I recently started a new comic on one of those pre-made sites that allow you to modify the standard site to your tastes. I had tried to release the webcomic before, so I already had a decent webpage layout, so I just took it and modified it slightly to make it fit on this new host, and added a few PHP tags in order to have it working.
There was a miryad of tags, but I only took the ones I needed: the one for the comic, and a few others for navigation purposes (<<First <Previous Next> Latest>>, to be exact).
Once I did that, I put a message on the forum announcing my new comic was up... and the first reply that message got was by a baffled reader who had seen the page and was puzzled because there was no room for comments, or a micro-blog by me and all those shinies apparently webcomics -HAVE- to have. Apparently, the average webcomic reader expects to find more than a simple periodical strip. They want information, they want to hear the author giving clues as of why they drew this or that, or how do I feel, or if I'm allright or am bad. And they also want complementary information about the characters (character profiles are very common), and, very often, they want to discuss comics in forums, IRC and those new "tag boards" whenever possible.
To be honest, this kinda baffles me. I don't say it's good or bad, nor that direct feedback is better than the tradicional system... it seems everybody is expecting me to draw a comic and add a plus, make it markettable, attract visits, have a number of hits per day, etc etc.
But, to be honest, I just want to draw a comic.
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We've started to move that way ourselves, but to a smaller extent. Put invitations in our comments section below specific comics linking to the forum and inviting reader feedback. It's been slow, and we've only got about seven posts there at the moment, a few myself answering back, but at least it's there.
Because ours is an Australian comic and we regularly use more Australian terms, we've added a Strine lexicon so foreign readers can understand a bit more some of the stranger terms the characters have used in dialogue. We got a response quite quickly when someone asked why we hadn't included 'fair dinkum'...
So yeah, it works, just slowly at the moment...
I'm kind of biased because I enjoyed posting at other forums before I made mine, and a lot of times I can't find the kind of topics I want to talk about at those forums. That was what propelled me to make one of my own, but once it was up I realized what a great way it was to get reader feedback. Feedback from genuine readers, people who don't know me personally, is something that I've had a hard time getting regularly until I made my forum. It isn't a big community, and it isn't very busy, but I don't really mind as long as I keep getting feedback from readers about their reactions to the posted pages, and whether or not it's in line to what I want them to see or feel. Besides, a lot of my friends hang at my forum and I'm happy to provide a place to chat.
Ultimately though I do agree with Brian. Do what you want to do, if all you truly want is to make a comic then just focus on that! I mean, some popular art sites don't even have websites at all, just access to directories of jpg files! If the work is good, people will come. Um... eventually.
Re: Webcomic: comics with a plus
As I mentioned in a thread on the Keenspace forums, if you really want to see your readership take off what you have to do is build a sense of community around your comic. Build your site to be inviting. Let your readers get to know not only your work but you as an artist. Give them a forum where they can not only be heard but hear each other, where they can interact not only with the author but other readers. Make your comic something that people will want to build into their online identities the way people on Fark.com refer to themselves as "Farkers".
If you build yourself a strong community of readers that community itself will do a lot of work to promote your strip and will be one of your most valuable assets.
One of the things that helps build the community is for the readers to feel like they know you. An "about the author" section is something you should really have. Letting people know about who you are and what your interests apart for the comic are not only helps build a sense of community but also helps draw search engine traffic.
Let's say, for example, you like windsurfing even though your comic has nothing to do with windsurfing. Well you can write a paragraph about windsurfing and why you like it in your "about the author" section. Some other windsurfers doing a search for windsurfing sites will likely stumble across your "about the author" page on a search string for windsurfing. They'll read about you, see you're a fellow enthusiast, notice you do a comic and think to themselves "You know, we both like windsurfing, maybe I'd like his comic too."
If he likes your comic chances are good he'll go back to some windsurfing community online where he hangs out and tell them "You should check out this comic, it's pretty good and the guy who does it loves windsurfing too!"
You're competing for attention against tens of thousands of other webcomics out there on the internet. Just doing a good comic isn't going to be enough because there are a couple of thousand good comics out there. You have to work to build a readership but if you can build a sense of community around your comic then that community will do part of the work of promotion for you.
Make your website inviting. Make the readers feel they belong. Build your own community.
Re: Webcomic: comics with a plus
Then just draw the comic. Just because someone expects you to do something does not mean you have to. As with the DVD and TPB examples, I'd ask people "Did you buy it because you like the movie/comic or because you like extras?" A person who likes extras is someone I liken to that kid in elementry school who packed ketchup and mustard packets for lunch. You CAN like ketchup a little too much, and you certainly don't NEED it.
Forums and blogs are extras because they're not REQUIREMENTS, unlike what people might lead you to believe. I know dozens of webcomics that function without forums or blogs just fine. Hell, I don't have a blog on either of my comics because I consider my life none of anyone else's business(It's also why my live journal has pretty much died).
Do what you want to do and to heck with what you're readers THINK you should do. They're not the ones running things, and they're certainly not paying you, are they?
Think of your comic like a DVD. The comic is like the movie, but after seeing the movie (if you enjoyed it), then we want to see what type of extras are on the DVD. I think the same principle applies to webcomic and it gives the creator more things to update (other than the comic) and keeps readers coming back.
Some of the extras you might provide could be one off things that require little upkeep--providing a forum for instance. Even if you don't personally post in the forum, readers will enjoy having it available. Character profiles are another good example of something that you can do when you have the time, and then not worry about it again.
Of course, the most important thing people want is the comic, but the extras make them extra happy--which makes them more likely to keep coming back. It's a good move to have the extras--but you don't want to comit yourself to anything that will perpetually irk you.
Some webcomic creator folks also find an assistant if you will, especially a technical one who can set up all that kind of stuff for you (and even blog for you)... though those types are usually already a friend and/or a dedicated fan.
~Liriel
I think the emailer will just get over it soon enough, but there does seem to be a "bells and whistles" precedent set up for webcomics, something that would not be asked of their printed counterparts. That's one of the benefits people cite about webcomics: you can instantly discuss the topics at hand with other readers, or even the creator! Not that it's obligatory, but people have come to expect that these days.
The best thing I'd imagine is to politely state that you're aware other comics use those features, but your comic won't, period.
Actually, I don't think this is at all exclusive to webcomics. It really started with DVDs. I've certainly known people who won't by a DVD if they don't think it has enough extras on it.
I've even heard people complain about TPB collections that don't include extras like cover galleries and sketches.
Even printed comic books have letters pages where people talk about recent issues. It's all about building a community of readers, a community that's more likely to come back regularly to read and discuss your comic because it's something they all have in common with each other.
On Arthur, King of Time and Space's first page I included a text section noting that I don't have a forum or a priviledged-member signup, but promising a cartoon every day and periodic "'rants' or 'news' in this space". Sometimes the text space contains reader comments and my response. Sometimes it contains a poll for the readers. Once the poll was do I need a cast page since I couldn't decide myself; the vote went for it, so now there's a Cast-and-FAQ page. Most often the text section consists of author's notes by recommendation of a Comixpedia column contemporary to my lauch, which I can't locate now, that recommended recording the artistic process; I've received positive feedback on that. I assume I'll create a forum for AKOTAS somehow when readership numbers seem to support one. So far the only thing I don't have which one reader's requested is RSS feed.
All I'm trying to say is: Yes, a reader has these extra expectations, but if you address them up front one way or the other the reader's happy.