest entries can not be adapted to multiple prompt boards and be entered as a separate novel to this contest.
  • [Short] contest entries can not be an exact repost of the original novel, it must be re-written to cater to this contest’s prompt boards*.
  • *The following exception applies: If your original novel’s plot falls within this contest’s prompts/genre and meets the word count limits, and has not been previously posted outside of Honeyfeed, it can be entered as a regular entry and not a [Short]. The novel must still follow other contest rules. For example post frequency, HF exclusive, etc.

Eligibility Checklist

  • English only. Novels written in other languages will be removed from the Honeyfeed site.
  • Novels must follow a contest prompt board and contain the corresponding genre(s) for that prompt board.
  • Entries coming from previously posted novels must be labeled as [Short] at the end of the novel title and must provide their original novel’s Honeyfeed URL on the author’s note.
  • Novels must be set to "Completed" on the Honeyfeed site before the entry period ends. This means your story must come to a conclusion before September 1, 2022.
  • Completed novels must contain 25,000 words minimum to 75,000 words maximum.
  • Note that changing the status of the novel or editing the novel to add content after September 1 will result in disqualification.
  • No rewrites, spin-offs, fanfics, collaborations, or plagiarism. The novel must be entirely your own original work created for this contest. Previously published novels can remain on other sites as long as that original novel is also posted on Honeyfeed, but the [Short] version must be a Honeyfeed exclusive during the contest period.
  • Regular contest entries that were created for this MAL x HF 2022 contest must be Honeyfeed exclusive during the contest period.
  • Novels must be suitable for ages 17+ and be set to the "All audience" setting in Honeyfeed. No heavy ecchi or soft porn.
  • Participating authors must be 18 years old or older at the time of the entry.
  • Read the Judging Criteria and Contest Rules for full details.

Judging Criteria

Judges will be using the following criteria to select novels as finalists.

Post frequency

  • Novel chapters are not posted all at once.
  • Novel is updated once or more weekly.

Writing & Storytelling

  • Novel has an appealing synopsis.
  • Novel story progresses at a good pace.
  • Chapters are not too long.
  • Novel has good English grammar.
  • Novel has interesting characters and character development.
  • Novel has good world-building.

Public Engagement

  • Novel has a cover image.
  • Public reacts well to the novel. (Positive comments, returning comments.)
  • Author replies to comments in a timely manner.
  • Author self-promotes.
  • Author posts chapter release schedule.
  • Author has their contest novel featured on their Honeyfeed profile.

Want more public engagement? Use your social media accounts to promote yourself (e.g. post new chapter schedules, create promos) or join Honeyfeed's Discord and interact with our community.

Apply to Become Part of the Contest Jury

Excited for this contest and want to get more involved?
This year, MyAnimeList and Honeyfeed are welcoming passionate readers aboard our judging committee.

Rules and requirements to become part of the Jury:

  • Judges can not participate as judge under the same prompt board which they are writing for.
  • Be over the age of 18.
  • Have access to Google drive (having a Google/Gmail account)
  • Have time to get on a computer, tablet, or smartphone to read novels and write feedback.
  • Have time to regularly check your email inbox.

To become part of the jury, fill out the following form:

Frequently Asked Questions

Q 1 I've never written a web novel before. Can I still enter?

A Yes! If you are confident in your storytelling abilities and your English grammar, we welcome writers of all levels to participate, even if it is your first time writing.

Q 2 Can I enter the contest even if I am not 18 years of age or older?

A No. Due to legal restrictions, participating authors must be 18 years old or older at the time of the entry.

Q 3 Do I have to use the same MAL username in Honeyfeed?

ANo, not necessarily.

Read more FAQ
Q 4Can I submit multiple novels?

A Yes, in fact, we encourage you to! You can submit more than one novel to the contest, whether it be under the same prompt board or a different prompt board; as long as the stories are different. If your novel is a [Short], you can not reuse the original novel more than once under any prompt board. Remember that all submissions must be completed by September 1, 2022.

Q 5 During the public voting phase, will my Honeyfeed reactions count towards the votes?

A No. Only votes cast through the MyAnimeList mobile apps will be counted during the voting phases. Honeyfeed reactions, Twitter likes or any sort of voting done through any other platform will not count. Please make sure to download the MAL app before November 3, 2022, if you would like to participate in voting.

Q 6 If I were to win, how would I receive my prize money?

A Prize money will be paid via bank transfer in USD.

Q 7 What do you mean by "may be eligible" to receive a manga adaptation?

A The Japanese publisher Kodansha will receive a Japanese translation of the top three winning stories from this contest. It is possible Kodansha will decide all three web novels are good material for possible publication; it is also possible they decide none of the novels are marketable. Thus, even if your novel wins, manga adaptation cannot be guaranteed.

