Do slow paced stories have a chance on tapas?

[genjiOtori]

Hey guys!
I recently finished the script for the next chapters (yaaaaay) and realized that my story has a really slow pacing (oh!). There are lots of keypoints that need steady build-ups and therefore quite some pages in the actual comic.
I'm convinced that it's good and my beta readers were excited about it too. But my fear is that due to the amount of pages (I'm already at over 100 pages) new people on tapas won't read it because it's too long.

My concern with this topic: do you have similiar problems? How can we avoid this? Or is this something we have to live with? I'm kinda clueless and fear that my comic isn't well suited for tapas or the web (especially when I see others being more successful with fewer pages).

[TheRabbit]

If there's something interesting that grabs the readers in the beginning, then it should be okay. However, I think it might be a harder sell if the upload rate is slow (like one page per week).

I feel that tapastic rewards comics that uploads quicky than slowly, since you can disappear from the fresh list fast. And as far as I can tell, without that window, you're kinda invisible.

[hushicho]

I am pretty sure that slow-paced stories certainly have every bit of a chance here. I think the most important thing is consistency and a regular update schedule to build an audience, but there are plenty of ways to build an audience! I would say go for it -- try it! Some people especially love being immersed in a deep and broad setting, even when the story takes a while to be told.

[mariusthered]

the trick is getting characters and artwork that people love. I have a on going comic and just started season 17 and have fans who stick with me. (not lots because some of my content is not PC)

I'm sure if the stars is interesting and the characters likable you will gain some support. good luck

[JKNNKL]

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[genjiOtori]

However, I think it might be a harder sell if the upload rate is slow (like one page per week).

I upload twice a week. But this is also a really strict schedule for me. I put a lot of love in the backgrounds and dynamics of the pages. This needs time and patience :S

I feel that tapastic rewards comics that uploads quicky than slowly, since you can disappear from the fresh list fast. And as far as I can tell, without that window, you're kinda invisible.

Yeah, I realized that too. Last year I uploaded only once a week but with several pages. My views and subs went down so I decided to change my schedule. Now subs increases on a steady, slow pace... but it feels like bloating up my episode list a lot

I think the most important thing is consistency and a regular update schedule to build an audience

Word! Consistency will lead to most appreciative readers. I'm uploading since december 2015 and my readers are really nice because when I say I upload on mondays and wednesdays, I definitely do it ^^
But yeah, as my story, the readership is growing slowly ^^°

I think if u wanna slow it down on purpose to add suspense u should just put empty panels/black space instead of panels with meaningless stuff (idk why it just works better)

Oh, that's interesting! I will keep this in mind. Thank you
I'm the latter: my characters need time to develop and there are different story arcs, that will come together later on.

[TheRabbit]

I saw one person who uploaded several pages in one day, but the person had a 3-5 hours gap between pages. So I guess that one way to do it.

[Mari]

I think I'm currently at maybe 140 or so pages atm and just now the comic is reaching it's first cataclysm of trouble. I've also at times have been rather slow to upload (I've been drawing since 2010, and scripting for years before that), but from my experience with SJ and recently Tapas, I think it should be fine. I've not really seen any significant drops in subs/faves/whatever, and comments are always a come & go kind of thing. Some pages there might be 20, others none. But mostly the people who decided to come along for the ride have stuck with it, which I'm very grateful.

I don't know about the growth rate, since I've only been on Tapas for such a short while, but for now it seems to be growing slow & steady(my comic,that is). I'd say just for now focus on making the comic purely for yourself, and once you establish some kind of rhythm you could try doing weekly/twice a week uploads. Treat the beginning as a community building exercise, be encouraging towards fans etc.

I hope you & your comic succeed

[AnnaLandin]

If I'm any kind of proof, I'd say that yes, slow comics have a definite chance here on Tapastic!

I'm slowly inching towards 200 pages, and things have been fairly slow paced so far, but I seem to have enthusiastic readers nonetheless. And I get new readers regularly, despite the size of my archives!

I think that with slower-paced comics, the key thing is to make readers feel invested in the characters. With faster-paced comics, you can focus more on exciting set-pieces and action, but for readers to really care enough to read all your slow buildup, they need to give a damn about the characters it's happening to. Make them care. You have the space; give your characters depth and complexity. Give them secrets to keep, tough choices to make, obstacles to confront, even if they aren't big action-packed extravaganzas.

