What make comics author choose to become Webtoon exclusive?

blackdevil72 2021-03-04 13:53:57 UTC #1

Hello,

I see more and more comics author announce going full exclusive for Webtoon and that is something that sadden me a lot as a reader. I really don't understand why they would do it. And I refuse to think that money is the only thing that drive them.

This is something I really really don't understand. What is the thing with so many authors falling for the Webtoon exclusivity deal?

Exclusivity deals are just ... bad. It makes your comic less visible, give readers less possibility to discover you and your comic. So in the end less money for the ones who manage to get pay. So what is it?

It's even harder for me to understand as I feel that webtoons is really subpar as a platform on the reader side of things. Navigation is tedious, pages are rather small, finding something new to read is quite hard. Using it on a computer is a chore. (I never read on mobile screen is way too small to read comfortably)

GloamingCat 2021-03-04 14:05:37 UTC #2

Steady payment. Webtoon pays per month + bonus if you have lots of page views.
It is also free to read, so differently from Tapas (that has a pay wall), their audience is not gonna be affected so much because anyone can still go there and read it.
And also more readers, because the exclusive comics get way more advertisement than Canvas comics there. The audience for Originals is simply gigantic.

Those are the reasons I would consider being exclusive to them, at least.

Kelheor 2021-03-04 14:06:39 UTC #3

Erm.. no?
People don't choose to become exclusive, they are being offered and actually getting a salary for that, they are promoted regularly and being translated into other languages and being promoted more if they are popular enough, unlike canvas authors who can publish their comic for whole eternity and never see a dollar for that

VibrantFox 2021-03-04 14:06:49 UTC #4

Something I've seen in some creators explanation is typically about trying to manage multiple platforms and how much time and energy it takes, which honestly is something that I can understand a lot from personal experience.

Tackling some thing about Webtoons versus Tapas specifically. Webtoons promotions has a much wider variety as opposed to Tapas which when looking at the front pages specifically is more than obvious. Webtoons also has the advantage of having a much larger user base and thus access to a lot more readers than Tapas. There's also (from what I've heard) more genre options which allows for more precise tagging and by extension makes it easier for readers to find what they want esp. if it falls into niche genres.

There's also just the simple matter of personal preference. Some people may feel more comfortable with Tapas other may prefer Webtoons. I've been a witness to a small handful of series that I was a fan of move to sites like Hiveworks or Sparkler Monthly so it's not all that uncommon for folks to jump ship from one site to another.

The biggest thing I think is where an artist sees themselves being benefited the most. Which isn't to say that Tapas doesn't do things for it's creator community, efforts have been made with varying results but at the end of the day it's a creators choice to decide where they feel they can gain the most, be it monetary or otherwise. Just consider Tapas pathway to premium versus Webtoons featured.

Each site has it's strengths and weaknesses and creators for the most part are looking to see which has a greater balance in terms of cost versus benefit

And I'll admit I always get sad seeing a series leave but I at least know that I can always mosey on over to read their work wherever it's gone to

starry-sea 2021-03-04 14:14:26 UTC #5

Exclusivity deals are just ... bad. It makes your comic less visible, give readers less possibility to discover you and your comic. So in the end less money for the ones who manage to get pay. So what is it?

Actually, featured comics there get way more milage than canvas does. A lot of the webtoon population doesn't touch canvas very often

Freemints30 2021-03-04 14:38:44 UTC #6

I mean if I was offered a steady salary for my hobby I would take that shit in a heart beat. And really with webtoons having a much larger audience than tapas, its would rarly hurt your audience gain. (It more helps it to the point of insanity. Helps that webtoons is known as the place for Tower of God and Let's play to the mainstream).

Plus if you so much as sneeze as a webtoon's canvas creator you get booted. But as a featured creator you can pretty much get away with anything.

I mean tapas has its premium series (some of which signed an exclusive contract themselves). So it ain't much a webtoons thing. Just a thing for all sites

blackdevil72 2021-03-04 15:11:14 UTC #7

By that I meant, they choose to accept the offer made to them.

About the audience and market share, honestly I can't comment, places like Tapas and Webtoons are unknown where I live. Being only or mostly in English make them unreachable for most people over here.

Talking about that, I went to look up some translation on Webtoon. Let's just say they are not good if not amateurish at best. For some of them it's to the point it degrades the reading experience badly enough it could reflect on the author while they have nothing to do with that. That could also explain why they are unknown over here.

This is something I can understand for amateurs or hobbyist authors. But if you want to go professional and make your art your full-time job, I feel it something you should invest in? As tedious and time-consuming it can be?

