Updating Schedules?

[DrSketchLines]

Hey there! DrSketchLines here again, asking for more advice from a community that knows far more than I do! I'm a bit new at this...

So i've been grinding out my comic, A Wizard and A Cat, and I found that the standard - 1 update a week - updating schedule is something that I just cannot do. There's so much that I have to take into account. Besides the fact I don't have a team or another writer or colorist to help me with anything, I basically do everything all alone. The writing, the storyboarding, the scenes, the set up, the coloring, the shading. Not to mention the real life circumstances that does happen to get in the way a few times.

So I wonder, how often do independent webcomic creators ACTUALLY update their own comics? Bi-weekly? Monthly? Or do you guys stick to the standard 'one update a week' thing? How I would LOVE to be able to hammer out an update a week, but personally I feel that within that week, I just don't get enough time to write. Fleshing out the stories, motivation, planning the next chapter. Not to mention the dozens of drafts that goes into one single chapter now-a-days, for me at least.

I'd love to hear some feedback to take into consideration on how I work around or along this. I feel I just do not update enough.

[Rei19]

I was an independent webcomic creator about a year ago before I unfortunately lost my stylus pen. However, based on my experience (and from what I observed of others), it's better to have pre-made at least 3-5 chapters before putting your comic out there. That way, you can stick to a regular updating schedule and have more time to draw chapters.

On the other hand, there are creators who do bi-weekly updates. In your case, it would be better to stick to one chapter every two weeks, providing that chapter is just a little longer than average. Or you can post longer chapters once a month. It's up to you. What matters is that you don't post an obviously rushed, messy, or inconsistent update! Just inform your readers of your schedule so that they'll know when to expect the next chapter.

It's difficult when you're the only one doing all the work for your webcomic. I definitely understand that feeling. It's why I suggest that you don't pressure yourself too much. The important thing is to have fun while doing it!

I hope my advice helps, even just a little. Anyway, this is my opinion among many others. I wish you good luck on your webcomic!

[DrSketchLines]

Oh wow... have 3-5 chapters beforehand... I don't know why I've never thought about that! And everything else is such a huge help! Thank you so much! I so appreciate it <3 much love!

[SleepingPoppy]

It doesn't have to be 3-5 chapters, but I agree that the bigger the buffer the better. I take a month plus off between chapters (and usually a one week break mid chapter) to keep my buffer up. I'm in the same boat where it's a full color comic and I'm just not that fast.

The other thing that helps is working in batches. Ex. Four pages of thumbs, four pages of line art, four pages of flats, etc- you work faster when you stay in one mode for a chunk of time verses planning, drawing and coloring one image at a time.

[Kittosaurus]

I am a one woman show who has flown by the seat of her pants for about 9 months now with my comic The Librarian Arachnid Slayer. I update weekly and do not currently have a buffer ( if at all possible always go in with a buffer).

It's tricky - but it is possible. I write a chapter at a time and then I break it into about 4-5 updates depending on the complexity/ available time. (Recently I've had to shorten my updates due to some things that came up in my personal life).

I work 40 hours a week, but I am usually able to use both my 15 minute breaks to work on panels - Now half an hour a day doesn't sound like a lot, but thats an extra 2.5 hours a week that I can now put towards my comic. I also work on it during week nights and weekends. I haven't found the perfect flow, but I am starting to get to the point where I work on my comic Saturday through Wednesday and usually get Thursday/ Friday off.

I have found having a break each week from my comic is important or else it feels like a never ending grind.

Working in batches is also very helpful and time saving!

[borzoiteeth]

Everyone here has established the need for buffer, but I haven't seen anyone address balancing and working to your chosen art style. Different art styles and subject matter in said styles can and will demand different times from you.

If you know you are really good at drawing certain things VS others, you can use that to your narrative and producing advantage. As well as forewarning yourself for when you know a page or an arc is going to take longer because it needs an element you know takes hours more for you to render.

I'm a creature designer generally, but said creatures can get stupidly detailed which can be fine for a single illustration but is not ok for a sequential project. I either have to "water down" my main style or exaggerate into another style that leans into my specialties that will allow me to finish faster. Colouring? Takes forever. How important is it for the story that it needs it? Not needed at all? Fantastic, greyscale or limited colour palette.

Learning how much time it takes for your comic's art + expected updates for your audience should be your set base for your buffer. You then add a bit more on for the unexpected sickness/injury/etc.

As I get ready for my next piece I have to make sure to have a huge buffer simply due to living in a place where I can lose power for a month.

