Comments: Motivation and Demotivation

[kuroi_hitsuji]

Let's all admit it, comments are loved. Praise is great, rarely do you get trolling crap...sometimes it's random and derp and sometimes it pressures you to update...but it's a sign that someone gives a sh** right?

So I'm reading this one comic and I shall not name it since, it might be rude to said artist (if you know cuz we both read it...say nothing! XD Let's make it a topic under wraps!)...and she says she might end it soon.
One reason she mentioned is that it's unmotivating cuz she has sooo many fans but they say nothing.

I must admit I relate to her. Most of my fans don't comment...most of my pages have no comments (except for friends spamming me XD) I feel little love and it's sad, but hey we can't force our readers to comment, right?

So that long prelude you may have tl;dr...ed.... (dafaq how do I verb that?) was just to ask if anyone ever DID quit a comic cuz of lack of comments?

Does anyone else get that sinking feeling in their stomach when, many days after your update (or weeks, whatev) no one has said a thing to you on your comic pages?

Do you ever think it's better to have few fans but almost everyone comments rather than an insurmountable number...resulting in silence? >_o

[Jops]

Number of fans and them being more or less active in giving comments has never been a reason for me for continuing or interrupting the comic for me (free time and real life issues are), but i can easily imagine how bad it'd feel to share your works to an unresponsive crowd. You dedicate time and effort into it, gettign soem feedback is always appreciated.

Personally, the answer to your last question comes easy without a second thought: i'd rather have just 2-3 fans who actively comment pages with anything (from criticizing mistakes i make to speculating on what could happen next and more) than 3-digits of silent fans. I actually already mentioned in an other thread that i find a comment from an anonymous guest more heartwarming than a +1 to the fan-count.
If they discuss or speculate on comic events means the readers feel involved, they care about the characters and what happens to them. If they simply leave a comment stating that they like the comic or one specific joke, as vague as that comment can be, you already get a better feedback than a +1 fav. Even with criticism, it means the reader cares enough to try and direct you towards some improvement.

The +1 fan is very wlecome, yes. But feels more cold and doesn't really tell you much on what the reader liked.

[mitchellbravo]

I can understand the feeling. I have a touch over a dozen fans right now, and the ratio of comments to fans is actually pretty high given my expectations. I'll occasionally get a person going through the archive and commenting as they read. But I know it can be a bummer where I upload a page I think is really interesting and that people will have something to say about, and then it passes into the ether. It's a small disapointment though, and I know even with comics I read I don't feel like commenting on every update, even if it is really good. I remind myself at those times that I'm not writing with the express purpose of generating reader comments. If people comment, I take it as a sign that I'm doing something write(ha ha, going to leave that typo there). If they don't, though, it doesn't necessarily mean I'm doing something wrong.

My original comic site was up for about a year and a half before I put up this mirror site here, and that was on a site where I didn't have a place for readers to comment. So all that while, I wasn't getting any individual page feedback except for cases when I asked for reviews or internet friends messaged me to let me know they liked something I'd done. So I didn't have reader expectations early on regarding feedback of that sort.

One thing that happens sometimes, and this might sound way meaner than I want it to, so pretend I'm saying it with the voice of Dom DeLuise, is that as artists we forget that just because we are creating somethign doesn't mean our audience owes us something in return. You pay to go to a play, but there's no rule saying you have to clap at the end (though most people do). The audience does not owe the artist anything. We create entertainment, and it is their choice 1 whether to read, 2 how much to read, 3 whether to come back, 4 whether to fave/comment, and 5 whether to recommend it to others. In a situation such as a "choose-your-own-adventure" type story, yes, you do obviously need reader feedback.

Some tips to encourage commenting that I've seen in other threads and that have worked from time to time for me: Make author comments that create a pro-dialogue environment. This can be anything from including silly supplemental facts about the comic to asking questions to the readers like "Who really lost out in this strip, Finbar or Piotr?" You can tack on things like "Comments appreciated" that can help give readers a little nudge. You can register with sites like Top Webcomics and make humorous/saucy/interesting vote incentives that can give readers something else to talk about.

Sometimes when we consume media, we forget that there are people behind the scenes makign everything happen. You watch a sitcom, you might think of the actors, maybe, but you don't think about the writers sitting there for hours spinning their yarns, or the people in charge of the makeup and clothes and props, or the editors hacking away in post-production taking the thing from a heap of used film and making it into a watchable product. You read a book or a comic, maybe you get so engrossed that you don't think about the writer or the artists making the vision a reality. (This is especially true for people who don't work in that medium themselves. As a comic artist, you might have more appreciation for the work that goes into making a comic).