I don't know what this is and never heard of it. Sorry.

What do you mean?

I do think that wherever they are exclusivity deal are just awful.

So, after reading your answer I guess in the end it's just because of money. Which makes me even more sad. thank you for your answers.

Freemints30 2021-03-04 15:16:27 UTC #8

What I mean is webtoons has a reputation of shadow banning comics for minor violence and sexual content. Even when their featured series contain alot more graphic content. So as exclusive creator you are generally more protected from being taken down. Tapas I notice with their mature comics being pretty much porn, but non of use peasants can even think about joining

Tower of god had anime on TV very recently everyone was talking about it. It was a big hit, very popular and now pretty much what webtoon is seen as. . So get featured and you have a chance getting on tv. (Over exaggeration but that goes to show its reach)

And not just money.
Sites promote you more as their elcusive creator. So if you are struggling with a reader ship that is a chance to gain more. As much as we say "create for what you love" Getting comments verfying people love it amazing. I'll be honest here with all the chances to featured on Tapas...it leaves alot be desired. Women's month stuff was released without a word announcing it and is at the bottom of the page.. But I keep getting Villlianess shit advertise to me at the top.

Really what about book deals, comic pulbishing housing?

Those tend to be exclusive too? Once something is published you can't go posting it everywhere.

Or we are supposed to be the starving artists stereotype? And never take the opportunities to monetize and increase reach.

azzy-m 2021-03-04 15:32:04 UTC #9

More often than not, I notice that people who go exclusively webtoon are often people who got featured to become a Webtoon Original, and if you accept the deal you would have to take down your comic in both Canvas and other platforms, this includes Tapas. Other than that, it could simply just people who are more comfortable using Webtoons, or those whose comics are more popular on Webtoons.

Really if you know how to promote your comics right and/or you pander to the masses, you could make it big on Webtoons - especially since it's considered the more well-known platform compared to Tapas. Here it kind of feels like it's hard to grow, but that's just me.

You'd be surprised how creator friendly Webtoons is. It allows ads if your comic is popular enough - which works similar to Fast Pass except it's with ads instead of directly paying using coins (which is similar to ink on Tapas), Webtoon social media often interacts with Canvas Creators and promotes them, I see a lot more Webtoon Originals getting greenlit for TV Shows (Lore Olympus, Sweet Home, Tower of God, Noblesse, Cheese in the Trap, the God of highschool are all comics with TV adaptations or are in production) and overall the Canvas team seem to be good at listening, although they take a while to implement what's needed because they're a small team (i hear they're about three people). It's kind of a shame it's bogged down by its subpar website and app layout. So I don't really blame creators if they wish to switch.

Caro 2021-03-04 15:39:59 UTC #10

I had a featured comic with Webtoon back in 2018 and it ended and in my contract it said I regained the ability to do whatever I wanted with the work after a certain amount of time and its going to be printed and published physically eventually after I finish up some current projects. The pay was good and I needed it at the time.

I’ve had the opportunity to pitch to them again but honestly I personally wouldn’t do it again just because I’m at the point where I can make more money outside of Webtoons with more flexibility and freedom and my goals and career trajectory kind of go beyond what they could offer me. And, honestly, its just not the audience for my work. (Which is uhhh why it failed the first time!!)

But I can totally understand why it works for a lot of people.

Also, I’d like to add that a lot of people who put all of their eggs in the webtoons basket don’t necessarily have the ability to make the jump to other formats like print and just aren’t very well respected in the industry in a way that I disagree with. But I think its very telling that every year one or two webtoons get nominated for Eisners in the webcomic category and they VERY OFTEN lose to page format independently hosted webcomics intended for later print. In 2019, a person I know irl beat out Lore Olympus and I remember seeing folks on the webtoons side of comics who seemed really confounded that this thing they never heard of from someone with a very modest following beat LP. I have friends who made featured webtoons who have trouble finding work that pays them enough to not have multiple gigs going at once if any at all. And he truth is, they do feature a lot of folks with relatively little specifically comics industry experience that can only really survive in the Webtoon bubble. Which is really interesting because they do fill a lot of content gaps not being currently filled by mainstream comics and creating a lot of new comics readers but I worry about some folks in the long term.

