As a reader, what entices YOU?

[CJYoung]

So, as a reader we likely all have a preference when it comes to comics or books. And as a creator we likely all know what we want to make. Or, do we?

I see a lot of threads that talk about difficulty creating, promoting, and finding their next level of success. So, I thought I'd bring this back to the basics: what entices YOU to read a comic or novel? And, do you create with that in mind, or are you looking to meet someone else's version of enticement?

I ask because some people seem to be worried over issues that may or may not be trivial in a readers mind when scrolling through Tapas for a new read. Things like perfect spelling and grammar, or an amazing story, or perfect art. Lacking those elements may turn some away, but I find it unlikely to turn away everyone. I speak from experience on this, as while on Wattpad, I found a lot of books that I read. Many didn't have good grammar or spelling, and others had lots of plot holes. One was even written so bad (to be fair English wasn't her first language) that I could hardly understand what was going on at certain parts in the book. YET, I still read them.

Why you might ask? Because it had something that enticed me. Whether it was a cool character, an interesting/unique story concept, or a fresh perspective on an old genre trope. None of these works, and I mean none of them, were perfect. But they were worth my time, and I did enjoy them. Even if I thought by the end 'that could use some work' or 'that didn't end how I thought it would'. And that's more than I can say for a lot of high quality, professionally published books I've read. Sometimes I can't even believe I just spent good money AND hours worth of time to read a trilogy where the characters learned nothing and made no smart choices.

That brings me to my next point: exposure. On Wattpad and Webtoon, fully free reading platforms it can be easier to find an audience, because there are so many people on there reading. BUT, that also means there's tons more people to compete against for viewers attention. That means promotion and marketing can play a huge role in being discovered, and many times that many merely strike gold by chance.

If that's the case, it can be hard to stay motivated to create, because success, no matter how precisely you follow the perfect formula, isn't guaranteed. So, it can be a good idea to do whatever it takes to keep having fun with it. Remember that, likely, your initial reasons for starting out your journey was for yourself, not for recognition or fans. I think that's always good to keep in mind, whether you're a new or seasoned author/artist. I find myself having to recenter a lot, because I want to make sure I'm always writing a story I would want to read. I don't like the idea of creating something only for the approval of others, because then it won't feel as special to me, or like it's part of me.

Anyways, long story short, keeping in mind what entices YOU to read a comic or novel may help you stay motivated and keep you going, even when times feel tough.

<3

[cherrystark]

I enjoy stories with a solid cast of characters and a healthy dose of humor. Now, I don't expect everything to be a comedy. I enjoy stories where the characters experience some time of "normalcy" and are allowed to be happy. With that, I like character arcs and backstory that makes sense for the character, like a grown-up character actively enjoying "childish" things because they never had the opportunity to develop adult tastes or interests.

[joannekwan]

YES absolutely!!!
Everything I produce (when not commissioned) is for myself first and foremost! It's what I want to read! They feature things that I can't find in other works and I essentially fill the holes in my heart with my own work.
Having these stories be a bit self-indulgent does A LOT for motivation. So even if they don't strike it big, or aren't performing as well as hoped, I still have a reason to continue making them until the final panel or sentence. Having that love for your creation is important for the long haul.

Things that particularly strike my 'Yes, good. More of this, please" chord and that I often include in my own work:

non-fluffy romances: Never was really a fan of fluff as I'm not a particularly romantic or cutesy person.
monster x human couples where the monster doesn't have a human form: Haha, if there's a monster, let's just go all out with it.
monsters that aren't gentlemen/ladies/folk: I get the whole "non-conventional looks with a heart of gold thing", but I want to see how characters would deal with a monster that has morals and an outlook different than what is "good" in human society. I wanna see them be nasty (in temper and other ways :3c).
ghosts from time periods different than when the story is set: I'm weak for history and sometimes I like seeing the juxtaposition of people from different time periods.
interesting monster/demon designs: I like to see how creative people can get. By now, creatures that are just humans with different colored skin/eyes, fangs, tail, and horns slapped on bore me.
characters that aren't shy about sex: I am also bored with chaste, shy virgin protagonists.
characters over 25: I'm not a teenager anymore, I want to read about adults.

[Rhonder]

Big agree. It's definitely a good idea to keep in mind what works in the stories that you like and try to learn from them. Especially looking at things beyond just a pure content level. Like instead of saying "I like the cats in series X, I should add cats to my series!", it's better to look at why series X has cats, what purpose in the story do they serve, and what is effective about that implementation. You may find that just splashing cats in isn't the answer, but learning from the story telling device that they represent and finding a way to use that, even if it's with dogs, is in fact what will serve your story the best.

As a more direct answer to the title/2nd paragraph questions, the main things that entice me are:

• Synopsis that interests me. This is typically the make or break point right away for me. If I hear a story synopsis and it doesn't at all sound interesting to me, I usually won't even look at it (unless I later get a strong recommendation from someone I trust and who knows my interests well).

