What should I adjust in my webcomic?

[VersusVII]

Hi everyone,
I'm currently working on a new chapter of my webcomic Saiwalo and I wanted to have some feedbacks on my work. I noticed that people tend to sub for it and then nothing they don't read it or just stop on the cover liking it. Is the description not interesting enough? Do they dislike the cover? Does the page format don't encourage readers nowadays? Are 2 pages too little? Or basically, the people who sub want me the sub back to them?

I'm currently planning on drawing a new icon that could suggest more the "it's a mystery", but I don't have much ideas for a possible new cover.

Here is the link if you want to give me your suggestions.

Read Saiwalo (eng) | Tapas Web Comics

[BlairFujin]

After a quick look and looking at what you're saying, my guess would be that maybe it's about the difference in quality between covers and regular pages... especially early on
I mean, look at what you open it and then at the church page for example

But that's just a guess after a quick glance

[Innocynce]

Actually the only thing you'd need to fix for me, is: The English is a little awkward and chapters are extremely short.. But that's it, otherwise it's fun!

As for what everybody else is probably disliking: I noticed that people like short stories that are quick to the "payoff" or "plot twist". While some like enjoying stories as they are, many want things faster.

Whatever plot points you're getting to, you might need to shorten whatever build up you planned.

Personally: many stories I did before got little attention (on other sites) but when I tried shorter stuff/faster to the point stories here: views started going up. I actually hate it kinda, because I put a lot of work in comics normally.... But nobody really cared, I'm even planning on shortening everything if it continues this way..

[SleepingPoppy]

It’s pretty normal that only a small fraction of those that sub are going to actually engage with the work. That’s true for everybody, so it’s not like you have unusually low engagement compared to subs. Comics are just a slog…

The cover is really promising and has great atmosphere, but the comic at the beginning feels pretty generic by comparison.

Story wise, I think you might consider punching up the atmosphere in the nightmare- can you think of a way to increase the tension? Anna rolling out dressed as a nun is a really stand out scene, but I think to get people to that point, we need more of a hook at the beginning.

I presume the story picks up after that, but that was when I stopped.

You’re very clearly a talented artist! I know it’s a LOT of work, but my recommendation would be to color the first chapter of the comic, as well as maybe a little re-drawing to add to the atmosphere of the nightmare sequence. (The scene itself doesn’t need to change). I think this might help hook people more at the beginning until things get rolling.

^i feel terrible calling it generic, because again, you’re very obviously talented. I just mean there’s nothing wrong with what’s there story or art wise, but it needs something to push it above standard to really get more traction. And beginnings are the hardest part, for sure. But I think grave robbing, ghost girls, and mystery all sound very promising.

[river121693]

Low engagement is common. People skimp the first few eps, sub so they can come back later, and never does.

It’s likely that the story isn’t hooking readers early on so they stopped reading. Imo, everything you’re doing is competent but your story has not hooked me (yet). There aren’t established stakes. The characters arent standing out. The art isn’t blowing me away. These aren’t necessarily criticisms btw— your story might just take a bit to get rolling. This would be fine in a printed comic since people already bought your book, but webcomics, especially Tapas, is different. Tapas audience skew younger with less patience. They’re used to full-colored professional art by mangwa artists. You’re competing for attention with thousand of comics on tapas and elsewhere.

Lastly If you do a lot of sub-for-sub that might be another issue, because other artists usually won’t engage

[VersusVII]

Thank you for your feedback!
I will think how I can punch the atmosphere in the dream. Even though I know colored comic get more attention and stand out morre, I'm not going to color my webcomic. I always thought about it as a manga in B/W + screentones (I trasformed them in solid greys for the resolution on Tapas).

@river121693 The "characters aren't standing out" is a choice I made because they are normal people, just Anna stands out because she is an outsider from Noah's group of friends.

[VersusVII]

English it's not my native language, I'm aware sometimes I make mistakes translating thinking in my mother tongue.

Maybe in future I will try short stories, I want to be sure to publish my main comic Saiwalo first to be sure I will finish it.