Anyway uhhhh i went off on a lil rant there my bad. People gots bills to pay, the end.

vothnthorvaldson 2021-03-04 15:40:07 UTC #11

Why are you sad even if it's just for money? Artists need to make a living, too! And it's rarely a very good one.
I'm not a professional artist, I'm a farmer. No one expects me to give out free vegetables. I do, to charities when I have extras, but I first need to make a living. Everyone understands that, and no one asks for free things.
Why expect something else from artists?

blackdevil72 2021-03-04 17:31:02 UTC #12

That's not good That is a really shitty way of doing things.

I see. Then again never hears of it ^^

That I can understand Tapas is terrible on that side of things. erm, should we talk again about the new design and the loos of features for both creators and readers? Personally, I have a couple of problems with tapas. The comics behind a paywall that start being published for free, I was trapped a couple of times thinking that new comic I was reading would be free only to discover 2 months later that they are to pay. Turn out the information about a comic being behind a paywall is well hidden from the reader, while for it should be the first thing you see. Also, I'm a bit tired to be presented with many manga styled love stories on the main page, Tapas have enough diversity to not just be bombarded with that, and they should have enough info on my reading list to know what they should show me. Las but not least, mobile exclusive features, that is dodgy AF.

I don't know how things work where you live so, I can't really comment on that. But I'll try anyway. I have seen and bought in a local bookshop a comic that is also here on tapas (for free). Here things have evolves a lot in physical publishing. So, you see for me it's hard to comment on that, even on book publishing exclusivity deals are starting to fade away, I have seen some book being printed by multiple publisher just with different speciality, one for pocket sized books, and one for big sized more "luxury" books most of the time. Self-publishing is also very strong.

Sorry, that's what I meant by exclusivity deal with webtoon, I should have been clearer with that.

I can't comment on that as I'm just a reader, For me, the experience on Webtoons has always been very bad. But again I'm just a simple reader. On my side of the problem Even with the awful new design is still better than Webtoons. And I tried it for a long time but each time I tried to read a comic over there I dropped, not because the comic was bad but because the user experience.

Oh, no not at all! It's not bad to want to make money from your art. It's just for me it's bottled up inside me for the past year or two. Some comics I've read for some times years got offered an exclusivity deal at Webtoons, and to be honest after so much time supporting them reading them showing them to friend and what not, sometime it kind of feel like a kind of "fuck you money is more important than anything else". I know it's very badly worded, but it's sometimes how it feels. Some creator that were "close" to their communities answered on their pages etc one day disappear of tapas for a couple month, and they reappear just to say "hey guys good news in 2 weeks this will be a webtoon exclusive and will be removed from here see you there" and nothing they completely stop answering on tapas as if it never existed to them.

Only once I remember an author explaining why they accepted Webtoons offer, and it was in the line of "I'm a college student in the USA I really need the money I'm sorry" (way more lengthy). And you know what I'm ok with that, and if I remember well the deal was only for something like 2 years and, they said they'll come back at the end of it. I don't feel they will, 2 years is kind of long after all, and you can forget about that. So, no big deal.

I'm not a monster I can understand that money is important, but sometimes it feels like it's the only thing some creators think about, not their readership. And as soon as it comes to them, they forget everything else. I know something about not very well paying job I have one.

That's a shitty attitude, but every job has its assholes that will judge you because you don't take the "right" path.

Being a USA only price I had to look it up. I think it's not cool for it to have a web comic category as it look like to a thing directed toward classic publication. I also think webcomics deserve their own price more adapted to the way of publishing. At least every one would be on the same ground.

I feel like webtoons act like a fly trap toward young inexperienced creators. that is also why I'm sad to see some creators leave tapas and other platforms (sometimes even their own website) as soon as they get a webtoons deal. that can't work in the long run. When you are not well known what you need is visibility more than anything else. and locking you up doesn't sound too good.

Freemints30 2021-03-04 17:44:28 UTC #13

Um the contract don't lock you up? At least with Tapas for their novels you can still published physically under your name elsewhere after it is finished.

Its more once your finish your series you got the exclusive on you just..leave? you just move on with a good pay.

I think you're mistaking with these contracts with web novel contracts.

Its more they fund you and you get paid, and really that usually happens in publishing. Very few traditional publishers take newbies and self publishing requires you to already have an audience. (So another advantage of these deals get an audience)

Overall this whole thing just come of a bit "people take exclusivity don't give a shit about their audience and selfish"

Which is just..Yikes.

Kinda fuck up thinking like that.
You may not mean that, but saying "How web comic artists fall for these deals" feels very condescending and seems very ignorant about..alot

They do care usually, they just want to reach out to more.

Why not celebrate webcomic artist getting paid and reaching new heights and having a bigger chance of having their work well know?

