Readers :O

Ripnormality · Post by **Ripnormality** » Mon Feb 18, 2008 3:48 pm

Ok...I'm pretty sure I have some regular readers...but I have no idea if anyone exists because they never contact me--admittedly, I do the same thing to all the webcomics I read....

The question is, how do you encourage your readers to give you feedback on what you do?

Tentoumushi · Post by **Tentoumushi** » Mon Feb 18, 2008 4:03 pm

I come out and say it in my updates. As I've just started my comic I have no need for a forum and I don't like listing my email if I don't have to so I have a nice shout box on my comic main page. So I just say "leave me a shout, I like it!" and hope people will be nice and do so

Enedlammeniel · Post by **Enedlammeniel** » Mon Feb 18, 2008 4:29 pm

Yeah, just put up a tagboard. They're free. I get way more comments in that little thing than I get emails. Plus your readers can even talk to each other and all. It's nice.

834n · Post by **834n** » Mon Feb 18, 2008 5:13 pm

Tentoumushi wrote:shout box

Enedlammeniel wrote:tagboard

These. Yes.

RobertBlake · Post by **RobertBlake** » Mon Feb 18, 2008 5:19 pm

834n wrote:
Tentoumushi wrote:shout box

Enedlammeniel wrote:tagboard
These. Yes.

Indeed. You're far more likely to get reader feedback than if you had a forum.

Also, if you haven't already, an e-mail link on your website helps to get feedback as well.

834n · Post by **834n** » Mon Feb 18, 2008 5:23 pm

I can't agree with the forum thing.

If you're new and have a low readership, the odds are few will bother to sign up. It's a lot easier to just type some name into the tagboard and say whatever.

Even then you can expect a slim minority of your readership to participate.

But yes, mentioning you'd love to hear from any readers can help encourage them.

RobertBlake · Post by **RobertBlake** » Mon Feb 18, 2008 5:30 pm

834n wrote:I can't agree with the forum thing.

If you're new and have a low readership, the odds are few will bother to sign up. It's a lot easier to just type some name into the tagboard and say whatever.

I meant you're more likely to get feedback with a tagboard than a forum. Bad wording on my part in the last post.

Then again, you may have understood me and I simply misunderstood you.

LibertyCabbage · Post by **LibertyCabbage** » Mon Feb 18, 2008 5:51 pm

Just do something utterly blasphemous, like making a comic about Jesus ordering a Happy Meal. You'll have buckets of hate-mail in no time.

McDuffies · Post by **McDuffies** » Mon Feb 18, 2008 6:58 pm

Jesus ordering Happy Meal?!?! Why where are you getting these outrageous ideas!!!

Enedlammeniel · Post by **Enedlammeniel** » Mon Feb 18, 2008 7:14 pm

LibertyCabbage · Post by **LibertyCabbage** » Mon Feb 18, 2008 7:17 pm

mcDuffies wrote:Jesus ordering Happy Meal?!?! Why where are you getting these outrageous ideas!!!

I dunno, but the reactions probably wouldn't be any more imaginative.

"A Happy Meal? Everyone knows Jesus prefers Burger King." Fail.

"I reject your notion of a post-modernist Last Supper." Fail.

"Wouldn't it be cosmic if the toy he got was one of those pose-able Jesus figures they sell at the Dollar Store?" Fail.

What's wrong with a good-ol'-fashioned death threat?

Yeahduff · Post by **Yeahduff** » Mon Feb 18, 2008 8:39 pm

At this point in the game, don't worry about readers. Just put it out, they'll contact you when they feel like it.

McDuffies · Post by **McDuffies** » Mon Feb 18, 2008 9:47 pm

Poseable Jesis figures? Why would anyone need that?

Shishio · Post by **Shishio** » Tue Feb 19, 2008 8:42 am

LibertyCabbage wrote:Just do something utterly blasphemous, like making a comic about Jesus ordering a Happy Meal. You'll have buckets of hate-mail in no time.

I've done stuff much more blasphemous than that - I haven't received a single hate mail.

KWill · Post by **KWill** » Tue Feb 19, 2008 8:45 am

That's because no one that would get offended reads your comic. =P

Rkolter · Post by **Rkolter** » Tue Feb 19, 2008 8:53 am

Shishio wrote:
LibertyCabbage wrote:Just do something utterly blasphemous, like making a comic about Jesus ordering a Happy Meal. You'll have buckets of hate-mail in no time.
I've done stuff much more blasphemous than that - I haven't received a single hate mail.

Write a comic where you explain how bombs are made and how they work. You'll get email.

TheSuburbanLetdown · Post by **TheSuburbanLetdown** » Tue Feb 19, 2008 8:56 am

1. make comic

2. post email

3. kick ass

4. reap the rewards

rkolter wrote:
Shishio wrote:
LibertyCabbage wrote:Just do something utterly blasphemous, like making a comic about Jesus ordering a Happy Meal. You'll have buckets of hate-mail in no time.
I've done stuff much more blasphemous than that - I haven't received a single hate mail.
Write a comic where you explain how bombs are made and how they work. You'll get email.

Or arrested.

If you have a comic in which the intent is to shock people, you may not get much of a reaction. If you have something like Family Circus and one day draw one of the characters with a raging hard-on, then you'll get hatemail.

DJMayhem · Post by **DJMayhem** » Tue Feb 19, 2008 9:02 am

mmm i miss those angry emails and threats i got doing the webcomic reviews... oh, those were the days.

Rkolter · Post by **Rkolter** » Tue Feb 19, 2008 9:09 am

theSuburbanLetdown wrote:
rkolter wrote:
Shishio wrote: I've done stuff much more blasphemous than that - I haven't received a single hate mail.
Write a comic where you explain how bombs are made and how they work. You'll get email.
Or arrested.

If you have a comic in which the intent is to shock people, you may not get much of a reaction. If you have something like Family Circus and one day draw one of the characters with a raging hard-on, then you'll get hatemail.

Nah. Not illegal to describe how a bomb works. But wow, you'd sure think from some of the letters I've gotten that terrorists the world over are looking at my comic to learn how to make thermonuclear devices. :eyeroll:

Fabio Ciccone · Post by **Fabio Ciccone** » Tue Feb 19, 2008 9:11 am

Readers will write you only if you give them something to write about. In my original website there's a link saying "Write me an e-mail if you want to receive M&B update mail"

Then people write me saying "Hey, love your comic, I wanna receive the update mail"

Most comments are done in the shoutbox anyway