How to succeed in Webcomics (as opposed to Paper Comics)
Intro:
The most known and successful comics were created in 2000. You won’t EVER be there. Too late. Now, how are today’s comics doing?

Differences
Ways to get money :
In comics, it’s achat unique. Sell paper, Albums
=> granny buys the latest Lucky Luke

Web: don’t actually directly sell the pages.
Subscriptions, some sites are trying... but work better with big licences.
Side products : mug, tshirt (like concerts, actually)

Get known :
BD: find editor, and have a hard life. All on the cover.
Web: banner, get the reader with the first strip. Some a putting a selection on the main page.

Cost / Frais de création :
BD: print, logistique, diffusion...
Web: none \o/ (almost)

In common : horrible competition
=> (in france) printed comic market sells... BUT a big part is manga translation. And even if we have more comics, we have even more authors. Almost NO ONE lives only from comic creation today.
=> (on web) obvious crowd, plus illegal transcans, plus all the bastards doing that on their free time!! (me)

Get technical
Know the internet. No I mean, really.
HTML, SEO (you can find each balloons of my comic on google), mobile versions (tablets and phones are growing)

Know the tools
Photoshop, Mangastudio, etc. Even if you paint on paper, know to scan and process the image.
Know your format. JPG vs PNG. NOTHING ELSE. No flash. No weird new format.

How can I protect my images ? YOU DON’T. Nobody is gonna steal you. And if someone prints all your comics at home, good for him. And if he sells it on ebay, that means you’re good, and get a lawyer.

Good hosting
Deviantart.com: no. Good for pictures, but not nice to follow a comic.
Amilova.com: yes. There are many others like this, find them.
your-comic-name.com: yes but... You have to know what you’re doing.
=> create a blog (with Wordpress) > don’t use blogs platform: content isn’t nicely displayed, and you can lose it.
=> and/or have a webmaster to do the site for you (Bouletcorp)

Publish the comic, publish yourself

Know the internet. No I mean, really.
HTML, SEO (you can find each balloons of my comic on google), mobile versions (tablets and phones are growing)

Know the tools
Photoshop, Mangastudio, etc. Even if you paint on paper, know to scan and process the image.
Know your format. JPG vs PNG. NOTHING ELSE. No flash. No weird new format.

How can I protect my images ? YOU DON’T. Nobody is gonna steal you. And if someone prints all your comics at home, good for him. And if he sells it on ebay, that means you’re good, and get a lawyer.

Good hosting
Deviantart.com: no. Good for pictures, but not nice to follow a comic.
Amilova.com: yes. There are many others like this, find them.
your-comic-name.com: yes but... You have to know what you’re doing.
=> create a blog (with Wordpress) > don’t use blogs platform: content isn’t nicely displayed, and you can lose it.
=> and/or have a webmaster to do the site for you (Bouletcorp)
You’re on your own / Marketing
You are your own editor, publisher, and librarian
Didn’t see that coming. Now you know why published author don’t even get 10% of the final price.

But I’m an artist, not a marketer!
Yup... And THAT, is why you fail.
That’s why I think webcomics publishing houses will arrive one day. They won’t print, but all the rest will be there.

Few tips
Give content, a lot.
si tu veux du subscribe, choppe du longtime reader avant
Make things easy to share, to read on all screens.
cf previous slides
Use your readers feedback
They are NOT your boss. But reading between the lines of their troll comment can be useful
=> Dilbert wasn’t about offices at first. Scott Adams add reader feedback saying the offices jokes were the bast and he specialized himself.
=> apparently Geeksworld is about videos games, now.
Read other successful webcomics.
Not the ones you like. The successfuls. To see their strategy.

Illustration: Garfield by Jim Davis, because he is a marketer BEFORE an artist.
Garfield is #1 in the world. Dilbert is #2.

Exemples sites :
leastIcouldDo: marketing everywhere > good
Gsw: Comic, “stupid menus”, “geeky options” > failure.

penny arcade, Strip Search
Sujets :
2. logo tshirt (3 couleurs)
6. Interview (qui te cherche)
9. Répondre sur Twitter (souvent méchants tweets)
=> ne pas "accepter" des conseils, gentiment renvoyer sur du sympa ou du perso.
=> dire que ses réponses arriveront s'il suit la BD
12. Dessiner un perso de Magic qui représente un concept sur une planche de skate. Focusant sur une devise, et une promo générale.
15. Installer son stand
18. Tenir son stand, faire des dessins
24. Signer des centaines de produits
27. Lire un contrat