Why not say "congratulations on the deal. Hope you're series does well and may be get a show"
"Wow you deserve it"

"Keep up the good work, Im glad you can now make your comic what supports you. Thats a big step. "

Build these creators up,

Instead of saying "Their just doing this for money and don't care about their audience "

Kinda entitled, not constructive, messed up and does little support web comic artists. If you ain't supporting them on patron to continue to do it for free and with little assistance, this whole thing sound just entitled.

And I'm a someone who dislikes webtoons and how they treat free creators and their awful rating system.
I complain about that not the creators who benefit cus I would just sound petty.

Rhonder 2021-03-04 17:53:58 UTC #14

Right, I was reading through and going to comment this as well Like,

and

mostly contradict one another. I do feel as though there is an interesting discussion to be had about why hobbyists/people who aren't making money from one platform or another may choose to preemptively go "exclusive" to whichever platform, but if OP is primarily looking at people who are trying to make a career out of it then... it kinda makes sense to take a paying job if offered (unless the terms are unfavorable, of course)? Artists can't live on likes, comments, and good vibes xD

Freemints30 2021-03-04 17:56:05 UTC #15

Brah don't you know good vibes can feed my family. get with the times.

Just like exposure will be a good pay ment

crowstories 2021-03-04 18:10:12 UTC #16

Wow, this has been a very informative thread for me. I hope OP can take some of it it heart.

vothnthorvaldson 2021-03-04 18:31:11 UTC #17

About comics being free and then becoming paying:
Ultimately, it's about having to prove to the platform that your comic can work and generate money (for the platform and yourself).

I get that it may be annoying when it happens, and I understand some people would prefer the deal to happen for the creator's NEXT comic. But factually, comics are really (really) long to make, and getting a deal for the new comic, other than being more risky for the platform, brings also a large risk for the first comic to be dropped, because drawing a free comic on the side is likely to be too much work.
So here, you entirely lose the comic.

There are a lot of great free comics. If one of the comics you read is becoming paying and you don't think it is worth the money (or really cannot afford it), it should not be too difficult to find something else to read. Maybe go for less popular things, as it's less likely to ever become paying. There is not a complete direct relationship between quality and popularity, so I assure you you can find nice things to read in less popular comics

Mallory 2021-03-04 18:48:32 UTC #18

Saying that a semi-professional looking to make a jump in their career should care more about opinions of other people rather than paying bills for themselves and their family kinda sounds like juvenile inexperience, I'm not gonna lie. AFAIK, Webtoons pays $2000/month + performance bonuses. I live in an expensive place so that wage would not support anything but a barebones existence, but since it's a remote job, you can literally move anywhere and even support a whole family on this money. WHILE working a job that was probably high on your list of things of what you wanted to spend your life doing.

Not every hobbyist comic artist wants to make comics into their full-time job, but... a lot do. Being paid for having the freedom to work on your own creative IP is a dream come true for a lot of creators, who often have to juggle working a crummy job they don't care about just so they can live, and then labour over their comic in the time they're supposed to be relaxing. They should absolutely take the option to go pro every. single. time. unless their readers support them more on Patreon than they'd get from signing their IP away to an exclusive deal (e.g. Ava's Demon, I believe, is not exclusive (even though it could be) because the creator makes her living from her supporters on Patreon). And, as a reader, I would celebrate it every time, regardless of whether it meant I now had to pay to read the story, or drop it since I didn't feel like paying for it.

Or, you know, we could implement UBI so artists could create labour of love projects for free and not have to worry about their family becoming homeless and starving (^:

gempompadour 2021-03-04 19:13:51 UTC #19

Does shadow banning mean that webtoon just bans your comic without telling you first to censor/ tone it down or do they have some kind of a warning system? To me shadow banning sounds really sinister, like they manipulate traffic away from comics they don't like without informing the creator. But I have no idea how webtoon works so I'm just guessing!

Freemints30 2021-03-04 19:28:45 UTC #20

It seems to vary. Some creators I've seen some get an emails saying "so or so pages are inappropriate" (never mind the fact they are usually very mild.

Others they wake up one morning and their pages were removed and they have to contact the staff.

Shadow banning is too strong a word, but still pretty awful.

Its their flagging system. Any one can flag anyone and the flagger is usually more listen to. So you can get flagged by some one very petty. Just like thier rating system anyone can bombard with a low rating, anyone can flag for anything.

Sad.

But as I said I citiztise them with that not... allowing creators to monetize if they chose to. (unless their contract suddenly changed to become shady as hell and they skip out on paying their end )