How many people really read those comics, for which they made "sub-4-sub"?

[unknown_user]

So, sub-for-sub threads continue to live somehow...
Which made me curious about the question, stated in title.

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What exactly do I mean by "sub-for-sub":

• I mean only those cases, when you sub for another comics for clearly stated sub-for-sub reason.
• I don't mean cases when both authors started to read each other comics without declaring such purpose explicitly, in natural way of developing mutual interest.

What exactly do I mean by "really reading":

• By "really reading" I mean reading with enough amount of attention to more-or-less follow the main plot and to remember the setting and main characters.
• I don't mean cases, when you just scroll new pages down without meaningful reading to make like-for-like.

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So... do you really read the comics, for which you made sub-for-sub?

• I read all (or almost all) of those comics, to which I subbed for that reason
• I read more than half of them
• I read less than half of them
• I read none (or almost none) of them
• I don't do "sub for sub" or I just want to see the answers

Show results

Don't worry, this poll is anonymous, so your fellas will not know your honest answer.

[vothnthorvaldson]

I don't do it.

I think it's very nice to read the comics of people who read my comic and vice-versa, it's a very special experience socially speaking, and I think it can be very helpful to improve one's art, however, there are already enough comics to read with the 'developped interest naturally' path.

[DualDragons]

Sub 4 sub is a stupid thing in the long run, change my mind.

[puddle]

I only tend to sub4sub if I'm also building rapport with a creator. I'll check out their work in support of them, and check in on updates every now and then... but I likely won't keep up with every update. Hell, I have trouble keeping up with every update to the comics I excitedly subbed to

[magnavarra]

Sometimes I dont even read those comics that i subed 4 fun cause there are too many....

[Rhonder]

I haven't done any sub for sub both because it's like... meh? But also I barely keep up with the comics I have in my library by my choice, I certainly don't need to clog it up any more than it already is with random stuff I'm not even interested in

[skicoak]

Sub-4-sub only exist because of the front loading Tapas does by putting artificial layers on tipping and ad-pay.

Their business model has a certain pyramid scheme feel to it.

"Hey there lil' small creator! Why don't you go and round up some friends and family so we can sell ads and push our premium titles? You don't have 100-200 friends ?!? You better go beg people to subscribe then."

If they can just hand wave the tipping sub requirements away every Ink holiday, why even have it?

[Kann]

I don't even take part in sub-4-sub threads. People should subscribe to comics they like and will read or else it's more harm than good in the long run.

[vfinnigan]

I clicked the wrong option. I actually do read most of the sub for sub comics, but I don't sub if, upon checking the comic or novel out, I don't like it.

[Shanny8]

I dont do sub for sub...if I want to read someone's comic, I'll find it & read it on my own accord. I dont want to feel obligated to read someone's comic because they're reading mine.

[Geek_Aflame]

I don't do sub for sub. I do look through comic and novel advertisement threads but only sub to things I enjoy reading. I've discovered a lot of fantastic smaller creators this way. The main site is overwhelmed with recs for premium works and popular creators.

[joannekwan]

If they can just hand wave the tipping sub requirements away every Ink holiday, why even have it?

Most likely to keep bots from janking the system?

[writercynknapp]

I never initiate a sub-for-sub, but I would accept those requests.

It lets me see a wide variety of other works. Lets me judge framing and art and story lines.

There is a big contest starting soon. I plan to subscribe to all those entries for those same reasons.

[LadyN]

Honestly, I don’t like sub for sub. People just do it with me and I’m like; Kay, guess we’re doing this now.

[skicoak]

Most likely to keep bots from janking the system?

Wouldn't these hypothetical bots be able to handle that weak of a firewall though?

[unknown_user]

I tried sub-for-sub a little, but was disappointed by the fact, that these people seemingly didn't read my stuff. They liked it only after I liked pages from their work (in the best case, sometimes they just never did it) and commented only after I commented (it the best case, again). And these comments didn't look like comments of people, who really read, anyway.
So I saw only the pursuit of numbers in all of it. But if I would pursue just numbers, without caring about safety from ban or about creating real readership base, I would just use the army of bots, because they are much more effective in such cheating. (Sorry)
I mean, if people do mechanical subs, likes, comments, views... how they are better than bots? They are just less efficient, because they do it more slowly than automaton, that's all. In essence, human readers are better than bots only when (if) they are really reading and make you happy this way.

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You can say, that cheating the numbers gives you a visibility, which will lead for gaining more real subs... but nah, it's not that easy either, if your content doesn't "fit in". I saw a lot of cases, when comics, which don't "fit", gained visibility on the main page by being picked from stuff, and yet, they didn't gain many real subs from it.

[borzoiteeth]

I loath it based on how disingenuous it is. I don't mind the ones that actually look like they are trying to build community "Hey, do you like (specific genre/theme)? Let's chat about how this has inspired us." But those are so rare.