What would it take for you to follow an author's new series?

[DokiDokiTsuna]

So according to this thread, apparently webcomic authors dropping one series suddenly to start another is kind of a downer. And I can see that...it's always sad and frustrating when something you were interested in unceremoniously ends.

Although it kind of bothers me that it's usually portrayed as a failing of the author, as if they weren't "serious enough" about the comic they quit and will probably quit their next comic just as quickly.

Quitting isn't always a sign of failure...I think most people on this forum are old enough to know that sometimes you have to quit in order to grow, so you can move on to better things.
I've officially quit two comics already in my life, and I may have to quit a few more in the future...but there are different reasons for all of them. For some, I really did just bite off more than I could chew...as much fun as it'd be to run 10 huge series simultaneously, that's just not possible right now.

But some of those comics I just outgrew. I started my first long-running fancomic when I was about 14, and I had fun with it for a couple years, before I realized that most of my older ideas just came from trying to copy all the anime I used to watch...and that I was spending more and more time on the story's OCs than on the franchise's characters. Clearly, I was ready to move on as a mature comic artist, but I was still handcuffed to a story a kid came up with.
After a while, I realized I couldn't continue working on the comic as an adult unless I restarted it from scratch...and when that didn't work, I had to leave it behind.

I'm sure there were plenty of people upset by that decision...but at the end of the day, I don't owe my life to them. =/ I gotta do what's best for me, whether they care about my new stuff or not.

But does this story always have to have a bittersweet ending?? Surely, there are times when you're willing to follow an artist's journey into a new concept, trust issues notwithstanding...

I don't actually read many comics, so it's hard for me to weigh in on this...but I think what helps for me is when the artist shows that they have variety from the get-go. It's hard to feel "betrayed" by someone who always has a lot of stuff going on, rather than devoting themselves body and soul to one idea at a time. Plus, you get to see what they can do in other genres, and maybe learn to like it.

Of course, it's hard to see that on comics-only sites, if not impossible...but in that case, I'll just say this: I'll follow a good writer anywhere. ^^ Sure, I'll be devastated if the series I met them in gets canceled, but as long as they're still alive, I'll follow whatever project they hop onto next.
Good writers are hard to find...so once I feel like I've got one, I don't want to let them go for anything. I'd rather they cancel a hundred projects than stop creating altogether.

[33rdCenturyCaveman]

Me feel that you owe it to the audience to at least bring the story, if not to an ending, then at least to a comfortable stopping point. And me say this as someone who still has readers waiting for the outcome of a sea battle.

[AmazementComics]

No much really. If I like a creator's works and they want to start something else, then I'll follow it.

[joannekwan]

If I like their work and I like the sound of the new premise, I'll follow it.

I've seen creators stop a series many times before, many of which I was subscribed to. And I understand it since I know the absolute strain a webcomic and on-going series can be on a person at times. I can totally sympathize.
So long as they didn't abandon a project after only a few pages, I don't chalk up their decision to start something new as a lack of commitment. Like readers, creators' interests can change too and I don't fault them if they want to do something else.

Besides, I'm never that attached to a series that I'd be absolutely devastated and feel betrayed if the creator didn't finish it.

[Iris-Grimoire]

If it shows that they really lost their love of the story/it only has bad memories attached to it and the new one has that drive to really get somewhere, possibly. If they drop whole comics just because they're bored and it's obvious the next one is also chasing a cool idea with the shelf life of a month, I'd rather go for someone trying their hardest to make it work in one attempt.

[Rhonder]

I'm usually always down to see what comes next from an author that I like. Or like if they have a catalogue of previous works, then looking at what else they've already done after I finish or catch up on the current work. Like, I wont just blindly commit to reading something just because it's from an author I like, but I'll almost always give it a try~ I'm of the mindset that if they made one story I really liked, they'll probably be able to make others.

edit: I guess more to the heart of the post though, I'm also the type that doesn't ever really take it too personally if someone drops a project to start something new... but the frequency that they change projects and how far they take each one may start to wear on my trust eventually lol. I'm with @33rdCenturyCaveman in that it's best to at least try to reach a resolution of some sort, even if it's not the end-end.

