Are you new here? - Old advice that doesn’t work on Tapas anymore

(THIS IS AN OLD THREAD. MOST OF THESE TIPS NO LONGER APPLY TO TAPAS. I'M KEEPING THESE UP SINCE IT WORKS FOR OTHER SITES)

I've been a creator on Tapastic for about about nine months now, with a decent, expanding, yet young series under my belt. And during my time here, I've realized that there are a lot of things to keep in mind when you start here on Tapastic, especially if you want to start to develop a following. Here's some important tips going in:

1. Get started.
   The hardest part of making a series is simply starting it. Really. You can plan all you want and promise the world, but unless you actually start the process, you'll never put yourself out there or get any better.
2. Promise to upload on certain days, and do your best to deliver.
   This allows readers to have not only an expectation for your comic, but also a sort of subscriber-creator loyalty. Promise to upload a certain amount of times a week, and if you don't deliver, don't worry. Just apologize and keep going. This site and its readers are very forgiving.
3. Be engaged with your fans.
   Tapastic encourages your involvement in your comic's comment section, and I agree. If someone comments something on your comic, reply if there is something to reply. (However, to reply to every last thing can bring the thought of desperation to the readers, and you don't want that) There's a balance of how much you should reply, like towards questions or maybe to the most inventive comments. Do your best to engage with your followers, but don't be overbearing. Also, take care of your fans. If someone subscribes, say thanks on their wall. If you hit a milestone, thank your subscribers. Give them a gift as thanks. Give them a shoutout. Never take your fans for granted. EVER.
4. Keep an eye on how often you should update.
   Unless you decide to upload one page every day like some comics do, it's best to upload a few comic pages at a time every few days or every so often. Never upload several twenty-page long episodes all in one day, for that can overwhelm potential new readers, or cause "reader burn". Pay attention to the attention spans of your followers! If they stick around for one-page updates, see how far you can push the envelope so you can gain more of a following. Of course, it all has to do with how you want to upload or what's going on in your individual episode. What also works is that if you are ahead of schedule, or have a "buffer" of content, you can move the publishing date of your next episodes to later on, giving yourself a bit of time to keep working and the readers something to always look forward to. Also, it allows your comic to appear in the "Fresh" section more (you can only appear there once a day).
5. Be creative and original.
   You may notice that many strips here on Tapastic, especially the more popular ones, seem to have a similar sense of humor. But please, don't let that stop you from doing your own thing. Try to keep your jokes and story-lines original, and even if it's a niche audience, there's no doubt that someone out there might like your comic. If you enjoy how your comic looks, don't change it or conform unless you really want to.
6. Be involved in other comics, but don't be a beggar.
   Simply, don't ask straight up for someone to subscribe to you. It can come off as rude and egotistical, even if that wasn't your intent. No one wants to help a beggar. What I really mean is commenting intelligent, meaningful or just funny stuff on other comics. This also means being respectful not to shamelessly plug your comic on their wall or comment section. Just being there helps other readers to see your sense of humor or personality, and if they enjoy what you say, they just might go and see if you have your own comic strip full of it. You should have confidence in your series, and that confidence can attract followers. Also, if you want your followers to share your content or just like your content, do the same to other comics. Helping others is a two way street. You're not so much better than everyone that you don't have to be involved with other comics or your fanbase.
7. Ask for a bit of feedback.
   That little description section at the bottom is a great way to get readers involved. Ask a question that adds to your comic to spark a conversation, or perhaps ask for your current subs to help share your comic on other sites. Also, you can start a Q&A session, host contests like caption contests, funniest comment contests, or fan-art contests if your subs are creators as well.
8. Find your niche.
   If you have any amount of subscribers, keep practicing with your current skills and style, and stick with it. If you don't want to keep doing it, then do whatever you want. It's your comic in the end, although starting over can be harmful for your series (although revamps are okay if they're well executed and don't interfere with anything). Otherwise keep working hard at it so you find your spot on the shelf. Even if its just ten subscribers, those ten are only the beginning. (From what I've heard, if you're a beginner in comic making in general, you'll need around three years of determination to reach some sort of placement, although that's not always the case.)
9. Help other creators struggling to find their place.
   Many new series never get out of the low tens for subscribers. If you have escaped from that hole, look for others out there who might need a helping hand. Even if you haven't received this kind of help on your journey, you can always give it to others to start the cycle. You can ask for mutual subscriptions and start collaborations, shout-outs, guest comic spots, and other things that might not only help them, but can encourage them to keep moving forward and do the same for other missed series.
10. Make sure your comic is readable.
    You don't have to, but Tapastic encourages a vertical format for your comics so that they read better on mobile. Reformatting your comic slightly to fit a down-scrolling fanbase can be hard, but always doable. Also, if your text can't be read on a mobile device, choose a different font or a bigger size for your font. If it's read right to left, make sure your readers know that before they even start reading it. Spacing out your comic a little more than you think and cleaning up your lines also helps.
11. Be involved in the forums.