Another small thing which may help is a small About the Author thingadoo located somewhere on the site, preferably with a picture of the artist. Someone who looks at it is reminded that you are the one sitting there workign on this, not some faceless high-end fancy artist crouching atop an old French building and drinking expensive champagne.

The human element is often what encourages people to comment, in my experience. If people identify with what's going on, they may want to share. Or if people care about a character and what happens to that character, or something like that.

oh my goddddd why did i make such a log poast

[Lumnili]

It can be depressing when I've worked hard on a page and I'm really proud of it and I only get one comment... at most. At the moment I have 89 'fans' (I don't know how many of them actually read my comic xD) and I think the average number of comments on my pages are 1 to 0... ._.

But even if I don't get many comments it's not going to make me want to quit my comic. Instead of getting depressed about it I just see it like this: Not many people comment on it now but more people will come to like it as the story and characters develop, and as my art gets better, so if not many people like it I just have to improve! And anyway, I make my comic for fun, not to be popular, so as long as I like my comic I'll keep working on it regardless of how many other people like it.

I've always wanted a small fanbase that really likes my work rather than lots of 'fans' who I never hear from. Fans are just empty numbers, but comments actually motivate me. (Getting a new fan is still a bit motivating but not nearly as motivating as a comment)

I'm actually guilty of not commenting much so I can't really complain. XD But I try to comment if I have something interesting to say, not just 'cool', or 'awesome!' etc.

[kuroi_hitsuji]

@jops: It's so awesome that you have such a tight-knit fanbase. The "not many but loyal" type.
I also totally relate on that whole "anonymous comment" over "+1"

@mitchellbravo: You made a long comment cuz you care. Forums are the same, I think, in the sense that replies can fortify a person's insecurity regarding an issue (now that I think about it) so thanks for that. XD

Also you do have a point that an author "about page" may do good for me...I should redesign my site soon so this stuff becomes more clear..;


@Lumnili: I've been where you are. D:
I guess I'm just asking this because as I entered college, updating got harder, and I went on a long hiatus.
As I came back, it felt no one missed me...and I had a better fanbase when my art and story weren't as good.
More feedback, and all was positive, so I guess I'm just getting nostalgic. XDD

[mitchellbravo]

I guess I'm just asking this because as I entered college, updating got harder, and I went on a long hiatus.
As I came back, it felt no one missed me...and I had a better fanbase when my art and story weren't as good.
More feedback, and all was positive, so I guess I'm just getting nostalgic. XDD

Oh, that's another thing! Hiatuses can absolutely wreck your fanbase. It doesn't quite follow the saying "Absence makes the heart grow fonder." More of "Why hasn't such and such updated in so long? I'll go find something else to read in the meantime" (and hten they forget to come back). Regular updates also help to increase a reader's sense of wanting to comment.

[The Bearded Man]

Only, as much as I know how it sucks, I often surprise myself at not commenting even thought I truly enjoy what I'm reading. For me it's much like "I have nothing in particular to say about this so I won't comment."

The alternative I found was rating the page.

[kuroi_hitsuji]

I guess I'm just asking this because as I entered college, updating got harder, and I went on a long hiatus.
As I came back, it felt no one missed me...and I had a better fanbase when my art and story weren't as good.
More feedback, and all was positive, so I guess I'm just getting nostalgic. XDD

Oh, that's another thing! Hiatuses can absolutely wreck your fanbase. It doesn't quite follow the saying "Absence makes the heart grow fonder." More of "Why hasn't such and such updated in so long? I'll go find something else to read in the meantime" (and hten they forget to come back). Regular updates also help to increase a reader's sense of wanting to comment.

Yeah it sucks. I used to update semi-regularly but college went and f***ed that up, so now I'm balancin it out...
I've been trying to update regularly, which I have now...but then again still nothing. Oh well. :0

Only, as much as I know how it sucks, I often surprise myself at not commenting even thought I truly enjoy what I'm reading. For me it's much like "I have nothing in particular to say about this so I won't comment."

The alternative I found was rating the page.

1....that image=WIN.

2...YEAH. Ratings are nice too...but I rate less than I comment. Sometimes I just spam with a "<3" for appreciation. XD; Which isn't as constructive as most comments hope to be but yeah..at least love is shown.

[Alphares]

I really do enjoy comments, ratings and fans and it indeed keeps me motivated but after all I try to focus on what I want to do with my time/comic.
That doesn't mean that I don't get a BIG motivational kick out of every comment/fan/rating. I indeed do and appreciate them

[Mr. Henry]

Let's all admit it, comments are loved. Praise is great, rarely do you get trolling crap...sometimes it's random and derp and sometimes it pressures you to update...but it's a sign that someone gives a sh** right?

