By: Peggy Sue Wood | @pswediting

The MyAnimeList x Honeyfeed Writing Contest is back for 2025. This year, it’s sponsored by KADOKAWA and the theme is Isekai.

This international writing contest offers a rare chance for aspiring authors to break into the light novel/publishing industry of Japan and bring their original isekai worlds to life with the support of one of Japan’s top publishers.

While I don’t think I’ve talked too much (if ever on here) about Honeyfeed and their MAL collaboration(s) before, this is a project I find really interesting. If you know anything about foreigners publishing in new countries, or—more specifically—about Japan’s industry and how many foreign bestsellers fail there then I think you all would find it interesting too.

It’s pretty tough for most people to get traditionally published, and authors publishing outside of their home country and native languages often have an even tougher time than others because there are professional norms, reader expectations, linguistic and cultural clashes, as well as market structures that make the process difficult to navigate. It used to be that you had to write the book, and then get a publisher to pick it up wherein they would do the marketing, the editing, the producing and such. However, now the industry is very different. Even in the traditional sphere, authors are expected to pay a lot of costs to get their work publishing ready and they are expected to do a lot of the marketing on their own or paid for by the money they earn which is guaranteed to be a smaller amount than you think. Only a handful of traditionally published authors make it really big.

Moreover, Japan is a particularly tough market for foreign books and authors. While Japanese readers do read translated works, the majority of popular novels, especially light novels and manga, are written by Japanese creators and cater specifically to domestic audiences.

In a press release I received about the project, Satoshi Arima, the Project Manager and Editor in Chief of MF BOOKS at KADOKAWA, noted the increasing global popularity of anime, stating, “Many of these popular anime titles originate from light novels.” He went on to highlight how “an increasing number of stories styled after Japanese light novels are being posted on overseas novel submission platforms. These platforms are emerging as hubs for content and creators with the potential to achieve widespread success not only in Japan but around the world[.]”

As someone who once worked in publishing—and who has long supported platforms like Wattpad, Fictionpress, and other online writing spaces where high-quality stories often begin, I couldn’t agree more. These type of platforms start that work you need an author in this new age by allowing people to draft and share work in a space where others can read it, provide feedback, and help authors build up a platform for future marketing of their work.

It’s encouraging to see KADOKAWA’s commitment to finding new voices through its support of the project, which claims itself as aiming to bring “internationally-born” light novels to both Japanese and global audiences.

If successful, the contest acts as part of a larger effort to connect global creators with Japan’s insular publishing industry. (Moreover, it is encouraging creators from around the world to engage with an online platform as their first step into publishing and drafting, which is a great.)

The Grand Prize (1 winner) is $5,000 USD, and the novel will be scheduled for publication by KADOKAWA in Japan as a light novel (subject to KADOKAWA’s final approval). Contest Winners Prize will receive $3,000 USD. There are 2 (or 3 if no Grand Prize is winner is selected) winners for the contest only section and these too might be offered publication by KADOKAWA in Japan as a light novel.

Novel entry period: July 7 to September 29, 2025 So, if you have an isekai story to tell, please visit the contest page here: https://mhwc.myanimelist.net/202507

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