I really get the feeling, and I'm struggling with that currently.

I think it's inevitable and normal. There is no certain way to stop it; even for popular comics like the premiums in the front page their view, likes, and comments will be reduced as their story progressed. People might be busy, get bored, and probably they no longer like the story's direction.

It happens especially for a long form comic which you have to stay followed to understand the plot Also in long-form comics, missing an episode can make readers lazy to catch up so they abandon it.

I admit I can't help about this matter, but I will try:

• Perhaps promoting in forum and external social media every updates can help. It can make your existing readers who are there more aware, and attract new ones.

• Continued from above, use social media to give people teasers and WIP, they will be more excited to see the update.

• 'Store' your work or go on hiatus. In Wattpad there's an option to unpublish your novel, I used to do that in frustration because the stat isn't gaining. I meant your stat won't be declining if you don't publish/continue it, right?

• If you see no absolute goddamn chance for growth, reboot it and start fresh. You can use your first excuse, then.

• Forget your current work and make a 'plot-a-day' or 'gag-a-day' comic format which reader don't need to follow a certain plot which may bore and confuse them. Only use this as last resort.

Getting popular online is kinda like looking for a job: you can't find employment because you have no experience, but you can't gain experience if no one employs you. Similarly, to get your work recognized you need to be already popular...

I need to vent my frustration over how my last update, posted 6 days ago, has almost 40 views, which is a lot for me (okay, I bet some of them were mine) and zero likes An achievement even for me...

I have a number of subscribers that like my every update but never comment, and most of them tends to go offline for a while from time to time (bizarrely, multiple of them at once; makes me wonder if they're bots or some fake accounts). So, welp, idk how many "real"/active subscribers I even have.

I'm not really social either, so idk how to go about promoting my work. Besides, does it deserve to be promoted? Is it really something that could be liked by many people? I do not know - but I'm not confident enough in it that I'd want to aggressively self-promote.

Reader retention correlates to how excited your readers are to read the next update! This seems like it's obvious, so the question is, how do you make your readers excited?

This is much harder for things like slice of life comics, where unless theres a catch (like how mob psycho intersperses action amongst the daily life of mob) it can be difficult to get people to tune in. A lot of these comics people just binge until they get to the most recent episode, and never touch it again (which is why episode 1 will have a lot of views because, everyone starts at episode one, then gets to the most recent at the time and never picks it up again.)

There's only one comedy/slice of life comic I read every single update for when they drop: A comic on webtoons called "Woman World." The setting is funny and presents for funny situations that are really relatable as a woman, so I'm very excited to see what new subject the comic tackles in a post-apocalyptic lesbian environment. Its not so much just pure comedy, but also witty commentary about modern social expectations.

The much easier way to get people to tune in weekly is have a plot-focused comic with plot points people are dying to know the answers to. Like, on a day-by-day basis, not just one giant reveal at the end. This IMO is how people have the biggest reader retention, is by creating exciting plots with lots of twists and turns and things that get the reader's blood pumping. I always leave my comic chapters ending on a cliffhanger, just to get people to tune in the next week to see how the cliffhanger resolves.

Things like romances are much more binge-worthy, as if its a slowburn comic most people are going to wait for a huge chunk of updates (think like 30-50 chapters) before reading it. Because no one likes to be left in the middle of a relationship forming when that's the only thing going on.

You just have to find out what works for you and your preferred comic type ~

honestly i am someone who considers myself social by choice as i really try to not get on any social media platform and only socialize when if its absolutely necessary.
And due to this exact issue i have downloaded and created a twitter, an Instagram, tumblr and even a freaking Facebook page just to promote my work. To some people it might not seem like a huge deal or a problem per say but for me a person who tries as much as possible to detach myself form social medias like that due to the toxicity of some of them, It's sad that i have to step wayyyyyyyy outta my comfort zone just to gain subscribers who might not even read my update that I've honestly worked hard on and mess up my whole algorithm making me feel bad as a writer thinking i'm not putting out good enough chapters for them. I truly appreciate my subscribers, i really do, however this is something that really needs to be addressed

BUFFER.

Be a MADMAN. Create a crapload of works but don't share them until you have like... a MONTH'S supply of content over at least 3 to 5 series (or more if you're just insane).

As others have said, you can't control or predict how readers will interact with your content. It is however, not based on pure luck.

The point I would like to make is that if you cannot control the reader, then it is futile to dwell on this. Allowing the reader numbers to determine your worth leads to unhappiness.

What boosts confidence is to focus completely on what is 100% in your control: your content. Your story. And how widely you Share it.

The thing about the Internet and our life as independant creators is that we have an extremely low bar of entry. There are no longer gatekeepers that serve as a funnel for content. Instead we have the entirety of the readership market, and they are brutal.

The market is democratic, and it will decide if your content is good enough to flourish. The thing is in the web comic game, if you want any kind of ongoing success you must keep your work and learning ongoing. It requires a 3-5 year dedication before you even consider giving up. Because if you do all the right things, the right actions of posting regularly, sharing on Social (I have more to say on this subject for my fellow introverts), and keep learning your craft and improving it AND you still don't see success in the form of readership. Then you know the market has decided that your work is not good enough.

3-5 years can feel like a long time. But life is a long thing, and if you take care of yourself you can and will live a long time. There is time enough to put in your all and if it doesn't work, you can switch directions no worse for wear and if anything with many good work habits. You never really lose all you've learnt just cause a project has failed.

On the topic of promoting on Social. I think it is not helpful to rely solely on Tapas. If you're seeking a career or even just hobby success in comics, the you are 100% responsible for your comic.

Learning how to draw and write, creating it, responding to any and ALL comments cause those are human beings who have taken time to comment (!), and placing the comic where people can find it. I.e marketing or promoting.

Now I'm not a fan of DMing or spamming people's pages. But I have an action plan. People love to see WiPs. They love to see HOW the comic is made.

I think the mindset that helps is not that you're promoting but you're offering something of entertainment value to the receiver. It's not about what you can GET but what you can GIVE to the Reader. If you are not actively sharing your work on every single Free platform there is...then I do not see how you can expect growth. Fretting about things not in your control like readers or organic reach will not help.

I think as long as you stay honest to yourself about the kind of story YOU want to tell and you just work on doing it well and sharing it, that will help you grow.

This is not a lazy creator's game. The world owes us nothing and will offer nothing until we do something first. It will be difficult but everything worth doing that has great rewards requires great effort and nothing less. Gimmicks and tricks might work in the short term but not in the long run.

All just my opinion here.

Absolutely well said. We cannot expect results unless we put in the work to get them.

IMHO it's normal for readers to stop reading for a while and then binge read updates as they go along. Even with updates like mine where there are answers and cliffhangers, sometimes it's not always enough to hook them in.

It also really is the limitation of the platform too. Webtoons work best if the updates are LONGER, but longer updates tend to require much longer wait times and usually you have to make sure it isn't long enough that people start clicking off. Likewise, shorter updates tend to lead readers into 'binge reading' behavior.

For social, I would recommend setting up a Hootsuite account. This helps you schedule updates on all major social media platforms. The one thing I notice is that consistency is key. If you always update when you say they do, people usually know when to expect a new page or chapter.

Ultimately, like a couple of bang on advice from the above posts, you can't control what readers do, but you can control your content. Create good work that you're proud of and the readers will come. Don't be shy and promote yourself aggressively. There are tags on twitter that allow you to introduce yourself and showcase your comic, join those! Participate in art tags too like Art vs Artists or Inktober (if you're up for it).

But most importantly, it may seem disheartening, but your work is only as good as the work you're willing to put into it. Good luck!