Do you do a buffer? - Update!

[Bokyongyo]

I think it should be essential for the well being of the creator at this point lol. I try to keep a buffer that keeps me at least one to two chapters ahead of the one I’m posting just to have a daily upload schedule.

Easier said than done but when it happens it for sure feels good to be ahead of things.

[Darth_Biomech]

The only problem I see is that when you see your latest chapters, and compares them with your oldest, you are like 'how I could not draw like that back then!! I want to do everything again', but no, you must resist the urge.

But that will happen regardless of you buffering pages or not.

[Aleksei]

Yeah, but with a buffer the tension is BIGGER!

[Tailzkip]

I post in batches of 15+ pages and I'm 7 chapters ahead. It sucks to hold back sometimes, but it's nice because when I want to take a break it doesn't effect posts that much. Plus life happens so it's also nice to have the knowledge that you have something to post in the meantime.

[mirbernheim]

I have about a half month/month buffer for pages. I kind of go in periods where I draw constantly for a few weeks and then do nothing, so I take advantage of my drawing mania and pump out a bunch of pages then, lol.

[TunaPrincess]

I have a buffer! I totally understand being excited to post, but I really don't think I'd be able to keep up with my posting schedule if I didn't. My buffer will take me through to November because I post once a week, and I'm just thankful for it because it gives me time to write and script the next chapter without having to stress about needing to work on my comic every day.

I honestly would recommend having one. It helps keep the stress down, and at least for me it was good to make sure I stayed interested in the project.

[Tanako]

My buffer is up tp 5 months long for Patreon. so If I wanted, I could take a break for that long, and as for Tapas, lol even longer.
when I first started my comic, I went Hardcore. the first thing I did first was to come up with the story till the end. second, I sketched out the whole comic till the end. third, I am illustrating it and 5 months ahead. I even went on ahead and started a new comic since I needed a break from my current one due to how much I was working on it, and even with the new comic, I'm already 24 pages deep with each page containing 4 panels which Is 96 panels. but to be honest, I pay a colorist to color it so it's less work on my end. LOL, so yea...

[Dialusion]

I absolutely buffer in two different ways. I buffer in terms of actual releases, each chapter being completed and ready well in advance, as well as a buffer time wise. I release my story bi-weekly with at least 4 chapters and about 16-20 files average per batch. Meaning I get at least 8 weeks to plan out, write, storyboard, draft, ink, color and add text to the next batch. If one chapter ends up being too long, I'll cut it in half, giving me another 2 weeks.

I do this purely because I know how much time I have to work on this story a day and need to maximize it, but releasing weekly is way too much pressure. Bi-weekly is easier on the mind, body and heart. At the moment, my next deadline is the end of July, which I am well ahead of. This gives me more breathing room in production for the next batch or extra time I can take off and recover.

[sefra114]

Oh yes! I always do a buffer! For my current comic, Space Pack, while it's at the 2nd chapter here on Tapas, I'm actually very close to finishing up work on the final chapter, so the buffer consists of practically the entire story. I know if I hadn't done it this way, I would have undoubtedly burnt out.

[Rhonder]

I think it really depends on your expectations for the project.

If you're really adamant about keeping up a consistent upload schedule, then a buffer is about as close to mandatory as you can get. You don't have to have one of course, but chances are that sooner or later you'll fall off schedule for one reason or another. Life happens, or maybe one page/episode will take longer to make than you're expecting, or etc. These scenarios are why people keep buffers: so that even if a small hiccup comes up, you can keep your schedule consistent no problem.

But if you're not super worried about maintaining consistent uploads, then a buffer is largely optional and up to the creator's preference. If you don't mind missing an update here and there, or have no schedule to begin with (just post whenever a page is done or whatever) then you don't really need one. They can still be nice to have, but it's not really getting you much tangible benefit.

[Gossam]

I have a SubscribeStar, and I was actually thinking of doing extra art for locked tiers there. :o Like, fullcolor paint. (My comic will be in black and white, unless it's a chapter title page.) I just don't know how to have the time between page work to do that.... I'm a very slow artist with a fulltime exhausting factory job, aha....

