How/Why Do You Think People Keep Comig Back?

[IndigoShirtProd]

Imma stop you right there, no I'm not looking advice. This isn't about me being self righteous, its just not what this thread is about.

This is for comickers and novelists alike. What do you think keeps readers coming back to your story? And how do they find tour story because I'll tell you right I've got no clue, especially during my off months. I'll go first!

Why: Um... it's charming and nostalgic. It's funny with good action. The art is unique and well done. That's about it.

How: I don’t know. I recently got a fair amount of views and a few comments on my comic (but no likes. No, I'm not bitter just confused), and I just want to know how they found it. The Tapas homepage? Nah, they don't want me on there. Looking under the comics tab? Hmm, maybe. The forum? Barely anyone here reads my comic, no tea no shade. Discord? Even less people there... Social media? That's funnier than the homepage joke.

Where do you think your views are from? And what's keeping them around?

[Katzalcoatl]

Why? They like your work (no need to overthink it).
How? They probably look at recently updated in certain genres.

Why do you get views but no likes? Statistics. Most users be it youtube, facebook, or any other medium don't like nor subscribe to your work. Some just search your profile and watch videos (in your case comics) but don't subscribe nor like the series.

The learning algorythm inside webages makes it easy for users to watch your work without subscribing or liking.

[SoftWonderBun]

Why? My current story is pretty simple. It's a romance/BL-ish drama with a weird set-up hook. Some niche elements that I imagine people are looking for. A POC main character and a femboy aesthetic that's not used for a female stand-in or weird non-con stuff which is hard to come by in the wild.

How? No clue. I guess it's the tags? I don't promote anywhere so it's nothing like that. I'm not super popular but I've seen the same names through the years as the story has gone on. So the people who like it have stuck around which makes me so happy and grateful.

[IndigoShirtProd]

The tags! I didn’t even think of them!

[SoftWonderBun]

Yeah I think a lot of people forget esp with long form comics cause you put them in sometimes years ago and don't even remember what you used!

[doublemelon]

Why people keep coming back?
Several people have told me that they like my humor and the humor is unique/absurd. Those who like it will naturally come back, I guess. Plus, my comic is free to read, so....

Where I get the views?
Social media.

[C.L.G]

Why: One of the things people say about my work is the MC's ability to taste a person's emotions. It's different and unique, with interesting characters.

How: My novel got featured twice last year and usually is in the top ten in horror on Tapas. I have my book on Wattpad, and tags help, but I don't think that's how I attract readers to the site.

I spent most of my time promoting and talking to others on Discord and joining communities. I post my art on Instagram (not regularly). I have Twitter, TikTok, and Tumblr, but I barely use them. I mean, I'm trying too. It's hard to manage that much social media.

I met a few readers/creators on the forums by posting.

I also post my linktee and links to my stories in my bios.

What's keeping my views? The people and friends I made along the way read my stuff. I don't know what's keeping them around, but I'm glad they are reading my story and enjoying it.

[Ladyofbirds]

Here is my 2 cents as a reader.

Tapas does not have a great way of keeping track of where you are when reading something. One way to keep track of where you are in a series is to like the current chapter you are reading, but this method is not as useful if you liked every past episode. So, this could explain the lack of likes? Honestly, Tapas needs a bookmark function.

One way I have found new series is by going through other people’s reading lists and finding what they are reading that I am are not reading.

[powerplantanimations]

.........Gonna have to come back to this thread because I'm a bit nervous after coming off my hiatus lmao.

[cherrystark]

No idea. I just hope that something struck them as wonderful and inspires them to keep reading the rest of my catalogue.

[IndigoShirtProd]

One way to keep track of where you are in a series is to like the current chapter you are reading, but this method is not as useful if you liked every past episode. So, this could explain the lack of likes? Honestly, Tapas needs a bookmark function.

Yea, they really do. Something like webtoon, I'm pretty sure you get an auto bookmark over there even if your halfway through an episode.

@powerplantanimations Take your time!

No idea.

We're sitting in the same boat, you and I.

[DasIstWunderblyat]

Because they are in my basement; right now I am looking at them from my PC if they have logged in and like a chapter from their newly created burner account.

[Flios]

I think my story just has tons of cliffhangers each episode, so that's why my readers come back.
It's simple for me how people discover my novel. The novels page. My novel is usually hanging around in the popular section around #20-40, and once in a while, I skyrocket up to #15 or something

[TheLemmaLlama]

How: I don’t know.

To be fair, most of the stuff i read is stuff I found by myself when actively searched for very specific stuff I'm interested in. It doesn't need to be featured anywhere; it just needs to exist and fit my very specific interests

[IndigoShirtProd]

Oh yeah, yeah that makes sense. Usually I'll scroll through free to read comics and pick something that catches my eye.

[Samael-il-Ifrit]

I hope to believe that my readers enjoy seeing my mc put through torture and awkward situations as much as I love putting him through those.
Other than that I really have no idea.
I just know that I have a story to tell and some people might enjoy that story.
There's no need to overcomplicate it.

[Nugtown]

Among the comments i've had, the most had to do with the characters feeling real, so it's fun to see where they go and what they do like you are looking in on their lives. That's also how I feel about it.
Technically speaking, the draw is the "fireworks", the grotesque horror and violence- I think this is what most people want and it's like cake cause everyone loves it. It doesn't need emotional investment or context. It's also like a reward for sitting through the people drama. The last saga was chock full of it, and the feedback has been calling for more- but i'm intent on serving dinner before dessert, gnome saiyan'?

I think dividing dessert and dinner in this fashion is probably building a sense of anticipation instead of a routine expectation of what's going to happen every time- where people may actually get tired of eating cake.

[moontokkym]

I can't really judge myself so I can only go off what people have said to me when I've asked and what I put effort into.

Why:

• -It's different from classic webtoon style (being classic comic page style) so it stands out, whether in a good or bad way depending on people's tastes,

• the art looks good and gets better as time goes on, so far not a huge amount of story has happened so it's probably mostly wanting to know about some of the weird stuff that's come up and looking at the nice pictures that keeps people around more than the characters

• some people really want to know what the deal is with Alice's eyes, which I love to hear.

• SciFi is a niche in itself so being a story about conspiracies and environmental apocalypse and refugees from war with a wide range of nationalities and identities can call to some people.

• It's a scifi comic that isn't set in New York, San Francisco nor Tokyo, it's set in France, not even in Paris, and a lot of my audience is french, so that helps too.

How: I just made a topic asking about that, apparently the algorithm promoted me, which I'm stoked about It really helped get a boost for my baby comic. That and I've been talking about making this comic for 5 years so people have heard me rant about it can finally read it, plus a couple of people have come from my tiktok and instagram too. I'm just happy for people to be here no matter where they came from, you know?

[GothickangelStudios]

For me it was the comments I recieved even during the first part of my manga before I got better in CSP. Which the artwork is horrendous. I was told the way I coloured it depending on the moods of the situation people felt pulled in. Mine is in the horror /fantasy /action genres. I was also told my story so far was good.
Since then along the way, my artwork has improved and I got better with CSP brush SFX and angles, etc. My viewership has increased. Combined on all platforms just shy 50k views. And over 200 subs. To me it seems like pennies compared to more popular artists, but I do it for fun and a hobby.
So far people tend to comment more about my main OC if its character wise and her love interest. They love how I design his wings.

[IndigoShirtProd]

Not really a thread where dropping the links to your stuff is appreciated.