Lack of Engagment How To Stay Postive?

efdvorsky 2015-12-09 01:23:01 UTC #7

Something that helped me too is making a facebook page, I have a descent number of followers and less than half are people I actually know--so that caught me by surprise. Also getting an Instagram for your phone is loads better than posting on tumblr, I've noticed.

I only posted 8 WIPs and gained a faster following than all the things on tumblr. (Which i don't update as much, but it showed how there's people openly looking for artists' work)

The idea is to find something a lot of people use but also have the community: you post webcomics on tapastic because people here WANT to read webcomics. Instagram is much the same, aside from taking photos of food, there's a pretty big artistic community there, and as for facebook, almost everyone has one and all they have to do is click like.

So stay positive, and try to reach out via other sites and alternatives. I've heard twitter's great too but I personally can't seem to get into it.

PS, this is the most inspirational topic I've read so far, so thank you.

demthorshie 2015-12-09 01:24:32 UTC #8

I pretty much agree with what everyone else has said in this thread. It can be extremely difficult to even continue working on a comic when there is lack of engagement. I've been doing comics for quite some time and what has helped me during down times was sharing my comic pages with friends, especially on pages i've spent 24+ hours on! You kind of make it an effort to make sure 'someone' sees the page if you've put in the effort xD!

I actually experience the same thing as you on DA, but that might be because I only post things a few times a month on there. I think getting a lot of exposure on any platform just takes time, unless some big celebrity comes along and shares your work or something. It took my 2 years for my second comic to really take off, it was about 100+ pages in at that point.

phen 2015-12-09 02:09:47 UTC #9

Oh yes, dA has definitely dwindled down in the interactivity field recently. I'm thinking the novelty's worn down. Kids online grew up around it and it's not as fresh and intrepid as it once was. Tumblr removing their reply system certainly hasn't helped pick up the slack but that platform was never very helpful for new artists. So... I feel engaging others is a lot more difficult now even when you extend a hand.

That being said, getting face-time with someone you know is KEY! Once I graduated and moved, I didn't have friends to show/talk to about my art. So I finally turned to my brothers, which was really hard because they tease me a lot about my cartoons, hah^^ But it was worth the nervousness! Now I'm getting (hilarious) feedback from a third party and it's helped my confidence loads. Plus, you can whine around about not getting much of a response without the guilt of appearing whiny online! X]

PotooGryphon 2015-12-09 02:42:02 UTC #10

Yes, a very common feeling of dread when a post doesn't receive the same amount of reciprocated love that you put into making it.

My solution is I tend to try to forget about things once they're posted and I'm done advertising it all over social media, I stop thinking about it and start working on the next page to post. I, of course, will respond to comments and interactions that I do get from it, however, I don't let myself get wrapped up in it. I have too much work to let that happen haha

However! There are also ways and methods that artists can use to make themselves more appealing to engage with. I explored the concept a little bit in the first post of this thread.

The question is also brought up in this thread post too with lots of great advice:

I agree that Deviant Art has gone down hill, many artists are abandoning their profiles, and engagements are quite terrible there, but I think Tapastic yet again excels in this area. Interactions on Tapastic are great with so many happy positive readers that it's the main site I focus my efforts on for really having fun and being engaging.

Each site has their own social norms. Tumblr is more of a blog site so beyond likes, reblogs, and the occasional short comment string, it's also not the site for engagements for me. It's more of a place to post art process posts, WIPs, extra sketches, a few update links, etc.

This is another one of my favorite forum posts on building a social media presence you might find informative:

Tentakustar 2015-12-10 15:43:11 UTC #11

This reminds me of an old Topic I has a while back.
@shazzbaa mention something that almost sounded like this. it some how sounds nice to hear it again! I recall her saying it takes time to make a new "friend" which in this case is comics. having this mentality sounds really awesome! thanks for bringing something like this up! I guess why it's finally gotten to me is because I've been on DA for years and things only started to pick up around 2013-2014 only to be shot back down again in 2015. DA was the only site then I was active on! and as a result, it backfired and now with these other sites I have to clime back up again.

Tentakustar 2015-12-10 15:45:58 UTC #12

lol I see. I have done the same with my brother and sister also. I decided to also post this because I know that im not the only one in this situation either. so my hope is this post will help others out as well!

Tentakustar 2015-12-10 15:54:10 UTC #13

@starsyscomics

The funny thing is that I have this mentality. but it when things start to get too rough I completely forget. and talking about ti really helps out a lot! I told someone this before, but I think feeling really got to me now because i've been on DA for years and things only picked up around 2013-14 and got shot back down in 2015. it was the only site i was active on. so im pretty much starting over again...