[DrSketchLines]

Four pages of thumbs, four pages of line art, four pages of flats, etc- you work faster when you stay in one mode for a chunk of time verses planning, drawing and coloring one image at a time.

Oh! I actually do have a process like this, currently for chapter 3! I'm glad to be doing something that'd help me out, not only updating but, in giving myself a nice structure to go by, so I'm not blindly going into it, waiting for my car to crash with both hands off the wheel.

I take a month plus off between chapters (and usually a one week break mid chapter) to keep my buffer up. I'm in the same boat where it's a full color comic and I'm just not that fast.

Oh really? I'm definitely going to have to keep that in mind. In my head it's always 'work on it! work on it!' even when I'm sick, as of the time of this writing (been sick for four days now, all days been bed ridden). Maybe I should give myself a break?

Thank you so much for the advice, again I'm learning a lot!

[DrSketchLines]

Wow! I have to, first, commend you for working on your comic between breaks! That's friggin' awesome! Do you work on it on a sort of iPad? That's just amazing

Anyway, I haven't found the perfect flow as well to my comics, as I haven't found the perfect day or schedule to update on. Every batch of updates takes different amounts of time, due to amount of people on screen, backgrounds and generally taking time off comics to study anatomy and backgrounds to make the comic look better. Sometimes I even have to take pictures of my own hands or legs to make something look right! lol

Updating weekly for me is hellish for me, so I commend you for that! Especially since you're currently not working with a buffer! That can feel pretty scary to me, but that means you're super skilled

And you know what? I should give myself a break every now and again. As a workaholic, I find that when I'm not working on my comic is another minute spent not doing anything productive, but maybe it's really time to breathe and get away for a bit, especially since i've been sick for four days now and it's been really bad lol.

Thank you so much for your input! And by the way (Sorry for using and to begin my sentences :P) I'm loving your comic

[DrSketchLines]

Hm, this was an interesting read. I'm sorry I don't have much to respond with, since I've just learned so much with what you've told me. I can tell you're super experienced in your field!

I feel bad for just saying thank you for your input, but really, thank you so much for your input! It really does help, especially when I learn things like this! Thank you so much!~

[Kittosaurus]

Thank you @DrSketchLines

Yeah I do all the artwork on my Ipad Pro with procreate, which is super handy because I can basically work on it whenever and wherever I want!

There is never going to be a perfect day - you just have to choose one! (I know life might get in the way sometimes.. but staying as consistent as possible will help you in the long run!) Yeah I have a bad habit of writing in new locations or creatures last minute and then having to design/research them on the spot!

Do what is healthy for you! If updating weekly isn't in the cards for you thats okay too! I wouldn't say super skilled - more like master procrastinator!

I also had a problem with feeling guilty in the beginning when I wasn't working on my comic, that is why it is really important to build breaks into your schedule too! That way you are giving yourself the okay to do nothing!

[SleepingPoppy]

Oh! I actually do have a process like this, currently for chapter 3!

That's good to know! Honestly I picked it up from @punkarsenic talking about their process, and it genuinely helped me speed up my process.

In my head it's always 'work on it! work on it!' even when I'm sick, as of the time of this writing (been sick for four days now, all days been bed ridden). Maybe I should give myself a break?

Breaks are important! Though in this case I mean a break from posting pages, not from making them. I spend the vast majority of any hiatuses working on new pages. But that way if I get sick it doesn't disrupt the flow of the comic. You need to plan things so that you can take a rest when you need it- especially if you're sick!

[Endanarchy]

I've come across this tip, just last week, and just starting to implement it.

[Endanarchy]

@Kittosaurus, working during breaks has been the most productive aspect of my comic, for me. About 90% of my comic is drawn at work during my lunch breaks. Going home has too many distractions because you have chores and responsibilities to do there.

@DrSketchLines, @borzoiteeth made a good point that I was going to raise. You have to compare like for like when looking at updating schedules and output and production speeds.

A lot of web comics have simplistic styles geared to allow a faster page production rate. Your style for a one-piece is likely to be different than for sequentials because for a one piece, you only have one shot to consider and have a larger space to work with. With sequentials, you have smaller spaces (the panel) and have to consider the impact of too much detail either being included in a way no one will notice or pulling focus away from what you want readers to focus on.

In the end, you need to remember that your driving force in terms of release is: What format best tells your story? Is it a one page an update? Must it be several pages an update? Must it be a chapter an update? Be careful about compromising your storytelling so you can meet an arbitrary release schedule.

