all this could be really helpful, expecially a ronking list with votes and a digest with articles! those are really good things, IMO.
but the main thing for me remains tha way comics are categorized on the site. I mean if I'm searching for a manga, here we are, manga collection displaying ALL the mangas on the site (not only the ones you choose to be part of a collection or the other, it's not a question of collection anymore, but BROWSING) and when I'm on the mangas page I can choose what kind of manga I would like to read, like action, romance, ecc .
I mean the way the site displays collections is really helpful and cool, because they are easy to reach in the homepage (not as the browse button) and captivating, but 1- in them there should be all comics, not only a peek of your choice, and 2- they should be divided into sub-cathegories to help readers find just the one thing they want. more genres, more market segments, the more the reader is specific in his "tastes", the more he can reach deeper in the comics, and not just stay on the comics more famous and "exposed".
I think the secret could very well be a more complex searching engine structure, that can make cross-field search through cathegories, being captivating at the same time, as you did with the collections.
THAT'S THE COOLEST. THING. EVER.
thanks, this could really be a revolution for story driven comics.
but it's not enough, because the other tapastic readers (not my subscribers) wouldn't notice my update! a "recently updated" section easily reachable is essential, I think. Right now the browse by date page is a pain to get to.
also, there are really a few comics displayed in that first page, only 15, which is another pain, because I have to click to go on through the recent updated comics.
I don't expect to become famous a a night, of course! neither in a year, I'm not that naive! I did expected that the site had a place for my manga, that's all.
I'm posting here the same thing I've posted in another topic:
I started 10 months ago with an inkblazers account AND a tapastic one at the same time... I had to quit on tapastic for two reasons:
- because of the poor experience I was offering to my readers (and I couldn't think of a better way to let them see my manga, I even tried to talk with the tapastic staff on this, but you said that there were other priorities, such as mobile... you really think one thing excludes the other one??)
- because of the little exposure I was having here instead of there. it was a matter of growing, and I choose. not very wisely, it appears, since inkblazers is shutting down for good!!
those are problem that changed very little in 10 months, and the only reason I can think of is the fact that you don't really care that much about story driven mangas.
I can understand that, it's true, they don't have so many subscribers as the gag comics, and growing as a site, with gag comics, it's simplier: they catch a wide target, they are immediate, they are funny. people LOVE them, I love them!!
but they are NOT the only way to tell a story with comics, and I honestly think that they're not the best way, even on mobile.