@shazzbaa I have been talking to my friends about it so it does definitely help! it's this feeling of being behind. and i'm not sure why that bothers me so much. possibly because i've been thrown back because of DA.

@demthorshie

yeah... the thing is im totally aware of this! and I know it and im usually very patient too! but as i've told everyone else. I think I started to feel this way because of DA. I know things take time and it takes time to build an audience. that it could take years and totally fine with that. I think what's happening is i keep thinking about how i've been set back. 2013-14 were the best years I had on DA. it's changed so much and its pretty much a ghost town. so here I am starting on other platforms starting all over again. and I think because of this... i feel so behind...

@CyndiFoster whooa! I super appreciate this! I'm hoping this thread can help out others too! thanks so much for sharing these!:)

Warpedwenger 2015-12-10 20:09:59 UTC #14

Above all remember that as an artist you create because it is fulfilling to you. You have to have a burning desire to create and let it out. The audience will come.

Vikiro_Hop 2015-12-10 20:28:45 UTC #15

Like everyone said it's tough, some content quality aside will just be more engaging than others. I just keep making stuff, if the last thing I made didn't get the response I like then I'll just move on to the next thing.

Make the kind of work only you can make and it will get out there.

Aspie_Gamer 2015-12-11 00:17:41 UTC #16

I go out of my way to engage with people I follow who may or may not be a follower of my comic. Offering guest comics (if they want them) isn't a bad way to not only help yourself, but also help the person you like as a creator here on Tapastic.

carloswebcomic 2015-12-11 03:32:57 UTC #17

If you want engagement from them, you're going to need to engage them first.
People don't care about your burning passion to tell a story or how much work you put on a page, they want to know YOU'RE TALKING TO THEM.

For example, one way I drive interaction is by placing Easter eggs in my comics. Little hidden things that address the reader directly like a sign somewhere where I ask them if they want a coffee or little in-jokes that break the fourth wall so they are aware that the comic is self aware and that it is talking to them directly, not the nebulous internet.

If you simply tell them a story, they will sit there, quietly. If you address them directly and talk to them, they'll answer back.

phen 2015-12-11 04:11:42 UTC #18

The mysticism dispelled in breaking the ice, perfect! This is precisely how to be genuine in an approach with someone. The fluffy, rose-tinted lens of "my passion will get me seen" doesn't necessarily work if you aren't passionate about work in its whole which includes the people you're showing your work to... which I never even considered until recently! All by stepping outside of yourself, outside of your work. Give 'em something to talk about! X]

demthorshie 2015-12-11 05:41:08 UTC #19

To be honest with you, i've had similar experiences over at DA within recent years. I think it might have been because of all the changes they've made since before this year. I did notice that things I post on DA don't seem to get as much traction as they used to.

Don't worry, I can definitely relate to how difficult it is to feel like no one is seeing your work, it's absolutely frustrating. Don't give up the good fight though. Like anything, you rarely see good results in the first couple of months. The only solid advice I have for you is to keep pumping out art! The more stuff you have floating around the net, the more likely you are to be found, always remember that

Also, as Warped stated above, first and foremost, you need to be creating comics and art for YOU. If you are truly passionate about your work and you love doing what you do, your passion will resonate with others.

keii4ii 2015-12-11 09:54:53 UTC #20

This is true for a good number of people, INCLUDING viewers who are creators themselves. But here's the flipside: if you had to ask, can you really expect the response to be as genuine or enthusiastic as an unsolicited response? This is the biggest factor that holds me back from asking. I don't want to make people feel pressured to say nice things about my work. Not saying solicited responses can never be genuine... but ehhh.

Another worry is that if my comic is just pages and pages of uninteresting stuff that's just required to be there for the good parts to make sense, is it really worth reading -- ESPECIALLY to people who don't even know whether the good parts are ever gonna happen?

lizm 2015-12-11 10:28:26 UTC #21

I think my points may have been a bit too vague; when I said that I "had to ask" I didn't actually ask my friends for feedback, I just told them I've been working on a comic. A good number of them didn't say anything at all, which is also an obvious message--but the ones that did give positive feedback most definitely weren't doing it out of obligation, but that's just me talking about people I know. Depending on how you ask and how well you know the people you're asking, I'd be inclined to agree that their answers may not be genuine. Though I also believe that the author's attitude is an important factor; if people know you have confidence they will give you different feedback than they will for someone who's constantly going on and on about how unsure they are about their own work.

