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Post by carmroses on Sept 12, 2021 15:28:20 GMT
☆ Opening this up as a general convo about experiences publishing work online: how and why and where and pros and cons and dreams and woes and resources? ☆ here's me:In the years that I've been making zines, I have always stuck to selling/distributing/mailing the paper stuff. Sometimes I post snippets/previews online, sometimes I don't. I am hesitant but curious about publishing something in full online, and have a new comics project that I'd like to experiment with. I'm thinking about releasing it one page/week. A part of me likes the accessibility of just using IG since it's where the people already are (coming from a meet people where they are ethos -- butyeah goes w/out saying IG is a fraught and evil and useful platform). Another part of me would like to link it elsewhere on a clean white webpage that I add a page to weekly, or send it to people via email, or some combination of any of these. I'm not a reader of webcomics for no reason other than just having a hard time focusing on screen-reads and personal preference for reading things in print. So I am not really familiar with how people release webcomics. Give me your knowledge. ☆ Opening this up as a general convo about experiences publishing work online: how and why and where and pros and cons and dreams and woes and resources? ☆
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Post by awfulquiet on Sept 12, 2021 17:12:32 GMT
I like to make things as available as possible.
I made a digital copy available on Gumroad alongside a physical release.
When it comes to posting on Instagram, my plan is to hopefully always have a backlog. Like, I'm releasing a new book tomorrow, but I'm only about halfway through serializing my last book on Instagram. And by the time I stay serializing this new book I hope to have one or two new books or zines in print.
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Post by k0rnbr34d on Sept 13, 2021 4:21:58 GMT
Instagram is horrible not just because of the limited aspect ratios but images aren't large enough to look as good as they should. The algorithm also isn't conducive to comic publishing. Your posts can appear out of order or simply not show up for some users. Like awfulquiet, I also like to make things as available as possible, so I've got digital copies of everything I've done as well as printed ones. Wordpress format wise is okay for this, but not many people use it. Tumblr was much better but again, not very active.
The idea of an emailing list is appealing to me, but seemed out of reach. With a forum like this bringing interested people together, that seems much more doable. Having it sent directly also separates it from the endless feed of info on other sites. I would read a weekly emailed comic.
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Ian M
Junior Member
Posts: 68
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Post by Ian M on Sept 13, 2021 7:57:49 GMT
1000% this. Tumblr had its problems, but it was so much better than Instagram. When things migrated there, I mostly lost interest in comics over social media. The only value Instagram has over other social media is that "normal" people use it, and Tumblr was a nerd site.
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Post by disneyweirdness on Sept 13, 2021 23:37:53 GMT
1000% this. Tumblr had its problems, but it was so much better than Instagram. When things migrated there, I mostly lost interest in comics over social media. The only value Instagram has over other social media is that "normal" people use it, and Tumblr was a nerd site. I'm one of the last Tumblr holdouts, I just don't think I have it in me to learn any new websites.
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Ian M
Junior Member
Posts: 68
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Post by Ian M on Sept 14, 2021 1:29:36 GMT
I'm one of the last Tumblr holdouts, I just don't think I have it in me to learn any new websites. I still post there too, but my work gets about 5% the attention it got five years ago. Maybe I'm getting worse!
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Post by dwlynch on Sept 14, 2021 4:23:00 GMT
I like the idea of having comics emailed to me through something like Tiny Letter or Substack or just setting up a mailing list through something like this.
Also, can we all just go back to Tumblr already? Facebook is dead and Instagram has its faults so maybe it's where you advertise to basics. Let's once again make Tumblr the place for people that give a fuck. I never really understood the exodus to begin with.
Or I don't know, maybe the email thing.
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desmond
New Member
Instagram @desmondtreed
Posts: 13
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Post by desmond on Sept 15, 2021 16:35:08 GMT
Do folks have any strong feelings about Gumroad? I'm thinking of posting a graphic novel on there but wanted to get a general vibe first...
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Post by awfulquiet on Sept 15, 2021 17:11:58 GMT
Do folks have any strong feelings about Gumroad? I'm thinking of posting a graphic novel on there but wanted to get a general vibe first... View AttachmentI haven't made a ton of sales through it. But it's easy to work with and I like being able to have a pay what you want option. And I've always had good experiences purchasing there as a consumer.
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Post by awfulquiet on Sept 16, 2021 2:07:55 GMT
I also got back on Tumblr today and I gotta say it's easily the best designed app out of all the big platforms.
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Post by gabriellatito on Sept 17, 2021 22:15:24 GMT
I also got back on Tumblr today and I gotta say it's easily the best designed app out of all the big platforms. I've been thinking about going back to tumblr on and off, and I sort of got back into instagram last month, but I kinda miss tumblr. I really don't like insta.
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Ian M
Junior Member
Posts: 68
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Post by Ian M on Sept 18, 2021 14:13:37 GMT
Alright, so happy to see people hating Instagram. I've never gotten its popularity. Especially the many people who say Facebook sucks then open up their Insta app.
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Post by judgebread on Mar 17, 2022 20:25:34 GMT
Re-investing in Tumblr. I haven't been on in years so it feels like being at a new school with no friends, but I can't wait to post art on a platform my mom doesn't follow me on. She is very supportive, but it doesn't help the renegade energy I try to channel with my comics.
going on @kevinbaileycomics. I'll be looking for bubbles citizens on the app.
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Post by floyd on Mar 18, 2022 3:18:07 GMT
If people want to talk about how Instagram sucks, I'm all for it and I apreciate it. Thats why this forum is so important because it is the creation of an unmonopolized information network. If people dont feel anoyed and would actually care, I can post here some of the essays ive written about why I personally think its horrible. but also its the type of thing that im worried of seeming like a "holier than thou " person or anything of the sort... but I also legitimately do believe that instagram is one of the most terrible things about this era.. i've been off of it for around 2.5 years now I think ? and my life has changed drastically.... in some ways better, in some ways worse. its hard to say. the very specific aspects of how instagram fundamentally alters the nature of your being arent coming to me now while im high and tired typing this out...
but anyways, ahh ...
email if you wantr : floydtangemansf@gmail.com
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Post by joshpettinger on Mar 18, 2022 17:45:40 GMT
I decided to post every comic I've made as 'swipes' last year and its been all positive. I think there's something to the idea that if you give someone something for free and they like it, they'll pay for it. Sales of whatever book I'm posting go massively up, people share it to their stories and you get more people interested in what you're doing. I haven't seen any negative effects to posting it all. In the end for me it's all about getting physical books to people and this method has worked really well for me. You pretty much have to do it daily though, to stay in peoples algorithms and for the story to be easy to follow.
Also, re: newsletters. I think they're cool but the problem is if too many people start doing it. I follow a ton of artists but dont want daily emails from all of them, it's just easier to have everyone's stuff all in one place.
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