So I'm reading this one comic and I shall not name it since, it might be rude to said artist (if you know cuz we both read it...say nothing! XD Let's make it a topic under wraps!)...and she says she might end it soon.
One reason she mentioned is that it's unmotivating cuz she has sooo many fans but they say nothing.

I must admit I relate to her. Most of my fans don't comment...most of my pages have no comments (except for friends spamming me XD) I feel little love and it's sad, but hey we can't force our readers to comment, right?

So that long prelude you may have tl;dr...ed.... (dafaq how do I verb that?) was just to ask if anyone ever DID quit a comic cuz of lack of comments?

Does anyone else get that sinking feeling in their stomach when, many days after your update (or weeks, whatev) no one has said a thing to you on your comic pages?

Do you ever think it's better to have few fans but almost everyone comments rather than an insurmountable number...resulting in silence? >_o

I'm not exactly widely known or anything, but I get that, honestly the no comments thing can get pretty grating on the confidence. I think, and it's a personal thing, that as comic artists wanting to "get somewhere" with our work(having tons of fans or selling books), we too often measure our work's worth based on our feedback. The way I see it, it shouldn't matter if you get 0 comments or 100 as long as you love what you're working on.

There's also the option of commenting yourself first via artists comments, talk about the page, a bad day, a good day, warm up the crowd a little and they'll speak up in due time(in theory).

[yuugi]

Oh I can definitely relate to that feeling. While I do the comic primarily for my own enjoyment and to gain experience, nothing makes me happier than seeing someone react to the story or cheer for a character I created (heck even getting their names right already makes me happy).

I think most of us, as artists, want some sort of reaction from the public. If we didn't want that, we wouldn't be sharing our works on the internet. But in the end I know I'll still keep working on the comic even if no one comments, but it really is a boost for motivation when you notice your work is being appreciated.

But there's a downside to comments as well. You can really notice when the people aren't appreciating a certain part of the story, or if they are getting bored, through the lack of comments. The problem is you have to go through these phases sometimes in order to build your story. Just have to try and distance yourself from all this and keep going!

Oh and I really don't care about the number of fans, that really tells me nothing. I care about the 5-6 people that always leaves a comment and seem to know my characters as well as I do. This is what makes me truly happy :>

[kuroi_hitsuji]

Let's all admit it, comments are loved. Praise is great, rarely do you get trolling crap...sometimes it's random and derp and sometimes it pressures you to update...but it's a sign that someone gives a sh** right?

So I'm reading this one comic and I shall not name it since, it might be rude to said artist (if you know cuz we both read it...say nothing! XD Let's make it a topic under wraps!)...and she says she might end it soon.
One reason she mentioned is that it's unmotivating cuz she has sooo many fans but they say nothing.

I must admit I relate to her. Most of my fans don't comment...most of my pages have no comments (except for friends spamming me XD) I feel little love and it's sad, but hey we can't force our readers to comment, right?

So that long prelude you may have tl;dr...ed.... (dafaq how do I verb that?) was just to ask if anyone ever DID quit a comic cuz of lack of comments?

Does anyone else get that sinking feeling in their stomach when, many days after your update (or weeks, whatev) no one has said a thing to you on your comic pages?

Do you ever think it's better to have few fans but almost everyone comments rather than an insurmountable number...resulting in silence? >_o

I'm not exactly widely known or anything, but I get that, honestly the no comments thing can get pretty grating on the confidence. I think, and it's a personal thing, that as comic artists wanting to "get somewhere" with our work(having tons of fans or selling books), we too often measure our work's worth based on our feedback. The way I see it, it shouldn't matter if you get 0 comments or 100 as long as you love what you're working on.

There's also the option of commenting yourself first via artists comments, talk about the page, a bad day, a good day, warm up the crowd a little and they'll speak up in due time(in theory).

I do comment myself. Every page actually. XD <3
I think perhaps your theory might be on the spot though.
Maybe personally it gets to me cuz I wanna be a professional comic artist too.

Oh I can definitely relate to that feeling. While I do the comic primarily for my own enjoyment and to gain experience, nothing makes me happier than seeing someone react to the story or cheer for a character I created (heck even getting their names right already makes me happy).

I think most of us, as artists, want some sort of reaction from the public. If we didn't want that, we wouldn't be sharing our works on the internet. But in the end I know I'll still keep working on the comic even if no one comments, but it really is a boost for motivation when you notice your work is being appreciated.

