D'ya ever wonder about your image as an author?

[DokiDokiTsuna]

Like, if you were to actually become famous for your novel/comic, do you think you would be very "marketable"?

In my case, if I were to become famous for Deadeye, I don't know what I would do... ^^;
From just looking at the unique qualities that the story has, you might expect the author to be a plucky Latina/Native American girl celebrating her heritage or whatever, but the sad truth is that (a) I'm a Nigerian-American, (b) I found all of this on the internet, and (c) I have NO idea what I am talking about. Just imagine the interviews!

And don't get me started on my real name...it's very long, awkward, and clunky, even by Igbo standards. If I ever decide to publish the traditional way, I already have a pseudonym all picked out. 9_9

Of course, there is a fine line between this kind of thinking and actual shame/self-hatred, but I don't think I'm crossing it...at worst, it's that I've never seen any famous authors with these...issues, and I don't really feel like being the first.

So, what do you think? Do you feel marketable??

[ISNEKO]

I think about this from time to time. I like to think that my appearance would be surprising?

But I'm not very pleasant with strangers so I probably wouldn't even accept interviews. Anything to do with fans I'd make myself do it tho. Like signings or whatever authors do. I don't know.

[rmdooley]

This is why I use a pen name. I want people to see my work and make judgments on that, rather than on me.

[DokiDokiTsuna]

Strangely enough, appearance never even crossed my mind...I guess it's because there isn't a lot of societal expectation for what an author should look like? I dunno.

Personally, I've never shown my face to any of my fans before, but I've always thought I was pretty cute, so when the time comes, I'm not afraid. >:3

[joannekwan]

Do you mean 'marketable' in so far as the novelty in the disconnect between author and their works' subject matter?

If so I guess I would be somewhat of a surprise? Speaking as an Asian-American working in styles decidedly removed from manga/webtoons influences.

I think I might go with a pen name though if I ever tried traditional publishing with a big name house for a novel. Because like, mass audiences can see the connection between Kevin Kwan writing Crazy Rich Asians. But for a Joanne Kwan to put out a historical fiction set in the American West of the latter 1870's is … well people might jump the gun and dismiss it before actually reading the thing.

[ISNEKO]

Hmm. Maybe I misunderstood what the question is then.

If we're talking like, this-redneck-weeb-from-kentucky-writes-these books then I dunno. I guess I could understand like, using demographic and stuff to appeal to an audience, but I write violent fantasy, SciFi, horror, and lewd stuff.

Maybe if I got famous for a series then another series would be confusing to my readers? I dunno what we're talking about.

[DokiDokiTsuna]

I can see that, yes...in America, at least, it's expected for minority authors to write only about their specific cultural experiences; meanwhile, if you have a Western European name you can write whatever you want. So 'John Robinson' could write Asian historical fiction and no one would bat an eye, but your Joanne Kwan would probably get quite a few weird looks...

I would hope no one would dismiss it just for that, though. Is that really a thing that people do? Being surprised is one thing, but assuming that because the author's name isn't "correct" they don't know what they're doing is quite another. It'd be awfully sad...

[joannekwan]

Being surprised is one thing, but assuming that because the author's name isn't "correct" they don't know what they're doing is quite another. It'd be awfully sad...

Haha they probably don't state it out loud, but I'm sure a lot of people might think it. Though they might not think it as concrete as 'they have no idea what they're doing, this will suck' but rather question them, like 'did they do all their research thoroughly?' and quite possibly nitpick through the whole work while a more 'conventional' author would get a pass.

Happens in reverse too. There was a case of two creators, both white (iirc), who were starting a webcomic about a native student or something in Japan/Korea (I can't remember which country and I can't find the article rn ). And they were lambasted so much they canceled the project.

[indagold]

I have no idea how to market myself haha. Most I do is try to avoid posting political stuff on social media since everything is violently politically charged these days and one misstep could destroy your entire career or at the very least make fans hate you. Better just keep yourself neutral party because people will analyze you to no end once you get popular.

[gh0stcr33p]

yes and honestly if I did become famous (which there's a 98% chance I won't) I'd want to stay anonymous and not even give out my real name

[joannekwan]

I think in general I'm more open about my identity in the webcomic world, since hey it's for fun and we all start from the bottom up. It's a lot more personal and you pretty much call the shots on everything.

I would definitely be more guarded with traditional publishing since that world still has a lot of 'old money' and established movers and shakers that could make or break you in an instant.

[racarter]

Nope, I don’t feel marketable in the slightest. I’m a depressed, Narcoleptic / Cataplectic, introvert, autistic, am too painfully straightforward and honest to the extent everyone takes most everything I say as an insult even if I say it without malice and am only posing some hypothetical thing - basically everyone assumes I think the worst of people when frankly I don’t care.