• Strong start/early plot hook. If I'm lured in by the synopsis and decide to give the series a try, then I need to encounter some sort of interesting hook relatively early on, like within the first 1-5 updates perhaps. This is something that I feel like is difficult to tackle in self-published entertainment media, as we're so often raised on and inspired by polished, complete, professional level media growing up and want to emulate those comics/novels that we look up to, including pacing and structure.

I can't speak so much to webnovels (I haven't written one since like 2010 xD) but for webcomics at least, I see all the time where a long-form series is structured like a graphic novel or manga and will have a super long "Chapter 1" and the first main plot hook might not be until 20-40 pages in, and if they're going at a page a week that's like 5-10 months that you're asking someone to commit to your new series before something interesting happens. That absolutely doesn't work for me as a reader. I prefer when series either lead with 1 or more longer-than-usual episodes that can get new readers to that point fast (even if it slows down to the usual upload schedule afterwards), or if it's just written with that problem in mind- evaluate what kind of smaller hook you can include in episode 1 or 2 that might not be the big one at the end of the first chapter, that can get people on board for the ride right away.

• Characters are definitely a biggie. If I like a character (or more) enough I may be willing to overlook other would-be issues just to tag along for the ride with them. Whether it be a cool design, personality, skill set, or any combination of the above.

I do try to keep all of these things in while making my comics! The synopsis I don't worry about too much- obviously taking care to edit it down to be short-yet-effective is important, but like it's not worth going like "how can I write this so that people that don't like this genre will read my work???" lol.

I take the first few episodes acting as an effective hook very seriously when thinking about how a story should start. For my past page-a-week project, I took the "longer than normal episode 1" approach to give first-time readers enough to chew on to make an informed decision about whether they want to commit to the story or not. For my upcoming project, I was going to initially launch in December but realized that my current episode 1 wasn't a very enticing hook, so I went back to create a new episode 1 that can serve that purpose much better. I'm confident that people who read the new ep 1 can make a similarly informed decision about the series rather than being left with many questions.

Character appeal is something that i do think about but haven't really mastered how to utilize to my benefit yet xD People have liked my characters in the past so that's something~ But as I gain more experience I would like to continue learning how to design more effective characters

[crowstories]

As far as story goes, I'm most easily hooked by interesting, multi-dimensional characters, or a sense of mystery (not like mystery genre, that's generally not my jam, but I want to be intrigued). If it's got both, or even a multi-dimensional character who is also shrouded in mystery, I am THERE. But that's just what grabs me in the beginning. As for the overall plot arc, I don't want things to be too tidy -- that's just unrealistic. I want characters who make bad (but understandable) choices, or good choices with unexpectedly messy outcomes. I'm also not into the "plot twists over reasonable plot because fooling the reader is more important that writing a good story" thing (I'm looking at you, HBO Game of Thrones writers).

As for comics, of course good art makes it more enjoyable, but I want art with unique style... I feel like most of the translations you see on the tapas homepage, though objectively very good in the art department, look like they could be made by the same artists. And of course, good art alone isn't going to make me read another standard workplace romance.

[Inspector_Spinda]

I haven't read many tapas novels, but I occasional read physical books and a few webcomics. I don't have too many specific things that entice me other than something just being "good". I think a story with a good sense of humor grabs me better than others though. Typically webcomics take years to really good going so it the story is kind of heavy or depressing I will probably lose interest eventually even if the story is technically well written. So I think slice of life with heavy drama that goes on for years and years probably interests me the least while I'm more drawn to lighter or more optimistic stories.

[Kura]

Gay.

But not sexy gay (not a fan of sex scenes of pretty much any kind, so I skip over them, so stories where it's 90% of the plot are just a no for me), just existing gay. Shonen, adventure, slice of life, fantasy, whatever, just with a side of gay.

I've gone far too long consuming nothing but straight media, and there is so many webcomic options now that I can be picky about what I read now. What a nice feeling.

(post is half serious but also not a lie)

[TedGravesArt]

Art is probably the most immediate draw for me. If a series has great art that I can tell someone poured their heart into, that will make me want to invest some time in reading about what was so important to them.
Another is mystery. Hellboy or Kill 6 Billion Demons is a great example of this. Sometimes the characters will casually throw out mentions to huge events or deep cut occult names and clues the reader in that they're only seeing a small sliver of a gigantic world with deep lore that's being masterfully obscured for the moment, but gives a promise that more will be revealed later. I gobble that kind of stuff up man, that is delicious storytelling!

[jamontoast98]

Thank you for writing this! I really needed that.

For me, I think as long as I am somewhat interested in the story and can understand what is going on, it can be enough to get me to read it. Sometimes you can have the most beautifully drawn panels, even in professional manga and such, but it's too dark or there's too much detail or whatever so I can't read it. That's why I focus on making each panel clear to the reader regardless of how good/bad my art is.

