Fans are always going to be
the bane of the writer's existence. The problem is that a writer
needs a community in order to succeed; if no one reads what he writes
then his projects will remain stillborn. On the other hand fans can
drive a writer crazy, especially when they have a fan theory that
completely ignores what the writer has written or post some really
bizarre fanfic. Ultimately, the problem is that a writer needs to
build a community in order to succeed, and that can be a major
problem.
The issue is that the writer
can't be the only one getting the word out about a project. The
success of any project is directly proportional to its support; in a
business where everything is a numbers game it's important to have
the numbers be as big as possible. This means that the writer needs
to do whatever he can to create support for his comic. Unfortunately,
this means that he needs to respect his fans as much as possible, and
that's not always easy, especially considering that most writers tend
to introverts; it's hard for a writer to not be somewhere between
hating everyone and wanting to bury under their covers. However, it's
also not as hard as it sounds.
[Here's an incentive of
sorts: Having fans is the greatest way to deal with writer's block.
If you are ever stuck on how to progress you can always go into the
fanforum of your project and read the various theories on how they
think things should be going. Be warned: A lot of it can be
disheartening and make your blood boil, especially when they missed
some of what you thought were the greatest moments and that ignores
the troll trying to make a name for himself by taking your stuff
down. However, it can also help spur ideas as well as offer some
great feedback, especially if you remember to stay in the
background.]
You're going to need to
remember a few things when it comes to your fanbase, and you're going
to want to balk at doing them at least once. The first is to let
everyone know when you have something new, be it an issue, a page, or
even a Kickstarter; your fans need to know when you've done something
new. It may sound obvious but you need to keep your fans in the loop;
this is Marketing 101. Of course, you may dread doing it, but it
needs to be done.
The second is to not post on
the fanforums. Yeah, some writers can do this, but in general you
need to adopt a “read don't post” policy. The problem is that
sometimes you want to appear transparent to your fans, and so you
think that means that you need to be part of any conversations about
your project. However, this invites the Troll Targeting Principle:
Once you're a known part of the conversation someone is bound to want
to target you more than talk about your project, and that means
saying the insulting things in order to get a rise out of you. Trolls
are worse than Hydra: Block one and another takes its place. Don't
engage them and they won't derail your conversations.
Third, do things to be nice
to your fans. This doesn't mean you need to do things that are
against your personal code, like having a character go shirtless or
have a sex scene just to make the fans happy. This does mean if a
particular character seems to be a favorite then increase the screen
time of the character a smidge. Occasionally have fan freebies, like
an extra page or two every so often, or even a discount code for the
merch site. Heck, mess with them a little on April 1st.
Just show them that you appreciate them a little and they'll reward
you with more popularity, fame, and hopefully the rewards that go
with it.
Lastly, don't do things
specifically to annoy your fandom. This is the one thing that can be
the hardest, but that just makes it the one thing you need to
remember. If they find out your Big Secret, like a character reveal
or a plot twist, congratulate them for following your clues and do it
anyway; you'll find that changing things is only going to screw
things up (just ask Marvel and DC; every time they change things
because of leaks it just screws things up). Don't rant about how big
jerks fans are; some of them will take it personally. Yes, you can
mess with them and rant about specific incidents, but don't go after
your fandom in general; you don't want to alienate them and it
usually works against your interest.
Oh, and just as important is
that you DO NOT PANDER. Some idiot writers and artists think that
being nice is bending over backwards for your fans. It's not. This is
the difference between the good cook and the great cook: A good cook
will over-sweeten his pastries in hopes that his pastries will fly
off thee shelves and they will, but only for a short time. Soon
enough they crowd will have enough of the sweetness and go elsewhere.
The great chefs use bittersweet chocolate and the minimum amount of
sugar; they let the ingredients shine. A writer needs to recognize
that difference and just do what they think is best for the story
regardless of what the fans think.
Yes, there are some artists
that do so all the time. Dave Sym was notorious for nailing fandom
but that was part of his charm; it meant that the fans always knew
where they stood with him. This does not mean that you should try for
the same relationship, but that you should respect your fandom and
keep them in the loop. Do that and they will help you grow,
antagonize them and see your fame, and therefore your success,
diminish. Try to be that great cook and not the idiot one and you'll
find your own recipe for success.
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