{Desperately need your opinion} What do you think.. is it good to make comic while you always get haunted by how to get survive cost

UzukiCheverie 2016-01-12 22:36:47 UTC #2

I'm not quite sure I understand your question . . . never mind you fixed your OP all clear now lol

To be perfectly honest, no. But only like, half-no. Yes, it's true that you should do what you love, and love what you do, etc etc. and we all dream of making a living off our work some day, whether it's comics, illustrations, game design, whatever artistic medium it is.

However, how are you going to deliver the work you love if you're struggling to feed and house yourself? Don't turn yourself into a husk for your work; that's how you'll begin to hate doing it, and your comics/artwork should be fun and fulfilling.

If you have to work a side or full-time job to put food on the table and a roof over your head and put your comics aside for a little - or work on them a little less - for the sake of your health and well-being, then by all means. There's nothing wrong with that. There's nothing cowardly or sad about that. Hell, I work a shitty job at Starbucks. For the most part, I hate it. It has its moments, and I love the things I've learned there, but the job still makes me want to tear my hair out, like, all the time. Is it what I want to be doing right now? No. But I've gotta have something to pay my bills so I can keep working on my stuff. It's a small price to pay so that I can keep doing what I love, until my comics get me far enough to make a living off them

It's not a weakness to put your dreams aside for a little bit - sometimes it's required to get what we want in the end.

EDIT: Also, I checked out your comic - after seeing it, uh, yeah, I'd get an actual paying job for now. This isn't an insult on your comic! It has potential! But there are only 4 episodes (albeit there's a bit more than the usual amount of content for each one so +1 there), and 17 subs so far. There are people with thousands of subs and readers coming back every day and they still don't even make enough to pay their rent with their comic money. Right now, you should just be doing your comic as a side gig. If you guys don't have jobs right now, or if you do and you're cutting hours to make room for the comic, please, go grab some more hours, or find a job, or something. You're not going to make it big overnight, and it takes a lot more than a thousand or so subs to make a living (even with a Patreon.)

You said it yourself:

You should already know the answer to your own question here. Webcomics are not a "get rich quick" scheme. You'll make more money, and faster, stocking the grocery aisles than you will in webcomics when you've been here less than a week. Most people who are living off their work have made a much bigger impact on the webcomic community, and have been working on their comics for years.

If you do want to make a living off your stuff, then I suggest you start interacting in the forums more, advertising your work (where it's appropriate; don't spam people's profiles), and just making yourself known on the main site. Get some more updates out too, of course; you can't advertise if you barely have any stuff up. But dear god, find a concrete way to get some money in please.

gateofselidor 2016-01-12 22:48:37 UTC #3

You should never go into webcomics expecting you'll make enough money to live off. A handful of creators manage it, but most never will. Do it because you love it, and find something else to pay the bills.

My comic takes so long to draw that even producing 1-2 pages a week is like having a full time job, but on top of my comic, I also have an actual full time job. Having that paying job keeps me financially secure enough that I can use my free time to draw comics without having to worry about food or rent.

AffectedMind 2016-01-12 23:00:59 UTC #4

That's extremly painful for me, because I can't imagine my life without drawing and I would want to devote all my time to it, but as you mentioned you can't get moneys off of webcomics that fast. And I just got a job! It's cool because I will finally have moneys for my own but dang, I won't be able to webcomic like I used to Dx

That's the best way, don't forget patience is the key! >_<

It's killing all the joy you get from making webcomics. And you will get more frustated counting on your Patreon/Kickstarter/whatever tip jar site only, because it's not that easy.

I'm on Patreon for 4 or 5 months now I make small moneys for small cravings (tho I already started gathering moneys for small giveaway because I want to show my supporters my appreciation).

demthorshie 2016-01-12 23:09:48 UTC #5

Hi there and welcome to Tapastic.

I agree with Uzuki that your comic does seem to have a lot of potential, but you are still in the very early stages of it for now. I hate to put a damper on things but to be honest with you, most webcomic creators receive little to no profit from their work in the very beginning, myself included. I've gotten a few dollars in Ad revenue, but i've only been working on Cosmos Song for a month. Yes, there are some money making opportunities (patreon and tapastic ad revenue) out there but these things don't happen over night. Even if you do make money from your webcomic, it's not usually a substantial amount to live off of. There are some popular webcomics out there that really have struck it rich, but the vast majority have not.

What i'm trying to say here is, most of us really only do this out of love, not so much for profit (though money is always a welcomed idea). I for one would love to be able to net a real profit from this some day, but for now, making webcomics is a labor of love for me and I would still be perfectly happy not to make a dime more from it.