Q 8 I entered the contest, but didn’t win. Can I use this novel to enter a different contest/re-post it on a different website?

A Yes, absolutely! If your novel did not make it to the finalists, after November 3, 2022, you are free to post the novel wherever you like. If your novel made it to the finals, please wait until the winners are announced to post your story outside of Honeyfeed.

Q 9 Will there be more contests like this one in the future?

A We hope so! Follow our official social media accounts for updates on future contests (related or unrelated).

Q 10 My novel participated in MAL x HF contest 2021 but was not a semi-finalist, can it enter this contest?

A No.

Q 11 My novel participated in MAL x HF contest 2021 but was disqualified/deleted before the contest ended. Can I use it for this contest?

A No.

Q 12 Am I allowed to enter this contest with a prequel/sequel of my MAL x HF 2021 contest submission?

A No.

Q 13 My entry is a [Short] but the original novel is still ongoing, can my short enter the contest?

A Yes. As long as the [Short] has a story conclusion.

Q 14 Can I enter a [Short] without posting the original novel on Honeyfeed?

A No. Linking the original novel is a must for a previously published novel entry.

Q 15 Will there be a separate judging/vote category for [Short] and regular entries?

A No, both regular and [Short] entries participate together under their prompt.

Q 16 I self-published my novel on Amazon or other similar services, can I use that novel for the contest?

A No. There is a chance that the novel’s licensing and/or revenue is bound to that service even if you have full ownership of the copyright.

Official MAL x Honeyfeed Writing Contest Rules

No purchase necessary to enter or win.

BY ENTERING OR OTHERWISE PARTICIPATING IN THIS WRITING CONTEST, ALL ENTRANTS AND OTHER PARTICIPANTS AGREE TO ABIDE BY THESE OFFICIAL WRITING CONTEST RULES, WHICH ARE FINAL AND BINDING ON ALL MATTERS PERTAINING TO THIS CONTEST.

1. Sponsors. This writing contest is sponsored by MyAnimeList Co., Ltd. ("MyAnimeList" or "MAL") in collaboration with qdopp, Inc. d/b/a Honeyfeed ("Honeyfeed") (MAL and Honeyfeed may sometimes be referred to together herein as "Sponsors"). The contest is void in whole or in part where prohibited by law.

2. Eligibility. This writing contest is open only to individuals who have registered accounts with MAL and Honeyfeed and are 18 years old or older at the time of the entry. Sponsors shall have the right at any time to require proof of age and/or eligibility to participate in the contest. Failure to provide such proof or insufficient proof may result in disqualification from the contest in Sponsors’ sole discretion. All information requested by and supplied to Sponsors for the purpose of the contest must be truthful, complete, accurate and in no way misleading. Sponsors reserve the right, in their sole discretion, to disqualify any entrant from the contest should such an entrant at any stage supply unsatisfactory, untruthful, incomplete, inaccurate or misleading information.

3. Contest Period. The period for entering the contest begins June 1, 2022 and will continue until September 1, 2022.

4. How to Enter the Contest. There is no purchase necessary to enter the writing contest. To enter this contest, review and follow these Official MAL x Honeyfeed Writing Contest Rules (the "Official Writing Contest Rules"), and complete the following steps during the contest period:

(a) Sign up for a MyAnimeList account (if you don’t already have one).

(b) Go to honeyfeed.fm and log into your Honeyfeed account or, if you don’t already have one, sign up for a Honeyfeed account and log in.

(c) Once logged in at Honeyfeed, click "Create Your Novel" on the top menu bar, and then the "Create Novel" button on the My Novels page.

(d) Fill in your novel's title, synopsis and set your novel's genre(s). Please note that to participate in this contest, the maturity rating of your novel must be "All audiences".

(e) [Short] entries are novels that were already published on Honeyfeed that are shortened, re-written so that the story caters to the contest's prompts, genres, eligibility checklist, and rules. If your novel is a [Short] originating from a previously published novel: In the "Note from author" field, you must input the Honeyfeed link to the original novel. Do not post links leading to other websites. Please note that leaving this area blank will automatically disqualify you from the contest if your novel is a [Short].

(f) Before saving and continuing, make sure to check in the checkbox located next to "Would you like to submit this novel to the MAL x Honeyfeed Writing Contest?"

(g) Write your first chapter and submit it.

(h) After submitting your first chapter, please make sure your novel appears under the newly published novels for the MAL x Honeyfeed Writing Contest section in Honeyfeed.

(i) Submit new chapters to Honeyfeed as you complete them. Don't just post all your chapters at once! This is one of the judging criteria.

