"The Comprehensive Guide of How to get into Comiket as a Circle 1" from DA Updated with Photos

New title, "The Comprehensive Guide of How to get into Comiket as a Circle 1"

otherwise known as "How to Comiket 1"

This How to Get into Comic Market post was originally on my Deviant art Journal but I see it appropriate to have it posted here as well. I plan to do a second "How to Comiket 2" Soon!

If you'd like to know how to apply online, Guide #2 is up:
http://circlerevolution.blogspot.com/2012/02/comprehensive-guide-to-applying-to.html


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Well, since I've successfully got myself into comiket, I've had a buttload of notes sent to me asking how they can participate in comiket as well.

I've gotten tired of answering each and everyone so I am writing this and forwarding all such notes to this journal. yeah.

If you dont know what Comiket is, here- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comiket

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so anyways-

the "HOW TO APPLY AND GET INTO COMIC MARKET AS A CIRCLE" JOURNAL begins now-*

*I will use some Japanese here so make sure you have Japanese encoding set if you don't want to see a bunch of squares*

FIRST AND FOREMOST, the ABSOLUTE REQUIREMENTS-

1) An address in Japan. I made off with my relatives address so, you don't really have to live there. It's just a location to send you stuff. However, they won't accept foreign addresses- so if you don't live here best bet is to find someone willing to let you use their address. Make some friends.

2) The Comiket Application Packet

3) A lot of will and energy to fill out a ton of stuff. and that's about it. OK!-

So, whut first?

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1.[コミックマーケットサークル参加申込書セット] or

1. [Comic Market Circle Application Set] 

Long name, but to make it short- it's a little booklet containing all the paper work needed to apply for Comiket. AKA- The Application Package.

Looks like this:

(This is Comiket 80's cause I don't know where my 77 one went)

-Where do I get this Package?-

Simple- AT COMIKET. There is a booth, along the wall, near one of the entrances to the halls obviously looking like an information desk. There you can obtain this package for 1000yen, or ten bucks.

Okay, maybe not SO simple since you actually have to GO to comiket in order to obtain it. That, or you can have someone else attending comiket get it for you. But with all respect- I recommend going to Comiket at least once as a attendee before trying to attend as a circle participant. You will understand that Comiket is a literal FLOOD of people, and that every anime reference to comiket is NO JOKE. It'll save you from shedding tears, trust me.

-Can I get it anywhere else?-

...Not that I know of. I read somewhere you can get summer Comiket's application by ordering it online, but I don't know where. Sry. 

ANYWAYS- WITHOUT THIS, YOU CAN'T BE IN COMIKET PERIOD. SO GET IT.

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2a. Filling the darn thing out

K, so let's say you got the application packet at Summer Comiket this year, yayyyy

First- DEADLINE- (these deadlines are approx. and change slightly yearly)

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When I came back from Day three of Comiket 76, August 16th 2009, I read my little packet and it read this:

DEADLINE: AUGUST 19th

Hey, that's my birthday! and it was fricking THREE DAYS AFTER COMIKET!

...I filled that application real quick and sent it by express mail.

But I guess that's a warning, Application for Winter Comiket after Summer Comiket is pretty quick. SO make sure you fill it out in time.

However, After Comiket 77, Which ended on January 1st, The Packet Read:

DEADLINE: February 5th

So that gave me a good months time, although I sent it early anyways

BY THE WAY, the packet lists TWO deadlines, the latter one is for Online Registration which I will...or errr, will not get to...you'll see.

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BACK TO FILLING OUT THE THING-

Okay well, to put things simply- The application consists of Three papers LABELED-

ABC, D, E, and a little optional F thing, and The Envelope to send them in labeled G.

I shall go over them one by one

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

-1.ABC- If you think applying for comiket is free, guess again. This white receipt looking Paper labeled ABC is your REGISTRATION FEE PAPER.

Looks like this:

 Registering for Comiket costs 7500yen, or approx 80 dollars. This paper requires your name, circle name, address, and phone number. The address must be in Japan, or so I've heard. Sucks, as this is very foreigner unfriendly. However there are people who have applied successfully, most likely using a friends address or something. 

Paying this, requires going to the bank or post office in Japan. Yes, you don't send check or money order, you pay at the bank/post office and the paper work gets the cash to Comiket. A very foreign concept it was to me, but that's the way it is. 

