Feb 2015
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Feb 2015
Aug 2015
reichekun
Feb '15

Hey guys smiley
I've been into Tapastic for so long that it made me want post my webcomic called Warmer Days right after I finish illustrating the cover.

I was wonder, how do you build your own fanbase? We're not just talking about gaining views or subscribers here. I mean even people liking and enjoying your work outside Tapastic (there are non-users who read Tapastic, right?). And when talking about fanbase again, one of my little dreams is that there would be Tumblr tags in comic or some other things. I'll appreciate every comment~~

  • reicheanne

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    Feb '15

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    Aug '15
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PotooGryphonFriendly Neighborhood Gryphon Rider
Feb '15

Getting into the community, I think might be the best way. Networking and making friends, doing fun activities like Draw Each Others OCs. Visit some of your favorite comics and leave nice comments/feedback that contribute to the page. Visit people's profiles and start a nice conversation. Put on events for your followers like livestreams, or Ask Me Anything character strips, or Ask Me to Draw Anything events. Just overall be engaging and people tend to engage back. Building a network of true friends/fans is the best!

MylCreates
Feb '15

I'd agree with Cyndi. Literally talking to everyone is your best bet. Tapastic emphasizes community interaction which is why not only creators, but readers are highly prized on the site because of the conversations and enthusiasm that they bring smile

SpavVy
Feb '15

Getting into the community is a good along with doing activities like CyndiFoster said. One way I gained many subscribers was by doing speed paints on YouTube, not really doing speed paints of my characters but fan art. I did a lot of Five Nights At Freddy's speed paints which dragged in thousands of viewers and more than 100 new subscribers each month, now I almost have a thousand of them. Aspiring artists and people who just like to watch others draw love speed paints including myself. I like to see what I can learn to help enhance my skills. If you do speed paints of the stuff you like then it should help draw in the people that share similar interests. FNAF is really popular which helped me get noticed, though I wasn't expecting to get that much. Also on DeviantArt I'd suggest maybe putting your art in a lot of groups if you can't do speed paints and engage in the forums there as well. On Tapastic you just need to engage and talk to people but keep it friendly obviously, nobody likes a troll. When you upload the comic just work hard and talk to your readers and respect them especially if they respect you. I've followed some pretty snobby comic artists that were rude to me which made me unsubscribe to them in the past. And finally, don't spam your comic on other people's pages like saying "hey! Read my comic/manga!" I personally find that incredibly annoying. The thank you for subscribing posts with the cute little pictures is fine and a more professional way to advertise in my opinion. The speed paints and deviantart suggestions are good for a little boost but I think you should start with the first commenter's advice since the speed paints won't guarantee on getting you a fanbase.

jonsaintamant
Feb '15

This may sound like a bit much, but today I sent a package of some of my series merch (zines, stickers, bookmarks, etc.) to one of my subscribers in Poland (I'm in the U.S.)! I did it because that particular subscriber has always given supportive comments and seems committed to the series. This subscriber just MIGHT tell a friend (or two) about my series.

So, running with this idea of physically rewarding fans may also take the form of a contest ("Funniest Comment Wins"), but I think it should also be paired with a social networking announcement.

Doubtcent
Feb '15

I've been a creator on Tapastic for about two months now, and I've realized that there are a few things to keep in mind to have some amount of a following:

  1. Promise to upload on certain days, and do your best to deliver.
    This allows readers to have not only an expectation for your comic, but a sort of subscriber-creator loyalty. I promise twice a week, and if I don't deliver on that I apologize and give more than what I promised to catch up.

  2. Reply to most of your comments.
    When I say "most", I mean not "all". Tapastic says you should be involved in your comic's comment section, and I agree. However, to reply to every last thing can bring the thought of desperation to the readers, and you don't want that. There's a balance of how much you should reply, like towards questions or maybe the most inventive comments.

  3. Upload at proper times.
    Unless you promise to upload every day, like HJ-Story or something, upload one comic page at a time every few days, not twenty in one day. What also works is if you are ahead of schedule, schedule your comic's publishing date later on, giving you a bit of time to keep working and the readers something to look forward to.

  4. Be creative and original.
    Despite the fact that many strips here on Tapastic, especially the more popular ones, have a similar sense of humor, don't let that stop you from doing your own thing. It'll help keep your jokes and story-lines original, and even if it's a niche audience, there's no doubt that someone out there might like your comic. If you enjoy how your comic looks, don't change it unless you really want to.

  5. Be involved in other comics.
    I don't really mean collaborations, although those sometimes help. What I really mean is commenting intelligent, meaningful or just funny stuff on more popular comics, but being respectful not to be there to push your comic. Just being there helps other readers to see your sense of humor or personality, and if they enjoy what you say, they just might and see if you have your own comic strip full of it.

  6. Ask for a bit of feedback.
    That little description section is great to get readers involved. Ask a question that adds to your comic to spark a conversation, or perhaps ask for your current subs to share your comic on other sites. Also, similar to what is mentioned above, you can host contests like caption contests, funniest comment contests, or fan-art contests if your subs are creators as well.

  7. Find your niche and help others struggling to find theirs.
    If you have any amount of subscribers, keep distill your skills and style and stick with it. If you don't want to keep doing it start a new series (although starting over can be a drag). Otherwise keep working at it so you find your spot on the shelf. Even if its only twenty, or just ten, those ten are the beginning.
    Many new series never get out of the low tens for subscribers. If you have escaped from that black hole, look for others out there who might need the same amount of help, ask for a mutual subscription and start collaborations, shout-outs, guest comic spots, and other things that not only help them, but can encourage them to keep moving forward and do the same for other missed series.

  8. Make sure your comic is readable.
    When I started, my comic was small and sort of hard to follow. Of course I've improved since then, and I've found better ways to convey the joke I want to explain. Reformatting your comic slightly to fit a down-scrolling fanbase can be hard, but always doable. If your text can't be read, choose a different font or a bigger size for your font. If it's right to left, make sure your readers know that before they even start reading it. Spacing out your comic a little more than you think and cleaning up your lines also helps.

I hope this helps new creators trying to find their place around here. I know it's a lot of work, but not everyone can be those over-night popularity series. Good luck to all.

carloswebcomic
Feb '15

Get into webcomic listings, DON'T blatantly advertise unless you're in a place that's specific to it. Let people gravitate towards you on places like DeviantArt and Tumblr. Update as often as you can and make it look as good as you can. Think about your target audience and for the love of all that's holy, never stop enjoying making your comic. Because if you don't enjoy it, other people won't either.

Take care with webcomic "communities". Sometimes you'll find that there are some very bitter, frustrated people out there that hate seeing others gain popularity and as you probably know, haters are gonna hate.

5 months later
Silerna
Aug '15

I'd say keep sharing your comic on any social media and be as active as you can. Worked for me somehow