(j) Make sure your novel submissions comply with the "Novel Submission Rules" below.

(k) After successfully following these steps, your novel and all the chapters under it will now be submitted for participation in the MAL x Honeyfeed Writing Contest.

Sponsors assume no responsibility for late submissions or submission failures due to technological or other issues.

You should also follow any other instructions or rules presented to you at the time of entry or submission.

5. Novel Submission Rules. Any novel you submit through this writing contest must comply with the following rules:

  • ・Original novel and/or contest entries that have already participated in the MAL x Honeyfeed Writing Contest held during 2021 can not be entered to this contest as an original or a [Short] entry.
  • ・Novels must be written in English only. Novels written in other languages will not be considered and will be removed from the Honeyfeed site.
  • ・Novels must follow a prompt board (see below).
  • ・Completed novels must contain a minimum 25,000 words and may contain up to a maximum of 75,000 words.
  • ・Novels must be set to "Completed" on the Honeyfeed site before the entry period ends. This means your story must come to a conclusion before September 1, 2022.
  • ・Note that changing the status of the novel or editing the novel to add content after September 1, 2022 will result in disqualification.
  • ・No fanfics, collaborations, plagiarism, stolen or copyrighted content is allowed to be submitted as an entry. This includes both text and images related to your entry. Any novel you submit must be entirely your own original work created for this contest and posted only to Honeyfeed for the duration of the contest. This applies to [Short] entries as well as the novel they originated from.
  • ・Novels must be suitable for ages 17+ and be set to the "All audience" setting in Honeyfeed. No gore, heavy ecchi or soft porn is allowed. Your novel can not contain minors, or characters that look like/reference minors or under the age of 18 in erotic situations.
  • ・Original novels that are already licensed by a literary agency and/or publisher, or are being self-published and sold on Amazon and other similar sites, are not eligible to participate in the contest.
  • ・Users are not allowed to use MAL / HF sites or MAL / HF social media as a way to continuously persuade other users to read, like, comment or vote for their novel or any other user's novel (shilling, spamming). Self promoting on your own profile is allowed.
  • ・Please also review the Judging Criteria as well.

Contest Prompt Boards: Writing prompt boards will act as public voting categories, so your novel must follow one of the three prompt boards below. The prompt board’s keywords cannot be mixed and matched across boards. After you've chosen an initial prompt board, you can not change prompt boards later, it may result in disqualification. Please see the prompt boards for this contest:
School Prompt Board
Core memories Bitter-sweet First time Redo Graduation
Best moments New beginnings Ideal school life Cherished days Unforgettable friendships
Discovering myself Reunion Fond memories Teenage Influential people
Best years of my life Highschool My group I wouldn’t have imagined I’d miss that Remembering dearly
Rom-Com Prompt Board
Crazily in love Most popular couple The little things you do Healthy relationships Not without you
Great chemistry Adorably annoying Ideal partner Expectations v.s reality Leap of faith
They won’t believe how we met Wholesome They wish they had what we do My quirky lover Comforting
One in a 7.7 billion Partners in crime Only with you Our best adventures Troublemakers
Cyberpunk Prompt Board
High-tech Lack of resources Dehumanization Cyborg Scarcity
Body hacking Corporate wars Antihero Neo Tokyo Social order disruption
Broken down society Dystopian future Countercultural Surreal landscape Suburban chaos
High commoditization Metropolis Global connection Augmented reality Reimagination of cultures

For any novel submission, you must not submit any content that contains any elements that violate a third party’s copyrights, trademark rights, privacy rights or any other rights. Your novel submission and any other content you submit must comply with MAL’s Terms of Use regarding user content and Honeyfeed’s Terms of Service.

By submitting any novel or other content as part of this contest, you represent, warrant and agree that: (a) you are in compliance with these Official Writing Contest Rules and with MAL’s Terms of Use and Honeyfeed’s Terms of Service; (b) your novel(s) and any other content does not infringe or violate any third party rights; and (c) the novel(s) and any other content does not violate any law.

6. Contest Prizes. Prizes are available for participants who place first on each contest prompt board. 3 Winners total for this contest. The prizes that are available to be won for this contest are the following:

Prize item description: Estimated value: No. of items available to win: Other restrictions:
Winning prize for Rom-com prompt board $3,000 1 N/A
Winning prize for School prompt board $3,000 1 N/A
Winning prize for Cyberpunk prompt board $3,000 1 N/A

The three winning novels may also be selected for possible light novel or manga adaptation and publication in Japan by the Japanese publisher, Kodansha. Kodansha will receive a Japanese translation of the three winning stories from this contest and may, in its sole discretion, decide to adapt and publish one or more of the winning stories. If your novel is selected for adaptation and publication, additional agreement(s) will be required in connection with the adaptation and publication. However, there is no guarantee that a winning novel will be selected for publication, and it is possible that none of them will be selected.