Upon paying it, part of the receipt, Part C (the right most part), is then glued to paper D. Which is sent to Comiket. I'll go on to that now.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

-2-D. This is the main application, a light brownish orange color. Looks like this:

 It requires a good amount of information- Name, Circle Name, Address, Phone Numbers, Genre Code (for which section of comiket you want to be part of), Application number (which is printed out on paper ABC), Information on previous applications, Pen Names, and The titles of books you'll be selling, the prices and the amount of books to be sold.

-3-E. This is a little white strip of paper that also requires the same stuff on D

Looks like this:

. But on the Right side is a box for you to draw your "Circle Cut" AKA your "Ad." A circle cut is an image that will be placed into the Comiket Catalog once you are accepted in. If represents what kind of stuff you are selling. So what character you draw is rather vital, since they catagorize you accordingly. At Comiket 77 I was part of the Touhou Section, I drew Reimu here:

And the catalog had mine paired with other Reimu Circle Cuts:

But yeah that's about it.

-4-F. This is for the "Manga Report" This is just a little box, same size as a circle cut. This is just a comment box about the last comiket you attended. You can draw a little comic in it, showing what you thought of the comiket you attended. It will appear on the next catalog. again, most likely not required.

Somethin like this:

[above: Compared to the heat of our passion, the sun felt pretty cool]

[box: LIES]

[below: IT WAS FREAKING HOT]

signed Kxela.

-5-G. This is the Envelope. It has a side which looks like the other two application papers. So lots of info here too. Here's what it looks like:

There's a whole application page on the back of it as well...:

OTHER BONUS STUFF:

The packet actually gives you detailed instructions on how to complete each piece. In Japanese of course, and it looks like a insane techincal manual:

Yup, just do this, this, this, this......this, this, this this, and this. And you're done!!! ....right.

And also a "how to bundle everything together" page with visuals. yeah.....

ONE important thing is this-

You might ask yourself "what the heck are all these sticker things for???"

During the application process, you actually don't use these. Hence, these are the labels you need to put on your doujinshi or whatever you make AFTER actually MAKING IT IN. You put these on one copy and hand it over to the staff as registration. You only need to do these for items that have never been released at comiket. If it your first, then all of your books and stuff need this. So keep this safe.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

So, basically you pay the fee, chuck all the papers in the envelop and send it away.

yayyyy

2b- APPLYING ONLINE-

As I've told everyone:

I have never applied online so my knowledge on it is limited.

All I know is that the website to do so is- http://circle.ms/

I also have heard that you need to actually have to have the packet,

because this provides the Application Number.

That is all I know.

I figured this out and will add this portion in the next "How to Comiket 2"]
You can view it now on the ONLINE guide:
http://circlerevolution.blogspot.com/2012/02/comprehensive-guide-to-applying-to.html

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3. Awaiting the Results

Well, as you wait (knowing you should be working on your comiket product), A postcard will arrive in the mail at the address you provided three months before the event. Most of the time.

Looks...well, a little better than this:

...fittingly this soaked and beat up postcard was also my message of my first failure- not making it into comiket. HOWEVER- recieving this postcard does not equal BAD. It is your literal LOTTERY TICKET. It contains your registration number which you can enter at Circle.ms, and see if you luckily made it in, or lucked out.

IF....

With a stroke of bad luck, I never received this postcard my first time. I ended up needing to contact comiket by sending the "misdelivery" paper that came with the application package.

That paper, you should save- looks like this:

Well, anyways, this postcard provides you with your registration number. It's also a sign that they received you application safely. That's Good.

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4. THE LOTTERY.

AS you might already know, Comiket is limited to 35000 circles. Yes you read right, 35000 circles, approx. 10,000 circles a day. And for sure you know, there are more than 35000 circle applicants. 

So they use a lottery system to decided who gets in. So you might or might not get in.

But anyways- Two months prior to the event, circle.ms opens up its checking system. You can use you're Registration number from the postcard to check if you got in. As mentioned above.

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5. You're in! or You're OUT!

If you make it in, you'll get a packet mailed to you with information and the golden tickets for the event delivered to you:

If not, you'll get a mail telling you about getting a refund on your application fee.

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The end. Now that I realize, I probably only needed that first paragraph lol

and I didnt use much Japanese either lol

but well. yeah thats the gist of it. hope its informative!

Feel free to ask me other questions I guess.