Updating scheduals

Q_Slash · Post by **Q_Slash** » Mon Jun 20, 2005 1:36 pm

Just a question for those who have 'epic, story based online graphic novels'....How do you update?

Currently, Elven Lacryment has no update schedual, we update when the artist finishes a page. But it's a plot-driven comic. We're eight pages in and so far, nothing's really happened.
So, what do you prefer as a reader and comicer? Do you update page for page, have a set schedual? or wait until the entire chapter is done and mass upload?

Zuri · Post by **Zuri** » Mon Jun 20, 2005 1:52 pm

Depends on what you can do reliably. Most of the time, one page like a month, unless it is uber good, is too slow. Generally 1-3x a week is an accepted norm. But again, it comes down to what is comfortable for you and your artist to do on a reliable schedule. Frequency isn't as important as consistancy.

Jackhass · Post by **Jackhass** » Mon Jun 20, 2005 2:17 pm

As a reader I'd definitely prefer a set schedule...

Post by **Mercury Hat** » Mon Jun 20, 2005 2:50 pm

For story-based comics, it's hard to find a compromise. As someone who's done both sporadic and set-schedule updates, the schedule is much better for both the readers and for myself. Since I've been updating 3x a week for the past two weeks the story's moving along much nicer than it had previously been. Then again, my pages are pretty basic and it doesn't take long to do one, it was mostly the motivation that was a problem.

If you have an interesting story and art, most readers will stick around for sporadic updates, but you'll get more new readers with a set schedule.

Joel Fagin · Post by **Joel Fagin** » Mon Jun 20, 2005 3:01 pm

I would finish a chapter and upload pages daily until it was finished and then do the next chapter. I would also have a mailing list and highly recommend to my readers that they either sign up to that or the Webcomics List so they get informed when it starts up again.

- Joel Fagin

Gengar003 · Post by **Gengar003** » Mon Jun 20, 2005 3:56 pm

As a reader, I prefer knowing when the comic is going to update and having the comic stick to that... once a week is the minimum that I'll really bother checking.

On that note, I dropped a comic from my favorites because they did the mass-upload thing but didn't hint at when the next chapter'd be uploaded, and that bothered me, checking day after day and being dissappointed again and again...

Faub · Post by **Faub** » Mon Jun 20, 2005 7:00 pm

I update on a schedule even though my comic is best understood in chunks of 3-4 pages at a time. The more often you update, the more your fans stick around. Having frequent and involved fans is awesome.

Mimo · Post by **Mimo** » Mon Jun 20, 2005 8:25 pm

I try and update at least one a week, but sometimes twice

TheBladeRoden2 · Post by **TheBladeRoden2** » Mon Jun 20, 2005 8:32 pm

I have a list of things to do. And each day I randomly pick which item to work on. I have 13 items on the list right now, one of them being making a new comic. Ideally I would update the comic once every 13 days, but the die hasn't been favoring it recently.

Subhuman · Post by **Subhuman** » Mon Jun 20, 2005 9:04 pm

Once a week, at the very least. Any longer and I, as a reader, would probably lose interest.

Christwriter · Post by **Christwriter** » Mon Jun 20, 2005 9:34 pm

twice a week for me. That's the limit that I can do and still have enough for a buffer--my life is so hectic a buffer of at LEAST a week is critical.

I do not read comics that do not update at least once a week unless I am married to the story. In fact, I put up with exactly one once-a-week comic, Joe England's Zebra Girl. I am hoping people are extreamly patient with me and my story because I don't feel twice a week is fast enough, and I'm hoping to fudge it a bit and do multiple daily updates in the coming chapter.

Do it at least once a week. Otherwise nobody will visit. Do it more often and more people will come.

CW

Zhan_Dvega · Post by **Zhan_Dvega** » Tue Jun 21, 2005 12:26 am

Right now I don't update (hiatus doncha know) but when I get back on my feet I'll be striving for a full 16 page chapter every other week.

Tears · Post by **Tears** » Tue Jun 21, 2005 4:35 am

I try for twice a week... recently this went to once a week for a few weeks because of a combination of me trying to do more with my art than I'm really capable of as an artist and me having chaos in my personal life... am now trying to get back to the twice a week thing. I really do try to keep to my Tueasday and Friday update schedule however sometimes things just go haywire... uh... anyway since I got going with my comic (lets not count the first few months that were a bit 'maybe I'll update sometime... if I feel like it) I've always managed to have at least one comic up a week, and usually the 2 that my theoretical schedule says I should have (on the right days?... hmmm... well again usually)... I'm hoping that this will be enough to keep most of my readers with me....

Ida · Post by **Ida** » Tue Jun 21, 2005 5:16 am

After a recent xperiment, I can now say for sure that once a week is the schedule for me. It's slow-moving, but each comic takes me a lot of time to do, so to update even twice a week I'd have to work on the comic almost constantly, which would be no fun at all. Having two or three days between each comic keeps me motivated.

On the other hand, I know that if I didn't follow a schedule I wouldn't get around to do the comic at all - I'm far too good at procrastination.

Comics that update irregularly actually don't bother me that much as long as they update often. I check all of my favorites every day, even those with a set schedule, and in most cases I've never bothered to find out their actual schedules. Leaving your comic with no explanation or warning for 5 months, however, does make me stop checking it. *cough*SGVY*cough*

RemusShepherd · Post by **RemusShepherd** » Tue Jun 21, 2005 5:41 am

It's really tough to keep a plotline moving on a slow update schedule, especially in the early part of the story when characters have to be introduced and exposition must be made.

I set myself a goal of twice a week updates, and I'm willing to let the art suffer in order to get a page out on time. And at that, I'm still working on it too hard, and the buffer is nearly gone. The plotline I've written calls for incremental leaps in art quality, and I'll be going to full-color sometime later this year. At that point I may have to go to once a week updates...we'll see.

Nicotine · Post by **Nicotine** » Tue Jun 21, 2005 6:48 am

I haven't been doing this webcomic thing for long at all but I think once a week is pretty good. If you can do more than that, even better, of course, but I think it depends on how long it takes you to draw each page (mine don't take me that long so I update three times a week). Also, I think a specific day to update is a good thing to have too. (Personally I get annoyed when I have to check on a comic everyday to see if it updated...it would be easier for me to know when to expect an update).

Warofwinds · Post by **Warofwinds** » Tue Jun 21, 2005 10:35 am

I update 2x a week, with a full, colored page. If it wasn't colored, it would be 3x a week. My story is long enough that if I didn't force this schedule, no one would bother to read it. Ah, the price "epic" comic artists must pay.

I decided on the 2x a week schedule because with a lotta-bit of effort, I can easily accomplish this on the weekends. I update Sat and Sun, though I'm thinking of changing that to wednesday and sunday just so I don't have to cram out the second page. I would recommend a couple of days between updating days.

Dburkhead · Post by **Dburkhead** » Tue Jun 21, 2005 10:57 am

I do a weekly schedule although I'd prefer doing more. However, my drawing speed, and the other things going on in my life just don't make that realistic.

Eunice_P · Post by **Eunice_P** » Tue Jun 21, 2005 9:22 pm

I usually try to update twice a week. But if I'm busy, it could probably go around once a week. The best record I did before was update almost daily- 16 pages in 18 days. But that also means I need to sacrifice my art.

Cope · Post by **Cope** » Tue Jun 21, 2005 9:23 pm

I tend to notice that my visits will decrease when I don't update according to schedule, even if I go back and make up for the missed updates.