Should i stop making my webtoon?

[JamesClover]

I kinda gave up on Tapas i still push stuff out but i saw early on the feedback and engagement was very low as opposed to webtoons. (Which is what i was referring to)

[JamesClover]

That's very true. Maybe i should say id like to hit a goal of at least 1k views a chapter. (Currently around 1700 a month) which pans out to about 400 a chapter. I also don't need 100k subs to feel good getting over that 1k hump would probably make me happy enough to do a season 3.

[crimson_mystery_cake]

It’s ok to feel discouraged and disappointed about your lack of engagement. That’s totally normal and I understand why you would want to stop working on your project if you’re not getting any feedback. It really sucks and I sympathize with you.

Imo I think now is a good time to examine why you want to keep doing this. If you’re main purpose is to just get noticed and bank on making a comic a career, then maybe you should try looking at something else. Know that there is zero guarantee that you will make your money back and it’s best to just cut your losses before you end up sinking even more money into this project. However if your goal is to truly see this vision come to life and to tell a story and money is only a secondary concern then I think you should keep going until you complete the story. It really is luck that decides if your work gets noticed but if you keep updating and if you keep getting your work out there then that just increases the chances of luck smiling on you. Again, no guarantees but from my experience with a consistent enough update schedule you should eventually get eyes on it. I recommend that you try and cut back on the cost of making the comic if necessary though, maybe have less panels per chapter or talk with your artist on ways you could reduce spending. Best of luck!!

[crimson_mystery_cake]

Almost a year in and almost 6k invested between my illustrator and promotions on my end

Yeah I didn’t know you were spending money like that. Now, I’m no financial advisor but all I spend to make my comic is for the subscription to photoshop and even for just that I still feel like I’m paying too much lol. I definitely think you should maybe put a little less into ads or to at least find someone who knows how to make your ads more effective.

[NickRowler]

Something that can help increase viewers is to have your story on different platforms. Each platform pulls in different types of viewers.

While I am personally not at big as you (and I sort of wish I had your size of following), from my personal experience, I have had more success on Tapas. I'm not sure what kind of numbers you are expecting to pull from your series. Having almost 1K in about half a year is pretty good.

However I can understand the frustration that in order to tell your story, you have to hire an artist. I think if you were expecting an instant return on investment, well...I would say that maybe webcomics isn't the best avenue for that. A lot of webcomics are a labor of love, be it time or money, and it rarely one that someone gets super rich on. I think you continuing is you willing to pay knowing full well that you might not get much back.

[JamesClover]

Yeah, it was because my first illustrator was a little more expensive than I had hoped but we clicked and enjoyed working with her. Since then I've been able to pull back on the budget which is nice, I wish I could draw like the rest of you lol. I just wasn't blessed with that talent and I'm older so it's not worth the time especially when I'm being pulled in 4 different directions.

Yeah, the ads are a pain I've even had calls with Facebook on how to better use their platform and its (Kinda) helped lol but not really.

[JamesClover]

Yeah its not about the money if it was id spent all that time and money gambling for a quick return. Its nice to know that something you spend time and love making is out there for the world to see and that brings me back to the point of the post i guess with no engagement i feel like "What's the point" if I cant interact with others about something i love so much.

I'm sure everyone who makes one wants it to be loved like they love it and if it didn't cost anything yeah 100% would do it till i died but since it does cost and i get no feedback its kinda like am i being silly and selfish for spending money on this?

[esmesn]

If I'm being brutally honest, seeking popularity above everything else is a setup for failure. You will never be satisfied with your engagement. You will always compare yourself.

And getting your level of engagement is a dream for many many people.

I understand your desire for growth, of course everyone will have that to some degree, but you should never quit because you aren't getting "fame." If you are having those thoughts, return to your initial mindset. I'm assuming (hoping) that you started this comic because you love to draw. because you love to write. and because, in the end, you are your most important audience. It's about what you like to do. It's about you enjoying your story. It's about whether or not you are having enough fun on your own, discounting all the stress about engagement.

You are an incredibly talented artist. I hope you can grow to see that. I want you to be able to continue this comic, because it's both beautifully drawn and successful, and I want you to accept that. but obviously, if you're truly not having fun, then you shouldn't feel obligated to continue.

If you'd like detailed feedback, you are welcome in the forums always.

[crimson_mystery_cake]

It’s really good that you have an illustrator that you enjoy working with. That’s probably just as important as the art itself lol! It’s good to be realistic about your finances with your illustrator, I’m sure that they don’t want to drain you dry or anything, but I’m sure you already know this.

