May 2023
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May 2023
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HGohwell
May '23

So, I've been around the forums a while, and I've been around writing communities even longer, and one of the biggest thigs I think all writers (of comics and novels and everything else) need to realise if that your summary is not a quick last minute thing to throw together right before you post. It's one of the things I see most when people ask why they're not getting as many views/subs as they think they should; their summary doesn't work. It's one of the most common pieces of advice here on the forum: if you're not getting the views/subs you think you should, first inspect your summary, cover and first chapter critically.

Your summary is one of the first things people see, it is your sales pitch, use it properly. You'll spend so much work getting your first episode right because your know first impressions count, but lose it on the summary? A slapdash summary can cripple your story, it doesn't matter how good your story is if no one gets in the door.

So, here is some Tapas specific tips (platforms vary a lot on what grabs people's attention based on audience and style) on how to make the most of your summary with the usual disclaimer that not all advice is for everyone and these aren't hard and fast rules.

  • Get on with it. Your summary shouldn't be paragraphs and paragraphs of waffle. If you give an entire world building lecture or your character's entire backstory in your summary, it's probably not a good summary. Keep your summary as to the point as possible. If you can, try to have an elevator pitch: one or two senteces that sums everythig up nicely. This could be your first sentence of your summary, or the way you lure people when promoting, but it's useful to have and helps give a good idea what the story is.
  • Know what the story's core is. Related to your elevator pitch. A lot of summaries talk forever, but don't give a clear idea of what the story actually is. And that makes me wonder if the author knows what the story actually is. Know the core story and do't waste time explaining side plots and subplots, it's a distraction.
  • What is the story and why do I care? One of the biggest things when I go into a summary is lookig for a reason to be invested. Who am I following, what is their struggle/goal/journey. Do they want to be the very best like no one ever was? Do they want to save their family from the golf mafia? Are they body swapping alien sex vampires trying to find a home? Reader conect to chaacters and emotions, not vague concepts and empty world building.
  • Stop being mysterious. Look, I get it, you don't wat to give away your plot twists. You don't want to surprise and get emotions from people, but here their thing: if being spoiled on a plot twist ruins your story, it wasn't a good story to begin with, it was an ok story with a surprise, and no one wants their story to be surprising rather than good. Now, questions are fine, I'm not saying don't ask questions, but ask the right questions. Can they save the world in time? Will they survive? Cool. But if your summary is more questions than summary, it's not a summary, it's an exam. Questions and mystery are not a replacement for plot. I'm not going to read to story if I don't have a clear idea what it is, and if you're going to just ask mysterious questions, I'm not going to read.

So, what should you do? There's some pretty simple tricks, and as before these won't work for every story and every reader, do no treat this like a paint by numbers or rules, but more things to consider when writing your summary.

  • Who is your main character? Readers on Tapas connect to characters and emotions, remember? So, tell me who your main character is. Even if it's as simple as Thomis is an average high school boy or Lyn is an exhausted cat lover. Cool, now I know who I'm going to be following.
  • What do your main character want? This should be related to your story. Saving the world is very vague and nebulus, can't relate. Lyn the exhausted cat lover just wants revenge because the big bad killed her cat so will stop his plans? Way more relatable, I'm on board. Thomas the average high school boy wants to pass his exam because he has pushy parents? Cool, I vibe with that, I've been there, I've done exams. Even if the goal is lofty and big, the reasons why the main character is involved should be personal, that's far more likely to draw people in.
  • What is the main character's journey/what's in the way? What is the main obstacle that your main character will face? And how will they get around it? Is Lyn the exhausted cat lover too exhausted to function so must learn to rely on others around her to help her save the world and avenge her kitty? Is Thomas the average high school student struggling to find the right way to study but ends up befriending a student librarian who will help him? Telling the reader these things up front is often more interesting than leaving off on the question of "whatever will they do???" because, here's the thing, the journey is often more important than the outcome. I'm pretty sure the world won't end and the exam will be passed, that's not the interesting part, the interesting part is learning to trust others or the friendship between two people. So tell me that's in there.

It really can be that simple. Don't over think things trying to be really different and unusual. Summaries are the way they are for a reason. Make sure you read the top summaries of other series in your genres and see what they focus on. Of course, a mystery will probably focus more on the mystery in the summary, while a romance will focus more on who the characters are and their dynamic.

Your summary is one of the first thigs people read, don't waste it by treating it like an afterthought to be thrown together at the last minute before you publish.

Those are my thoughts, feel free to share your own tips too.

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darthmongoose
May '23

Really good advice! So comprehensive, it's kind of hard to add to...

