Just one thing I thought I would point out: It is
very difficult to get work published in Japan if you are not Japanese. Until recently, it was impossible. Japan has been and still is an elitist country; granted, they've improved dramatically over the years, but there is still some prejudice against non-Japanese.
A friend of mine actually had to send his work over to a Japanese friend in Japan, and then have that friend show it to the companies he wanted to present his stuff to in order to get it even considered.
Recently, however, Japan has made an effort to become more open-minded. Just this year, Japan announced the establishment of the International Manga Award, the first of its kind. (More info:
MOFA: First International MANGA Award)