But there's a downside to comments as well. You can really notice when the people aren't appreciating a certain part of the story, or if they are getting bored, through the lack of comments. The problem is you have to go through these phases sometimes in order to build your story. Just have to try and distance yourself from all this and keep going!

Oh and I really don't care about the number of fans, that really tells me nothing. I care about the 5-6 people that always leaves a comment and seem to know my characters as well as I do. This is what makes me truly happy :>

indeed...though I guess for me whatever reaction can be read/not read at least to be able to have some sort of idea on where you stand in your story. Like if someone misinterprets something, you realize your faults, so it's constructive.

I agree though. Commenting fans > fan #...but I have to appreciate them nonetheless.

[yuugi]

indeed...though I guess for me whatever reaction can be read/not read at least to be able to have some sort of idea on where you stand in your story. Like if someone misinterprets something, you realize your faults, so it's constructive.

I agree though. Commenting fans > fan #...but I have to appreciate them nonetheless.

But of course, I do appreciate my fans as well (silent or not). What I mean is that the number of fans doesn't really motivate me in any way, it's the few fans that comment that does it for me. And of course my own enjoyment of creating and drawing a story.

[Asj]

I like feedback, so I feel a little bad when a page doesn't get any, or maybe just one, comment. But I also like it when I notice a new fan or two (if someone faves the comic, that's like commenting, "I like this comic!" right? or at least, "I'm interested to see where this comic goes from here"). I think I've gotten a little numb to the comment count as I've went on. It doesn't bother me as much as it used to.
On the other hand (or maybe on the same one), I know that sometimes when I read someone else's comic page, I just don't have anything to say. There could be a few pages in a row like that, where they're just in-between pages with nothing meaningful enough to make me think of a comment. I know a lot of my pages are probably like that, because I don't know enough about comicking yet to put the interesting stuff into the pages. There's been a few pages that I've been somewhat excited about uploading, where it feels like a great page to me, but people still don't seem to have anything to comment on. Perhaps it's because the page was just too straight-forward, and didn't raise enough questions for others (or maybe it wasn't straight-forward enough, and they didn't notice the hints).

Anyhow, I never really thought that much about #fans vs #comments. The amount of fans I have doesn't change that I'd ideally like to get three or more comments per page. (or maybe just one, if it's something good. Because one comment that has very little to do with my comic page is almost like none - not quite, but I think that type of comment demotivates me a little) But, if I start getting more comments, I'll get used to that, and if they drop off in the future, I'll get a little depressed by that.

[kuroi_hitsuji]

But of course, I do appreciate my fans as well (silent or not). What I mean is that the number of fans doesn't really motivate me in any way, it's the few fans that comment that does it for me. And of course my own enjoyment of creating and drawing a story.

OH well yes, I didn't mean to imply I thought you didn't appreciate them. XD
I simlply acknowledge that they must be appreciated. XD;;
Just...I favor... commenting fans. XD;;
*drowning in mistake of wording?*

I like feedback, so I feel a little bad when a page doesn't get any, or maybe just one, comment. But I also like it when I notice a new fan or two (if someone faves the comic, that's like commenting, "I like this comic!" right? or at least, "I'm interested to see where this comic goes from here"). I think I've gotten a little numb to the comment count as I've went on. It doesn't bother me as much as it used to.
On the other hand (or maybe on the same one), I know that sometimes when I read someone else's comic page, I just don't have anything to say. There could be a few pages in a row like that, where they're just in-between pages with nothing meaningful enough to make me think of a comment. I know a lot of my pages are probably like that, because I don't know enough about comicking yet to put the interesting stuff into the pages. There's been a few pages that I've been somewhat excited about uploading, where it feels like a great page to me, but people still don't seem to have anything to comment on. Perhaps it's because the page was just too straight-forward, and didn't raise enough questions for others (or maybe it wasn't straight-forward enough, and they didn't notice the hints).

Anyhow, I never really thought that much about #fans vs #comments. The amount of fans I have doesn't change that I'd ideally like to get three or more comments per page. (or maybe just one, if it's something good. Because one comment that has very little to do with my comic page is almost like none - not quite, but I think that type of comment demotivates me a little) But, if I start getting more comments, I'll get used to that, and if they drop off in the future, I'll get a little depressed by that.

I suppose that is the one drop off... regular comments spoil you?

nonetheless, I guess it would be the type of thing you dont miss if you dont have.

I'm just a severe dry spell where I hear nothing at all for a long period of time...but am updating faster as well. So it's kind of sad.