If you and your team really would like to make a serious profit from your webcomics, I recommend working a day job until you are able to fully sustain yourselves with comics alone, especially if you're in need of money right now. Just remember that these things do take time, my friend!

shazzbaa 2016-01-12 23:19:00 UTC #6

I agree with the others! Webcomics are less like a way to make money and more like a weird drug habit. You gotta get a job to support your comicking habit.

Regarding having your mind clear, I think there are times when you need to stop for a while. After my mom died and I moved in with my grandmother, I told my readers I would need to stop updating for a long time, because I needed time to adjust to that huge life change and I didn't want the stress of trying to make a good comic on top of everything. I didn't draw any comics for a year.

But it feels very good to make comics again, and it feels very good to put them online and hear from people who like them. When I was working a retail job and updating two comics at the same time, it was very hard to do, but making the comics was so rewarding that it was worth it to me. I think stopping then would have taken a big source of joy and purpose out of my life.

I think that's the real question. Is it worth it to you, right now? If you are in a very bad life situation and focusing on making your comic good is making you too stressed, you might need to stop updating until you are in a better place. If you are in a normal life situation but just need to keep working the day job, or if your comic is bringing you so much joy that you really want to keep making it even though things are tough, then I don't think it's bad to keep going!

kambreapratt 2016-01-12 23:23:10 UTC #7

I agree with what everyone else is saying.
You just started and it can take years to make money at a webcomic. To be honest, it is a lot harder to make money doing this than it used to be.

If you really love doing comics don't quit your comic, but I would find a job to support yourself.

60Six 2016-01-12 23:29:24 UTC #8

A comic I follow just reached 15,000 subs and is still only making $370 on Patreon. $370 out of 15,000 subscribers. I mean $370 is AWESOME and I'm sure she's making even more money off of selling products of her comic, but the point is...I'm pretty sure she's not making a living off of it (Yet at least). Even at 15,000 subs.
So pretty much like everyone else is saying, web comics are rarely something someone makes a living off of.
I'm working a 9-6 job Mon-Fri, and just working on my comic on weekends and the couple of hours I have in the evening. I mean...it's not as awesome or productive as the like 3 months I was unemployed, but I'm, as you say, "surviving." I'm pretty much preaching to the quire here, but like everyone else is saying, over-night success is a one-in-a-thousand lucky chance. Even the artist I mentioned in this had spent years building up her popularity on DA and Tumblr before launching her comic. It's not like she posted it and poof, she had success.
Basically, it takes time, don't give up, do what you can for your comic while keeping yourself floating with a job that will pay the bills.

zoonland 2016-01-12 23:39:10 UTC #9

It takes a lot of work, patience, luck, self-promotion and a great product to live with comics (ESPECIALLY webcomics). You don't become successfull overnight.
Everybody wants to see their dream job become their real job, the one that pays the bills... but often it isn't.
I suggest to have a plan B (translated= a regular job) and then work on your comics on your spare time.
The day job I do isn't exactly a dream job, but it pays the bills and the rent, so I have to do it. In my spare time, I work on my webcomic.
My webcomic isnt' exactly successful. I admit that is quite frustrating and I often think to quit. But I have a true love for drawing, and working on it is one of the few things that make me happy. My mind is crystal clear in the moment that I pick up the pencil.
So, take your time, get a regular job, and don't go crazy if you won't be living on your comic. Just keep going on and see what happens.

Airgita 2016-01-13 03:16:34 UTC #10

I'm really curious about those who have full time jobs in addition to writing comics, what kind of work do you do? Is it in the creative field as well?

Also, what's your work-life balance like? I'm trying to juggle comics and school but I feel immense guilt when I turn down invitations to hang out with friends that I don't get to see very often. Though in a way I wonder if they'd still break my balls over it if instead of comics I was working a "regular" job...

agentfink 2016-01-13 04:05:41 UTC #11

These two sentences sum it up right here.

Most people here have day jobs and draw their comics when ever they get a chance. Depending on your comic to support you, is only going to bring you heart ache and frustration-- (or worse) resentment at your comic for not performing like you imagine it should.

Draw your comic because you love it. Have it be that thing you are most excited to do at the end of the day. That energy, time and effort will show in your work. There is an audience for everything... it takes time for that audience to find you

demthorshie 2016-01-13 04:25:36 UTC #12

Not sure if this is directed at anyone in particular, but I work full time plus run two comics at the moment. I am self-employed and work as a children's book illustrator and graphic designer from my home office, plus i'm a web designer for a small firm part time. My full-time work is done entirely from home and the web design is done from an office a couple times a week. I update my comic here on Tapastic only once a week though (every Tuesday), my other comic updates bi-weekly. Somehow, i'm able to maintain a healthy love life and meet up with friends a couple times a month. It is quite challenging @.@ But I wouldn't want it any other way! :S

Some advice I have for your school situation is to set up a weekly work schedule and try to stick to it as best as possible! It was a lot harder to work on comics when I was in college too, but I started doing the schedule thing during my second year, which helped out a lot. I would set aside 2 days out of the week just for comics, unless it was during exams x.x then I was only able to update when I had the time. At the moment though, I would be all over the place without a schedule to be honest with you, and things would fall apart pretty quickly x.x. It takes a lot of discipline, and for a person with ADHD, it's not easy to do all the time.

gateofselidor 2016-01-13 08:07:19 UTC #13

I work in the video game industry, proofreading and translating Japanese games into English, so its definitely a passion-based job rather than just something to pay the bills, and it requires plenty of creativity too. I did some office temping before I got into the game industry, but I didn't get on with it, but plenty of other webcomic creators work in retail or other non-creative fields to make ends meet.

