Posting Different Comics In your Comic?

Pandastrophic 2020-03-04 10:01:15 UTC #22

I think you should just ask your readers directly? Or post it anyway and see how it turns out...

I personally wouldn't do this, i feel like it clutters the comic updates, if someone is binge reading my comic this sort of random comic between seasons is weird.

To be completely honest, I can't speak for all readers, just my experience with comics that did this sort of thing, I don't like these sorts of extra stories, I would "Mark as read" The comic for a few months till the hiatus is over. The problem with updates on Tapas is there is no way to tell if the comic that updated is back from hiatus or if it's another page of this other random comic in the comic you actually want to read, like you can of course make sure to mention when the original comic will be back but even then people forget, click your new update, then be disappointed it's not the original comic. or "Mark as read" even past the point you're back to updating regularly.

Lummy 2020-03-04 12:16:53 UTC #23

I think what @Kelheor did is a little bit different from what you are doing (unless I misunderstood you)
Her story was similar to the main story, and had a connection to the second season.
While yours, is completely unrelated.

I know that I and most people that I know, wouldn't like it.
When your readers subscribed, they subscribed to your series, and now that you give them something completely unrelated it gives the same feeling as filler episodes that people will skip/get frustrated and leave. (This is just my opinion)

But of course, there is no definite 'this won't work', or 'this will work'
Just, know the pros and cons of each of your options, and do what you think is best (:

Kelheor 2020-03-04 12:23:33 UTC #24

Well, the thing is that it can be read as a stand alone and not connected to the next season (until you see the reference in the season). It's not vital or anything. But yeah, I had cold feet making and posting it, since I was so very afraid all readers will leave =) And it took me 4 updates to publish it too. But I really wanted to do it )and we will do such a story in between of every season I believe), and it seems people liked it, so now referencing it in the second season is something like a bonus.
So I definitely get your point that readers may not get it and just leave, not waiting for next season, especially if the next season is somewhere far away

Lummy 2020-03-04 12:36:16 UTC #25

It really depends on the person who is reading it in the end.

The most important thing (and the problematic) with those stand alone series, is that it needs to be at the same level/quality of the main story or better.

Since if people decide to read it, they will actually expect the same standards.

At least, this is what I think. One of my favourites shows got a second season, but it was more of a stand alone show with a whole new casting and plot. And expect from the location of the story it didn't have any connections to the original season 1, and sadly the plot didn't live to the expectations and I and most of the people who I know that watched the show stopped.

And it is also the problem with sequence movies, that sometimes they can't live to the standards that the first movie set.

So basically, you can't know if you are going to fail or success in this. Just gotta be careful

And what I meant by similar. Is that you said it had the same vibe/genre as your main story.

BlueWorldComics 2020-03-04 16:34:59 UTC #26

Definitely a good alternative to just posting it and seeing what happens. I did think of making an announcement beforehand as kind of a warning, but straight up asking first is probably a better way to essentially accomplish the same thing.

What are some examples? I'd like to see how they did it and if there's room for improvement.

I plan on checking her's out, but to clarify, it has a similar vibe, artwork, genre and all that. And spoiler alert (lol), it takes place on another planet, much like the main story... Let's just say any Skyman subscriber has space travel to look forward to, and Easter Eggs are fun.

What are some examples of it being done badly?

Lummy 2020-03-04 18:06:09 UTC #27

Fillers episodes in famous anime, I always hear my friends complaining about them.
Or sometimes stories about side characters that are too long, they are a part of the main story but they don't affect the plot really so people get bored of it.
Those examples I gave are things that aren't that related to the main story, and people usually don't really enjoy them. But of course, if it is really well done then there are always expectations (:

BlueWorldComics 2020-03-04 23:15:23 UTC #28

I'd say this is a different kinda thing. You're actually watching the show, it just so happens to be noncanonical and usually pretty silly.

This would be more like a new, one-off show filling the time slot of the old show between seasons... If that makes sense lol