If a comic is plot-driven and needs some time to really get character development and the storyline going, that's obviously not an excuse for pages before the "good parts" to lack substance. I wasn't trying to imply that a successful plot twist magically makes people talk about a comic even if everything else is boring, but rather that the author always has a stronger attachment to the characters and that they see things in the dialogue and story that others simply won't--and some of those things are so subtle that giving readers more time to get to know the cast, for example, actually can make a huge difference.

elixiadragmire 2015-12-11 11:13:55 UTC #22

@lizm @keii4ii I think THIS is what your talking about it.

You need the slower, quieter pace to balance the "good parts" (thou we shouldn't label them as good as all of it when it works together is 'good')

IF EVERYTHING WAS ACTION! ALL TIME! ACTION ARGH!!!!!

THATS boring, eat you savouries AND your sweets, helps balance the palette

Tentakelgottheit 2015-12-11 12:07:44 UTC #23

That´s a problem I struggled with lately as well. Depending on what kind of story you´re writing, the people that read it my also differ. I noticed that people seem to be more inclined to comment on fast-paced comedy (like gag-a-day strips) than on more quiet, drawn-out epics.
This of course does not mean that one is better than the other, just that the author has to expect different reactions to different genres.
Just like carloswebcomics said it´s also about engaging the readers. Most react stronger to comic-strips that are close to somewhat real life, because they can relate to that easier.
In my experience, we got the most reactions on parts of "Strayer", when we either used little easter eggs, like special prints on shirts or peculiar things in the backgrounds or when we did complete shorts set in the universe of the story, without them being part of the main storyline.
I think that might be, because it´s easier to react to something that´s completed.

Of course you won´t be able to put that in every story you create and especially for a slower pace it can be quite difficult sometimes to keep the readers engaged.
For such times I think it works best if you remember why you´re drawing and what it is about your story you personally like so much. It can be really uplifting even if others don´t seem to care that much.
I say "seem" because that´s probably exactly it. Some readers aren´t just as vocal, but they probably still read and enjoy your comic even if they don´t comment on or like every page. I have to admit I´m just like that. I read a lot of comics, that I dearly enjoy and I often forget to tell the artists that.
Sometimes it just takes a lot of time to build a readership that is engaged in what is happening in your story.

Besides that I really noticed that people are not that vocal towards works as they have used to be? I´m not sure if that´s just me though.

shaylafarley5 2015-12-11 13:27:29 UTC #24

Wow 700+, I only have 19 and that's motivating me. But it might depend on how long you've been working on just one thing. Sometimes you need to switch it up a bit and work on something else at least for a day or two. Or try drawing something new in different art styles.

shazzbaa 2015-12-11 16:06:09 UTC #25

I think there's a big difference between saying "hey, check out this thing I made!" versus "sooooo what do you think about this thing I made?" I would feel very nervous about asking the latter to someone unless I already knew they were interested, but I don't think the former puts any pressure on anyone.
I've had some friends I showed my comic to, and their response was basically "oh that's neat!" and that's it -- that's all they had to say! I'm probably not gonna go to the "oh that's neat" people for feedback very often, and I don't expect them to read my comic, and that's totally fine. :>

I think the thing is that saying "I haven't gotten to the good stuff yet" doesn't automatically mean "that must mean everything else is uninteresting." Think about someone watching a movie who hits a particular part and yells "OH!!!!" out loud. That doesn't mean they were uninterested for the entire rest of the movie -- but they probably didn't have much to say yet because they were just absorbing it. People not commenting or engaging in a visible way doesn't mean it's uninteresting!

keii4ii 2015-12-11 19:21:44 UTC #26

Of course we don't want a nonstop climax, whatever it may be for the genre. But the setup and cooldown parts of the story should be interesting too. You want the readers to feel a promise for a strong payoff, and you don't want them hanging onto that promise for so long that they get tired of waiting. You want to keep giving them reasons to care.

You're talking about pacing, which is a part of I'm talking about: the overall reading experience.

@shazzbaa @lizm Oh, yeah, we were/are definitely talking about very different cases. I wasn't even thinking about asking people in real life, as nobody in my social circle reads comics at all XD They all know I'm making one, and they all acknowledge that I'm a good artist, but they won't bother reading it (and I wouldn't want them to, unless they actually wanted to check it out for THEMSELVES).

It's true, but there's the rub. There's not many ways to see how well you're doing as a storyteller. I'd be okay with getting very little comments if I knew for sure that my story was deeply, strongly resonating with people, receiving their full attention and staying in their memories (I would STILL love to get lots of comments, but that's secondary). But I'll never know.