But here's one:

You are not the selling point, your story is. Don't start your blurb with something like, "Errant is a webcomic by Kate Holden." First, we know it's a webcomic, we can see that. Second, nobody cares who made it, they only care if it's good (and we can see your name on the profile anyway). One of the great things about Tapas is that it's all about how good and how well-suited to the platform your comic or novel is, having an established fanbase may help you bring in people from outside, but they already know who you are. The vast majority of people seeing your comic have no idea who you are, and will judge your story purely on how well-presented it is, and how entertaining it is to read. This applies to you, and it applies to any published pro who isn't Sarah Anderson level comics/novel famous. I've worked professionally in the industry for years, but if your comic looks better and has a more appealing story for this platform than mine, you'll get more subs than me. It's a fairer system than people believe, and off-site fanbases don't have a huge influence here.

I've raved a few times about how there's a comic called "BREAKS" on Tapas by Emma Vieceli. Emma freaking Vieceli! She's been a special guest at numerous UK comic events, she did the official graphic novel stuff for Vampire Academy, Jem and the Holograms, Life is Strange, she's done stuff for Marvel.... and when I bring this up, everyone kinda looks blank. If Emma V isn't famous enough for you, a person who probably reads, studies and is interested in comics beyond an average level, to have heard of, do you really think you are so famous that a random 20 year old with a casual interest in comics has heard of you? No, you're probably not, so the fact that you wrote and/or drew it isn't the top selling point, skip it and tell them why it's a good story instead.

cherrystark
May '23

I don't have anything to add I just want to back up Kate's comment.

The people who get this "luxury" have been working for YEARS to earn this right in their field. And the ones who get to keep the "right" have proven time and time again that they can sell. That's why people show up for Wes Anderson, Steven Spielberg, or Shonda Rhimes production - people know the style and quality of work they'll be getting. Adding "From the Twisted Mind of..." or something to that effect to a summary, isn't going to sell me on a story if you aren't Lemony Snicket.

AmysGames
May '23

Definitely some good advice!

I'm a person who's always struggled to figure out how to describe my stories, probably because I have a tendency to get caught up in all the nitty-gritty little details. For anyone like me, I think it can help to take a step back and really try to examine what the core of your story really is about. It also helps to get a second opinion; I've learned a lot from talking about my stories to other people and seeing what they think about it!

I still don't think I'm very good at writing summaries, but I'm slowly getting better at it, haha.

TheLemmaLlama
May '23

I largely still agree with this:

But in essence:

^This. If there's one piece of advice that should work for every story, I think it's this. Even if your story can't fit neatly into a "protag wants X but Y is in their way" format, it should have a core appeal - a reason why you believe it's worth telling. Convey that. (Even if it's a theme or a piece of worldbuilding, if it's the main draw of your story, don't shy away from it. Just don't waffle on too much :P)

darthmongoose
May '23

I agree. That's why I said it's a fairer system than a lot of people sometimes grumble. I see a lot of "hmph, you need a big off-platform fanbase to get readers on Tapas!" being said by people who seem to miss that the reason they're actually struggling is actually either that the quality of their work isn't quite there yet, or the thing they're making isn't well-suited to the demographics and tastes of people on Tapas.

Having a big off-site following can be a correlation, because highly skilled artists who have been working for a while may also have a big following, and will be at a level of creative and storytelling skill that gives them a leg-up on making something that will grab attention, but it's not a causation, as you can see from the many instances of celebrated creators, even with staff recommendations and very professional looking comics to back up their fanbase simply not building traction here (Rest Area 51 and Bloodshot are a couple of unfortunate examples of very professional looking comics by experienced creators with a following that weren't suited to Tapas and failed to build the sort of audience to make them viable). Whatever you make on Tapas, if you want it to succeed, it needs to be legitimately entertaining and attractive, and be something the audience here want to read.

And on my part, I don't think I'm alone in wanting people to read my work because it's actually good, not because they've heard of me. I'm pretty sure most people feel that way, even the ones who use their past achievements and established contacts to market their work. Nobody wants to think that their best work is behind them and now they're just a hack relying on the legacy of something that made them famous in the past.

TheLemmaLlama
May '23

Hm, I want people to like my work because it's actually good, not because they've heard of me. But I don't particularly care about why they picked up my work in the first place. For your work to speak for itself, people have to actually be listening.

I feel like even if you're famous and leveraged your fame to get eyes on your comic, you can tell if people actually liked it because it was good or if it's because you made it by how they talk about it. If it provokes discussion that has nothing to do with you, especially outside circles of fans of your other content, well there had to have been something there to provide the kindling, right?