[Hiring] New Independent Publisher Looking for Writers, Artist, and Developmental Editors
Hey everyone, I'm posting on behalf of Kessaku Spotlight. We’re an independent English light novel and manga publisher currently building out our first wave of original titles.
We're currently looking to greenlight and develop a select number of 50K word light novel projects and are seeking collaborators interested in building something long term with us.
We are also looking for artists to create cover art and interior illustrations for upcoming titles. If you're an illustrator whose style fits the light novel or manga aesthetic, feel free to include your portfolio in your email.
We are also looking for developmental editors with experience in fiction, light novels, or manga adjacent storytelling to help shape and strengthen our upcoming projects.
Genres we're interested in include romance, horror, fantasy, slice of life, and action.
This is paid commission work. Collaborators pitch concepts, we workshop and develop them together, and selected projects move into production under the Kessaku Spotlight label.
We're open to standalone titles as well as series with the potential to expand across multiple volumes.
A few important things upfront:
(1) Projects developed through Kessaku Spotlight are published under a publisher owned IP structure, with collaborators receiving upfront compensation, full credits, and backend participation including royalties on sales
(2) Kessaku Spotlight covers production costs including editing, proofreading, cover art, interior/page illustrations, formatting, ISBN registration, copyright registration, and any other necessary costs related to publishing, similar to a traditional publisher
No publishing credits are required. We care more about strong concepts, memorable characters, consistency, and the ability to finish projects.
We're especially interested in people who genuinely love light novels, manga, anime, and serialized storytelling.
If interested, please email us at pitch@kessakuspotlight.com with the following:
(1) A short introduction about yourself
(2)The genres you enjoy writing
(3) A brief idea of the type of story you'd like to develop
(4) Any writing samples or previous experience you may have
- Artists: a link to your public facing portfolio (No Google Drive links)
- Developmental editors: your editing experience, relevant genres, and samples or references if available
Please do not send your full pitch immediately. Before reviewing detailed concepts, we will first sign a confidentiality agreement to help ensure your ideas remain protected, even if we ultimately decide not to move forward.
We're looking for creatives who want to grow alongside the company. While we are currently developing light novels, we are also expanding into manga development as early as next year, so don't shy away.