Are you a Seasoned Tapas-tor? Drop Some Knowledge! (Advice for creators from creators)

[spicy_sweets]

Ehh, I still only get engagement from the same 5(more or less) people after getting off featured tho. Views rose a smidge sure, but I don't value those more than actual engagement.

holy shit that's blurry :v

It's basically ten seconds of fame, then probably 90% of the people who sub don't engage.

[keii4ii]

The point remains...it's a powerful advantage to have been at any point in the process but it's completely outside of the creator's individual control...

TBH that's true for life in general. It's hard, but we just have to deal with it.

I wouldn't dismiss luck. Luck is a factor, just not the only factor. Like you said, those who got featured earned it because they were putting out good content. But that doesn't mean those who haven't been featured don't put out good content. There are many, many great works out there that go unnoticed. All we can do is strive to create great content, and to pay it forward if/when luck does smile upon us.

That said,

there not even an established guideline for consideration in most cases

I know of one factor here: make sure your comic is easily readable on mobile. Doesn't have to be vertical scroll, but the text should be big enough to not require zooming in.

[DasIstWunderblyat]

It's really nice to see people get subscriber boost with staff's pick So it's really work for them!
I mean when I got picked I didn't see any significant increase in sub or view, I have been a month uploading my story and got less than 100 (and still have people unsubscribing me)... While many can get 100 in a span of a week.

Maybe I'm just a bad writer.

[onyisart]

Maybe you should take a step back. Go on hiatus for a bit and just review your work and get an editor or writer to check it out. This girl I follow named Atla Hraney (https://twitter.com/AtlaTheWriter) reads over writing (for a price that is). Just talk to her, maybe she can lend an eye!

I understand your feelings of doubt. Don't feel doubtful - it only puts you into a pit of despair and frustration that's difficult to get out of (I'm in it now and I'm still crawling out). Just tell yourself, "I'm okay but I will get better" or "I am getting better" and the only way to get better is to take a class, join writing forums/websites, write more, and read good books on writing.

Also find your mistakes and weaknesses and learn from them and make those weaknesses stronger!

You are enough!

[DasIstWunderblyat]

Thank you! I know that I don't speak English and unfamiliar with its writing rule so it's one fatal mistake from my side. I will get better for sure, but it's never enough. I don't think it's a need for now to get an editor as it's just a story for hobby, but thanks for the consideration.

Anyway I hope my post above give people view that being featured does not always mean instant success or massive exposure it can flop just like me.
It feels like it has no significance in my work or feels like an achievement that way, not that I'm ungrateful but I just wanna tell the truth.

I'm not seasoned tapas-tor anyway... Just been active here for about a month.

[beta1042]

Can I just say Thank you for making this one concise thread and not 8?

I've been here alittle over a yr, and although I don't consider myself that seasoned, by your definition I have surpassed the 250 sub mark, so I'll go ahead and answer.

How long did it take you to reach 25 subs? 100? or even 250 (for tipping)?
ummm I don't remember. Unlike a lot of people answering I never was picked by tapas staff for any type of promo. It was a SUPER SLOW start too. But eventually I hit 25 and eventually 100, and then when I got closer to 200, I had a bunch of hardcore efforts to get to 250 (Including a shameless temporarily sub for likes thread I did on here haha)

Does publishing on a certain day at a certain time really determine views/reach? What time of the day do you think is best?
I find Saturdays are best.

Do you think art quality/skill matters?
Yes to some extent. There is definitely a minimum requirement of art needed to lure people in. Your art doesn't have to be professional level, but the better it is the more likely you'll attract people to check it out. Once you get them there tho, your story, paneling, everything else needs to hold up to keep them there.

Why do you think your story is doing well on Tapas?
Is it doing well? I don't really feel like it is XD But I suppose I measure it differently. Majority of comments are friends, and very few likes per update... Sometimes my comic feels like a ghost town.

What if I have a good story but I'm not getting views, what should I do? (plus I don't have many social media followers less than 500?)
You can try promoting yourself on forums and discords and reddit and such. I dunno how much help that does but I imagine every little bit can help. Also you can try cross promotion but I haven't had much luck with that on Tapas. Probably the best thing you should try to do is change your thumbnail, experiment with it until you get one that attracts people to view your series.

What did you do to get noticed? OR How do you think you think you got noticed? (this is great for those that got a surge of subs in a day, but if you didn't that's fine too)
Ha I still don't feel like I've been "noticed". I suppose the easiest way is for staff to promote you, but god knows how one accomplishes that. When I got closer to 200 I decided I wanted to unlock tipping so I promoted myself on my LINE webtoon which has a lot more readers, I was able to get a decent-ish surge of people but they're all dead subs because I think they still primarily read off webtoon.