Edit: I don't read comics as much as I should or want to, but I do imagine my target audience as people with similar interests to me

[rajillustration]

For me as a reader, I like books that feel like...a published book. So, I do care about grammar and spelling. I want the wordplay to be full and witty and well edited. I want the prose to jump into subjects that are more than just surface area. Like my expectation of webnovels isn't that they're "worse" but that they're different because the author doesn't have to care about an editor. This doesn't mean to me that they should eschew spelling and grammar, but instead that they can eschew reliance on generic tropes and generic descriptors. They can tell the story exactly the way they want it to be written. Go whole ham, man. I love that stuff. That weird stuff is great. Just make sure it's pretty words and that I can understand it.

For comics, I'm...forgiving with art, but only if it leans towards a solid understanding of style and graphic design. Art won't necessarily sell me, either. If the comic isn't really going anywhere because the author clearly never wrote a script, or if it's for a very young audience like...I just won't care about it. Also, I have a pet peeve for bad dialogue--I need it to feel natural. And it's hard to do in comic format, and I know that...but I just can't immerse myself if the dialogue feels kinda computer-ey

Now if a comic jumps into some emotional connection that really gets me to bond with the character, then I'm there. Then I'm around for the ride. That's good stuff. But I'm not one for the comics that don't really have a purpose than to just be pretty set dressing.

[GoldenHoneydew]

There's nothing in particular that entices me because there's not much that I won't read. however all novels, no matter how action-packed it may start, has this period at the beginning where I consider it to be "boring," I say boring because I read stories for the plot, character development, ya know what I mean. To me, it all depends on how long this period lasts. Although some stories have definitely proven to be worth it, I find myself dropping stories that take too long to get past this period and loving/ wanting more of stories that get it over with. Don't know if this makes sense though because I've never seen anyone else talk about it.

[pilot-obvious]

I've been reading a ton of webcomics lately, and I've been making a general list of things I like and don't like so I can apply it to my own webcomic. Here are some of the things I've found so far (this is all personal opinion!):

• I love episodes that end in cliffhangers or questions. They entice me to keep reading!
• I like a variety of characters with different personalities/backgrounds. But I prefer a slow build where characters are slowly introduced rather than a huge info dump at the beginning. Opening right in the scene can have a greater impact, and it's okay that the reader doesn't know exactly what's going on right away. Part of the journey is learning about the characters along the way.
• Show, don't tell. Sometimes, less dialogue is more. You can tell when the author really thinks about how they can show their character conveying information rather than the character just having a conversation. Consistently text heavy panels gives me reader fatigue.
• Speaking of text, grammar and spelling issues really bother me, especially if they happen frequently. Personally, it takes me out of the moment. However, I've noticed it doesn't really seem to bother other people!
• I love when people play with colors, lighting, and composition! It can really be an amazing tool to create emotion!
• I love characters that have struggles, big or small. I think every character should have some kind of internal/external struggle, even if it's not something akin to the plot. Everybody has a purpose, and everybody has to find their purpose. It helps them become more human!

[borzoiteeth]

I am dyslexic so I will not judge your spelling. I will however judge your choice of font or handwriting. If I can't figure out the letters that go into the word my brain can't begin to decode it and thus that's the end of it.

Voidpunk. I will immediately take a look into your work if it has a character or overall theme of voidpunk. I am so damn thirsty for that kind of surrealness.

I prefer stories that give more questions than answers. However, that doesn't mean I don't like a sense of progression. I make exceptions for poetry and vignette styled works since those are generally short and about exploring a "moment" in time instead of befores and afters.

I don't care about "clichés" if it fits your story. I will care if your love for a trope is so strong you throw it in despite the plot hole it creates. If I can see your plot happening from a mile away that's fine because it means you wrote your world and characters clear enough I can see what they will do.

[domisotto]

I look for something with a twist and a decent level of writing. I enjoy different styles, but it is always something proficient with language. Plotline that doesn’t bore me is another one and the funny lines. I search for escapist fiction vs the dark angst one & I want female facing narrative or, at least, neutral.

[gill_01]

a really strong storyline. and characters you get to know well xx

[Puck]

I like antiheroes, edgy topics and surprising storylines.
I love cartoony looking characters and a wild style.
The storyline can be crazy, chaotic, I don´t care at all as long
as the characters are entertaining and make me think what the fxck
is going on there

[Puck]

Good point with understanding what´s going on.
I just finished Daredevil and it was really hard to read because I had no clue what´s
going on through the whole book

[jamontoast98]

Yeah exactly

I have this problem with One Piece and Jojo's Bizarre adventure (have you ever seen the non-coloured verison???) which is a shame bc I'd really enjoy them otherwise

[liseeclaire]

Great topic

I tend to like anything with exploration, growth, adventure, and mystery (in that order). Sadly that makes it a bit different to classify the target audience since it has (relatively) little to do with actual genre.

That's one of the reasons I love prologues so much. If things are confusing (in a good way) there there's a lot to look forward to in the book. I guess that's why I tend to love a lot of the old book and movie classics, and the present day webcomics. All seem to present things in unusual ways.

Strangely enough I also seem to have developed the habit of seeking out things about a book/comic/movie before starting it. For web serials especially, I start by skimming the last chapter and the prologue before chosing whenther to go on