Manga artists are called mangaka. Because manga is published on tight schedules, many mangaka have assistants who help with drawing or shading. Many well-known creators have started their careers as assistants to already successful mangaka. The tasks of manga assistants depend on what the mangaka themselves want to do and what they want their assistants to help with. Sometimes mangaka only draw the main characters and leave other characters as well as backgrounds to be drawn by assistants. Sometimes mangaka draw most of it themselves and mainly let assistants add shading.
Contrary to what many in Western countries might think, the mangaka is not solely responsible for the content of the works. The editors of manga magazine also have a say in how the series’ plot progresses. Usually, the more successful a mangaka is, the more control they have over their stories. However, it is difficult to know to what extent the mangaka’s story has been influenced by the mangaka and to what extent by the editor, unless the mangaka themselves open up about the production process. The editor also follows fan feedback and possibly editing stories based on the feedback. Sometimes this can lead to quite confusing plotlines when the mangaka has to react to the editor’s editing suggestions. Nevertheless, the copyrights are strong, and usually the mangaka themselves own the rights to their series and characters. The publisher cannot, for example, transfer the series to another artist.
If a manga fails to attract enough readers despite the editor’s editing recommendations, the series may be discontinued or given a quick ending. If a manga is particularly popular, efforts are made to continue it as long as its popularity lasts. Some manga series have been produced for decades.