Any other advice I should keep in mind?
Please don't spam the forum with your comic on like 10+ threads. It's super annoying and turns a lot of people off. Just limit yourself to 1-2 at a time.

[MariMontoya]

How long did it take you to reach 25 subs? 100? or even 250 (for tipping)?
25-100 subs: the first writers camp for one of my books. I don't remember when I reached 250.
For my second book I don't know when I reached 25.
For the comic I collaborate on we went past 250 on the first day it got released

Does publishing on a certain day at a certain time really determine views/reach? What time of the day do you think is best?
I think it does. I don't know if I figured it out, I like Mondays and Wednesdays, I've heard Tuesdays are a good time. Usually around midnight I'll release my chapters or in the afternoon.

Do you think art quality/skill matters?
I believe, like in everything else, one needs the mindset to constantly improve upon their work. Quality matters, especially in a field that is dependent on skill. Passion should lead to practice and the need to improve. Now this doesn't mean completely copy other people/be discouraged or be someone you're not, but to be able to recognize when you need to improve and when you're exactly where you need to be and you are satisfied with your work.

Why do you think your story is doing well on Tapas?
"This is ten percent luck
Twenty percent skill
Fifteen percent concentrated power of will"
I'm joking, kind of, anyway I believe it's hard work and passion, and I did get staff picked but waaaaaay past the first day I published. Like I was 59 chapters in lol. I also worked really hard to improve myself in writing novels and comics, because I know when I first started out I was awful. That being said, audience engagement is something I lack in (novel wise), which is something I want to improve on if possible. And I know my writing skills can improve too.

What if I have a good story but I'm not getting views, what should I do? (plus I don't have many social media followers less than 500?)
I don't use social media either lol. Talk to people, have a genuine interest in the Tapas community and with fellow artists/writers. I have so many books I want to read but so little time, but participating in the forums taking the time to read (with genuine interest) author's/writers works and sharing your story as something you're passionate about can help with your views. There's no a sure fire way for this though.

What did you do to get noticed? OR How do you think you think you got noticed? (this is great for those that got a surge of subs in a day, but if you didn't that's fine too)
I don't know....I just write what I want to write. I make sure my updates are consistent as possible (as much as I can). Like I said before I got staff picked months after I started publishing my story, so by that time I had a steadily growing number of followers that increased even more and I would like to think it was because of my story. For the comic I collaborate on it was the same day. Again writing what you want, making sure you're consistent, engaging with readers, quality also is factored in their as well.

Free question: Was there a question you wish you could find the answer to when you first started out but you have the answer now? Then drop that here. There may be someone asking that same question and you can give them the answer
Things you wish you were told? Check your grammar and spelling (Grammarly is great for that), know how to write dialogue, purple prose and overuse of descriptive language can be bad. Don't just start writing without a plan or an outline. Read over your work outloud and multiple times before you publish. Read up about writing tips those sites are helpful.

Any other advice I should keep in mind?
Kind of what I said above. Practice, practice, practice. Just because you like to draw or write doesn't mean you don't have to work/improve to make your project a reality. Passion is just one part of the process. Listen to good advice and critiques everything else, throw it out the window, because at the end of the day it's your story and you should know how to write/draw it best.
Keep a buffer, they save you sooo much time
And you got this!

[monotone_ink]

1) How long did it take you to reach 25 subs? 100? or even 250 (for tipping)?

If you're talking since the first time I uploaded on Tapas, I would say 1 or 2 years - I didn't know what I was doing at the time, and my comics generally weren't very entertaining.

However, Catma managed to reach 250 in a few months or so. This success carried on to Project SHaDe, of which I am happy to say is going quite well. (Though, I would lend its success to the generous Tapas team that have promoted it twice now - I would still be a tiny fish without them).

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2) Does publishing on a certain day at a certain time really determine views/reach? What time of the day do you think is best?

Not completely sure, but I would say it is best to post during the noon at least once a week.

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3) Do you think art quality/skill matters?

Of course it does! Comics are a visual medium, and you should take full advantage of that.

At most, focus on readability, composition, and general appeal. The last one I can't really help with, but the first two are things you can study by looking at other successful comics, both amateur and professional.

Mob Psycho 100's success proves that you don't need to be extremely polished to hook readers in - what matters is that you successfully communicate with utmost clarity.

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4) Why do you think your story is doing well on Tapas?

Other than having been promoted on the home page twice now, I'm not absolutely sure on what makes Project SHaDe successful.

One thing that many readers point out is that they enjoy the sketchy aesthetic of the comic - in that sense, I would say the visual appeal is a large factor in the comic's success.
Others have also said that they enjoy the quick pacing and the gruesomeness - some have even pointed out similarities to Tokyo Ghoul (I damn knew they'd notice that - it was difficult to hide my inspiration).

