Being afraid of disappointing readers

DynamoToon 2015-09-14 00:18:16 UTC #21

First of all, Imma say it straight. CONGRATS on the 700 subs in less than a week. I barely got 10 in my first week. (Course that could just be me sucking but regardless...) As for me, I am ALWAYS afraid of disappointing my readers. Its just that my stuff isnt that great compared to what ELSE is out there (that includes your work, its friggin beautiful). Im not what you might call a "professional artist", but I strive to do the best I can. Plus, whenever I lose a subscriber it takes something from me, it doesnt sound like alot but to me it means that someone has become bored with my work. Still, ya just gotta power thru it.

ErithEl 2015-09-14 00:40:27 UTC #22

@shinepaw As many have said before, congrats on the subscribers! I've seen this happen to several comics during my time on Tapastic (either they are overnight sensations, or they get featured on Staff Picks and get 1000+ subscribers in a day!).

The thing is, we are creating something - we are all creating our own stories, and that is scary, no matter how many people subscribe or follow. In some ways, it is like you are putting a piece of yourself out on the table for people to judge or accept.

I totally understand your fear of disappointing your readers because it is very difficult to judge how a comic will go just by the first page.
I'm going to say this (not to discourage you): You are going to lose a couple of those subscribers. We all do, and no matter how many you have, it doesn't sting any less. But the thing is, there will also be subscribers who consistently like and comment, who will have been with you since the beginning and will remain with you until the end. They will understand what you have created, and they will encourage you to continue creating the story you always intended to create. They will make it all worth it.

For me, I have only started to gain a pretty consistent following over the past couple weeks, so I'm more happy than afraid anytime that subscriber count goes up Even so, I do get worried because there are parts in my comic that are going to be dark and serious, dealing with tragic issues and circumstances. I feel like I should be warning everyone these parts are coming up, because I really want them to understand everything is going to happen for a reason...that it will be a bit of a journey, and I hope I don't lose too many people along the way.

jessicaguarnido 2015-09-14 13:39:45 UTC #23

Hey! Congrats on so many subscribers!!! Don't worry on loosing subscribers. You will also have loyal subscribers

We all loose subscribers but you must believe on you and your work. Work hard!

KSlinger 2015-09-14 14:01:43 UTC #24

Congratulations on your success! It's a little nerve-racking when you've suddenly got an audience, and I know exactly what you mean when you say you're afraid. My story has barely begun and it's getting some great feedback, but what people have seen so far is in no way indicative of what's actually going to happen. I do wonder if people will be disappointed when things fall into place, but then, for as many people as there are who don't like it, I might find a whole range of other people who do.

The only thing I can suggest is that you try and come to terms with the fact that audience disappointment is absolutely out of your control. You cannot appeal to everyone, and trying to do so will derail your comic in the worst possible way. Be honest with yourself and be stubborn in your choices. The only things you can control are the quality/integrity of your work and if you maintain those things consistently loyal readers will follow. You will lose people along the way, sure, but you may never know why and, really, it just isn't important unless the problem is screamingly obvious. Just keep doing what you're doing and do it to the best of your ability.

monotone_ink 2015-09-19 12:51:12 UTC #25

Congratulations on the quick influx of readers, I hope you do well xD
The only words of wisdom I can offer is this:

They subscribed to read your story, not theirs.

Just remember that this story is yours, you're the one that needs to take control of it. If you just give the readers what they want, it wouldn't be as fun because you wouldn't be surprising them with anything new; it would just be their own shallow satisfaction.
There's one part in a manga I love, 'Bakuman', where the 2 main characters who were manga/Japanese comic authors got massive amounts of fan mail. They tried to take all of the suggestions from these letters and implement them into their next chapter. They showed it to their editor and because of it, he replied:
'This is total crap! This isn't your manga anymore, this is the fan's manga!'

So basically, you're the one steering the boat. Make your story and show it to the world, 'this is MY story, with MY ideas in it!'
Whether your fans will like where the story goes, that's for fate and the world to decide. What happens happens, and the only thing you can do is keep going (I mean, look at Neon Genesis: Evangelion, for christ's sake it got REALLY dark near the end, but the director didn't care did he?).
I suggest that instead of worrying over whether your fans will like it or not, just go with what you feel is right with your story.
We want to see your story, because your ideas are far more interesting than the multiple opinions of fans merged into one.

purrlpankras 2015-09-19 13:29:07 UTC #26

I think I disappointed everyone with the ending of Likho, Oops

I have Two Faced now which is the main story, I just hope its one of those comic that start off really shit and then get better and better.

shazzbaa 2015-09-19 17:45:08 UTC #27

I agree with this post a LOT. I think the MOST IMPORTANT thing to do in your position is to remind yourself daily not to find your worth in your subscriber count, and remind yourself that it is not bad if some of these subscribers leave! If you are okay with that happening, if you are okay with that 700 dipping back down to something more manageable, then you do not have to work to impress all those people. It's hard to think this way, but remind yourself every day that the thing you're afraid of is not actually a horrible thing, and that it will be okay no matter what your subscribers do! Then you can be free to just tell your story. ;u;

What happened to you is scary, and not as enviable as people think! A lot of webcomic artists don't realise that this kind of sudden overwhelming attention they hope for is actually a scary thing that has killed great comics. Take breaks when you need to. If the comments become stressful to read, it's okay to not read them! Tell the story you wanted to tell. Many of these people didn't follow you out of hopes or expectations, but because they liked what they saw and were curious to see what's next.

To answer your actual question: I have absolutely read webcomics that disappointed me! But often I saw that while the comic ended up not being what I wanted, there were many other readers who were excited and thrilled at the direction it took. I've stepped away from comics that ended up not being interesting to me, and later looked back to see they were very successful with the readers who were totally on-board for the type of comic that it was. So, don't be afraid! Even if some leave, it evens out. ;u;

bsienk90 2015-09-21 23:39:57 UTC #28

This sounds odd. But I really enjoy not giving the reader what they want. Ive actually had friends pissed at me bc of the plot twist I've done with characters. Like Game of Thrones kinda stuff I've done. And you can't please everyone. For example, for me even Harry Potter (my favorite book of all time) disappointed me at some parts, but I'm still a diehard fan. I think as long as you keep doing what makes you happy and are having fun with it, your readers will come along for the ride. Even with comics that stopped and never finished I wasn't to disappointed with, sad they ended, but I still love them.
and BTW CONGRATES! That is TOTALLY AWESOME!