Join Webcomics.com
Sunday, January 3, 2010 at 4:57PM Starting today, Webcomics.com will begin charging a $30-per-year subscription fee. That fee is going to be used to help support what this site has become -- and allow it to achieve its full potential.
Webcomics.com has established itself as a tremendous resource of practical information for webcartoonists. By joining today you will have access to:
- Frequent updates of news, advice, tutorials and strategies by webcomics veteran Brad Guigar.
- Monthly contributions by webcomics pioneer Scott Kurtz and Penny Arcade's Business Guy, Robert Khoo.
- Personalized features like a new e-mail-based organizer to help you plan for upcoming conventions.
- Feedback and guidance for your comic and the small business you'll create running it.
- A fully rounded, indexed repository of two year's worth of information that you can use to help improve your work.
- A moderated, passionate, supportive community of webcomics creators.
- Inside information on conventions, vendors and other entities that webcartoonists access to advance their businesses.
- Deals on merchandise.
For a low subscription of $30 per year, you will have access to all of this plus the entire Webcomics.com archives, one of the most helpful and supportive forums for creative people on the Web, and several members-only offers.
Webcomics.com Terms of Service.
FAQ
Most webcomics are based on the free-content model. The "How To Make Webcomics" book is built around it. Why is Webcomics.com becoming a pay site?
Simply put, Webcomics.com isn't entertainment; it's a valuable resource for webcartoonists. It would be difficult to continue offering this site for free in its current state -- and impossible, given the improvements we have planned.
Why not just run ads?
This will be very much a niche site. There will not be as much value for an advertiser as there will be for subscribers.
Why $30 per year?
It's an inexpensive buy-in that almost any webcartoonist can afford. It has an added benefit of keeping out people who may not be as serious about webcomics. It naturally weeds out comments from people who may be passing through, and results in distilling comments to those from people who are committed to improving their comics.
Reader Comments (272)
If I had to guess, I would say the reason why they didn't offer a monthly sub. option is because of how low the price would be. Paypal may not allow amounts that low or if they did the fees would probably swallow most of payment.
Also, I know times are tough all around, but it's really embarrassing to read comments from some people about how they would rather pay $5-10 a year. You guys just come across like cheapskates looking to low ball them rather than price savvy customers. If the price had been that from the start, you'd be complaining how that was too much.
If you don't think the material is worth the asking price, just say so. But don't sit here and boo hoo about how it'll bankrupt your family. Be an adult and know your priorities if you're that strapped for money.
@Brad: It is kind of odd that you, being a champion (and rightly so) of reading terms before signing up for things, doesn't have a terms of service ready to go. You might want to get something written up soon. ;)
Full membership at ASPRS costs $120 a year, and if you've read their journal I think it's fair to say a web-based comic artist gets more value from this site than ASPRS members get from their organization (though they do throw one heck of an annual conference at extra cost). $30 a year to join a professional community is nothing. I do think anyone who has contributed to the site should be contacted about their contributions, or perhaps those contributions might be made free as a sample of what's behind the wall (after all, they were submitted under the assumption access would be free). Other than that, Mr. Guigar provides well more than that in value.
Of course, I may be missing something. I'm a professional desk jockey during the day and an amateur comic hack by night, so comics aren't my profession. If $30 got me a portfolio review, I would definitely join up just to get feedback from professionals. The rest of the content would be an added bonus. If only ASPRS would do something equivalent!
Look, I understand why you believe this is a good move. And while I disagree, and think that the move is hypocritical if you are honest with yourselves, I wish you the best of luck.
I will just put in my final 2 cents and then I'll leave as I don't intend on contributing to your pay wall. I think this pay wall ultimately is a mistake because it will keep you from reaching the people who need your advice the most. The people likely to be duped by get rich quick internet contracts for their comics simply aren't going to pay ANY amount of money to you guys for that advice. This is just the way content on the internet is valued. I figured you guys would understand that as much as anyone. But maybe those people are no longer who this site is trying to reach out to, which makes me sad, but i realize I don't get to dictate your mission statements.
Monoclelad actually makes a good point...this model is really geared more toward those who are professionals or are partway there already. If that's the audience you're going for, then kudos and good luck. But if you want to reach beginners at all, people just starting who may one day be professionals, this is probably not the way to do it.
By the way, are you going to offer people a way to give gift subscriptions?
My personal opinions on the switch aside, I feel an important question needs to be answered for myself and those like me. In the past, you guys have... well, not exactly been AGAINST long form comics per se, but rather doubtful of their ability to do as well as short form comics. That being the case, most of the articles have been geared more towards the short form, gag-a-day strips, though a number can be applied across the board. And that was fine when the information was free. But now that we'll be paying for the information, the question is: As someone who does a long form comic, is my $30 investment going to be well-spent?
