What to start with?

[MoiAri]

Okay for the past few years ive been working on a "original " "longForm" Comic. Ever since the Creation of Inkblazers (MangaMagazine.net back then :/ ) to its end...i came to this site to release it but held back to polish it and freakn understand the system here xD And with this new Ad revenue program, it's definitely much more tempting to finally release it

However.

I have no fans. And i still dont quite get the system in "front page face time" and (which doesnt worry me as much as--> ) Reader/Subcriber notifications system and nature, so i have a good feeling my work will just go totally ignored without a damn. :/ So my plan is to release a 'Fan Comic' of a series/videogame people know of and will read without a reason to gain abit of fans and acknowledgment, so when I DO release my original, homegrown Comic i'll have fans to know so xD...

So anyways sorry for a unnecessary backstory but my question:

Should i Go on and make a nifty lil' Fan comic so it'll MOST LIKELY appeal to readers?

Or

Just get on ahead,and try my luck with my Own story?

choices choices! XD im sorry im so indecisive haha thanks for your time.

[justjezz]

I think that you should start with your own story because you're more invested in it.

I mean, I have nothing against making a fan-comic if you really want to. Especially if you're just as excited about it as your own story. But if it doesn't interest you, and you're only in it to create a fanbase, it'll just feel like a chore. You'll eventually burn out. Plus, people can notice if the author isn't invested in their work.

For me, it's not about the fans or that subscriber count. It's about how good the content is, and how much fun I have making the comic. Getting fans is just a side-effect of that happy feeling when you see all your hard work pay off.

Well, whatever you choose, good luck!

[AnnaLandin]

Honestly - do your own story. DON'T DRAW A COMIC JUST TO GET POPULAR. People will notice that you're not as engaged in the story, and won't enjoy it as much.

I'm drawing my own, original comic, and I'm 20 pages into posting it on Tapastic, and I have over 200 subscribers. How? Well, I post it twice a week, which means I show up in the "Fresh"-section twice a week - but also, and this is important, I am super-active on the forums. Being active on the forums means people get to know you, which means they're likely to think "hey, I wonder what their comic is like?" and then they'll check it out, and voilá - subscribers happen.

Your work will only be ignored if you let it be. Part of posting comics online and having them be read by people is to promote it. Do you have any social media accounts? Use them to promote your comic. Got a tumblr? Link to your comic from it when you update. Tweet about your updates. Hang out on the Tapastic-boards and talk to people. You'll find readers trickling in as you do.

[MoiAri]

Oh dont get me wrong im very much invested in the fan comic ^^ Its from one of my favorite Videogames from my Childhood and Its simply about rewritten version of one of the games that couldve been executed much better. I've consulted many other fans of the title and gathered all the ideas people thought were interesting and put em in one almost solely Fan-made story .^^ I would never write and draw if i didnt enjoy it haha.

If anything i feel i'd have just as much fun making a comic about my Favorite Nintendo Characters as my Original ones^^ Thanks for your input friend.

[MoiAri]

Yes. so i hear xD But im very well in the likings of this FanComic project. o.o Sont get me wrong. As explained in my previous post, I'd have as much enjoyment and attention to detail in this ,as my 'original' story^^

A question if i may ask. When you post to your comic. Do you 'update' your current page in vertical format, and its notified to your readers? Or is it everypage is an "episode " Im very much in the dust about the whole concept of updating comics on here. Thank you.

But yes all very much true. I understand that the Creator must fend for himself and promote. But i have nothing in the means of social media or anything like that so it'd be back to square one, in the Networking Aspect of things. Thus the reason why i would wanna appeal to the people of these types of sites, with a gritty Comic about a Childhood Videogame character

[keii4ii]

When you post to your comic. Do you 'update' your current page in vertical format, and its notified to your readers? Or is it everypage is an "episode "

It's up to you. Personally, I would recommend posting each update in a new episode. That tends to encourage comments (it's less intimidating to comment on a single update as opposed to a big chunk of a story), and you get more comments/likes out of the same amount of content, which can help you get more visibility for your comic on the front page.

I make a vertical comic and I still post each update in a new episode. It's not that different from updating "page by page"; the only difference is that there is no set amount for each episode. Sometimes it's fairly short; other times, it gets rather long.

[jvntolentino]

I would recommend avoiding "long form" comics as your first project and instead shift your focus on creating shorter, more digestible, pieces that, as previous people have pointed out, you are wholly engaged in.

[zelkats]

I think it might be a good idea to test the waters by starting out with a pilot of your original story instead of a going straight for the whole series. If you can entertain readers with just a one-shot and have them wanting more, then you're guaranteed faithful readers who would read the rest of your story.

[aspiderjonny]

I'm not saying anything new here but go with what will ultimately make you happier. While gaining over 100 subscribers in your first week would be amazing, that tends to almost never happen even with fan comics. I didn't have a lot of readers for the first few months my series was on Tapastic. But I felt great with the stories I was making and I think it shows. I'm on my third chapter now and close to 40 subscribers, and I'm pretty contempt with that. It's better to have a few dedicated subscribers reading a story you're proud of that to have a "fan base" for a comic you making just to have fans.

[AnnaLandin]

I post every page as a separate update - which notifies my subscribers that there's a new episode for them to read. I know Tapastic is more geared towards posting big bunches of pages in vertical scrolling format, but that's simply not what how I work.

As for the lack of social media... I'd say that at least 80% of my subscribers, I've gotten simply by being active on the Tapastic forums. They're right here, they're very active, and everyone here is already interested in comics. Don't worry about whether your fan-comic or your original comic is going to be more popular. Make it, and the readers will come.

[joannekwan]

I would go ahead with your original since it's completed.

As for gaining subscribers and the like, I didn't really have a following for mine when I started it on tumblr, then I began posting it here too and I guess it just came up in people's searches and home page and the subscriptions came in. So I guess I had a bit of luck. But most definitely don't be a stranger to the forums, I've found many series here just by clicking on posters' links and profiles.

[MoiAri]

Gosh. :3 Thank you all for your input^_^ I think ive made my Choice haha.
By the end of the week i wish to have my "pilot" of sorts released, if that doesn't go as expected (like NO ONE even views it xD) Then i might go with my previous plan since i still have a good feeling about it.

But I actually doubt that i'll have to now cuz you all ^^ Thanks again for the help.

[Agentzap]

tell me when you do release I'll give you a head start

[SpavVy]

Just start with your own story, people on this site like seeing ORIGINAL stories! ;p

[MoiAri]

Thanks（＾ω＾will do sir!

[yvettegustafsson]

Noooo! Make what you like and the comic that you want to tell, this is what Tapastic is for, I think. Doing fanart is what Tumblr is for No shame in doing fanart, it's quite fun but it's not yours. Making something that people don't instantly feel for is hard, so hard, because people want to feel at home and trying something new can be scary, especially when there's so much new things to choose from. That doesn't mean that new material isn't worth working on. No one becomes famous over night, not working for it, even though the saying is "out of no where he/she came..." that's just blah.

Good luck!

[jessicasurline]

Like everyone has said, you do you. If you make it they will come! Its a bit difficult to get noticed in a large place like the internet but the community here is pretty genuine and they respect those who are the same way. So don't worry about it. Just do what you love and do a little self promoting and before you know it you will have fans to interact with.