I'm not familiar with the webcomics scene just yet, but...

Has there really been anyone who made MILLIONS with a webcomic??

I tot it's impossible...

No, people have lived off of their comics *references Brian of 8-bit*

But they live worst than comedians...low comedians...

A webcartoonist is still more of a hobby than a full time job *references RPG World and Mac Hall*.

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...wee?

Hi, I'm relatively new here, been a lurker for a short time. I have been drawing an online cartoon for 7 years now. I have been published quite a bit and have my cartoon either displayed or linked to thousands of websites.

So, if I may, I would like to throw in my two cents:

WebSite Promotion:

1. Swap links with as many sites as possible. But try to stick with sites that are relative to your own.
2. Get listed in all major search engines.
3. Make up some HTML code that will allow your cartoon to be displayed on other sites. Imedded in this code will be a link back to your site.
4. Use good keywords in plain text on your site as well as in the background HTML code. Spiders cluein on this and you will get rated/ listed better with major search engines.

Cartoons:

  I agree with a lot of what has already been said here. I have already followed most of it and have seen great results.

1. I watch some TV. But I keep going back because: I know what channel, date and time it will air again. Be consistet in updating! Another reason I go back is because the characters, plot and story line interest me. Makes me think and/ or laugh. Never treat your readers and fans like they are stupid, but also never expect them to know something that only makes sense to you. Like a funny thing that happene in your home town between you and a friend. If you need to explain it or have to say, "Well, you just needed to be there", then pass on that, beuse they weren't there and you will lose them.
2. Focus on the art: Is it clear what is going on? Can this image be shrunken to newspaper comic strip size? Can this be converted easily to black and white or gray scale? Is there any movement in the cartoon? Is there unspoken expressions in the eyes and body language going on?
3. Focus on the writing:  Is everything spelled correctly? Is it interesting or funny? Is it written legibly? Do you use to many words, can you be more precise and cut down on excessive "wordiness"?

Laters,

Steve, cartoonist of "Strange Breed"
http://www2.hi.net/s4/strangebreed.htm

 

 

 

 

I would add, though it's pretty much covered by points 9 of DOs & 3 of DON'Ts, do NOT post on message boards asking people to comment on your work IF all you're hoping for is to get readers and don't really care for, or are unable to take, criticism.

And also do not respond to criticism in an aggressive way or using sarcasm, that will make you unpopular and appear immature.

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Beauty In Diversity

I could say this: reader emotion should be really improtant. BEcause if it bored them than it not going to work. It entertainment. And emotion is improtant to entertainment. Keep it in your mind^^.

I think the best thing about webcomic is that you can learn about how to make a good comic. Look at this list about Do's and Don't, isn't that this list come from years of doing webcomic?

And after many time you create one and get a critics about it, you get better at it.

For webcomic artist and writers to be able to start making a living off of their craft they are going to have to become something that most of them came to the web to get away from...An Industry. With things like quality controls, business plans, value added content, marketing dept., tie-ins with other media... concepts you can take to a venture capitalists and say " Give me money you *******."

Watch the great experiment.

www.bestwebcomics.com

...have you even looked at people like Brian?
He puts up ad banners that cost a good bit and sells swag...wow...that's really market depth...

Note this too: Oh wow, I'm a business now, my wonderful Idea's have become popular and people like it!...is that really a downer to you? I would quite enjoy that fact, and if you don't like it then you pull out and stay away from contracts (which you should have done in the first place).

If you get the chance to become a company, and you have some idea of how to work it, GO FOR IT!...just make sure you have a back up plan...

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...wee?

:-)

I'm going to take the time here because I want to see webcomics improve past looser artist therapy. After all it is in my best interest that they do.

Schools is now in session.

For this example I'm not going to use any one givin webcomic because it would be too small. So lets take TWC, Buzz, & Onlinecomics (combined): How many visiters do they get in a month? Although the number is far shorter, for the sake of argument we will say 1 million. Thats less than a site like Neopets gets in a single day. The truth is outside of a handful of strips and comics ability to ganner a cult following, no one gives a rats ass about webcomics. This is because they are by and large of such poor quality, and lack an understanding of business structure and marketing (and it aint about banners). Now, if you are already rich and can afford to live with this fact, cool. But I would bet most artist are not. And for them to make a living doing what they love things are going to have to change. Webcomics are going to have to become marketable to a much larger audiance.   

We know most of the haters out there don't want to hear this... But I wonder how many would say no to joing with us if we offered them $ 4k a month plus royalties based on their IP ( and thats whats comming).  

www.bestwebcomics.com

...what?
How in the world you expect to be able to provide that much money? You just said people don't give a rat's ass about webcomics, so what makes you think that you'll be able to pull in that much money? Sponserships and ads and swag...that still won't cover everything...not to mention that the material has to be of the highest professional quality (which excludes most webcomics).

Oh, and buy an ad on buzzcomix or TWC if you want some more attention...

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...wee?