Have you ever given any thoughts into learning how to draw more? I know you said that you don’t have a lot of time and that you’re being pulled in a lot of directions, but even if it’s just as simple as a 10 minute doodle a day then that can end up going a long way. Me, I keep tiny little blank notebooks around me everywhere I go and I just doodle in them whenever I’m bored. They cost 10 dollars for a three pack and you can get them at most major retailers. I’m not really sure which part of the world you live in but I find most of mine at stores like Target, Office Depot and Barnes & Nobles. Keeping tiny notebooks have really helped me a lot in the art department and I definitely feel like my skills have increased thanks to them.

You mentioned that you aren’t born with any innate talent to draw, and the thing about that is that I genuinely don’t believe that ANYONE is born with any inborn drawing talent. I didn’t learn how to draw until I was 16, and I know that seems young but before I had wanted to draw for most of my life but every time I tried I always would feel like it was hopeless. I still remember when I first started learning to draw something that I actually liked looking at, I felt so proud and happy. I think so long as you are physically able to move a pencil then anyone can learn how to draw, it just takes some patience with yourself. And I know it seems daunting when you see a completed drawing and you think to yourself that you can never do something like that, but you just have to keep in mind that every single last person who has ever drawn anything is a human no different then you, and if they can do it there’s no reason that you can’t. At the very least learning how to draw will help make things a little easier for your artist I can imagine lol

[Rhonder]

I think that this is a sensible question to ask yourself, especially as someone who is commissioning artwork for the comic rather than doing it all themselves. In that way it's essentially a very expensive hobby.

As others have said, unfortunately there's not an objectively correct answer.

On one hand, your comic is performing relatively well in the Webtoons climate. 900+ subs in under a year isn't bad- some grow faster, but many many are way slower than that.

But on the other hand it's absolutely valid to be dissatisfied compared to your expectations- especially when it's not only your time but also money flying out of pocket. If your comic needs to be several times more successful or making some sort of profit to be financially worthwhile to you, I think that's definitely fair!

It's hard for me to give a solid opinion based on my own experiences, since all of my comic projects have only been at the cost of my time. I look back fondly on every work that I've done, whether they be the ones I've finished or those that I've abandoned part way through, because I was able to learn and grow with each of them regardless. But man, if hundreds or thousands of dollars were going into each one I don't know if I could have justified some of them just knowing my own financial situation. Your mileage may vary.

[NickRowler]

"What's the point" if I cant interact with others about something i love so much.

I think what you are running into is what a lot of creators (big or small) struggle with on Webtoons. I think if you want more one on one engagement, I would suggest setting up a media account. Social media can also help with promotion but it is also good to have other fun things on there.

If you want more interaction with other creators on the topic of comic making/creating, I would suggest joining a Discord group.

[fleurravenbooks]

i understand you, i can't really help with exposure tips since im pretty small author, but only thing we can do is promote our work

[JamesClover]

It's less about seeking popularity (Plenty of avenues to be "Famous" those people from IG or TikTok do it to be famous) I do this because I love telling stories and seeing my ideas come to life. I think it was more about money and confidence in the budget outweighing the results. Not that I'm sour about that in any way about those who read and like my comic. I just wanted feedback if my comic was good enough to justify that. (I'm also not asking for Financial advice but what does everyone think about the situation.)

[JamesClover]

Thanks for the positivity lol but I'm one of those people who knows what they can and cant do and choose not to waste time on something that will take years and years when I'm doing countless other things. Example, I'm in the middle of school ( bachelors degree) while taking classes to become a certified English teacher in japan. Also learning Japanese (which is brutal) and being older (Just turned 31) time isn't my friend lol. After the kind words on this forum i think ill continue to push through and make the best of it and enjoy the ride. (Even with the bumps along the way)

[JamesClover]

I joined the new Webtoon Canvas discord but im afraid of just blurting out random things lol.

[crimson_mystery_cake]

It’s good that you want to enjoy the ride. I think that is what’s most important. Also I too am trying to learn Japanese. I am taking classes for it rn. If you ever need anyone to practice with feel free to hmu. As far as time goes I don’t think I’m too much younger than you (I am 25) so I get why trying to learn something new can seem daunting, but when I think about it I don’t have much planned after I finish both my comics so really I think we still have plenty of time. However I get if you feel uncomfortable about the idea and I will not try to push it much further. Best of luck with your comic. From what I’ve looked at it it does seem promising.

[conventurecomics]

I would love to have your the amount of subs and views for my comic. I'm doing my comic for fun and enjoyment, also gaining subs would be very benifitial as well. So I here you.