how do i start an online manga business?

[hisoka hxh]

if i were to start a site about my own manga and charge people $1 per month to read my manga, would that actually make me money in long term?

if not, what are the other options?

thank you in advance for any constructive suggestion.

[Kaxen]

It would have to be pretty good to be worth a subscription (I've stumbled across a few websites that use that method, but I've never felt compelled to pay for a subscription). And if you c**k up updating in a timely matter, it would be twenty times more irritating than when a free webcomic has delays.

Other webcomics use ads, merchandise, and printed books to raise money rather than that method.

[hisoka hxh]

Kaxen

It would have to be pretty good to be worth a subscription (I've stumbled across a few websites that use that method, but I've never felt compelled to pay for a subscription). And if you c**k up updating in a timely matter, it would be twenty times more irritating than when a free webcomic has delays.

Other webcomics use ads, merchandise, and printed books to raise money rather than that method.

if i were to release 15 pages per week, and if my manga is interesting, would charging $1 per month be reasonable? also, how do i work up my reputation and recognition?

[harukaze poppu]

hisoka hxh

Kaxen

It would have to be pretty good to be worth a subscription (I've stumbled across a few websites that use that method, but I've never felt compelled to pay for a subscription). And if you c**k up updating in a timely matter, it would be twenty times more irritating than when a free webcomic has delays.

Other webcomics use ads, merchandise, and printed books to raise money rather than that method.

if i were to release 15 pages per week, and if my manga is interesting, would charging $1 per month be reasonable? also, how do i work up my reputation and recognition?

It has to be more than interesting, it has to be really, really good. Both the art and the story.

Are you a known artist? Do you have any previous work that you can share with us?

[Catastrophic Blend]

Your best bet would be to start it for free.
Then if you get followers, you can start charging people. Not the guys who already follow you, because you can loose half of your fanbase like that, but charge the newer followers.
If that makes any sense. Not sure my stuff does now a days.
>.>

[hisoka hxh]

ninitan

hisoka hxh

Kaxen

It would have to be pretty good to be worth a subscription (I've stumbled across a few websites that use that method, but I've never felt compelled to pay for a subscription). And if you c**k up updating in a timely matter, it would be twenty times more irritating than when a free webcomic has delays.

Other webcomics use ads, merchandise, and printed books to raise money rather than that method.

if i were to release 15 pages per week, and if my manga is interesting, would charging $1 per month be reasonable? also, how do i work up my reputation and recognition?

It has to be more than interesting, it has to be really, really good. Both the art and the story.

Are you a known artist? Do you have any previous work that you can share with us?

sorry i'm not a known artist....i don't have any work that i can share with people now....but i'm trying really hard to work towards my goal.

but how good is really really good? cause my art is not as good as those big titles...

[hisoka hxh]

Catastrophic Blend

Your best bet would be to start it for free.
Then if you get followers, you can start charging people. Not the guys who already follow you, because you can loose half of your fanbase like that, but charge the newer followers.
If that makes any sense. Not sure my stuff does now a days.
>.>

is there any well-known site i can submit my work in the future for free to build up my fanbase?

[harukaze poppu]

hisoka hxh

ninitan

hisoka hxh

Kaxen

It would have to be pretty good to be worth a subscription (I've stumbled across a few websites that use that method, but I've never felt compelled to pay for a subscription). And if you c**k up updating in a timely matter, it would be twenty times more irritating than when a free webcomic has delays.

Other webcomics use ads, merchandise, and printed books to raise money rather than that method.

if i were to release 15 pages per week, and if my manga is interesting, would charging $1 per month be reasonable? also, how do i work up my reputation and recognition?

It has to be more than interesting, it has to be really, really good. Both the art and the story.

Are you a known artist? Do you have any previous work that you can share with us?

sorry i'm not a known artist....i don't have any work that i can share with people now....but i'm trying really hard to work towards my goal.

but how good is really really good? cause my art is not as good as those big titles...

Basically if you're not known and your art is unremarkable, there is very little chance that people will pay to read your comic. There are tons of really, really great webcomics out there that are completely free. If you can't compete with something like Octopus Pie or Rice Boy, you can basically forget charging money that way.

A lot of my friends are professional webcomic artists (meaning they make a living/a substantial amount of money off of their webcomics) and their comics are free to read. They cash in on merchandise and art commissions/sales of original art, and on the books that they eventually self-publish. I think this is a better approach to trying to monetize a webcomic, manga or otherwise.

Just my two cents.

[hisoka hxh]

ninitan

hisoka hxh

ninitan

hisoka hxh

Kaxen

It would have to be pretty good to be worth a subscription (I've stumbled across a few websites that use that method, but I've never felt compelled to pay for a subscription). And if you c**k up updating in a timely matter, it would be twenty times more irritating than when a free webcomic has delays.

