Naver Webtoon announced on the 17th the 44 winning works of the "2024 Largest Web Novel Contest" with a total prize of 390 million KRW, held in collaboration with Munpia.
More than 6,000 entries were submitted to this contest, featuring works from various genres and themes. The grand prize was awarded to "Musinyeonui: Yeopo-ga Hyodoreul Jalham (Author Byeolggo Latte)," a work in the alternate history and fusion genre. The excellence awards went to three works: "1588 Shine Muscat-euro Gwinnong Watdeoni Sindaeryuk (Author Ganda Wenchok)," "How an A-Class Hunter Lives (Author Geommiseong)," and "I Became the Serpent of the Apocalypse (Author Bido™)." Fifteen works received the merit award, and twenty-five works were given honorable mentions.
Since its inception in 2022, the contest has invited works from various genres including ▲Fantasy ▲Martial Arts ▲Modern Stories ▲Sports ▲Alternate History. During the contest period, the submitted works are serialized for free, attracting readers' attention, and the works can later be monetized, making the contest a profitable opportunity highly praised by creators.
The winning works are first serialized exclusively on Munpia, then the serialization platform expands to Naver Series, allowing the works to reach more readers and increase revenue. The grand prize and excellence award winners receive the special benefit of having their works adapted into webtoons and officially serialized on Naver Webtoon, enabling expansion of the works' intellectual property (IP).
Son Je-ho, CEO of Munpia, stated, "Munpia will continue to uphold its status as the premier gateway for web novel writers in Korea by increasing opportunities for discovering, debuting, and nurturing web novel creators." Park Je-yeon, General Leader of Naver Web Novel, said, "We will actively support the winning works to enhance the value of their IP through serialization on Naver Series and webtoon adaptations."
Meanwhile, Munpia operates the "2024 Largest Casting" program to expand debut opportunities for aspiring web novelists by selecting two works each month from those serialized in advance on the Munpia platform, providing promotion, official serialization on Naver Series, and webtoon adaptation support. Through "Academy 365," Munpia offers author education programs including ▲Creative process and serialization strategy lectures ▲Writing training programs, contributing to the expansion of the web novel creative ecosystem.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