I honestly hope the answer is "yes", because the advice that I've been able to take from webcomics.com and apply to my comic has been great. But if I'm paying $30 for a majority of advice that I can't use, it's $30 I could have used for something more pertinent to my comic/site, you know?
@Chris: Honestly, I don't think the content I've seen is worth that asking price. But that's only the content I've seen. I would like to know what exactly these upgrades are, and how Robert Khoo is specifically contributing, before I lay my money down. Unfortunately, we haven't heard that yet, nor does there seem to be "preview" versions of the content, which would help.
That's interesting because to me it almost seems the reverse. That a lot of stuff seems geared to the beginner/intermediate. I wonder if that presents a problem.
To those of you who are scoffing at people balking at the 30 dollar price, you completely miss the point. It isn't about how much I have in my bank account, and it isn't about how much I am willing to spend.
It's about perceived value. Will the person get their money worth? If they feel the answer is no, then that person will not pony up the cash, whether it be 30 dollars or 3 dollars.
I'll miss the forum the most. That seemed to be the place I visited most of the time.
@Thea: And that's great. You have a position that can be swayed by Brad putting his money where his mouth is and showing you that the content he promised does come to light. I'm mainly referring to the people who we know will never buy in simply because their argument is "I want it and I want it now for free". I'm like you, I'm going to be in a wait and see position.
If Khoo is involved, all he's going to do is walk over to the server once a month and touch it thereby making it print money. I firmly believe the man could sell ice to Eskimos.
And remember guys, if you can't/won't get in on webcomics.com you can always do it the way we did 10 years ago. Observe what others are doing around you and try to learn from it. You won't get the keys to the kingdom handed to you but I guarantee you'll find out most of what you need to know with just some quiet time and Google.
I don't see that $30 is unreasonable at all. Running a site this busy is a lot of commitment.
Also, a resource like webcomic.com is a business expense. Print a receipt and write it off.
Though my comic is still really small, I cannot live without this site. I'll be joining up as soon as I get home. Can't wait for all the improvements, especially info from Robert Khoo.
-Mike C.
With my budget, I can't see spending $30 on a website. Most of the information can be gotten for free from thousands of other websites out there. I do love this website, but I don't have the money, and even if I did, I would probably instead spend the $30 toward a drawing class, drawing book, business education book, etc.
I think the only way I would join is if there were a package deal, throwing in a copy of "How to Make Webcomics". Then I could see it happening.
To me it isn't the money- $30 today isn't much- but I cannot help but feel that a trust was broken.
Look, no blog can be successful without two things: the blogger, and the reader. A relationship must be established on some level for the reader to be compelled to return time after time. There must be, on some level, a mutual agreement, or understanding. A trust. There are hundreds of thousands of blogs to read, there simply must be a chemistry for any person to revisit any one blog repeatedly.
I am sure no one really would argue against this becoming a subscription based blog if that intent were given early and openly. No one can argue that such a site takes time, and time is money, but there must be a respect for the readers.
I think people are generous if they both believe in something, and are treated as if their contributions (monetary or not) are valued.
I cannot help but feel that the reader here was not valued. A door was slammed shut, without notice, and now a hand is thrust at the reader with the sign "give me $30" on its palm. ...To me, and maybe I am being naive here, but that seems to be bad business etiquette.
You guys have every right, or course, and I wish you only the best.
It will be interesting to see how this fares.
$30.00 seems like a unfair price point if I can just get the book for $15.00. I am really upset with this because I have a funny feeling that my money is also going to help Brad pay for his hosting, the hosting of the site, and then the OTHER fees that come up in the year.
Other then that I have found that only AMATEUR artists post information about webcomics. Tips that work for them with an audience from about 100 - 500.
So screw this site. I am not giving you $30.00 so you can feed your kids or go to another con
My two cents are pretty much a rehash of what's been said before.
Brad, you say that you were thinking of us when you decided to keep the changeover a secret. Sorry, but I'm calling bullshit at worst and crappy planning at best.
You had the time to inform us, whether or not our input regarding the change would have done anything. That time to convince those of us who are currently giving you hell for your decision, to sign on with your plan and become part of the community. Instead you decided that it'd be in the best interests of us to "pull the band-aid off quickly" to paraphrase.
You didn't inform anyone, especially those people who contributed articles in the past. This is a huge IP no-no, and you should have known better. That I'm going to say shame.
The other thing is I think you're really shooting yourself in the foot. By sub-locking all the content, you have nothing to offer but tiny previews and promises that "We're worth it" to a newbie. I can't say that I'd be attracted to such an offer, whether or not the 30$ is a pittance or not. (As someone said, it's a week's worth of groceries to them.) You've managed to alienate a good number of people who could have been dedicated and supportive (and members) if they had a head's up, and are relying entirely on your personal brand to bring in new money.
