...that was amazingly late PK...

---

...wee?

but it sure was amazing. =^_^=

(realizes that this isn't helping the spam count on the topic any)

---

KITTY KITTY DANCE GO

**KNC Member**
**B-Unit Minister of Warm Fuzzy Kawaii Things**

DeviantArt site

The Kitlings!

Another don'ts.

Don't make writer's block jokes on your comics a lot of times.

I did that several times...big mistake. My comics got hated.

---

...wee?

I would add to that magnificent list:

don't expect anything, ever.
that applies to other things too, not just comics.


life of dog.
at
veblin.net

I would also say that there are no rules.
People get suckers to go to their 'seminars' on scriptwriting, songwriting etc. and give them hokey sets of ironclad rules.
I don't believe in them. but they work great as guidelines.

there.
I said it.

Its always a good time to talk about your comic, even in situations where it couldent be the farthest thing from whats going on.

As I catch up on this conversation, I see two very different topics: art and marketing.

I manage to make a living as a freelance writer/graphic designer. I agree with all the folk who say people who get mega$$ are the exception to the rule. If my husband didn't have an income, I'd live on ramen and have to rent a closet in a crack house somewhere. I'm not the greatest, but I have a few observations.

Advertising is where the money is. Not swag, unless you are a very clever and diligent merchandiser. How many t-shirts do people need? Got to think further outside the box than that.

And I don't mean advertising on your website. Writing or designing advertisement. You want to make a living off your art, this is most likely your destiny. Get a degree, sell your soul during the day, come home and create great webcomix for the joy of it at night.

Still wanna make money off that site? Gotta convince advertisers that adspace on your site is worth their while. That means giving them numbers -- how much traffic, what kind of demographic. It does Polydent Denture Cream no good to be seen by millions of teenyboppers.

Your comic is about the madcap antics of video game characters. What could that sell? The video game? Hm. Wouldn't your readers already have it, if they "get" your strip? Accessories for the game! *Now* yer thinkin, bub. Try Amazon, young grasshoppa. They let you link to specific goodies and will give you a percentage of every purchase made through your site. Try it, just prepare to be underwhelmed at the rush of people flocking to buy. Because people simply don't go to a webcomic when they're in the mood to shop.

Making some extra bucks off something you enjoy is a much more realistic goal than planning on getting rich.

---

Here's another Do. Build up a "hard-archive" of at least three completed comics before launching. This will allow you to figure out if in fact you can do a comic, and if you will be able to keep up with your update rate. The buffer allows you to "miss" a week without having to put up a dreaded "No comic the week. Sorry!" message, or filler.

---

Don't hesitate to procrastinate.
See my comic at http://cuteninjagirls.com

I agree with having buffer strips, I had almost a months worth of buffer strips. but I've taken a break so now down to two weeks worth, time to get back to drawing!

---

Sentimental Horde: Bringing world peace by conquering on nation at time!

Be original.. Heh. I can't stress this enough. I know it's hard to come up with original ideas, but, to me, that's what makes or breaks comics on my reading list. Although, if your humor stripping, you can run one cliche after another through the mill, as long as it's funny. But originality still helps. Matter of fact, I'm gonna go out on a limb and say that non humorous strips are Bleh. I guess they have lotsa readers, but can't stand 'em. But that's just me. Me like the funny.

---

My God Awful WebComic

I didnt read all the pages but I read the first post and it was extreamly helpful! Thx

I agree. The first post had some very awsome tips!

""sell your soul during the day, come home and create great webcomix for the joy of it at night.</p>""

Oh ehehehe. This sounds pretty much like my life... Aw. :)

---

My comic strip! - http://www.danstrip.com

I enjoyed this thread.

I'd like to add the following:
1) Focus on your comic not your online persona. A lot of people (and I have been guilty of this) try to make as much a character of themselves (the creator) as those that appear in their strip. People don't respond to your clever quips or wellspring of profanity as much as you may think. Mostly because you are not as original or compelling an internet personality as you think but also because the majority of your readers are not there to get to know you or read your newspost (most will just link the comic directly in their fav list if possible). Furthermore, if people like your comic it does'nt necessarily reflect on their opinion of you. I could name three comics right now that I read regularly whose creators I dispise.

2) Learn to say no. As soon as you do start to gain a little popularity people will be coming out of the woodwork with "opportunities" for you. Be honest with yourself about which you like and would enjoy working on and which you are simply thrilled to have been asked about but aren't that enthusiastic about working on. Saying no sometimes does not mean you will never be asked again (although ALWAYS saying no may mean that). also in this vein it's important to be realistic about your ability to finish the things you start. When someone comes to you with their baby hoping to make it real don't jump on board hoping that the comittment will force you to break a lifelong streak of unfinished projects. That wastes your time (and maybe money) and theirs. Besides you have a project of your own that you could be steering that effort towards, remember?

3) It's been said but i'll reitterate. DO NOT ARGUE ON THE INTERNET. This is not a guideline. This is perhaps the only hard fast rule there is. I don't care how smart you are. I don't care if you passed The Bar or the subject of the argument is your current major in college. An internet argument is not two opponents pitted against each other in a test of reason and charisma it's two screaming monkeys throwing *** at each other and missing most of the time, angering the crowd of monkeys around them, who then begin throwing their own ***. You do not want yourself or your feature stapled to any kind of internet beef or argument. If you are attacked even directly you must simply ignore it. I don't mean take a silent jab at them in your comic or blow off some steam at your supersecret forum under a psuedonym. I mean ignore it completely. As soon as you are blasted the internet will be crawling with trolls looking for any kind of responce with which to insite mayhem. Plain and simple: They attack you. You leave them hanging. You win every single time.

Tauhid

www.rocketsuregeycomics.com