To receive a prize, you may also be required to provide an affidavit of eligibility.

7. Judging Criteria, Selection of Winners and Odds of Winning.Sponsors will review the novel entries for this contest and, once the entry period ends, the novel entries will be narrowed down to a total of 12 (4 from each prompt board discussed above) before moving on to the public voting phase. To narrow the novel entries down to a total of 12, the judges will use the following criteria:

Post frequency:

  • • Novel chapters are not posted all at once.
  • • Novel is updated once or more weekly.

Writing & Storytelling:

  • • Novel has an appealing synopsis.
  • • Novel story progresses at a good pace.
  • • Chapters are not too long.
  • • Novel has good English grammar.
  • • Novel has interesting characters and character development.
  • • Novel has good world-building.

Public Engagement:

  • • Novel has a cover image.
  • • Public reacts well to the novel. (Positive comments, returning comments.)
  • • Author replies to comments in a timely manner.
  • • Author self-promotes.
  • • Author posts chapter release schedule.
  • • Author has their contest novel featured on their Honeyfeed profile.

After the novel entries are narrowed down to 12, the public voting phase will begin as follows:

Public voting for finals (November 3 to November 30, 2022): Voting period will include 4 novels of each prompt board. During this period, the 12 judge-selected novels in the prompt boards will be posted to a special voting page inside the MyAnimeList Android and iOS apps. Votes will only be collected using the app.

The winners will be announced on December 12, 2022.

Odds of Winning: The odds of your novel being selected and included with the 12 novels selected by the judges are dependent upon the number of eligible submissions received by Sponsors, the above-referenced criteria and the judges’ opinions. During the voting phase, a number of people assigned as ‘Jury’ will review and rate the overall content of your completed submission. The odds of your novel being selected in the public voting phase depends on the number of votes received in this phase as well as the review and feedback of the Jury.

Sponsors may communicate with potential winners at the email address registered with the potential winners’ MyAnimeList or Honeyfeed accounts with further information and any additional requirements to accept the prizes. If a potential winner cannot be contacted within 72 hours, fails to respond to any attempted contact, is in any way not in compliance with these Official Writing Contest Rules, or declines to, does not or cannot accept the prize to be awarded, such potential winner will be disqualified and his/her entry and submission will be declared null and void.

8. Release. By entering this writing contest, you release Sponsors and their affiliates, employees, officers, directors, managers and agents from any liability whatsoever, and waive any and all causes of action, related to any claims, costs, injuries, losses or damages of any kind arising out of or in connection with this contest or transmission, failed transmission or acceptance of any prize (including, without limitation, claims, costs, injuries, losses and damages related to personal injuries, death, damage to or destruction of property, rights of publicity or privacy, defamation or portrayal in a false light, whether intentional or unintentional), whether under a theory of contract, tort (including negligence), warranty or any other theory.

9. Sponsors’ Reservation of Rights. Sponsors reserve the right, in their sole discretion, to terminate, cancel, suspend and/or revise the contest for any or no reason. Sponsors reserve the right in their sole discretion to disqualify any individual in violation of these Official Writing Contest Rules or if Sponsors discover such individual to be tampering with the entry process or the operation of the contest or acting in an unlawful or disruptive manner. Sponsors' failure to enforce any term or provision of these Official Writing Contest Rules shall not constitute a waiver of that term or provision.

10. Privacy. Information collected from you in connection with this contest will be used by Sponsors for their administration of the contest, including to verify your eligibility and notify potential winners and to fulfill prizes. In addition, Sponsors may use information collected about you to send you offers or information from us about MAL’s or Honeyfeed’s products and services, or about the products and services of our affiliates and business partners. If you do not wish to receive such offers and information, you may opt-out at any time by following the instructions at the bottom of any promotional email you receive or by following other opt-out instructions provided in the communication. Information collected is otherwise subject to and may be used and shared by Sponsors in accordance with MyAnimeList's Privacy Policy at https://myanimelist.net/about/privacy_policy, Honeyfeed’s Privacy Policy at https://www.honeyfeed.fm/privacy, and applicable law.

11. Contact Information. Please direct any questions or comments regarding the writing contest to Customer Support.

Contact Information

Please direct any questions or feedback about the event to MyAnimeList at Contact Customer Support.

*This campaign is sponsored by MyAnimeList Co.,Ltd and qdopp, Inc.

*Questions about judging criteria, awards, and prizes will not receive responses.

Curious to read about past contests?

View MyAnimeList x Honeyfeed Writing Contest 2021