OKAY SO, buffer is definitely a thing to do, then. I'll just have to hold off and bottle my excitement for a while lol! I just need to figure out how to catch a buffer BACK up when I use a certain amount of pages, when my daily life only allows for a page a week as an upload schedule.

[Rhonder]

I just need to figure out how to catch a buffer BACK up when I use a certain amount of pages, when my daily life only allows for a page a week as an upload schedule.

It's definitely a tricky dance The idea is that hopefully your buffer sustains itself as you continue to add to it as the pages post, and ideally it'll only shrink if/when something comes up that causes you to cease work on the comic for one or more weeks.

That said! There are always a options

1.) if your comic can be broken down into parts, say chapters, seasons, arcs, etc., one approach is to finish one before posting (thus using what you don't post up front as buffer), and then simply work until you finish the next chunk. If you run out of pages while still working you can just let the audience know that there will be a small hiatus until the next -whatever- is ready, and then start posting again while you work on the next one, and so on.

2.) If your comic isn't easy to break up into parts like that, or you just don't want to commit to working that far ahead at a time, it's always okay just to take an impromptu hiatus whenever you need one to rebuild buffer when it gets low~ Similar to the above, it's fine to just be like "hey I need to work ahead on the comic a little bit, so I'll be taking -period of time- off of uploading". If possible it's nice to estimate when you'll be back, but it's okay if you don't know too. Just be honest and communicative

[rajillustration]

To answer your question, when the buffer goes down, by that point my readership is more established, so when I take a break they get it, they're understanding. It usually doesn't take too long to do, and because this isn't really my dayjob, my readers are really kind about it, they've never given me a fuss.

[SleepingPoppy]

when your buffer goes down, do you take month-long breaks to not post while you fill it back up?

Ideally you make pages as fast, or faster, than your schedule for uploading them. Example being, instead of making a page a week and uploading a page a week, you make four pages, then start uploading a page a week, so the buffer remains four pages ahead of what gets uploaded.

What I think works best is this, plus planning breaks into your schedule at natural points in the story. For me, I take a small mid chapter break, and a longer chapter end break. I do think shorter breaks are more ideal, but I usually take longer ones because I'm just slow and need the time to keep up with everything. I have not found it negatively affects my readership in a noticeable way.

And heck, I took almost a year long hiatus, and pretty much just picked up where I left off when I was able. Don't be afraid of taking breaks when you need them, just pair it with good communication and general consistency.

[Scarlet_Cryptid]

Plenty of people do Q & A filler with them or their characters answering questions, too. I've also seen people fill gaps by showing off concept art, guest art, or quickly scribbled mini-comics.

[Shazic]

I fail all the time to keep up a buffer T.T, and I don't even have to draw... after starting my story, I have apricate comic a lot more, realizing how hard it is.

[spadedigsbutts]

I take breaks during the months where numbers tend to be bad anyways, regardless if I have enough buffer to post anyways. This way I can at least avoid burnout and work at my own pace

[thecrystalrook]

I'm trying to get a buffer right now. Currently have one for 1 episode, and I publish monthly. Ideally I want to get that to a 3 episode buffer

Space Pirate | Tapas

[Gossam]

OH MAN, there's nooooo way with the way I work at my job that I could do 4 pages at the quality I want my comic to be. D: 2 pages, perhaps, which would still work! But nooo way could I do 4. 8| I've never been that fast of an artist, and I'm a huge stickler for quality>quantity, so I'd definitely likely take a month of hiatus to buff things back up.

It sucks for the algorithm or whatever, but.... I'd rather be sure what I put out is something I'm personally proud of rather than "yikes, that looks like catbarf and I am mad at myself." I'm glad from the responses in this thread that taking hiatus's is generally okay with readers, cuz that's the idea I had after following in Ashley Cope's (Unsounded) footsteps.

[SleepingPoppy]

Four was just the example, not a prescription! You should always think about and do what will work for your RL and story. And breaks are a great way to beef the buffer back up.