    Of course, if you're already reading this, it's likely you have some idea about this. If you are involved in conversations here at the forum, you just might create some interest in your comic. To shamelessly plug your comic is fine around here. Everyone does it, just be polite when and where you do it. Make interesting posts as well. Introducing your comic or maybe just asking a question or topic is great. It'll get more people interested in you, and if they're interested in you, they might be interested in your comic. And even if you're suddenly an overnight hit, you should do your best to stay around and contribute your thoughts or advice on the forums as well. This place is for everyone, not just those who are aching to find a following.
12. Don't expect to be an overnight success.
    If you are familiar with Tapastic, either if you're a reader or a creator, you'll notice a lot of new series suddenly appearing and receiving tons of praise. You may think while looking at the "Tapastic Staff Picks" section, "I could do that too" (just about everyone has). The problem is that unless you're lucky, you will most likely never be featured there. The thing is, most of the new series that get noticed quickly are from existing authors, either from Tapastic or from other sites like InkBlazers, Smackjeeves or Tumblr, who might already have a following. And then those fans carry over. For Tapastic, this is a great opportunity for more accounts, but not always for new creators who solely create on Tapastic.
13. Don't expect to get paid.
    Another thing new artists may notice going in is that there is a possibility to get paid here on Tapastic. Some series get minor amounts, but others much more so. In a lot of ways, it's a great opportunity for those in the art and comic making industry to have an income. However, Tapastic's Support Program does not directly come from the Staff (at least not always). Instead it comes from the fans that follow you. Plus, you can only apply after your series has gained five-hundred subscribers.Good news is that anyone can apply for the ad-revenue program, so that you can gain something through views. Otherwise, be patient.
14. Stay committed.
    Now if you've really wondered how some creators could get such high views, high subscribers, and be paid in such high amounts, here's the thing to know: a lot of those creators have been around for a long time. Longer than the overnight success-ors could ever imagine. They started from the ground up and only through time and effort have they ever gotten this far. But thankfully Tapastic is still a "young" site. It doesn't have the millions of users like YouTube, but it's gaining its foothold on the internet and it could be the place where you start out, leading to much bigger things. If you stick with Tapastic, Tapastic might stick with you.
15. Look for new ways to innovate.
    When you start a series, you'll find some fun and new ways to present your comic. These innovations can make you stick out amongst the crowd. Also, don't be afraid to experiment by drawing in a different style, coloring differently, or even changing the reading direction of your comic. If it works for you and makes it easier to produce comics, go for it.
16. Ask and receive criticism properly.
    For those asking for some constructive criticism, or just those who want to put their comic out there, be aware that not everyone's gonna like your comic. This is the internet after all, and Tapastic just so happens to be a bit on the nicer side. But give it time, and you might find someone or many out there who will give you a full analysis of your comic and say why they don't like it. Be prepared to get them now, and when you do don't become bitter or ignore anything that says your comic isn't all that great. Better yet, wonder why they didn't like it and take their opinion as something positive to improve your work. Also, grow a thick skin for the real haters, or those just there to hate something for the sake of hating. Since not everyone is going to be constructive critical to your comic, train yourself not to care if people simply say they don't like your comic because they don't like it.
17. Don't be put off by other people's artwork.
    A lot of us may feel this way, especially when looking at the popular creators and many other comics. You may feel that your comic or content is lacking in comparison, or that your art and story, or something, is inadequate for this site. We all constantly compare ourselves to other people's work, and sometimes, it feels like there's no hope or reason to even start here on Tapastic at all. However, all the greats in comics or any other art form started somewhere. The best thing to do when comparing is wonder how they did it, and maybe try to emulate them to get better. Who knows? Maybe in a few years people might look at your stuff before long and be envious at how good you've become. We all have to start somewhere.
18. Don't be discouraged by your stats.
    This relates to how many followers you gain and how many views, comments, shares and likes you receive. Pay some attention to your stats from time to time, take some notes on certain patterns like what days you upload or what kind of episode you upload, but don't be discouraged if your views drop suddenly or if they don't grow as you like. A lot of us have stared at that dashboard for hours, hoping for a jump in views and popularity. Instead of worrying, use that time on your comic or on learning something to benefit your comic.
19. Use your wall properly.
    Your profile wall is a great tool to inform your subscribers of what's going on behind the scenes. However, you may notice that some creators use or overuse their wall too often. As a creator, you want easy notifications like subscriptions, comments, and likes, not "look what I did" "here's a random picture" or "what's everyone up to" updates. If you find those live-stream notifications annoying, especially if you get around twenty of them a day, don't do the same to your subscribers (However if you enjoy them, that's up to you). Walls are there to inform your subscribers of something if it affects them or the series in a big way. Simply, do not abuse your wall

If you have something to add, please start with a number. For example:
19 - something to add about profile walls
20 - something not covered at all
21 - etc.