Anyone else concerned?

[akitsukino]

I know there’s a giant art community wide panic at least once a month but I’m wondering if anyone’s concerned at all about this.

Major layoffs and reported new direction at Tapas Media

If Tapas really does go down this’ll be the third time I’ve seen a comic site fall. The first being Inkblazers in 2014 and then Smackjeeves in 2020.

[Kirara312]

I am kind of concerned about it.

[fsarbolaez]

What the FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFoot?

But seriously, it sucks that all of those staff members are getting bounced. I hope they end up someplace better, and I hope this company's move doesn't end with the website getting shutdown or being irreparably ruined.

Anyone here know of any webnovel sites just like or better than Tapas, jic?

[YS_og]

Royal Road. Going by your genre that'd be my best rec.

[joannekwan]

In summary, the lay-offs are a result of a refocus on user-generated-content, in other words community content. So I don't think we independent creators with uncontracted series have to worry about this specific news.

[fsarbolaez]

🤞Let's hope that's the case here🤞

[TheLemmaLlama]

Oh, tbh I barely follow what's going on with any individual platform :'D I want my presence to be like kudzu; taking root anywhere and everywhere, and if one platform gets uprooted it's just gonna spread the seeds elsewhere

[darthmongoose]

So I don't think we independent creators with uncontracted series have to worry about this specific news.

Me here sweating in "one of the smallest comics on the platform on a contract".

I can really only just wait and hope that contracts like Creator Bonus and Early Access stay in place... which I feel like would make sense if there's a focus on User Generated Content, because there needs to be some kind of way to incentivise people to build an audience with the promise of extra money if you perform well and bring people to the platform.
Originals being scrapped I sort of understand because it's such a big investment up front and not all of them have performed amazingly compared to the cheaper option of either localising something from Korea or watching to see what becomes popular on the platform and giving them rewards based on performance.

Basically, I hope Tapas are thinking on the same wavelength as me here, and that they keep the Bonus and Early Access programs, or bring in something similar to replace them (Like I dunno, if they get rid of them they should just make it a blanket policy that works take a bigger cut of ad revenue.) Because if there isn't a way to graduate up to making an income, the users generating the content to any sort of professional level are all going to move to platforms where they can.

[TroyVSTheWorld]

I'm out here making no money on tapas like "okay, so?"

nah I like Tapas though, I want Webtoon to crash and burn.

[scottlincoln689]

I hope not, Tapas has the best user/creator experience... it's a well polished machine. I can't even check up to date reader comments on some other platforms. The down side is that getting subs on Tapas is like pulling hen's teeth. In a time where everyone is tightening their belts it's easy to understand cut backs... but they need to figure out how to get a broader general audience.

[fsarbolaez]

Tapas is bad with subs , RoyalRoad is admittedly worse

[sushy00]

that sounds a bit concerning indeed, but I will stay active on Tapas.

[AmazementComics]

Wow, 30% is quite significant. Good to know that indie publishers won’t be affected by it. Although I wonder what they mean by user generated content.

[YS_og]

??
No site is bad with subs. You attract them or you don't for whatever the reason may be.

[fsarbolaez]

I suppose on the most part, but like @scottlincoln689 was mentioning, there has to be a better way a getting a broader general audience. (E.g. Not making episodes tagged as mature virtually hidden during series updates)

[Dogss]

I think you're right, profit sharing and paying up front are very different and if they have certain creators under a profit sharing agreement they stand to make money.

[darthmongoose]

Yeah, it seems from the looks of things like the Creator Bonus Program and Early Access Program are sticking around, and people can even apply to join them now (but the required sub counts are very high), so it looks as though Tapas are thinking the same way as me; investing in works that prove their ability to build an audience rather than taking a risk on developing new IP from scratch.

[Dogss]

I hope some creators can still sign on with them as exclusives to some degree but I am happy to see them reinvest in existing comics!

[system]

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