Way to go.
Sorry, but me and my week's worth of groceries and/or cup of starbucks are gonna go somewhere else.
Best of luck, and I hope I'm wrong and it does work out.
Yeesh. Lotsa luck, sharkie.
I can't help but wonder how much all these people who say they can't afford this spend on games every year. If you want something that you have to pay for, you pay it... you know, like everything else in real life. If it's not important enough for you to buy it, then you don't buy it, so there's no real loss, is there? Priorities and perspective. Why is this such an easy concept everywhere in the world except the internet?
Hey guys, I appreciate the opinions, but not the hostility or namecalling. Brad doesn't deserve it. I know I don't deserve it. So please give us your feedback and thoughts. But I'll take exception to anyone getting really nasty.
Some warning would've been appreciated. I feel like a bird hitting a window.
I've put a lot of effort into this community, contributing thoughtful posts and attempting to get to know the other cartoonists around my level. And now I am locked out a second time. (The first being when the forums were closed several months last year.) Now I'm very wary of trying to get involved a third time, especially since now there will be even fewer people posting. I will check back in a couple months and see what survived.
Thanks for everything so far though.
If it's not important enough for you to buy it, then you don't buy it...
Dave, I believe this is what people are trying to say in their own way. It's not important enough, not at 30 dollars. People keep missing the point that it isn't necessarily about the actual dollar figure. It's as much about perceived value. I can't say that enough.
People are expressing their priorities and perspective - on this here internet, no less. Seems pretty clear to me.
Come on guys. If Brad made a thread in the forum and said he could not continue webcomics.com at a loss and would either have to close the website down or switch to a subscription. You would all tell him to close it down?
Putting up banner ads would not have been worth it. Who would want to advertise to a hundred odd webcomic creators? Certainly not other webcomic creators, because some of you can't spare $30 without giving up food for a week.
If you're serious about having a career and making a living with your webcomic. Then a $30 investment is a bargin for a years worth of Brads (and others) knowledge and expertise.
If you're serious about having a career and making a living with your webcomic. Then a $30 investment is a bargin for a years worth of Brads (and others) knowledge and expertise.
Not everyone here wants to "go pro" with their comic. And to say that the content here is a bargin [sic] at 30 bucks is YOUR opinion.
Listen folks, regardless of how you feel about Brad's decision - stop speaking for everyone and simply speak for yourself. Stop trying to tell other people how they should spend their money or how they should feel about this. I think most people can speak for themselves.
Lastly, if Brad had announced the site was going down without money - NO, I would not have ponied up 30 dollars, and yes, I would let it die. If an open tip jar were placed out with a plea to help (similar to what Wikipedia does) then I would have tossed in a few bucks. But that's all.
The unfortunate thing is that what is done is done. Brad cannot retract or reduce the cost, because some people have paid it already, and because that would make him look unbusinesslike. (I doubt there's much in the world he values more than his professionalism, and perhaps rightly so.)
So, the division is drawn, and Mr. Guigar is now committed to making this thing work, a business model that Joey Manley gave up for his sites years ago. I wish subscription models did work, because that would make the internet so much more profitable for content providers, but currently they are about as useful as "members only" sections and that extra content thing (I forget its name) that was on PVP.
Now, as I mentioned, Brad's committed: If people shell out 30.00 bucks for a year, then he knows he's got to produce worthwhile content for that year. For someone who loves being a cartoonist, it's a shame he has to begin a side business to support it. It will be even more a shame if living up to the fees collected takes more time than the comic strip did.
Can I buy a gift subscription for Tom Dell'Aringa? I didn't know he was the guy behind Marooned. This first years on me Tom.
"Why $30 per year?
It's an inexpensive buy-in that almost any webcartoonist can afford. It has an added benefit of keeping out people who may not be as serious about webcomics. It naturally weeds out comments from people who may be passing through, and results in distilling comments to those from people who are committed to improving their comics."
Well, it's interesting to find out I "may not be as serious about webcomics." After endless hours of producing my comic, after all the advertisement, after making it available on Wowio, Drivethru, ComicXP, iTunes, and in print from Amazon.com and Indyplanet/Comics Monkey, I'm stunned! I spent all those hours of my life working toward a goal that apparantly I am not really committed to. Later this year, when my comic will also be available on numerous handheld devices besides the iPhone, I realize again that I've put all this work into something that I didn't care about.
I'm sure the above statement about the seriousnous of webcartoonists based on their willingness to part with 30.00 was not intended to offend or alienate. But, this definely bruises my feelings and makes me feel different about the whole thing.