The official website for anime database, MyAnimeList, and web novel website, Honeyfeed, announced to hold its 2nd English web novel writing contest, “I Was Browsing MAL as Usual Then I Realized My Web Novel Could Become Manga” or simply “MAL x Honeyfeed Writing Contest (2022)”.

Entries will be accepted from June 1 till Sept 1, 2022.

The prompts are School, Rom-Com, and Cyberpunk, and the contest is free to enter.

The winning entries will be sent to manga publisher Kodansha for review for possible publishing and/or manga adaptation, in addition to US$3,000 cash prizes for each of the three genre categories.

The winning entries will be announced on Dec 12, 2022. The judges voting period will begin on Sept 2 till Nov 2, while the public voting period will commence from Nov 3-30.

“This contest was inspired by the voices of international anime fans on MyAnimeList,” says MAL’s press release. “Many anime fans feel that only Japanese-authored works have a realistic chance of becoming anime, while foreign-authored works stand little to no chance. This contest was created as a stepping stone to fulfilling that dream of someday having one’s ideas made into an anime in Japan.”

“This contest will also contribute to spreading Japan’s anime culture even further and deeper than ever before. We believe there is a need to create an ecosystem where overseas anime fans can not only watch finished products but also contribute to the anime creation process.”

Last year’s winner was Realm Assassin by Pearlyn Mirabella, followed by The Consequence of Saving the World by Harmonica and The Sequence of Kai by Oscar H.M in second and third place respectively.

The first MAL x Honeyfeed Writing Contest took place between July 5 and Sep 5, 2021. It received 853 entries in total, with the winners determined by fan vote.

Source: MAL x Honeyfeed Press Release