Anyone else feel more and more invisible on here?

I don't want to just complain, because that doesn't help with anything, but yeah, looking back at my stats, it's pretty dire on this site.

I'm not saying that's Tapastic's fault, I believe in free, competitive market principles, and there are plenty of things if given the chance I'd do differently.

Despite having done this for a couple of years, my story is still in its early stages, and I can only manage to update twice a month, so I have to keep that in mind. I'm also very spotty with promoting myself on social media. I could be doing a lot more on that front. But on the bright side, I think my art is well above average, and my story/writing is pretty good too, even if it's admittedly a bit overly cerebral for a good chunk of the general webcomic reading audience.

I started posting on this site in January 2015, and after about half a year, I think I managed to get about 500 subscribers and was amassing at least a couple thousand views per update. Likes, comments and new subscribers were a regular thing.

Fast forward to now and all that has slowed down to barely a trickle. Shouting into a void pretty much sums up what it feels like. I'll get a new subscriber every now and then, but because I lose them just as quickly, the net result is a lot like treading water, and I don't think I've pushed the number up much at all this whole year.

This feeling of invisibility is only exasperated when I sub to really cool comics with similar sub count to mine, and see they've only been posting here for a few month. More importantly though, there seems to be a buzz around their comics, with likes and comments, that I used to have with my own comic, but has since evaporated.

Again, I'm not here to complain, but to ask if there are any steps that can be taken. I'm seriously considering just deleting my account and starting over. I don't want to have to do that coz it seems a bit like unjustly punishing those subscribers I already have, but if it really is true that newer comics get better visibility thanks to views/subscriber count, is it worth taking the shot? At least I'd have a chance of appearing on the New and Noteworthy selection, yeah?

I don't know what to do.

From my SEO/Digital Marketing background, there is no magic formula for you to be seen, receive more views, receive more subs/follows, etc. It simply comes down to simple points:

1) Quality, not quantity, is key to any visual medium. The individual who has quality content despite only having one book published will receive a job over the individual who has fifty books published with less-than-quality content.

2) In the field of visual mediums, both story and visual aspects need to become one unit. Where quality is lacking, the rest will follow suit rather quickly.

3) Whether developing a webcomic or any other visual medium alone or as a team, you're all still considered "freelancers" or "unknown" individuals. Why should anyone care about your webcomic if they don't know who you are? What is the point of your webcomic? What is its message? What is the webcomic niche you're performing for? And after you answered all those questions, you're going to be asked again, and again, and again, why should anyone care about your work.

4) Say you posted a few quality pages so far: the story and art work in harmony with each other but now where do you go? From here, it's all about answering those questions from before. This is what is called "Networking" and "Marketing" your content. Keep this in mind, and this is very important, you may have quality content but it's not a guarantee nor is there a magic formula that will automatically work to your benefit.

5) Networking/Marketing Contd: You've posted quality content but that will not get you anywhere. It's now time to apply some elbow grease and dig in for the long haul here. Social Media is a wonderful strategy when networking/marketing your content. Posting to sites like Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Related Forums, etc... with a direct link to your work and why they should care about your content is key to success. BUT!! You're also competing with thousands of others in the same possible niche or genre. Failing to have a Link to these posts or not having a link to your content on any social media platform or Forum will result in lack of eyeballs on said content, never mind the subs.

6) Search Engines are NOT your friend!! Let me repeat that: Search Engines are NOT your friend!! I say this because if you do not have any SEO (Search Engine Optimization) plugins on a dedicated site or know how to effectively use SEO/Digital Marketing, NO ONE will find your site, much less your content. It is best to connect the LINK to your content on any Social Media Platform(s) you may happen to be using.

7) Networking/Marketing is the same as Advertising content. Take the time in learning how to best utilize copywriting skills to advertise your visual medium to the world. This may sound like a lot of work to any small-time freelancer or creator, but how can you expect to thrive in the visual medium industry if you don't put in hard work? Again, you are competing against thousands of others out there but it's not impossible.

8) Complaining will get you nowhere. It looks very bad on you as a creator and no one will take you seriously.

9) Lastly, if you have a posting schedule, stick to it. No one likes a creator or creative team whom frequently goes dark without a word to the subscribers. Posting quality content on a regular basis, keeping fans updated, etc... are just two of the many tools you can use from your tool bag of success.

Let's Recap!

• Create quality/on-time content
• Network/Market the hell out of your content
• NO COMPLAINING!

Three simple rules here but it still does not guarantee you success. Most successful creators today still work a full-time job on top of creating full-time content, even if they have thousands upon thousands of fans.

Honestly, I never said Webtoons will grossly promote smaller stuff, and I must say. (^ u ^; )
The timing thing is wrong. I share an update like a month and a half after the net, sometimes much later. I used to do it faster, but results were worse.

I started posting back in March 2015, and made a good amount of updates (until I rebooted by comic), but even so, nothing feels as if it's really happened.Like, the readers arent genuinely interested. I'm saying that with WT, things feel more genuine. I think its because its less of a business.

I always say 90% of your time goes on promoting your comic, the other 10% on making the comic.
This will hopefully build your fanbase bit by bit.

To be honest, it's just chance that people suddenly get popular. It's very rare.

That's strange-- I thought you said the opposite.
My bad then--

yea i do sometimes, mostly cus i feel more distanced with some of my tap friends lately, and my sub count has only been going down lately which can be discouraging but the best i can do is ignore it and press on.

It's true that there's no such thing as an overnight success, and I think it's a good practise not to compare yourself with others.

However, going off my experience, when I compare where I am today with regards to views and interactions, it's night and day from what was happening during my first year on the site. The drop off has been brutal (probably ~10-15% of where it was).

Again, I have no idea if the change has anything to do with Tapastic at all, or if it's purely the result of my own failings mixed with an increase in competition, but either way, I'm not sure how long I'd be able to continue like this if Tapastic were the only place I was uploading to.

This is also a good point. Measuring your own success based on your past results is really what OP and others /should/ be doing... but just overall in the thread, to others that spoke up, they complain about not being popular and the popularity section in general. My main point was not to look at the popular comic - because it's not really an accurate measure of exposure to oneself.

I think people also overlook the fact of just how overly saturated the online art/novel/creative world. Back in the day when I first started an amateur comic (like 8 years ago), SmackJeeves was like the go-to for amateur comics. Now if you Google 'webcomic hosts', there are a good 20 sites that host comics for free. It was the same with DeviantArt. It's not Tapas - it's just the internet culture has boomed so much in the last 10 years.

Me me meee! XD but comparing myself to the success of others isn't really helpful. I see how great and creative their stories and arts are, and how hard they work to advertise. I'm just a slug on a leaf, really. It's my own fault I suck so bad XD

I believe less known creator are never in the spotlight on Tapas. You always see the Same trending comics on the frontpage. I'm pretty satisfied with the views I get within a month since I do advertising everywhere. I've got around 30 subs for years now. Not going up or down.
But Yes it's hard to get by with the (premium) creator who get so easy views and subs.

I wish Tapas would pay more attention to new and unknown creator who provide Just as good content as populair ones. Even less talented people deserve credit. Not everyone can draw amazingly but bring out a amazing story and content as Well.

I feel ya, I've been here a year and still have under 100 subs. T_T. As long as your doing it for the joy of it, then it will be ok