I couldn't agree more.
That is a very cynical way of thinking. Of course some readers don't care but others do and there are people who are willing to engage in a real way. Look at the countless successful projects on kickstarter.
Honestly after doing this for a year now as time has worn on I've started caring less and less about getting an audience. First and foremost it's about whether or not I, or you, enjoy doing what you do.
I've been studying this a lot myself lately too. I've mentioned it time and time again about the interactions ratio (which borders on relatability) and there are several big factors that come into play greatly to effect to warp stats and perceptive.
Interaction ratio based on comic type
A gag a day due to high relatability to multiple different readers has a WIDER demographic meaning it normally a ratio of 1:3 with a week of upload, so practically everyone who subbed it will interact by view, voting and possibly commenting eg "OMG I do that!"
Romance & slice of life, they tend to get 1:1 ratio, They even get a view at a minimum with a week of upload. That means almost everyone or subbed viewed in it in the first week, a fair few will comment or vote to balance the interact up to 1:1 for missed viewers.
Narrative long form has a ratio of 3:1, so for every 3 subs only 1 will view it in its first week (even a month!), only 10% of viewers will vote, and only 10% of voters will comment.
the difference here are due to HOW the comic engages with the audience, some are highly relatable that they cast a wide net and are easy to share and understand, while others require investment and time. each has its own way of growing and garnering an audience and continue to get exposure, some will get there faster, other will burn slowly.
Now a feature can help and hinder that.
A feature is grand! it brings tons of readers to your door! getting featured can be overwhelming, with joy and anxiety to proof oneself worthy. On an emotional scale, it's different for each. The wave of new subs is encouraging ... and bloody scary but that's not the point. It can raise your profile just a little, after all it's the COMIC that will keep people around AFTER the feature is gone.
But, and there's a but unfortunately. The downside to a feature is 'subscriber bloat' A lot of people will subscribe very quickly when the comic is featured, as a way of bookmarking, 'they'll read it later'. Or at times completely forget about it and never go back, maybe never come to the site again at all! This can throw those stats out the window. Because the growth wasn't organic and grew VERY fast, its hard to judge of whether the feature actually did bring in more readers or did it just raise the sub number? At times, long after the feature when some of the people who subbed it as a bookmark come back, read, then decide it not for them and unsub it again distorts the stats as the unsubbing can almost wipe out the comics post feature organic growth for that week. I mean I wouldn't say no to feature! Don't get me wrong, but be prepared for the stats to go crazy for the next quarter after, sometimes you just have to buckle up and take the rough with the smooth.
when it get to these levels ... its HARD to gauge the audience of a comic, there are so many factors at play! Some times, just going back to WHY you started and enjoying the work and those who enjoy it with you.
This, absolutely. When you get down to it, being passionate about your work isn't merit for people to flock to it. It helps a lot, yes, but it doesn't set you apart in a sea of passionate comic creators. The belief that a comic's popularity should be based on the artist's passion and drive is only going to end up in disappointment.
Like, most people wouldn't buy a bland cake over a fancy one just because the person who made the bland cake tried really, really hard and the recipe was really special to them. It's awesome when a creator is passionate about their work, but most consumers don't base their decisions off that alone. ;d
If you can eliminate "deserves" from your brain when it comes to comics, you'll be a lot happier for it.
I agree with this wholeheartedly, I have always viewed people with this attitude as odd, I don't get the sense of entitlement that goes along with the 'I deserve people's attention and time' mind frame. You don't demand respect you earn it.
I think it's good to remind yourself when you start feeling down about your stats, this is a slow process and theres no guarantee of success. It will take a while for people to find you/your comic and even then you should appreciate that total strangers took time out of their lives to read your comic.
I also have to agree with @genjiOtori your stats won't keep you going, passion and love for your comic will. And people will pick up on that passion, and slowly develop passion for your project too. I know I have subbed to a few comics becuase the author loved their work and was enthusiastic and energetic.
I think another thing to keep in mind is the fact not all people are inclined to comment on comics, etc. I'm a shy person and find it difficult to articulate my thoughts so commenting is not an easy task. But if people like your comic they might support it in different ways, like silently giving it a good rating (on sites like topwebcomics or Webtoons Line) But really it cames back to the point that your audience isn't obligated to interact with you or your comic and you should really just be thankful they are reading to begin with.
Sure! I'm a one-girl-army: I script, I storyboard, I sketch, I ink, I promote. And everything in my free time after my full-time job. Sometimes it's really tough to go through the pain but I'm really grateful that I found this passion and it will keep me going.