I'm a bad example as far as work-life balance goes, because I don't have a very active social life. I meet up with friends at weekends occasionally, but most of my free time goes to my comic, and I'm happy that way.

WednesdayAsh 2016-01-13 09:59:53 UTC #14

This comic is for you.

http://spikedrewthis.tumblr.com/post/64136324548/this-is-everything-i-know-a-24-hour-comic-about

kylemiller1985 2016-01-13 12:28:06 UTC #15

so you want to be a writer?
Charles Bukowski, 1920 - 1994

if it doesn’t come bursting out of you
in spite of everything,
don’t do it.
unless it comes unasked out of your
heart and your mind and your mouth
and your gut,
don’t do it.
if you have to sit for hours
staring at your computer screen
or hunched over your
typewriter
searching for words,
don’t do it.
if you’re doing it for money or
fame,
don’t do it.
if you’re doing it because you want
women in your bed,
don’t do it.
if you have to sit there and
rewrite it again and again,
don’t do it.
if it’s hard work just thinking about doing it,
don’t do it.
if you’re trying to write like somebody
else,
forget about it.

if you have to wait for it to roar out of
you,
then wait patiently.
if it never does roar out of you,
do something else.

if you first have to read it to your wife
or your girlfriend or your boyfriend
or your parents or to anybody at all,
you’re not ready.

don’t be like so many writers,
don’t be like so many thousands of
people who call themselves writers,
don’t be dull and boring and
pretentious, don’t be consumed with self-
love.
the libraries of the world have
yawned themselves to
sleep
over your kind.
don’t add to that.
don’t do it.
unless it comes out of
your soul like a rocket,
unless being still would
drive you to madness or
suicide or murder,
don’t do it.
unless the sun inside you is
burning your gut,
don’t do it.

when it is truly time,
and if you have been chosen,
it will do it by
itself and it will keep on doing it
until you die or it dies in you.

there is no other way.

and there never was.

kylemiller1985 2016-01-13 12:33:16 UTC #16

15000 subs only works out to abo 7.5 dollars per episode. That's not making a living.

60Six 2016-01-13 16:18:44 UTC #17

That's the point I was trying to make. : P Just from estimating, I'm assuming the only people on here that are making a living off of comics alone (Including merchandise of their comics) are the huge ones like GamerCat.

eschaefges 2016-01-13 16:51:02 UTC #18

This is not a long list:

So you should probably get a backup plan. Best of luck!!!

plunatastudio 2016-01-13 17:36:52 UTC #20

Thanks for THE LIST ^_^ (sorry not much words to say)

getsuart 2016-01-14 11:28:36 UTC #21

Everyone told you it, it's not an easy way or almost not achievable in such a little time, unless you already got a huge fanbase who is ready to give you moneeey.

If you really have to find money, maybe take a half time job for the beginning. Most of the artists I know do this ; they work 20 hours a week, and it leaves them enough time to concentrate on their projects. Sure they aren't rich, but it is a choice.
Also, if you really want to make money, you're have to spend a lot of your free time on your comic. I work 10 hours a day, and I got two half time jobs ; one is an employee, the other one is a freelance job. The other time, it's webcomic. But schedule your work. For a long moment, I worked 10h to 12h/day. My health was ruined and I got tendinitis problems, with fatigue and stress.
Take care of yourself, even if you want to make your comic the biggest event.

desannlim 2016-01-14 17:41:52 UTC #22

Definitely should pick up a part-time job or something a little more stable and sustainable. I had a chat with a professional mangaka before and he said that same thing. Many artists have a job or two aside from their artwork, because, well it's the reality of what needs to be done in order to sustain the lifestyle they want. Sure it's not glamorous, but it beats starving and killing yourself and then coming to hate your work if it's not providing you money for all your basic needs. So as the mangaka told me, it's okay and it's normal to have a job or two even if their part-time while you work on your art too. It'll be tough because hey we're only human and everyone does get tired and all too. But if your work gets to the point you can live off it, that'll be awesome too. Just for now, think logically about what has to be done in order to provide for yourself and possibly your family if you have one. Best of luck.