NOTICE
1. What is the prize for the winner?
Both Categories will have one Grand Prize winner, 3 silver-tier winners, and 6 bronze tier winners.
a. Publishing Offer and Cash Prize: The top 10 submissions in each category will receive a monetary prize as well as a publishing offer(*winners can only claim the prize money if they accept the publishing offer).
b. Grand Prize: In addition to the cash prize, the grand prize winner in each category will have their submission animated into a short published on YouTube.
2. Can we enter the contest as a team?
Contestants can enter as teams, but if a team is chosen as a winner the prize money will be paid out to whoever acts as the representative of the team.
3. What is the submission period?
a. Participants may submit their short story between April 30th 2020 6pm PST – June 30th 2020 6pm PST.
b. The winners will be announced on Wednesday, August 12th 2020.
c. No submissions will be accepted after June 30th 2020 6pm PST.
4. Can I submit to both categories?
Yes, you can submit to either category or both categories. But you cannot submit the same story to both categories.
5. Can I submit multiple stories?
Yes, you can submit as many stories as you would like.
6. What are the submission requirements?
The submission requirements for both categories are as follows:
- Number of Episodes: 3 - 5 episodes
- Number of Panels per episode: 30 or more
7. Can I submit a series that has been previously published?
Yes, but for this contest we highly encourage new original content that has never been published. If you would like to submit a series that was previously published online.
- It must have been self-published.
- You must fully own the series and have exclusive and direct control over it.
- It must not have been published by a publisher.
- It must not have been printed offline for circulation including self-published stories.
8. I live outside of the US, can I still enter the contest?
Yes! You can participate regardless of your country of residence if your country has no restrictions against entry.
9. How old do I need to be to enter the contest?
You must be 13 years or older in order to participate. If you are under 18, you must have permission from your parent or legal guardian. Please see the official rules for details.
10. Do I need to submit all episodes of my story at once?
No, episodes may be submitted separately however all episodes must be submitted within the contest time frame.
11. What counts as a panel?
A panel is a frame or a single drawing. A panel can vary in size and complexity depending on its purpose. For example, a panel can be an establishing shot, a close-up, high angle shot, long shot, etc.
Here are some examples of how we would count panels:
Figure a: 2 panels Figure b: 1 panel
12. Does each episode need to meet the panel requirement?
Yes, each episode must meet the panel requirement to be eligible.
13. Can I submit to the contest if I am or have been an Originals creator?
If you currently have an ongoing WEBTOON Original series, are contracted to work on an upcoming series, or are working with an editor or producer to develop a series you are not eligible to enter the contest.
14. Can I use Fair Use stock images or other image resources?
We are not able to advise anyone regarding copyright as it regards a third party’s copyright. As long as you maintain you have full ownership and that you are not infringing on someone else’s copyright, you will not be disqualified.
15. How do I submit?
During the Submission Period, go to https://www.webtoons.com/en/challenge/contest/us-contest-2020 and follow the on-screen instruction to submit your episodes.
16. How do you measure Audience Engagement?
Audience engagement is measured by a combination of number of views, likes, and comments. While popularity is a factor, the level of engagement is a weighted measurement and ratio for a normalized review. We also will be taking into consideration content of comments and will not tolerate harassment and abuse.
17. What type of content is allowed?
We refer you to our Community Policy (a link to which is available in the Official Contest rules) on guidelines for what content is acceptable. Somethings to avoid would be:
- Abusive content or hate speech
- Copyright or trademark infringement
- Nudity or explicit sexual content
- Excessive violence or graphic content
Please read the Community Policy for more detailed information.
18. What are the judgement criteria for the contest?
Submissions will be judged on:
- Level of Audience Engagement
- Narrative; category-specific attributes
- Pacing, readability, and clarity
19. Does my submission qualify for the Ad Revenue Sharing Program?
Submissions to the Short Story Contest will not be approved to the Ad Revenue Sharing Program during the contest period.
For further questions, please send inquiries to: 2020contest@webtoon.com