For example I have one indie author on Tapas whose work I enjoy a lot, but I'm starting to get a little skeptical of following their projects now because their catalogue is comprised of one series they got 1-ish chapters into and then shelved, followed by a hiatus and then a number of new stories back to back to back that only get a few pages in before the next one starts lol. Like the art is still fun to look at and the stories each seem promising but... they never seem to go anywhere so... yeah.

[Kaylim]

I'm also the type that doesn't ever really take it too personally if someone drops a project to start something new... but the frequency that they change projects and how far they take each one may start to wear on my trust eventually lol

Agreed! My feelings exactly. I totally understand if the creator's time or interest dries up. I'm not bothered by it, unless, like you said, it happens all the time. Then I don't want to invest my time or money into reading anything new by them.

I was following one creator for a few years, but they'd never finished anything. They had three or four really good comics that I devoured every update of. But they'd get to like, the second act or sometimes third act, then just drop it and start something new. And then they finished one thing, but it ended on a sort of cliffhanger (like the whole comic was just a pilot episode? idk) and so after that I stopped reading their stuff because I wanted the satisfaction of a full story lol.

But that's rare. And while, as a reader, I'd appreciate some sort of post detailing how the comic or novel was supposed to end, I'm not super bitter if I don't get one.

[eleoza]

Personally I feel like authors should at least wrap a story up if they want to quit, even if the end will be rushed at least it's an ending and shows gratitude towards the readers.
Also finishing a story regardless of how you end it, doesn't always mean that your whole fanbase follows your new comic.

[Inspector_Spinda]

it depends for how long a series has gone on for. actually ive never had a series ive been in love with get dropped. the only dropped series ive read are the ones dropped ages before I started reading it. i usually stop reading too when i notice it hasn't updated in months.

actually there are a few im reading now that may or may not have been dropped, but it's been months since ive read them anyways so ive almost forgotten about them. i think it's the slow update nature of webcomics that causes some detachment.

[rajillustration]

Especially with webcomics it's like...I get to read it for free. Who am I to complain if the author wants to move on?

[33rdCenturyCaveman]

Reader does invest a certain amount of time and energy and goodwill. May not buy the author a cup of coffee, but it not worthless.

[rajillustration]

It's not worthless, no, but there's no contract made until a contract is made. Well wishes and warm thoughts doesn't put food on an artist's table, and if they want to move on to another project that may perform better than what they're doing--then power to them.

[33rdCenturyCaveman]

It kind of is a social contract. At the very least the author should have courtesy to end the story with some kind of grace. Mebbe a quick word to say, "Sorry guys, but me can't keep doing this." Cannot simply slip away in the night, like thief.

[rajillustration]

Some people I think have a hard time saying goodbye, especially if they are pressured to continue from an eager fandom. Them just disappearing in the night is sometimes...the best way they know to go, and that's fine. That's their choice. We don't really know what's going on behind the scenes. They could be having issues with money, legal stuff, family stuff, work stuff, health stuff--I don't want to ever say that an author "owes" me an ending when getting even as far as they did was maybe...all they could physically do and a miracle in itself. You just never know.

[33rdCenturyCaveman]

Context not really matter when it comes to rightness or wrongness of things. Even if comic am free, artist still promise not to waste reader's time. It perfectly reasonable to terminate the commitment if priorities change (or life gets in way) but apologies are still in order.

Just because Internet audience am accustomed to disappointment, that not make it nice to disappoint them.

[rajillustration]

There is no rightness of wrongness because they did nothing wrong.

We definitely disagree, because in my book, no promise was ever made for reading free content. Especially with how webcomics work nowadays, there's just so little money made in ad revenue--can you blame them if they intend to finish a comic and just...never come back to it? If it just gets shelved indefinitely? They have nothing to apologize for that.

The internet audience gets years and years of comic content for nothing and they can read it in like...a few hours. It's hardly a waste of the reader's time in comparison and I think the internet audience has more of a problem with never being satisfied, even if the story had an ending.

[33rdCenturyCaveman]

The promise am inherent to the offering.

[33rdCenturyCaveman]

It am not a huge sin, but still. It like ghosting an appointment. It hurt people's feelings.