How Much Do Manga Artists Earn? Kadokawa's Panel At NYCC 2024 Reveals The Figures!

At New York Comic Con (NYCC) 2024, Kadokawa’s Wordless World Manga Contest panel shed light on the inner workings of the manga industry in Japan.

In this panel, details about how much manga creators earn and the demanding schedules they maintain were revealed by Hiroyuki Watanabe, the editor of Sgt. Frog and the Neon Genesis Evangelion manga.

He is currently the operating officer of the publishing group of Kadokawa, responsible for light novel and manga genres.

Image Credits:

How Much do Manga Artists earn?

According to Watanabe, manga creators in Japan earn varying amounts per page based on their experience. However, on an average, a mangaka earned around 12,000 yen per page.

• Newcomers: ¥8,000–¥10,000 per page ($57–$72 USD)
• Average Manga Artists: ¥12,000 per page ($88 USD)
• Experienced Professionals: ¥15,000–¥30,000 per page ($110–$217 USD)

These earnings can vary depending on the publication, genre, and artist’s prominence. The numbers are with Mipon previously.

According to her, newbie mangaka earned between 10,000 and 15,000 yen per page of their work. However, this was not the only source of income that artists had.

Royalties: How Much Manga Creators Make Per Copy Sold

Watanabe also provided details on royalty income from tankobon (graphic novels), which authors earn in addition to their per page rates.

For each ¥500 ($4 USD) copy sold in Japan, the creator earns a 10% royalty, amounting to approximately ¥50 or 40 cents per copy.

If a manga volume sells 1 million copies, the creator earns 50 million yen (around $334,860 USD) in royalties.

Details about manga creation:

The panel also revealed the production schedules and other details surrounding the creation of a manga.

In general, the number of pages a manga artist drew varied between weekly and monthly manga series:

• Weekly series: 80 pages per month
• Monthly series: 32 pages per month

Some prolific artists work on multiple series, producing over 100 pages monthly to meet tight deadlines.

Creating a manga page is a labor-intensive process. Watanabe explained that it takes most artists four hours on average

to draw and ink a single page, though some can complete a page in 1–2 hours, while others may take an entire day.

Watanabe explained that speed does not necessarily determine the skill or quality of a manga artist, but emphasized that meeting deadlines was crucial when it came to creating works.

Watanabe also pointed out that there is no “correct” way to make manga and that the key was to enjoy the process of creating a work.

However, he stressed that creators aiming for professional careers must always consider their readers when crafting their stories.

Demographics of Manga Creators

The panel also discussed when manga artists typically debut in their careers. The typical age of an author when they debut is around 22 to 23 years.

• 70% debut in their 20s, often after completing college or art school

20% debut in their teens

10% debut in their 30s or later

Ten years ago, there were approximately 6,000 active manga creators in Japan. Watanabe speculated that the number has likely grown significantly since then, given the industry’s rapid expansion.

, encouraging artists worldwide to submit works without dialogue or text, earlier in October.

The contest, which began on Oct 4, 2024

, will run until Feb 28, 2025, with cash prizes of up to $10,000 USD and the chance for winners to secure manga serialization in Japan.

Source: NYCC Kadokawa Panel .