What would cause you to turn down a webcomic contract?

[LyliClovis]

I like hypothetical questions and I think a lot about them, haha whoops--

But imagine one day, you post a new series on Tapas or Webtoons and it becomes very popular very quickly and then the site you posted the comic on, comes to you with a proposition: Make the comic exclusive to their site, and they'll pay you to keep producing the comic. Sounds like a dream come true, right?

However, what would make you turn down such a proposition?
Maybe you have a hectic life style atm, maybe you don't feel like you can keep up with the workload, or what if the series you posted was only supposed to be a short, fun thing.

If I created a new series that allowed me to gain such an offer, I'm not sure if I would take it because I'm already personally invested in my current webcomic, so I'm not sure if I could give up updating it. But having money to draw comics would be really, really nice.

It's a weird dilemma I have, even though the chances of this happening are pretty low, haha!

But I want to hear your thoughts, so post away!

[Jenny-Toons]

Well, in my case, it's a bit complicated. I probably wouldn't have time to update to their standards because I go to college and study a very intense degree. My schooling will always come first, so there's that.

I also don't want my story to spiral out of control, media-wise. I know some sites oversell some stories and increase the hype too much where the people who are drawn to it are either tired of it and never consider the work or are highly disappointed when it's not what the media insisted it was. I've seen many amazing stories follow down that path.

There's also the payment and creative rights. Is the money they're offering enough for the work and effort I put into my comic? What are the benefits or penalties involved? And does the site get any say in my creative process. I'm not talking about following viewing guildlines, but as in "you should do the story THIS way".

I don't know if I'd turn it down per se. It's essentially a job offer, and like any job offer, while they have given me the chance, I have the right to refuse if it's just not for me. I would definitely ask why they want me and how willing are they to get me and keep me. If there is room for negotiations, especially in terms of my promotions and my updating scheduling and creative rights, I'd probably give it a go.

But if they're not willing to meet me halfway, I will most likely say no. I don't expected the offer to work entirely in my favor because that's crazy-talk XD. But I do expect the team and site to persuade me on why this is a good investment for me and for themselves.

[SpavVy]

I would turn it down.
1. I'm already with a small publisher.
2. My comic is designed for print and I don't want to reformat to their standards.
3. I have a friend who is a featured creator on there and I've heard about how stressful it can be.
4. Webtoons readers tend to not pay attention to the stories they are reading and complain about episodes not being long enough.

[ashersz]

For me it’s the timing. I can’t promise weekly but do biweekly. I work full time and also pursuing my masters part time

[LyliClovis]

Thanks everyone for your opinions!
You hit a point that I totally forgot (#2) !
I try to design my webcomic in a way that's both print and mobile friendly, and I'll be honest that I personally don't like formatting my comics as scroll-type. 8')
I find it difficult, probably because I have very little experience with the format, so I don't enjoy drawing them in such a way. But I do enjoy the pacing scroll-types provide.

[kip]

I guess first thing would be a really lowballing offer, like if they said they’d pay me 10$ per page, I wouldn’t want to commit to a weekly basis for that amount.
The second biggest reason would be if they’d request too much in terms of product and speed, for example i wouldn’t be able to draw a full chapter in a week alongside my job and other responsibilities. even if i put my comic first, i’m simply not home enough days of the week to turn up that kind of amount (even with a reasonable buffer)

i do think though for a proper salary, in a situation that’s phaycially possible (lol) i’d do quite a bit ?

[LyliClovis]

Yeah, $10 a page seems very very low.
I think most manga artists in Japan get paid at least $20 per page for starters (I know it was a rather small number, since they're a bit underpaid). But $20 is super low if you color your comic, too.

And I think most publishers pay their artists good rates and allow them a lot of artistic freedom/flexibility.
But do your research on the company first and talk to other artists who are already in there. Due to the recent Lezhin controversy, i'd definitely recommend it.

[LORDVICIOUS]

Personally Id turn it down because I dont want to be limited to Tapas. Tapas is a brilliant service like other services of this nature, but there are other opportunities that can stem from having a good fanbase anyways.

[arushiangelica]

Before the whole Lezhin fiasco I don't think anything would have made me turn down such an offer but I guess the whole thing taught me to look closer. Just because you think all your dreams are coming true, it doesn't always play out that way. I personally trust Tapas and don't think they will be into such shenanigans. But if there is anything that will make me turn down a novel contract, it will be a shady contract.

[Jenny-Toons]

But if there is anything that will make me turn down a novel contract, it will be a shady contract.

I wholeheartedly agree with this. Always try and check the fine print, people! And don't be afraid to ask questions. If they want you as much as they say they do, they'll answer them.

I did that with my interview with ComEd, and the person answered all of them thourghly -- guess who's going to intern with them in the summer?

If you get a contract, read it and re-read it. Don't ever skim it because you might miss some important details that can make or break you signing on.

[A-weird-girler]

Me too. Do you have any idea how hard it is to become an endovascular surgeon? I can't even make comics at a steady pace because of college

[ChanYE]

id turn it down if the pay aint right, if they ask way too much of me (like make 10 pages per day.... lolno), giving me zero rights to my own comic and characters is a big no no, and them having a say in the story.

[Shanny8]

Def major 2 factors are ownership/creative control and the pay. If I dont like either one of those, then chances are I wouldnt be doing a comic for them exclusively.

[PervertOldMan]

NOT ENOUGH money
There is this and that matters too but as long as I was paid enough, I can even sell my soul

[sarrowsmith10]

We were offered to have our comic translated and featured on a French website with some revenue. However, it never progressed because I couldn't find time to send appropriate files for translation and I wasn't fond of how they wanted the comic formatted for their website. Sometimes things just don't work out.

[ratique]

Since I have been in the position of being offered a contract:

Unwillingness to adjust the contract to my wishes.

Don't forget that any contract is up for discussion. Both parties need to be happy with the terms. So if the publisher is unwilling to adjust it for some points that would favor you, you have a real issue at hand. Contracts are partnerships, both sides have to do their part.

Luckily I've had positive experiences in that regard.

[LordVincent]

I have an agreement with Tapas and thus far I am very satisfied.

I think contracts and agreements aren't a matter of "this contract is good vs bad" thing except in very extreme cases or cases where loopholes are abused. A contract that sounds appealing to one person might not sound like it to another, and vice versa.
A good agreement is composed of legal terms, trust and respect on both sides of it. All three things need to be present and healthy since they are correlated to one another.

I think the things most important to me are:
- Being paid on time.
- Honesty in regards to what I'll be paid. If it's a set amount, I better be paid that set amount. If it's revenue share and all depends on how sales go, I won't complain about the amount I'm paid as long as I get the agreed percentage.
- Respect for me and my creative intent. I can make certain adjustments but will not bend over backwards changing the entire plot just to make it more generically marketable.
- The company image. What matters most to me here is the company's stance and attitude in regards to social issues. Their approach to mature content is pretty important to me as well. I often get very dedicated when it comes to business, and need to feel pride in the company I am working with/for.

[Kotopopi]

Hi there, can you tell us which platform approached you? I live in France and I'm always looking for french webcomics websites (just want to check if I know it already).

[Wumbl]

Honestly, it would be unlikely for me to sign over my work to anyone. My fictional universe is owned as a joint property with my partner, and is a passion project of several years. Unless we're both 100% happy with the amount that's being paid, how much influence the publisher has over our work (very little to none!) and how flexible the contract is, we're unlikely to say yes to anything. The most important thing is that it's all ours and that nobody has the rights to it but us.

[fleohr]

If they change the terms of the contract to something I don't really like