I would rather have a few readers who comment then a bunch of subs (Grateful for everything tho). Anyone else?

[mossiroots]

I was just thinking I'm super psyched about my plot/story. I SEE the drafted pages/panels of whatever chap I'm working on. And I just think "I wish someone liked it enough to invest a little?"

I mean I'm totally grateful for every view like and sub. I mean I get it, my art is blah~ my coloring is bad. All I all I only strive to be a storyteller and I'm just still working hard to find a medium to tell stories in.

BUT my storytelling love comes from being an old DM, and bonding with childhood friends (That lasted) over making stories for them and their characters.

GUYS I had an epiphany. The interaction I miss was when other people were invested in a character (cause it was theirs).

ANYWAY anyone feel the same way/ similar??

[gemios321kronx]

i'm the same when it comes to my art, i'm not the best at drawing but i love storytelling and worldbuilding and that's what got me into making webcomics. It's really hard to find people who genuinely wants to read your story as a small content creator. I want to build an audience of people who genuinely cares about the story as much as i do.

[Scarlet_Cryptid]

Oh my god yes. It was never a popularity contest, for me. I don't care if I have 1000 subscribers if none of them comment. In fact, my fondest wish for my story/characters is to someday be at a table at an artist alley con, and see someone cosplaying one of my characters. I know how much love and time and money and work goes into cosplay, and I think I could die happy if someone cared that much.

[TheOddFungi]

Ugh, I totally feel that same on that. I would cry if I saw someone cosplay one of my characters. Like, literally melt into a puddle of tears on the floor.

[gemios321kronx]

the first time someone drew my main character i got emotional

[TheOddFungi]

Me too! I've gotten a few pieces of "fanart" over the years. It's such a crazy feeling that someone would take time to draw my characters.

[FafasMcMelt]

I mean, yeah everyone loves comments, but I've been at the other end of this enough times to know that "no comments" doesn't equal "no enjoyment". Sometimes you love a story, a chapter, or even a page, but you don't really have much input to it, and you've said enough times that you enjoy the story, so you feel it would be tiresome of you to repeat it.

I'm grateful when people comment of course, that's what I want. But I know I should not get bothered even if they don't. A like is still a like, and even just the read is engagement already.

[Scarlet_Cryptid]

There's truth to this, but sometimes it's hard to tell if there is enjoyment if there's no interaction. I have over 300 watchers on my Deviantart gallery (which is far and away my oldest art-posting site) and it's rare that I get more than a handful of likes on anything, and maybe one of those people ever actually comments. Are the rest of those watchers still around? How many are bots or something? Are they still watching because they haven't bothered to un-watch? I don't know!

It just feels like shouting into a void until someone replies, you know?

[Tamachii]

Totally agree.
it's better to have a dedicated, loyal following that's small than a large, nebulous and largely detached fandom.

[EncryptedWriting]

Can't agree anymore. I rather have engaged readers who are willing to hype me up rather than quite ones.

[mossiroots]

Omg, i would too! (hasn't happen yet for me lol).

[mossiroots]

YES exactly this. My paranoid self is like "they are just to lazy to unfollow" OR "they are only following out of pitty"

[Scarlet_Cryptid]

I sort of have this on a different forum. I'm part of the old (old...) City of Heroes fandom, and I'm drawing a fan comic in that setting and posting it in the art section of a fan forum. I have about four people who watch it, and they're so engaged with it that I've put all of them in as cameos during one scene, including one that's turning into a running gag. It's a level of creator/reader engagement that I've never had anywhere else, and they're 99% of what's keeping me making that comic.

[nathanKmcwilliams]

Uh...yeah that's nice and all...but I'd rather have readers who buy my merch, or tip me XD

[mossiroots]

OMG that actually never crossed my mind, even in like my dreams lol but ummmm im not that skilled >.> But i hope you all the best <3

[Rhonder]

Big agree, engagement is king and as an author nothing is better than comments (and especially consistent comments from someone following along every step of the way )

The main thing that sub numbers are nice for, I think, is like... "social proof", I guess? The concept where people are more likely to give something a try that they see that other people accept or enjoy. Like, in theory the cover and summary should be the most important factors driving someone's decision, but I think "social proof" potentially plays a role too, for some people at least.

[mossiroots]

Super good point. Do you think views/ likes play into that as well? I worry cause like my view number goes up but the subs are stuck below 10 lol (and ofc that could be I'm just NOT GOOD, but ill handle that rejection later haha)

[Rhonder]

I'm not entirely sure, especially since it's such a loose conceptual thing. It all probably goes together? In my experience while reading though I think the Sub number is the main one that I look at, if any. But as someone who also makes my own I try not to let that bias my decision to try something out 'cuz I know how it is

Subs below 15 (on Tapas at least) is a rough range because for whatever reason the app doesn't show them on the "Fresh Updates" section @ u@;; Comic can still be searched and viewed on the app (as long as it abides by the other app guidelines) but since Fresh is the main natural source of traffic when starting out... it's an unfortunate handicap.

[mossiroots]

@Rhonder
well you done did me a learning. lol Thank that's good to know.

[Kaydreamer]

I definitely feel the same! Numbers are great, it's nice to know so many people are reading and enjoying my work, but I thrive on those comments. I love knowing how attached people are becoming to my characters. That they worry about them, that they laugh at their jokes.

Best of both worlds would be a big audience with an active Patreon base who love to comment and discuss stuff in a Blue Star Rebellion discord or something, buuuuuut... that's a bit of a fantasy, haha. Maybe in the years to come!