In that sense, I think it's important that you make something that appeals to you fully - more often than not, your appeals stem from media that other people enjoy. This will seep into your own work, and said demographic may also find interest in your work.

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5) What if I have a good story but I'm not getting views, what should I do? (plus I don't have many social media followers less than 500?)

Post often, as it keeps you on the fresh page for longer - you raise your chances of being read, and if many people begin to read it, your comic may end up on the trending section, which will be extremely good for you.

Advertise yourself in various places too. I haven't tried it myself, but I've heard subreddits for webcomics are quite good for getting yourself out there.

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6) What did you do to get noticed? OR How do you think you think you got noticed? (this is great for those that got a surge of subs in a day, but if you didn't that's fine too)

I got noticed by making a whacky but appealing one-shot (Catma) - this drew readers in, and gave me a good foundation of readers to start the next big project I actually wanted to do (Project SHaDe).

I also eventually had Project SHaDe placed in the spotlight, which drew in a humongous number of readers for the comic. Even now I am still astonished that Project SHaDe even reached that point.

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7) Free question: Was there a question you wish you could find the answer to when you first started out but you have the answer now? Then drop that here. There may be someone asking that same question and you can give them the answer

The question I wanted would have been: What is the best way to start?

My answer would be: Start small. Make a one shot of 30 pages or so - something imaginitive that will appeal to a good number of readers. Keep doing this until you both have the skills/confidence to pull off a larger project, as well as a large readerbase that will jump on that ride.

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8) Any other advice I should keep in mind?

With your comic, know how you're going to end it and have a grasp on the scope of the entire project. This way, you won't get overwhelmed after realising you've taken on a responsibility that you can't keep up with.

Also, make something that is emotionally honest. It may be reliable to draw a comic that follows the formula of something popular (e.g. Coloured, vertical scrolling, webtoon-esque aesthetic, Romantic Comedy etc.), but it is not use doing them if the only goal is to gain some emblance of popularity.

These elements aren't inherently bad, but you shouldn't do them for the sake of gaining a readership.

If your project is emotionally honest, you at least won't hate yourself for continuing to draw it.

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I hope this helps!

[lil-sea-salt]

1. How long did it take you to reach 25 subs? 100? or even 250 (for tipping)? Probably a week or so . . . a lot of my subs came when I was featured on New and Noteworthy.

2. Does publishing on a certain day at a certain time really determine views/reach? What time of the day do you think is best? For my fan base I think they just want the concept to be complete before I post it. I post usually on tuesdays, 9 am.

3. Do you think art quality/skill matters? Yes, but it's more about telling a good story and improving it bit by bit consistently. It's ok if ur art sucks . . . my art does suck compared to a lot of graphic designers on here but it's ok I'd like to think I have a little mini audience in my main audience who is rooting thru the time it takes me to produce more high quality content.

4. Why do you think your story is doing well on Tapas? I think it's very relatable to a lot of people. Also because there's a little bit for everybody--action,romance,fantasy,mystery -- the hardest thing is to keep it balanced

5. What if I have a good story but I'm not getting views, what should I do? (plus I don't have many social media followers less than 500?) Just keep doing it. Getting views can easily take a year or more. Create a wide variety of short pieces and it should generate enough interest to draw in an audience to your main piece.

6. What did you do to get noticed? OR How do you think you think you got noticed? (this is great for those that got a surge of subs in a day, but if you didn't that's fine too) I posted everywhere I could. I did ebooks I did small niche sites, I posted it in Japanese, tumblr . . . I was crazy promoting it in any way I could

7. Free question: Was there a question you wish you could find the answer to when you first started out but you have the answer now? That everyone feels insecure all the time. No one really thinks they're good enough even the rich and famous people.

8. Any other advice I should keep in mind? Hard work = results

This was quite fun. I'll get back to writing and drawing now.

[spicy_sweets]

bless mob psycho 100

[YaoiParadise]

