Jeph Jacques advice for starting a webcomic.

[Rob]

It's pretty sparse but you can't argue with much if any of it.

http://jephjacques.tumblr.com/post/596723785/so-you-want-to-start-a-webcomic

;)

[JGray]

Nothing really new there but it was nice to see someone put some hard figures about when you should consider merchandising. Considering he's one of the kings of webcomic merchandise, I take what he says quite seriously.

[Nuke]

Very good advice on all counts. I... don't really have much to add - he got it all.

[Dr. BlkKnight]

$15 is way too much for a domain.

http://www.namecheap.com can get you one for under $9 with their monthly coupon code.

[TTallan]

I can't believe he waits until step 5 to get to the "draw your comic" part. It seems silly to me to go to the trouble of purchasing a domain name and building a website only to discover that you dislike your idea or you don't want to commit to a schedule.

[Rob]

I can't believe he waits until step 5 to get to the "draw your comic" part. It seems silly to me to go to the trouble of purchasing a domain name and building a website only to discover that you dislike your idea or you don't want to commit to a schedule.

Well he did say:

You can do this concurrently or before steps 1 through 4. It is, of course, the whole point and the most important part!

So he implies that it should be done first or along with steps 1-4. But yeah you do have a bit of a point though.

But as I said when I posted it, this is pretty sparse. I don't think anyone could actually start a comic with this advice. Too many holes and oversimplifications in the subject matter.

Most likely Jeph is just trying to make his own life a bit easier by codifying what he gets asked a lot so he can point to it and say "I already answered that here... enjoy."

[Gibson]

I dunno, seemed like pretty middling advice. I knew most of this stuff before I posted my first pages, and I can argue with some of it, not least of which being that you don't have to buy a domain name at all. I never did. There's a lot of snobbery in that advice. I've had almost the opposite advice in some parts from Gisele Lagace, and she hasn't done too bad. The only advice he gives that I think isn't really obvious is about learning HTML and CSS, which I've come to think is more important than anyone ever told me when I was starting, and to stick to your update schedule, which almost no one on the amateur level does.

And I agree with TTallan, having the actual creation of the comic so low on the list is bad advice. Even to tell someone they can do it concurrent with the set-up of their website is a tellingly criminal thing to say to someone just starting out. "Oh, by the way, when you get a chance, you might want to make some comics to be in your webcomic." Yes, I know that's not how he means it, but it isn't hard to take it that way and for sure many will. People do so without him telling them. The better advice is not that people can do it concurrently, but they absolutely must be doing it long before step one. It's so important that it shouldn't even be a step in the process, it should be the groundwork on which the process is based.

[Rob]

Jeph isn't known for being an authority on creating webcomics. He'd be the first to say he's just been lucky. As I said I think this post is mostly to have an answer he can point to when the looky-loos come around entertaining fantasies of famous webcomics. I mean, that's just my opinion anyway. I know Jeph well enough to say I don't think he'd intentionally be misleading people but he also probably didn't put tons of thought into this either.

When I said it's hard to argue with the advice I mean that because it is so general and non-specific that there isn't much meat to worry between the teeth. 

You can argue with the concurrent story development alongside the first few steps but that's the way I did it and I don't feel like I lost anything in the process.... but then I had other people doing all the web stuff while I basically just advised and I had an artist drawing the comics for me. So I put a lot of his advice out of order.

I think you are right about the computer stuff though Gib. I think many folks underestimate the value of that knowledge. I thank the Lord every time Chadm1n steps in to fix some bug or add a feature for me because I'm lost on that stuff.

[Dragon Powered]

Protip: Seduce a programmer, have them build your site for you. Warning: may have Consequences.

Not many people do a good job of seduction.

Note that I am a programmer looking for a seducer willing to put up with the consequences.

[klingers]

Protip: Seduce a programmer, have them build your site for you. Warning: may have Consequences.

I'm lucky enough to be my own programmer, designer AND artist. And I'm full of my own consequences.

When I make the obligatory "But lol, I'm not that good at any of them!" quip I'm not falling back on ye olde "Self-Deprecating Webcomic Artist" schtick. I'm just being practical  ;D

* Gingerly goes back to annoying JSP coding...

[NZSteve]

I knew most of this stuff before I posted my first pages, and I can argue with some of it, not least of which being that you don't have to buy a domain name at all. I never did. There's a lot of snobbery in that advice. I've had almost the opposite advice in some parts from Gisele Lagace, and she hasn't done too bad.

The sad fact of it is that many people won't take you as seriously if you don't have your own domain or site. 

Furthermore, if you want to actually make a business out of it that is of any size, you don't want it to be subject to the whim of a 3rd party comic hosting service (Keenspot has demostrated the hazards of this a few times over the years, it seems).

I see what Jeph is saying.  A lot of folks will construct their comic piecemeal, think about branding and "the business" of it later.  If you want to get revenue from a comic, much less make a living off it, you need to think of the business parts right from the start, and doing things like: getting a domain, getting hosting, thinking ahead of whether your idea is *marketable*, figuring out where you're going to host it, etc.  Until you have a handle on that (which shouldn't take a month), posting a comic is the least of your concern.  As he says, you can be working on the comic the whole time, and building a buffer.

If you don't care about any of the commercial stuff, then yes, put it up wherever.

[Gibson]

I didn't say put it up wherever, but to suggest that the only way to do it properly is to have your own domain etc is just wrong, especially for people who aren't adept at coding. The problem is much less that people take a comic less seriously on a host than it is that some hosts look like shit. There are good hosts out there and hosts do come with a lot of things independent domains don't, such as in-house advertising and community forums. I've been on Smack Jeeves since my comic began and I do care about the commercial aspects. Not only has being on a host site not hurt me, it's helped me learn how to build my comic into a moderately successful title. I'm not calling Jeph out or anything, I just think he got it wrong. Hosting might not be good for everyone, but it's definitely good for some of us.

[JGray]

If there were one specific formula for creating a winning webcomic there'd be a lot more winning webcomics. Though, most likely, well drawn boobies help accompanying some halfway decent writing probably helps.

What Mr. Jacques wrote represents one way to get it done. Not the only way, to be certain, but a way that either he followed or he wishes he followed. That's all.

[Gar]

time to practise drawing boobies some more...

[Gibson]

My page views did spike during a recent nude scene...

I'm actually working on a scifi-based humour titty comic (illustrated by my lovely wife) that should launch sometime this summer. We can observe how long it takes for its popularity to eclipse my other projects to answer this question. We're betting that it won't take long...in fact, that's why we're doing it. It's a huge sellout.