Of course, another factor is: Are you doing this professionally with a means of this being income generating or is it a hobby. There is absolutely nothing wrong with it being a hobby (mine is a hobby and I recently made piece with it) but if you want it done professionally, you are significantly bound by how your competitors are doing it. If they release weekly, you need to ask yourself "What can I do to differentiate myself enough that it would compensate for my updates being less frequent?"

Professional is a whole other ball game because you need to factor in commercial strategy - it's not just about production or "Making a comic".

[DrSketchLines]

While I don't understand the 'sequentials' and 'one-pieces' here and there, I get the gist of what you're saying. I'm sorry, it's just that I'm not educated in comics in a level where I can think about that kind of stuff at this point of where I'm at. Basically, I'm a hobbyist, but thanks for showing me the business side of things. Although I would love the strategies of one with the business side of things, being able to advertise and market and things. That'd be great.

Are you doing this professionally with a means of this being income generating or is it a hobby. There is absolutely nothing wrong with it being a hobby (mine is a hobby and I recently made piece with it) but if you want it done professionally, you are significantly bound by how your competitors are doing it. If they release weekly, you need to ask yourself "What can I do to differentiate myself enough that it would compensate for my updates being less frequent?"

I do know that with the commercial strategy thing, that'd help readership a lot, but unfortunately, I don't have a big enough presence in social media, nor do I know how to garner that presence. So I'll just be the guy with 10 viewers for now! XD Wouldn't wanna step into those big boy shoes just yet.

However, that last bit really brings me to attention. "What does my comic have that others don't"? I know that's really summarizing it and taking it out of context, but it's a good point that other people can learn from, regardless if they're making comics for the sake of making comics or to earn a few bucks. What does my comic REALLY have that others don't? Will it be the same, mopey story about depression that millions of comics have explored already? How about another LGBT comic about a girl or boy being abused by the community around him or her? It's pretty interesting to think about.

Be careful about compromising your storytelling so you can meet an arbitrary release schedule.

Yeah, I've been thinking about this a lot. When I'd be releasing an update a week, I'd have to pull time away from structuring chapters and fleshing out the world of the story to devote time into making pages; and given how long it takes for me to cobble up even 14 panels. It makes me feel as if I'm stepping down on the gas pedal while releasing my hands from the steering wheel, waiting for the moment I crash into something. I feel that I need more time to write out stuff rather than draw, unfortunately.

I know there are comics out there that can literally be done without any sort of writing, scripting or storyboarding for that matter. That's pretty sweet! I, unfortunately, am not one of them; well, not anymore at least. I feel that I need to set aside time for writing and making sure that chapters have points to them, even if it's just a chapter of character development.

I want to make sure there's a reason for characters to be where they are. I want to make sure there's a reason for them doing what they do. Even if they are all just two or one dimensional characters, I'd like to give them some individuality.

I guess I'll have to really start thinking about when I do update. Will it be bi-weekly? Will it be every month? Or will I really just hunker down and work on it all week and release it every week? I'll just have to see; but a lot of these comments, responses, and suggestions really do help a lot. Even whenever someone brings up the business side of things, such as how comics have simplified artstyles for the sake of being able to push out more pages or slides or sequentials or one-pieces. I learn that there's more to comics than I thought I previously knew.

Thanks everyone, so much, for your input. And thank you for yours as well! It's hard to wrap my brain around how to view comics with the detailed words you described to me, but it's - again, like I said - another side of things I haven't even considered or even known. It's important for me to have these things shown to me. So thanks!

Also, I really need to get those iPads you two have It must be nice to work on them literally anytime, anywhere; including at work.

[DrSketchLines]

Yeah, it's a really nifty thing, isn't it? Not only do you have time to write and flesh out everything, but you also have a nice, safety net; knowing that you'll be good because you've already written, storyboarded, and -therefore- structured everything before you even line-art anything! It's pretty fantastic! I don't know where I picked it up from, to be honest. Maybe I must've done it by accident, but I'm glad I did, because knowing me I wouldn't have done it unless I was told or suggested it, which no one has until his amazing response!

Yeah. Even when I'm on 'break', I'm always writing and writing, storyboarding and structuring the storyboards. Making sure that there's a reason for them being anywhere at anytime, even if it's for something so generic. I don't want them being in one place for literally no reason. So I'm always writing, even when I shouldn't be. To be honest, sometimes I write more than I draw now-a-days! XD

But as of writing this, I really couldn't write anything for the story, thanks to being sick. I really should just give myself a break. Sometimes I worry a bit too much about if my comic doesn't update. Gets me a bit anxious and thinking that one update should somehow top the next. Maybe it's all in my head and it's time to step back and play some Sekiro or something.