Other webcomics use ads, merchandise, and printed books to raise money rather than that method.

if i were to release 15 pages per week, and if my manga is interesting, would charging $1 per month be reasonable? also, how do i work up my reputation and recognition?

It has to be more than interesting, it has to be really, really good. Both the art and the story.

Are you a known artist? Do you have any previous work that you can share with us?

sorry i'm not a known artist....i don't have any work that i can share with people now....but i'm trying really hard to work towards my goal.

but how good is really really good? cause my art is not as good as those big titles...

Basically if you're not known and your art is unremarkable, there is very little chance that people will pay to read your comic. There are tons of really, really great webcomics out there that are completely free. If you can't compete with something like Octopus Pie or Rice Boy, you can basically forget charging money that way.

A lot of my friends are professional webcomic artists (meaning they make a living/a substantial amount of money off of their webcomics) and their comics are free to read. They cash in on merchandise and art commissions/sales of original art, and on the books that they eventually self-publish. I think this is a better approach to trying to monetize a webcomic, manga or otherwise.

Just my two cents.

would you introduce me to your friends? i would love to chat with them. thank you. i live in canada.

[Catastrophic Blend]

hisoka hxh

Catastrophic Blend

Your best bet would be to start it for free.
Then if you get followers, you can start charging people. Not the guys who already follow you, because you can loose half of your fanbase like that, but charge the newer followers.
If that makes any sense. Not sure my stuff does now a days.
>.>

is there any well-known site i can submit my work in the future for free to build up my fanbase?

www.deviantart.com

[harukaze poppu]

hisoka hxh

would you introduce me to your friends? i would love to chat with them. thank you. i live in canada.

Sure, just as soon as you actually have a few pages (at least 15) to show them. They don't mind giving feedback, but they get tons of wannabe mangakas and comickers writing them every day about how much they want to make comics and how they want to start a business making comics and they tend to just ignore those, because that's just words. They want to see comics, not plans.

If you want to start chatting with professional webcomic folks right now, go read their comics and then follow them on Twitter or Google+ or something. Google "Dead Winter", "Gun Show", "Templar, AZ", "Rice Boy", "Octopus Pie" and other well known webcomic titles and go read them/try to get in touch with the authors.

If you'd prefer that I introduce you to my friends, have some comic pages ready and drop me a PM and I'll see what I can do. But keep in mind that manga is a little bit frowned upon and I can't make any promises.

[0-gitaroo_man-0]

15 well detailed pages is a lot to do each week, not just from an artists perspective but from a writers too.
It takes me a few weeks to get a really rough draft for a short film which is between 10-15. Especially if you're working alone 15 pages is just to big a workload for one person.

I'd suggest posting your stuff for free, because there is absolutely no chance you are going to get paid unless your comics epic. And I mean seriously good. There's so many great web comics out there that can be read for free already. If you do get a lot of good responses though then you can post the first 3-5 chapters of a manga and ask people to pay to view the rest. That way your not so tied up with posting so many pages a week.

[hisoka hxh]

ninitan

hisoka hxh

would you introduce me to your friends? i would love to chat with them. thank you. i live in canada.

Sure, just as soon as you actually have a few pages (at least 15) to show them. They don't mind giving feedback, but they get tons of wannabe mangakas and comickers writing them every day about how much they want to make comics and how they want to start a business making comics and they tend to just ignore those, because that's just words. They want to see comics, not plans.

If you want to start chatting with professional webcomic folks right now, go read their comics and then follow them on Twitter or Google+ or something. Google "Dead Winter", "Gun Show", "Templar, AZ", "Rice Boy", "Octopus Pie" and other well known webcomic titles and go read them/try to get in touch with the authors.

If you'd prefer that I introduce you to my friends, have some comic pages ready and drop me a PM and I'll see what I can do. But keep in mind that manga is a little bit frowned upon and I can't make any promises.

oh thank you i will get started right away.

[hisoka hxh]

0-gitaroo_man-0

15 well detailed pages is a lot to do each week, not just from an artists perspective but from a writers too.
It takes me a few weeks to get a really rough draft for a short film which is between 10-15. Especially if you're working alone 15 pages is just to big a workload for one person.

I'd suggest posting your stuff for free, because there is absolutely no chance you are going to get paid unless your comics epic. And I mean seriously good. There's so many great web comics out there that can be read for free already. If you do get a lot of good responses though then you can post the first 3-5 chapters of a manga and ask people to pay to view the rest. That way your not so tied up with posting so many pages a week.

that is great advice, thanks. i was thinking about working with an assistant, but there are problems when you are working with someone who dont share your vision. finding a partner can be hard.

[0-gitaroo_man-0]

You should check out some of the artists Ninitan suggested, I really like Rice Boy and his current comic is updated three times a week and is done to such a professional standard, it's also free to read. He's generated a huge fan base and is now trying to turn his web comics into real comics, he's been able to do this because his huge fan base have given donations through sites like kickstarter and indiegogo.