As previously mentioned in the parent post, the current Tapastic Support System conflicts with the needed infrastructure overhaul for the new business model we're implementing for the app. Waiting for a fully integrated replacement would be too much of a road block for us to properly launch the app in a timely manner.
We're still working out the logistics of how locked content will be preserved. More details to come.
We'll be giving a more detailed outline for when we'll be phasing out Support soon. It will be a gradual progression to help as many supporters transition to newer platforms for crowdfunding. As for notifying Supporters, we'll be notifying them via e-mail but we encourage our creators to get in contact with their supporters to let them know.
Ad revenue will stay the same.
Might even see some improvements.
The novels won't be available for the web version of Tapastic so the only way to read them will be on a mobile device. I totally understand where you're coming from - reading pure text on a laptop is kind of straining (at least for me). But I feel like the way we'll be deploying novels is really interesting and very conducive to the mobile experience.
Engagement is a concern for me as well. One thing about Tapastic is that we've always been able to grow our engagement (comments, likes, shares, and subscribes) month over month and it's been a huge draw for a lot of creators. However, interacting with novels is something quite unique. We hope that we can build healthy engagement around novels to maintain that kind of culture on Tapastic (mobile). We are also encouraging a lot of the creators of the novels to participate in fan engagement.
The normative behavior for novel consumption is going to a book store or getting an e-book and just reading through it. There's very little interaction with the creators of the work unless you write them an e-mail or find them on twitter - even then, it's a little removed. We hope to revitalize engagement by imbuing novels with the same type of engagement behavior we see for our webcomics.
We will be spotlighting campaigns in a pretty big way. More info soon! Urgh, sorry I have to keep saying more info soon.
Yes, our new business model will be the main cruxes of how we generate revenue for creators on the app.
I want to emphasize that these changes are for the mobile apps only and that the website version of the Tapastic will NOT be seeing novels integrated in the foreseeable future.
Sorry, I'll be posting responses periodically. And I wanted to do them in chronological order so it might be a while before I get to responding to the most recent posts.
We're also scheduling a livestream, will be including a form soon.