Jul 2015
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Jul 2015
Jul 2015
SpavVy
Jul '15

I have a few, it's okay to want to share your comic but whatever you do please do not go one other user's profiles to advertise your comic to them and don't do it on their comics either because it's rude, I've seen people do that and it makes me want to reach my hand through the screen and strangle them. Advertise in places where it's appropriate like the forums! But only do it in the right topics obviously, there are plenty of shameless plugins like this one for example- Comics with under 100 subscribers

Here are some threads that I have made that are also pretty good for this.
Show off your OC's!
Your biggest dreams or goals as a creator?
Post your thank you drawings!2
I'm guessing you don't have a thank you picture for your readers since your new here and not all the creators on Tapastic give these out to their new readers but if you ever make one in the future feel free to post it there!

UzukiCheverie
Jul '15

Don't expect gold after a day. It could take you weeks, months, even years to build up a fanbase, get a decent amount of subscribers, and start making a profit off your stuff. I know it sounds like something most people might know (and maybe it doesn't), but most threads from starting creators here (aside from the introductory "hi I'm new!" threads) are threads asking why their comic isn't popular, but their comic in question has only been up for like, a few hours or a few days.

If you've entered the comic business thinking you're going to be striking gold and making millions, you're in the wrong business. Making comics is amazing. It's rewarding, fun, and a great way to meet new people, make new friends, and learn new techniques when it comes to your own art. HOWEVER, it can be very discouraging and tough to make it through if you go into it expecting to be the most popular person after only two comics and a few hours of being up.

Don't be the person who hates being in this business simply because they set their goals too high right off the bat. Be the person who's in it for the love of comics first, and the business second. When it comes to this business, unless you have a tight portfolio under your belt and you aren't someone just breaking into it (which 99.9% of them are) if you manage to make enough money that you can live off them, consider that a bonus. Do it for the love of comics first and foremost, and then worry about the business later when you've actually started to build a fanbase.

Just do it /rides off into the sunset

14 days later
heterodont
Jul '15

Welcome!

Readers like comics that update on a schedule, but by no means do you have to feel restricted to one!
If you do decide to update by schedule, It's often a good idea to create buffer - meaning that you make updates/pages ahead of time. It's not exactly a requirement and sometimes it might be a pain, but it lessens stress of updating because you already have a page set to upload.

Speaking of, don't stress yourself out over having to update! As @UzukiCheverie stated, do it for the love of making comics. It's easy to burn yourself out if you're just obsessed with getting as many views as possible and/or making as many pages as possible. In my opinion, the best comic pages are the ones that come out when you want to work on them and not the when you're just dragging your feet because ugh, you have to work on your comic. It's not the end of the world if you decide to take a small break!

MylCreates
Jul '15

When you advertise your comic don't forget you're also advertising your self image. The internet will not simply judge your comic but you as a person and you can use this to your advantage.

Being highly involved in the community, commenting and sharing amongst other comics besides your own not only gets your avatar and your name out there, but heightens your chances of someone clicking on your avatar or link, and finding your comic. People will follow and look at your work if you developed a good reputation amongst the creators and will dedicate themselves to you for the sake of what you represent. Expand your content to other social media sites, Twitter Facebook or Tumblr are good places to start. Twitter even has a group #webcomicchat that meets up online every saturday to discuss and promote eachother's comics.

It's very rare that silent or unreasonably rude creators get a dedicated following.

Some reader-only users around Tapastic have even become quite recognized for their style of commenting and frequency around the site. I'm sure if Tapastic had the option of readers being followable, some of these readers would probably have quite a few followers just for their unique comments and personalities smile