Bringing me too another point, my politics, religion, and the simple fact that I just don’t care about most things, that I’m fine with people doing what they do even if I don’t care for it personally, I’ve already made enemies for that alone. Way before my comic.

Plus I’m white and straight so I can’t be marketed for any woke points either.

To top it all off I’m not charismatic in the conventional sense. I’m one of those we’re you either love me or hate me. Eh, I treat others how I want to be treated. Honesty and straightforwardness. I don’t assume the worst of them and always try to see things from their perspective.

Apparently people really hate that. So yeah, not marketable. I can’t bullshit well enough.

Tho about the culture thing. Pfft, I’m just waiting for the day someone says something about my incorporation of Arabian / Persian / General Middle Eastern culture. Sure it’s a mishmash but no one should be expecting me to be a scholar anyway.

Plus the countless research I did on Zoroastrianism. And the countless sleepless nights I had learning just enough Arabic to fudge my way through what I needed.

But will that all be appreciated? No. Cuz I’m not being 100% accurate ergo I’m being offensive. Even tho I’m mostly going off Rule Of Cool. Plus I’m white so how dare I do anything about other cultures but at the same time how dare I exclude them??!

I just like Arabian Nights aesthetics and it can purely be traced back to my childhood fixation with Aladdin. That’s it. Ain’t that deep. But you know, everyone’s a critic.

I don’t particularly want to be marketable, honestly. Sorry for the rant tho, I guess I had a lot of that pent up.

[Shanny8]

Not really. I'd pretty much be cool with the fans, but just dont really care for all the "extra" stuff. Let me do my work, greet my audience/fans/readers and then go home and enjoy some peace and quiet/de-stress time with some anime or Netflix.

[GesuGesu]

HAHAHAHAHAHA "THAT ONE ARTIST WHO DRAWS PRETTY BL PORN FOR LAUGHS"

I keep my artist side separate from my professional work. I don't wanna lose my job lmao over what I draw.

I've done an Artist Vs. Art meme before and people said I do look what they expected.

[silverraven0]

HAHAHAHA I'M JUST A BIRD WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT???

Answering the question, no, I don't think I'm marketable if for some weird reason I somehow became popular (which I'm this case it is nearly impossible). I'm super uncomfortable with myself and my identity, plus my offline self is... weird (?). For some reason I actually couldn't really point out, it is extremely easy for peoples to dislike me (Maybe because my dead a*s eyes staring at them and making them uncomfortable but that is just how I look), so no, I'm not marketable as a real life person.

[beta1042]

I purposely picked a name and image(testtube) that would give me the option of making my gender, race, age, etc unknown.
I mean some of my creator friends know a lot more about me, and I don't deny a lot of info about me, but I'd rather my personal life and art life still be separate. I think my image as a testtube tho, has worked well for "marketing" myself. As in it's unique enough that people seem to be able to quickly identify me. Also many people who read my comic do know my penname because of the image I associate with it, so that is nice. It was pretty important to me going into this that people knew there was an author behind the work, and that the author has a personality and such. I wanted my readers to relate to me as an author so if I went on a hiatus or something there would be some sort of connection there and understanding. A lot of comics I read there is never any connection to the author and I never know the author's name or anything, so I was avoiding that.

[punkarsenic]

lord, i dunno if im marketable. i avoid marketing. im scared of it. theres a lot of the business side of webcomics that i know i have a massive weakness in bc i just... really run from it for the most part.

ive heard before that part of being a successful webcomic artist is developing a persona for urself that ppl are attached to beyond a singular work - so they follow you from project to project. if that does happen, im just gonna let it happen naturally. trying to control my image stresses me out too much, it feels too much like filling a Role, which is work.

[DasIstWunderblyat]

I hope I can be anonymously popular enough for the sense of acknowledgement (all along, I just want it. Because I have never get it in my life)

I'm actually more afraid about the judgement and implication my work will give to me, especially in my family, social circle, and my country. I meant my work generally has no moral value, has no religious value, and such and people especially my family are a kind of "Traditional" and restrictive. My family even got angry when I draw slightly gory thing or rooting for a villain in story. What would they be if they discovered their "pious" child write such garbage.

That's why no one RL know about it, so I have no one to share except the internet.

[ratscout]

LOL, if I ever became famous I'd be like Citizen Kane; a weird old man living in a mansion with no contact with the outside world. XD Really, I'd never want anyone to know too much about me.

[Penni]

I have no idea if I'm marketable but given that I rely on my winning personality to get me through life, I would probably hope that would be enough if I ever became famous