... at the same time, it's also important to remember that you do need to have something happening. Big establishing shots of environments, and lots of silent panels can be fun - I use them a lot - but you can't just let your character spend three pages slowly making breakfast for themselves, unless they're also doing something interesting. Like having an internal monologue, or actively avoiding something else because they're anxious, or whatever. Make the panels count towards something.

[Chopythes]

If someone's got slow paced comics, it's me.

Like literally. But I've been featured a few times on daily snack and such, so I'd definitely say YES. Slow paced comics have a chance.

And as a reader: I love bingereading, so if it's a slowpaced comic, I wait a few weeks before reading it and then go all out xD

I don't think you should feel discouraged about it at all!

[Kitty_Rin]

I'm okay with reading slow-paced stories if there is purpose in each page. For example, an extremely detailed walk through a pointless park, I find boring. However, an extremely detailed walk through a purposeful park where the readers can see enemies preparing to rob a character, is more interesting.
Anyway, if there are no aimless pages then I don't care if there are a lot of pages.

[keii4ii]

Mine is slow burn, and it's definitely a harder sell. While I have managed to accrue 9k+ subscribers, a large number of them aren't really reading the comic -- and I suspect one of the reasons is that they THOUGHT it would be a faster paced, more casual read, due to some of the earlier scenes being a little... misleading. Thus they stopped reading as they began to realize it was not what they came for.

I update once a week, but my "pages" are vertical scroll and contain a bit more content than they would in a traditional book page format.

One thing that's related to slow pacing, but is not the same, is sharability. If each of your updates can be shared and enjoyed without context, like gag-a-day comics, then you have a much higher chance at the word of mouth thing. Slow burn stories typically aren't that sharable, though, so that's one disadvantage that we have to work with.

I feel that tapastic rewards comics that uploads quicky than slowly, since you can disappear from the fresh list fast. And as far as I can tell, without that window, you're kinda invisible.

Ehhh, I don't think the Fresh page does much for exposure. It's the only free exposure the site provides for everyone, but it isn't significant. You're pretty much on your own here and have to promote your comic through other means.

[DMBrigman]

Ultimately, the reader has to get something out of the story. If I read twenty pages and I can't really say I learned something new about a character, or an event happened, then things are way too slow. I am the type of reader who ends up binge reading a comic, then waiting for new pages then binging again. I have noticed that some of my readers are the same way.

I think as long as you have some great initial pages that let the reader know what they are getting into, you should attract the types of people who are into long form comics. Personally, I try to have at least one important thing happen per page (learn about history, establish setting, start of fight, etc.) so each page is worth it. I am also a fan of breaking things into chunks, my first Volume is 100 pages, but I have that broken down as Chapters, then Scenes, and I take the time to inform readers when one of those is complete. After all, in today's world we like smaller bits of content, and physiologically, it makes things easier to digest even if the overall size is the same. It also helps me with creator fatigue as I can say I have completed three chapters, instead of being sad I am not done with the first part yet

[ryoko]

I don't think having a slower paced story is a bad thing. As several people above have already mentioned, it's not about how long it takes to get the reader knowledgeable in the world you're creating or the characters you're introducing, it's about keeping the reader engaged and having them care about what's going on and wanting to come back for more. I'm one of those types that loves stories with a slow build-up that doesn't reveal everything all at once. I think some people are used to the 'instant gratification' that the world has now due to the internet and social media and you may not get those people hooked at first, but if you keep updating and putting your comic out there, even those people may click on a page that really gets their attention and then they'll go back and read the rest of it. I read several very long comics on Tapastic and I'm always excited when I see new pages.

My own comic is going to have 300 pages come next week and what I've found is that the people who began this journey with me from day one are still there reading it. Later, more exciting pages, have definitely contributed to an increased new readership. It sounds like you've already gotten some positive feedback regarding your overall story. I'd say don't get discouraged when you first put your comic up. Just make sure you keep updating regularly since that's the way you'll get the attention of new people.

[Erena]

I wonder about this constantly because I feel like people will eventually get tired of my story or have trouble following what's going on. It seems to me that a good majority of the readers on here are casual readers, but I could be wrong. I often feel like I kinda of have to rush to the point because I don't want to make it seem too slow.