Is the current Tapas app less friendly to independent creators?

ericsalinas149 2018-07-31 07:29:26 UTC #21

I've been seeing several threads on the forums complaining how Tapas doesn't support the small independent creator. Allow me my 2 cents and add some perspective.

I started posting on GoComics Sherpa after I ventured off my own personal website. For those that don't know, GoComics is the site of syndicated comics like Garfield and Peanuts. It is a site free with banner ads, or ad-free with a modest subscription fee for users. For wannabe cartoonists, there was a service called Sherpa. It was like an internship. You could post on the same site with the professionals. Readers went to the site for their favorites, but hopefully stayed around long enough to discover your fledging comic strip.

However, Sherpa wasn't free. Cartoonists had to pay $10 a month for the opportunity to be there. The money went to the webmaster and other overhead costs that was needed to keep the site running. In 2015, I figured 'why not?', it was the same price for running my own website.

Now I am on Tapas, Webtoons, and Smackjeeves which are all free for users. So we don't get promoted by the administrators and it is hard for the little guy to stand out. But no one owes you promotional or advertising services on top of not charging you for hosting service. At least Tapastic has forums for self-promotion and cross-promotional threads. It is our job to gain and keep our subscribers; no one else. Don't complain that the free site to use doesn't also cater to you, is all I'm saying.

This wasn't directed at anyone in particular, so I hope no one takes offense by my opinion.

monotone_ink 2018-07-31 07:49:26 UTC #22

Have you tried typing out your comic's title in its tags? I find that comics are harder to find unless you do that. If you have though, this might just be an app-side thing.

Pandastrophic 2018-07-31 10:09:00 UTC #23

I don't think the reason people are complaining is because Tapas isn't promoting them specifically, nobody is expecting free promotion. the issue is mostly about how the 'community (free) comics' as a whole is hardly featured on the app which causes other issues including the fact that some new readers might think Tapas is just payed content which might lose potential readers who can't pay. The fact is it wasn't like this before and with every update it feels like its being pushed further back and further hidden away which is why people are worried.
People are complaining not because their comic isn't being advertised on Tapas it's because the community comics is genuinly hard to find on the app missing out on at least 90% of comics and novels on Tapas.

Tapas has said that they'll improve on the visibility of community comics in later updates, so they're aware that this is an issue, so I'm hoping for the best.

elenakerk100 2025-08-29 15:09:54 UTC #24

I might be the newest person to reply here but I got to agree with you. You are absolutely right to be worried. Tapas is very unfriendly when it comes to new authors especially novel authors. New authors have ZERO visibility and there is a subscribers threshold. They won't give you any visibility and somehow expect you to have subscribers from the beginning and if I am not wrong the threshold is ABSURD---150-200 subs, WITHOUT ANY VISIBILITY. If you are looking to publish your work and gather readers organically---This is not the platform for you. They push their original comics and premium author works to the front and do not bother with any new author's comic and novels.

That said, if you already have a small community or fanbase from other platforms, then you can go for Tapas. But if you are absolutely new and trying to get visibility for your novel or comic, it is best, if you DO NOT consider Tapas. Maybe try other platforms, and build a fanbase and then come to Tapas.