Kinda gave up gaining more subs/exposure on Tapas after this update tbh. Like, I don't even see the point of promoting my webcomic on Tapas anywhere outside, my links on social media all link to my comic on webtoons.
I also thought they where going to feature the 'community tab' somewhere more prominent on the app?? this issue was brought up in a thread complaining about the app changes and (if I remember correctly) the staff said they're so something about it?
Yeah, I'm pretty new to Tapas but my growth and views have dropped a lot. I'm starting to move away from the site and work on more on developing my own website.
I don't blame Tapas for focusing on their paid content but it really doesn't help me out any.
EDIT- also maybe I'm late to the party here but I just noticed looking at the app that the "new episodes" comics aren't actually the newest ones as I assumed (like the fresh section)! I wondered why all the recently updated comics had over 150 subs. To find new comics with subs under that you have to go into the categories and then choose upload date.
I was also hopeful that they would do something about community stuff getting squashed, then I saw this on @monotone_ink's wall (hope you don't mind me using this!)
This is from more than a year ago, and it sounds strikingly familiar to what we have on the app now. Even when they put up a community collection for comics, the comics are all the popular ones, not the smaller ones that need exposure more. Then there's the fact that there isn't one for community novels, and a bunch of us here are novel-only creators...
So. Not feeling too hopeful about this. I'm ready to give up here as well and focus on another site, but I still need to stick around for the Writers' Camp competition.
Wait, what?
So Tapas is going all for the money as well?
THIS IS SO DEMOTIVATING. First Instagram and Facebook and now Tapas.
I'm about to publish my first webcomic here because i was hoping i could start getting a few subs but hearing these stuff makes me want to give up somehow.
Have some of you already came up with a plan? Like another webcomics website for us small indie creators?
I'm losing hope, because i can't motivate myself if i know that people won't even look at my stuff.
I shared the same sentiment as many struggling independent artist, using Tapas or Webtoons, why is it so hard to get my presence out there? The reality is it never was easy, it's a hard biz to break into and when algorithms, competitions, and exclusive stuff is put on the fore-front of a site, it makes your presence seem even more insignificant. But don't be discouraged!
Your're passionate about art right?
Serious about doing this for the long haul?
Willing to put in time and money into your work ( cuz best believe you will)?
Don't give up then. Don't depend on any comic-site, or social media to boost views, or promote a web-comic/novel. Only you can.
. Show up: Go to conventions, events, art-walks, ect.(be vulnerable out there)
.Submit to anthologies
.Focus on the art
.FOCUS ON THE ART
Don't get me wrong, I love Tapas and their community, that's why I'm still here! I think there is a great wealth of knowledge on Tapas and Webtoons, but I not going to put my focus on comic platforms or social media.
I'm sorry if this came across as harsh, this is the reality of indie comics. We have to adapt somehow. Stay strong.
Oh yeah, definitely! You didn't come across harsh at all.
It's so much easier to get involved in your local comics scene than online too.
At this point real life is the small pond and online is the vast ocean. If you're at a convention you have to compete (I use that term really lightly, I love chatting to other creators at conventions) with maybe 100 other people, instead of hundreds of thousands online.
Something that peeves me off:
Rather than promoting new and updating comics, the Daily Snack now features comics (with a giant number of subs) that haven’t updated since... 2016?? 2017? Why? There are so many creators with content that are waiting for their work to be discovered, but instead what’s being featured is old popular comics that are abandoned or on hiatus.
this is unfair to the smaller creators that have works with potential. Now they rely entirely on the fresh section, which is... well... at the very bottom of the app.
Also, this can actually be frustrating to readers- finding a comic you really like and discovering that it’s abandoned is not fun.
I'm just gonna tag @STAFF in case they want to keep an eye on this thread as I think it's useful creator feedback.
I will agree with @jasartsilva74 though. And one should never rely on a platform to gain an audience, one has to do some dirty promotional work themselves. Like I started on tumblr before I focused on any other platform and it's hard fighting over there, still is, but I continue to fight. As more creators jump on a platform, it gets harder for everyone to be seen and heard. Can you imagine all the little creators on webtoons feeling the same way? Only they can't be as vocal since WT doesn't have a forum of their own.
The one and only thing I will say about this (as I want to avoid arguments; I'm in the community comics collection and I have a premium comic so anything I say beyond the most neutral would cause the people complaining here to attack the shit out of me I feel) is that I want all the community comics to be as blatantly accessible on the very first page the app lands on as the premium comics. Partially for the sake of the free comics on the site, and partially because I keep running into people who think Tapas is pay-only.
As for stats I have seen an improvement in stats even on comics that have not been promoted or lifted forth in any way by Tapas lately, simply due to Webtoons recent policy change. I see pretty much no sub growth on Webtoon at all and a heavy decline in pageviews. People are fleeing to Tapas like flies to honey simply because Tapas has more respect for creative choices and mature content.
This is actually what I thought too. The new readers might think that this is a pay to read only platform because the one in display (or that with much exposure) is the only things they see first.
Without tapas clarifying that their website hosting free comics and novels from non premium artist and writers up front, this misconception might happen if the reader didn't go looking around enough.
Just an announcement (or banner alike) that state it clearly on the top of the page is enough to inform everyone about it, I think.
I agree that clear language is key here. I understand the thinking in wanting to call it "community comics" because firstly, it is language that doesn't inheretly devalue the community comics, and secondly it may feel like it is less likely to discourage people from checking out the premium comics.... But the problem is this thinking doesn't work in practice. Going by what I've heard from users that don't wanna use tapas it's pretty clear they just don't understand how to use the site. I've also heard from friends that some of the people who avoid premium comics are the same people who will gladly pay up for comics on other sites.
I think some extremely clear language could help fix these problems. And immediate, in-your-face accessibility to the free comics. Let's remember: Mobile users are impatient. They won't give you the 5 extra seconds it takes to figure out the first thing they will seek out on the site (i.e. Popular free comics. Let's face it, they're the main attractor for audiences whether premium creators and small creators like it or not). In order to keep them on the app and site long enough to want to explore premium content (important for financing the platform so we can all keep using it to reach out to audiences) and smaller comics, we would need something that tells the audience from the get go where to find free content.
One suggestion would be a banner that states "free comics", that leads to:
a 3 banner page; Popular, trending and fresh.
Each of those would be browsable by genre.
Basically like the desktop page.