The problem with popular visibility. ( A discussion of new way to be discovered )

[GoldenPlume]

thinking about it they have no reason to do so

Right. Popular creators have achieved market saturation on Tapas. It would be different if they are trying to reach readers outside of Tapas ("external marketing") but within there's just no point ("internal marketing"). They're more than welcome to make the ad spend, but their subs count wouldn't really change much vs. someone who is just starting off and could gain 100s to 1000s of subs from the spend. Popular creators would benefit more from using something external like Project Wonderful.

[apenguin]

Someone might have already said this...

As a reader I was very sad to see how hard it was to find lesser known comics as I love to read these. I think there are actually many of us who'd like to read lesser known comics!

This could be easily solved by providing an advanced search-bar where you could search with key-words/genre and be able to sort the results in alphabetic order/popularity or sub-count??? And also choose if you want to read an ongoing or finished comic!

[LordVincent]

This!! The search function needs improvement

[Lani]

Id like to see (the return of?) subgenres.... I struggle a lot with placing my work into the right genre- simply because I think it fits into several categories! I think it would be great to be able to search several genres at once, so you'd get a better idea of what you're looking at! (And let's face it, a name, thumbnail, and single genre don't give that much info at first glance)

[scroll]

This has already been said, but I would like to see an improvement on the search and an added "suggested" feature.

One way you could improve visibility by suggested titles (If you liked this you might also like these comics) is adding standard tags. So besides the custom made tags we now can set (and are searchable but only one at a time), there could be a LARGE list of standard tags that creators can check according to what suits their comics. From these tags automated suggestions can be generated matched against what comic the reader is currently following.

Perhaps readers can even submit what tags they want to follow, and as soon as something is published meeting the preferences there will be a recommendation.

Also, the search needs improving to be able to narrow down a search. I don't just want everything that is "sport" I also want "sport +vampires" possible excluding "sport +vampire -music".

[amingv]

RE: Suggested lists.

Has anyone noticed this (new?) functionality in the app before? (Don't know if it's actually new, but I hadn't seen it before nor do I remember it being announced. It can be reached by checking a series description from within the app, so kinda hidden.)

No idea what criteria is used to feed the list and it's kind of a mixed bag right now (some series get no results, others only get results from the same artist) and it seems to be app exclusive; but going by the interest in recommendations some people seem to have here, it could be promising.

[alexolguinerpel]

It's pretty unfair, certainly, but it works as life. The most popular people have it easier. I say we just burn all the populars and then go to eat some enchiladas.
And also, the concept of helping readers to find new content which is not from the popular users is a great idea.

[scythe]

Don't know if this has been suggested yet, but I think this site should pretty much just base the way it operates off the Youtube model.

This would mean:

• If you're not logged in, the homepage would show popular and trending updates/episodes. Updates/Episodes, not comics.

• When you're logged in, the homepage would be an arrangement of updates based on what you like and who you're subscribed to. So a mix of suggestions and videos from subscribers.

• Creators need to be able to make nice big 'title images' for each update, which they can make as enticing and clickbaity as they wish.

• Once you click on one of those irresistible update images, you'll get the episode, PLUS a long list of suggested/similar updates in a dedicated area on the side (or underneath for mobile). Of course, you'll also get the option to read the next or first episode in that particular comic.

• A proper search function needs to be implemented, so people can search for updates/episodes according to the keywords, titles and descriptions creators put on those updates.

At the moment, this site is pretty much acting as a hosting aggregator for thousands and thousands of effectively standalone comic sites. Three suggested comic thumbnails at the bottom of an update isn't cutting it.

Imagine if on Youtube when you searched for something or were on your homepage, all they ever showed or suggested to you was the channel thumbnail instead of the actual videos themselves?

Well, you don't have to imagine it coz that's pretty much what we've got.

[Hodge]

I know back in manga they would publish a one-shot from a new creator in a volume of an already established series. I know there are both bigger and smaller creators on this forum, so maybe we could work something out here. If I had a bigger audience, I'd be totally up for advertising a smaller comic that I thought was good.

[NeonKnight]

you are the kind of reader im looking for!, my comic new and unseen, also i make chapters with 20-40 pages each time, so it gets no attention at all. If it is good its up to you, https://tapas.io/episode/651018

[NeonKnight]

Sadly i think the site is after money above all, so it need a flagship of some kind to make publicity, that is why they keep making bigger the big ones, to drag the attention of peopĺe outside the site and make good old marketing.

[GoldenPlume]

Tapas has to turn a profit, unlike other sites like LINE Webtoons which is subsidized by Naver. Ads alone are not enough to keep Tapas going so they have to push to sell premium series. Without this income the site would eventually close like Inkblazers. No one around here wants that result.

And yes, the site benefits from making certain series super massive. If Sarah's Scribbles hits 1M subs on Tapas, for example, that's good for publicity to help grow the reader base. More readers benefits everyone because most readers read more than just the top 10 on Tapas.

[LordVincent]

I think some people are forgetting in general that the people running Tapas need to put food on their tables.

Also lolwat, "burn all populars"? If comics with 40k+ subs like Sara's Scribbles, AMOLAD, GamerCat and Silent Horror pack their stuff and leave or uhm... get burnt, then the many many many many dedicated fans they have will eventually leave with them. We need those guys.

[DaveStankoven]

Nooo don't pick a fight. He was joking. Essentially saying let's just give up.

No one is forgetting they need money. This wouldn't take away from momentary series. In fact would make more series more ad profitable

[GreenSpleen]

Goodness gracious you speak truth! I have been feeling this way for a long time. While I do not like to compare myself to others, I undoubtedly know that my comic has more potential that has not yet been reached because of this invisible barrier. Popular comics will remain popular as long as they are sitting in the spotlight positions of the site + app!

Can there be a way for smaller comics/creators to be seen more frequently besides the 'Fresh' tab? I don't think audiences will be disappointed! If a new concept is designed for this awesome website and app, then communities like mine will grow along with others who may deserve it after the hard work they put in.

[GreenSpleen]

This has been on the minds of newer creators for quite some time but if people jump on this train, maybe something can be done. I see Tapas a few years from now being even bigger with Novels thrown into the mix, but overall improvements to provide a balance for artists are long overdue.

Pretty please with a cherry on top let's make magic and give all series a chance.

[silencelibrarian]

agreed, anyone who post their comic here should not complain if tapas need revenue cos tapas need to pay the bills to host these millions of comic here.

I think the idea of creator buying ads is a good one
cos the popular creator don't have the need to do this but the less popular with a bit of change can buy ad in the popular creator for exposure
but the person buying should be able to choose which series the ad displayed, not random

[NeonKnight]

Making money is not a bad thing, but the tapas team could make two groups, the marketing one and one for the site, the day the big series end, they will get nothing, make more "big ones" from time to time and get a healthy income and a growing site with fair rules, plus it will never run out of money.

[shaylafarley5]

To me the home page should be reversed. Like the new comics at the top, the just updated in the middle and the staff pick and popular at the bottom.

[LordVincent]

...Popular are already on the bottom tho?