You guys keep saying sub for sub, but no one ever sends me my sammich!

[skicoak]

Though I wonder how that idea would be executed

Just make a promo category ...like the collaboration one. Every promo thread etc goes there.

[DualDragons]

That would be a good idea actually, a promo category. I'm in for the idea.

[shrikha56]

Hi I actually agree with that it would also be easier to reach out​

[Azifri]

Do people not realize that links on those promo threads hardly ever have any clicks? And why would you want sub for sub if the sub isn't going to read your work?
I'd say the "post your latest page" is the most effective promo thread I've seen on the forum, the others tend to be just link dumps.

[byelacey]

Yeah it's all just noise at this point. If you get subscribers who don't read your comic, what have you accomplished? Getting to the ad rev/ink threshold? Who's giving you views for that ad revenue? Who's giving you the ink?

There have to be better ways to promote yourself than "sub for sub"

[Azifri]

Not to mention that to get anything meaningful out of ad revenue takes thousands of views, and even then it's pocket change. Similar for ink.

[skicoak]

even then it's pocket change.

Hmm...I purchased my third yacht with my Tapas profits. Wonder what you're doing wrong?

[mappypaint]

Yeah I noticed a lot of subs for subs threads recently but it's okay since I can avoid them. At least it's not as irritating as getting a PM to check out their comic. XD

[DualDragons]

The truth
I think the fact that you immediately get to see an example of someone's work along with their link works better than just a link dump.

[darthmongoose]

I think the fact that you immediately get to see an example of someone's work along with their link works better than just a link dump.

This! I get more subs off people when I post actual art from my comic in things like the "post your latest page" threads than any threads where I just post a link.

[nathanKmcwilliams]

I came here for sandwiches. But I don't see any. Bye.

[skicoak]

I came here for sandwiches. But I don't see any. Bye.

No one sends me my return sammiches...I have to hoard my own!

[nathanKmcwilliams]

Now I just see you as a pro-wrestler wearing a Scrooge McDuck outfit and diving into a olympic pool sized pile of sandwiches.

I bet the older ones smell of mold. Probably not even edible anymore.

[nathanKmcwilliams]

To be on topic for once... xD I agree with @mappypaint, it's super annoying to get PMs about Sub for Sub. At least on the forum I can ignore it.

I have no solutions though, beyond ignore. I don't think it's possible to eliminate these kinds of threads completely.

[skicoak]

I have no solutions though, beyond ignore. I don't think it's possible to eliminate these kinds of threads completely.

It's simple...they all go in a Promotion category, and you can unfollow the category if you have no interest in them. Just like they did with Collaboration

[GesuGesu]

I have complicated feelings for these sub for sub posters. It's a mix of "not again", "they're new, aren't they?" or "sigh, they never learn".

I second the motion to shove them all behind a Promo category or something, so I can mute the category altogether.

[HarryM]

I'm all for self-promotion, but I really don't understand what the goal is with sub-for-sub? I mean, sub a comic if you like it - I've found a few this way! - but you want engaged readers, right? Trading subs ticks your number up but who cares if the sub doesn't? Unless sub-count increases visibility on Tapas, maybe? (I don't know how Tapas' discoverability works).

I guess there's a networking element to it, but you're not going to garner a readership by trading subs with someone whose looking for the same kinda passion outta you.

I have wondered if everyone on these boards is a comic/novel creator, and if we're all just talking to ourselves, more or less. Do readers come here? I really don't know.

[thedude3445]

I think sub for sub is pointless except for the raw number of increasing your algorithm ranking stuff. Though, if people actually read each other's stuff, that's a different story. I don't think I'll read everything (or even a majority) of what I've subscribed to so far, but the option is always there and that might be worth something. Since readers don't seem to go anywhere near this forum,

I think it's OK that it's transparent self promotion unlike certain other web fiction forums where the strict rules force everyone to play a weird dance of pretending to be there just for fun in order to self promote everything (and that forum ALSO doesn't have any readers on it so it's dumb).

However, if you get a fanbase that consists entirely of other authors that might not be the best way to do it lol.

[DeleteThisAccountFag]

I also don't understand this sub-for-sub. Not just here but anywhere. I remember this was something that was happening in the early days of YouTube, way, way back when it was much smaller and you couldn't make money off of YT. It just doesn't make sense to just have someone sub to you but never actually interact. I'd rather have 5 people who genuinely read my comic than 100 people who don't.

As for the sandwich, here you go:

Don't eat it all at once.

EDIT:
Well, I'm a dummy. I realized the joke now.

[thedude3445]

The whole thing is itself a little dance, I believe. People want you to subscribe to them in the faint, extremely tiny hope that they will read your story. And I really hope they read mine, in return! It 99% won't happen but we can dream