Anyway, thanks so much for your helpful responses Learned a lot from not only you, but a lot of others who have commented to! I could look up youtube tutorials, but for some reason, they just don't click with me. So thanks, everyone

[JRHoch]

Any chance you can squeeze in cleaning my apartment as well?

[Endanarchy]

No problem.

I don't have an iPad - I use an old and struggling Galaxy Note 2012 model. Poor little fella - he's like the little engine that could.

It doesn't have to be digital during your breaks. Good ol' pencil/ pen and paper also helps. You can do thumbnails and rough sketches on paper and get a digital copy (scan or photograph) that you refine/ ink digitally when you get home. Another idea is to (again, using pencil and paper) draw a panel on each piece of paper and use the computer at home to compile them into panels on a single page, ink, colour letter and celebrate your awesomeness.

As an example: If you have a page with four panels, use a pencil and paper at work and draw each panel in isolation. Day 1 and 2 can be the pencil sketches of the first panel. Day 3 and 4 you have another page and do Panel 2 etc. No one said you HAVE to do the panel composition on one page first time - just arrange and compile the panels on the computer.

I fund that this has a psychological benefit. It's a "How do you eat an elephant?" scenario. Instead of feeling overwhelmed by a page with multiple images because of multiple panels, you break it up into multiple pages of one image that you can jigsaw together. You can decide how much into detail you go with the pencils - that's the joy of it all. Finding out how to be the most productive with what time you have.

The saying goes: Scarcity breeds creativity (I think there's a saying that says that. There IS a saying that says that, right? Well, if there isn't then I'm coining it, claiming it, trademarking it and copyrighting it. Pay me if you want to use it )

[DrSketchLines]

It doesn't have to be digital during your breaks. Good ol' pencil/ pen and paper also helps. You can do thumbnails and rough sketches on paper and get a digital copy (scan or photograph) that you refine/ ink digitally when you get home. Another idea is to (again, using pencil and paper) draw a panel on each piece of paper and use the computer at home to compile them into panels on a single page, ink, colour letter and celebrate your awesomeness.

Holy moly! YOU'RE RIGHT! Oh my gosh, I don't know why I didn't think of this! This is brilliant! Thank you so much! Definitely going to be doing this idea right away! Don't know how I honestly never thought about this! I just have to thank you <3! I can just get any notebook paper, write it, storyboard it, then refine it later! That's effin' brilliant, thank you!

If you have a page with four panels, use a pencil and paper at work and draw each panel in isolation. Day 1 and 2 can be the pencil sketches of the first panel. Day 3 and 4 you have another page and do Panel 2 etc. No one said you HAVE to do the panel composition on one page first time - just arrange and compile the panels on the computer.

Instead of feeling overwhelmed by a page with multiple images because of multiple panels, you break it up into multiple pages of one image that you can jigsaw together. You can decide how much into detail you go with the pencils - that's the joy of it all.

Oh wow... I never thought about actually spreading the process apart within days or so. In my head I always thought that it had to be all done within THAT DAY or nothing will be accomplished. Maybe I need to hit the breaks a little more often, huh?

And the Jigsaw explanation was told to me once before! but I fail to remember who from. They did what you're basically describing (Though they made it into a sort of DIY project): drawing a bunch of pages, cutting them out with scissors, and laying them out on the floor, seeing which ones feel like they go together.

Hm, that's definitely something I should think about. Because now that i'm getting so many responses from all sorts of people from all sorts of different standpoints and views and experiences, I'm starting to think I should start taking a step BACK for once instead of going forward to see how I can do things a bit differently.

Scarcity breeds creativity

I certainly don't know if that's coined or not, but I can tell you that I've seen that in practice!

There's this cartoon show: Ren and Stimpy. Was supposed to be, orginally, an adult show when it first came out, but because it was a cartoon and I think it was - at the time - airing on Nickelodeon, they were forced to tone down the depravity. Of course, they didn't want to, so they had to get creative. Several jokes that were in that show were certainly not for kids and same thing with some of its settings and themes. However, the moment they DID finally manage to get their very own adult show, that's when the series - in my personal opinion - starting becoming flat and started paling in comparison to the wit the original, Nickelodeon show had. So even if it's not coined, or is, there definitely is merit to that!

If it ain't coined, I'd happily toss some ink your way

[Kittosaurus]

I haven't found the time to clean my own! Let alone others!