"I'm going to take the time here because I want to see webcomics improve past looser artist therapy."

Webcomics as a whole will NEVER change. The good thing about the web is that anyone can post whatever they want with a minimum of effort. The bad thing about the web is that anyone can post whatever they want with a minimum of effort. It takes time for a new medium to be accepted. Especially one based on a medium that is only quasi-accepted now.

The focus must be on the best, and ignore the rest. Look at any mass entertainment medium - books, television, movies, popular music - the largest percentage by far is total steaming crap. Promoting the best webcomics available is the way to go. Whining about all the bad webcomics only hurts the image. The fact that they are there is irrelevant.

The number of creators who even consider more than a tip jar are so few at this point that it's natural that successful business models are rare. Now that's it's been done a few times, a lot of people are jumping on the bandwagon. The money-grubbers will overrun the place, then fail, then repeat. Each time a stronger foothold will be made by the survivors, no matter which model they follow. That's how it goes. Eventually a business side to webcomics will be established because I don't think it's going to just fade away. The business needs time to grow and fail and learn.

There endeth the lesson.

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GregC
nofrailty.com

We share many views on this point Greg, and I for one hope that the freedom the web allows will never die. I think that since webcomics as such are a relatively recent phenomenon, the medium hasn't gained yet the maturity something like photography has.

In the beginning, photography was a curiosity, and a hobby only accessible to a limited group, but it found a commercial niche and grew both as an artform and a business. Webcomics might not change all that much, but people's perception of them might, as it has happened to other art forms.

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Beauty In Diversity

I guess I just can't let this thread die. After all it is call " The Do's and Don'ts of Webcomics", and maybe someone will use the advice they find here.

Here are a few ways (and we do mean a few) for webcomics to become more financially viable, and at the same time do something most of them never thought they could do and still make money: Stay free.

In order for this to work creators are going to have start coming together like never before because no one title on its own is strong enough. And this doesn't mean placing banners on each others sites and saying this is my friend. It means formming a company. Hotbullet Press is a step in the right direction.

For the next example I'm going to use the webcomic "Bigger than Cheese" because it has great untapped pontential. Because it's based on comedy, it does not need high end production to ganner an audiance. But there is no reason why, when the cast is standing around tell jokes, that they cannot be holding branded beverages, wearig shirts that carry logos. Or maybe they can eat Taco Bell on a regular basis, or use a certain brand of cellphone. It can all be done.

"But don't you need some major traffic to do that"?

"Yes".

"And here's how you get that kind of traffic."

Unless you have the coin to place a banner on a high traffic site (and who does), don't bother, it's just a waste of the little money you do have. Save it for food.

It's better to grab the attention of other media. You will get more traffic off a single newspapaer article, mention in a magazine, webzine, or blog, than you will off a wasted banner. And Tech editors are constantly looking for stories. But to get thier attention you are going to have to be diffrent: News worthy. And for this there can be many models. A well prepaired Press Release can also help.

Once again just a few examples for those with an open mind.

www.bestwebcomics.com

 

 

 

 

2 problems with what you just said.

1. Ad banners work, trust me, if you place it on the right site (Machall, Megatokyo for Anime, Penny Arcade, PVP, 8-bit, for Tech and Gaming, Buzzcomix, TWC for webcomics) you know, just put it on with the right audeince. Namir Deiter placed an ad for Mac Hall and gained a huge amount of fans, then VG Cats and the forums bussled like CRAZY!!!

2. ...A newspaper? no...not that much of an audience that YOU seek lives in that area, most webcomic "fans" are slackish, lazy, and more over checkin' on cnn.com or something...A gaming mag ad may work...but you do realise that costs even more than a Mac Hall ad...

If you wanna go for the newspaper, then put it near the comics section, heck, you could try and go and get syndicated if you do well enough...(and have some good experince behind you).

Syndication is were it's at (joining with a newspaper). though cartoons based on comics never seem to ever work out...strange...

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...wee?

How much money was made off those banners? If they worked, why do creators live worse than comedians?

Also we never said place an add in a newspaper. We said get an article in a newspaper.

For those with an open mind think this: If 1 in 10 reads the article and out those 1 in 10 visit the site aftrewords ( thats conservative ). Whether or not they come back depends on you. Also for every newspaper purchased, on avreage 3-5 others read it; Often at work where they access to the web. As well most news papers have online editions.

Most daily's in a major U.S. city have circulations in the hundreds of thousands, sometimes more. But thats thinking small. In most foriegn counrties daily's printed in the capital have nation wide distrubution. Take a country like Malaysia; although their population is only 25million, a daily there disrtributed nation wide can reach millions. And thats just one paper in one country. If you are newsworthy and hussle you can get featured in more than one globally. And maybe...If your lucky, and what you say and do has resonance, you might even catch the attention of one of those money grabbers sourcing for investment opprotunities. Or maybe ( more importantly )someone from another industry sourcing for content.

Just one small Do. And it's free.

www.bestwebcomics.com 

P.S. It's a small world.