1. How long did it take you to reach 25 subs? 100? or even 250 (for tipping)?
It took me about 3 weeks to hit 25, about I got to 100 the day after and was at 250 by the end of that week- because Tapas featured me as one of their 'noteworthy novels' (though that quick increase in subs applied on to my first novel, not to any featured after that). I didn't have to reach the subscriber count for tips though because I found an article to entice wattpad writers over which told me to just email them, and so they unlocked tipping for me out of a technicality.
2. Does publishing on a certain day at a certain time really determine views/reach? What time of the day do you think is best?
As far as I've experienced, no. But I haven't experimented much with what days/times I upload with.
3 Do you think art quality/skill matters?
Yes and no. I think the topic matters more than anything because people are looking for something they're interested in, but quality is a close second.
4. Why do you think your story is doing well on Tapas?
I honestly have no freaking clue. I am the worst at updating regularly because this year has been really hard on me. So I really don't get it. I wish I had an idea.
5. What if I have a good story but I'm not getting views, what should I do? (plus I don't have many social media followers less than 500?)
Promoting on the forums and being social with other creators is of growing importance. The community is very supportive.
6. What did you do to get noticed? OR How do you think you think you got noticed? (this is great for those that got a surge of subs in a day, but if you didn't that's fine too)
Several of my novels were featured as 'new and noteworthy' before it got hidden away a little, and that really spurred on my growing subscriber count. Getting named as a runner up for the recent comment helped a little too, but not as much as that first feature.
7. Free question: Was there a question you wish you could find the answer to when you first started out but you have the answer now? Then drop that here. There may be someone asking that same question and you can give them the answer
I wish people had told me the writing game is completely different than anything to do with comics. It takes a ton more work to get noticed, and a ton more patience. I also wish somebody had told me how supportive this community is a long time ago so I would have left wattpad sooner xD I also wish somebody reminded me not to worry about the numbers, because worrying just about your subscriber count will ruin your enjoyment of your work.
8. Any other advice I should keep in mind?
Don't judge yourself by other people's success, and don't feel like your project isn't good enough just because you don't have as many subs/views. Each project is unique. Each creator is unique. Take your time making a project you're proud of, because that's all that matters. Happiness is more important than numbers.

[onyisart]

Thank you for all the replies everyone! Keep them coming!

[ZoeBlessing]

What's a buffer, as used in this context? I want to understand the importance of it, but have no idea what it's referring to.

[ZoeBlessing]

So you left Wattpad altogether? Mind sharing why? I'm doing fairly well there, but decided to check this place out anyway. I'll admit it's pretty daunting starting from zero again.

[keii4ii]

Your buffer is pages that you've finished, but have not posted yet. e.g. If you have four pages in your buffer, and you post 1 page every week, that means technically you don't need to make any more pages for the next 4 weeks, since you could just post the pages from your buffer.

(Although in most cases, you keep making more pages even when you have a buffer. Because what if you have a RL emergency at the end of those four weeks? Then you'd have no page to post, and you wouldn't have time to make one!)

[Rhonder]

Simply put, a "buffer" is content that you already have complete to upload ahead of the content that you're currently working on.

For example, say you post on Fridays. If you had no buffer, you'd post an update on Friday and start working immediately on the update you plan to post the next Friday. If you can't complete the content in time you miss your update day.

Having a buffer means that you complete several pages/chapters/wev ahead of time before you start posting. Then you still upload the same amount that you would regularly, but keep working on new stuff at the same time. That way if you get sick or miss a week or whatever, you don't have to interrupt your upload schedule for your readers :>

Personal example: I'm currently drawing pages 18-20 for my comic. I do 1-2 page uploads and just uploaded page 13 on Sunday. So the pages I'm working on now wont go up until December, so my buffer is good for about 3-4 weeks.

[ZoeBlessing]

Thanks to you both! I understand now. I always write my stories offline, and never start posting until it's complete. So I guess I've got my buffer maximized.

[YaoiParadise]

I was part of wattpad back in its heyday, before the entire site design started to change and things started going screwy- and before the site was populated mostly with fangirls writing thinly veiled porn (looking at you, 1D fandom) rather than with original work. There were a lot of things I didn't like seeing change, not because I don't accept change, but because they kept breaking the site every dang time.

But it's mostly the community itself that I hated. Wattpad has a lot of young kids, and it's fostered a very caustic attitude. Readers are demanding, expecting you to drop your entire life in order to update and make them happy. A reader of mine defended me once- and somebody created an entire hate book flaming her. That on top of the fact that it's harder and harder to get discovered there unless you're writing the same cardstock stories as the 'popular' writers.

I only stayed until I found Tapas. Readers are supportive rather than demanding, whiny babies. The creators here all seem to get along well (besides the few spoiled ones who think better of themselves). And I like the whole design of the site better as well as the chance to make a little money from my writing. The community is what I really love, I'm too old to deal with childish negativity; the community here reminds me a bit of Pulse It, where I came from in the Stone Age lol, it had the same sort of friendly air

[Shanny8]

@YaoiParadise I started out on Wattpad in its early years, writing stuff...but then I turned back to comic making and left.

[ZoeBlessing]

Thanks for sharing! The majority of Wattpad users does seem to skew fairly young. I started there only a couple years ago, so I wasn't around during the drastic changes.