OP has made an excellent post. My hats off to them. Anyway, its like what I was saying on a similar thread a few days ago. A person's subscriber count for their comic doesn't accurately reflect the amount of people who are actually reading much less engaging with the author's comic.
As someone who used to overrate some number underneath my profile pic, I feel MUCH better not making the number of subscribers the main focus of my work and having a lot more enjoyment in the projects that I'm currently working on. Since they are my dream comics, I pour out effort more readily (and with more Love and Care) than I ever did with past comics. Of course, having people Genuinely interested in my comic will always be a welcomed aspect of this hobby.
Kickstarter works because people want the product they've been promised after getting your money.
Ever seen what happens when a Kickstarter doesn't deliver on a promise?
People don't say "Gee, it's okay I gave them my money because even though they didn't deliver, they were very passionate about the project and they tried their best."
No. People scream for blood.
There's nothing cynical about this. This is how the world works. You have a few close friends that actually care about you and the rest of the planet could't care less.
I remember reading something about this before, that there is always going to be more views then the actual subs. But I think you make some very good points. and from what I have seen with popular comics, sometimes being they have had more then one going before I see it appear on Trending or staff pick. which means they have some form of a base for an audience, and those people have been working very hard to achieve the status they have. It's remarkable to see how creators are motivated.
even though I may not go and read or favorite a lot of the ones I see on the main page. I admit it's a wonderful thing that those people got put there. and it's an achievement they should be proud of.
I only been around since march I think, so it hasn't been a year for me, but I posted old pages up daily even if it was a giant chapter at a time, it helped with views. but I leveled out and now just do weekly updates at off times I think still I'm happy to gain the small audience I get and the views. Now I don't get many comments (1-2 or non at all) or likes but the daily views seem to level out to the amount of subs, give or take a few over or under. which makes me happy. I draw and write because it entertains me, and I hope it can entertain others as well. I will admit the things I do write and draw seem to be extremely off the edge of normal what it should be for it's genre. but i love each and everyone that stops by, subs or reads.
btw I used to do the rush pages when I was young, just because of the audience I got on a different sight. and looking back at those pages they were awful! and although the story was set there were things where I missed a step, and should of done better. So now I don't force myself and I just do weekly updates. LOL
I admit I am one of those readers that I do sub, I do comment once in a while, and sometimes I like the page. but often I just read the page via phone. it's not like I'm not active in the comic, I sub because I enjoy it greatly even if I'm a quite reader.
In a time where everyone is 'special' and doing anything requires people to praise you. I could see why a lot of people worry about sub count and views. I was consumed with making sure I got views and likes the first 2 months of doing this but I think that is just about anyone who starts this kind of stuff. Especially when this is the golden age for indy creators. Seeing so many people succeed has given others hope and unrealistic expectations.
People can say they only do the comic for them or only started posting it online cause they wanted to. But everyone always has that hope in the back of their minds that they will get popular. Some just have better expectations.
I have only been doing this for half a year and I still have that hope that I will eventually get a large audience but the difference from when I started compared to now is I know it is going to take time. Not just in the sense that I post and wait but in the sense that I post, advertise and socalize. And above all study. Those trying to get popular need to know what that means and need to understand that when all is said and done this is either a hobby or a job.
I might have gotten off topic >.> I think that give people time and most creators find that counting subs and views is a waste of time. The real focus is to improve your comic in any way you can. Focus on writing better, panel latouts, art skill, character concepts, world building. Focus on what you can control and let the things you can't control go.
Things like kickstarter would never function if everybody only cared about their own group of friends. What about charities? There are millions of people sacrificing their time to help others all over the world and they care about people beyond their close friends. Humans have the capacity to empathise with others. An audience is made up of humans which means that some of them genuinely care about your work and others don't.
Yes, but don't think that your readers are there because you're a swell guy. They are there to consume your product. If you had no product they wouldn't be there.
It's all very nice to talk about humanity's ability to empathise, but you're not saving lives, you're making a comic. No child will go hungry and no one will die if you stop making it.
@carloswebcomic I don't think every said that I was saving lives. I was just highlighting the fact that humans can care about things out side of their own lives which means that it is possible for members of an audience to actually care about the creator of a comic.
That is a cynical view. I don't consider the comics I enjoy to be products. When I'm reading a comic I am engaging with a story.
But you are consuming a product. At the end of the day that's all it is. There's nothing magical about what we do. We make entertainment and we hope people like it.
@carloswebcomic
That's your perspective. All I'm saying is that it is a cynical perspective. I think art is the closest thing humans will ever come to performing magic. The fact that stories about things that never happened could make some feel real emotions is pretty magical to me and that's only one thing art is capable of. All art not just comics.