Would you buy Web/eManga? For how much?

[PencilAttack]

*First I called it manga because I couldn't fit manga-influenced comic in the title. :) Please don't turn this thread into a manga vs manga-influenced battle. lol

I am thinking about creating a manga-influenced comic. Actually have a few chapters done. The problem is printing is crazy expensive. Yes I have looked at every printing option. So printng is really not an option for me. I am a one man operation.

So my questions.

1) Would you buy an issue of a comic or manga that was a web/eManga only(not paperback)?

2) Say a chapter is something like 15 e-pages B&W.

a) How much would you pay for a chapter if you felt it was average?

b) How much would you pay for a chapter if you liked it a lot?


I'm not going to show artwork or even release the genre, as I am trying to get completely objective answers.


At first my plan is to make 3-4 chapters to get issue 1 done and on line and have it free for download. See if people like it or hate it. I love to draw and really don't want to charge any money but just making one chapter takes so much time plus hosting the stuff.

Just wanted to get an idea on how much would be a fair price to charge and if this venture is even worth it or maybe I should just stick to drawing in my spare time for fun.

Thanks!


1.

2a.

2b.

[Samurai Drifter]

I would pay nothing for a chapter when I can read plenty of webcomics for free. It just isn't worth my time and money.

However, if there was a free preview or first chapter that was really, and I mean really good that gave me an idea of the story, the art, etc. then I might consider it. It would still be unlikely, though.

[throughhim413]

I can't see myself paying to read something online. There's enough stuff out there online that I don't feel I can justify paying for something when I can read 10 others just like it for free. Like Samurai Drifter said, unless this was really something special and I had seen a preview, it wouldn't make sense.

A standard manga has 6-8 chapters in it (depending on their length). I pay $7-8 for a volume of manga, though understand that's partially for the enjoyment of collecting it. So if you're looking to charge no matter what, you'd better assume that you'd have to way undercut that price. Just my thoughts.

[HitokiriShadow]

No, I wouldn't. First of all, I'm a collector. I like having physical objects. Second, I don't like reading things on a screen if it can be avoided. I read scanlations off the computer screen, but I would prefer to read them on paper. I don't print them off just because that would be really expensive and even more time consuming.

[Soluzar]

Second, I don't like reading things on a screen if it can be avoided. I read scanlations off the computer screen, but I would prefer to read them on paper.

Same here. Scanlations are OK, but they don't have the same appeal as something you can hold in your hand and take with you where ever you go. I'd guess that eManga would be the same way

[Mikadzuki Tatsu]

No, I would not pay to read one comic online when there are dozens of other comics similar to or just like it that I can read for free. Not only would I not be able to afford it, but a part of me would see it as a waste of money. (I stopped reading a webcomic once because the artist moved the archives to a site where one had to pay to read them. I didn't have the money, and it wasn't worth it to me.)

Also, like HitokiriShadow and Soluzar, I'm a collector. I would much rather read things on paper than on a computer screen. If I think a manga is worth paying for, I want my money to go to a printed copy that I can physically hold in my hands and don't have to rely on computer access to read whenever I want.

[tenshi_a]

I don't like reading manga / comics on screen, unless they're just daily strip comics. I just find... paper is so much better. When I like to read manga, I read in a park, or in a garden, or on a train... it's got to be a book.

I can barely read scanlations. I just find them annoying. I tend to only read manga on screen if *the entire genre* isn't available in print!

The whole web-purchase of manga happened a few years ago... Amazon would offer the book for sale at about £5, or the download for about £1.

And how well did that go?

Well, Amazon still sell books for about £5, and don't offer the download service anymore...

[Soluzar]

Also, like HitokiriShadow and Soluzar, I'm a collector.
You know, it's an odd thing, but I feel compelled to comment on that.. I wouldn't ever think of myself as a collector, because I don't necessarily take the best care of manga. I tend to read outside, whenever I can, and to take manga with me whenever I know that I will be unoccupied for a significant length of time, so my manga tends to get rather beat-up and even a little dog-eared. I've also only ever read a relatively small number of series.

I tend to think of the term "collector" as applying to someone who has A) a much larger stack of manga than I, and B) someone who keeps their manga in pristine condition.

I beg your (and the topic creator's) pardon for going off-topic, but for some reason I really wanted to say that. I feel that to call me a collector is to give me credit that I do not deserve -_-;

[PencilAttack]

Thanks so much guys for taking the time to reply. :)

I think I am going to finish volume I, then save up some money and have it printed.

Thanks!

[Leader Desslock]

1) Would you buy an issue of a comic or manga that was a web/eManga only(not paperback)?

2) Say a chapter is something like 15 e-pages B&W.

a) How much would you pay for a chapter if you felt it was average?

b) How much would you pay for a chapter if you liked it a lot?

1) No

2a) Not one dime

2b) Nada

[Animematt55]

1) No

2a) Not one dime

2b) Nada
same answers for me.
If something is on the internet...you can fidn it for free fairly easily.

[Stutz]

I'd have to say honestly I wouldn't. The marketplace for comics on the Internet revolves around the content being free. Most creators make money through advertisements on their sites, selling merchandise, and if they get lucky, getting a publishing deal.

Honestly it's admirable you want to try and become a published comic artist with there being a manga influence, but you may be rushing into something you may not be able to succeed at. I mean how do you know if your material is something people will want to buy? Part of being an independent artist is self editing your work. If you feel that your story flows well, characters are drawn atomically correct, and you can transition your panels well, that's cool and all, but I would have a lot of people look at it critize it before dishing out the publishing fees. Attending a lot of comic related conventions and exhibiting your material would be a the best place to get an idea if you are doing the right thing. But even then, if you did publish your material, stores and comic shops would have to order it and with limited shelf space, they are bound to skip over something unproven as your work.

Honestly, as an unknown in the comic world, you need to look at getting the most exposure for your work and you won't find a better place than the Internet for that. If drawing comics is your passion, you need to worry more about getting your work out there rather than trying to pushing your costs on to the people you are trying to attract as an audience. If the Internet isn't your thing, think about talking sumbitting your material to publishers that publish manga-influenced comics. They might give you the support and resources you would need. While I think these type of publishers haven't put out anything worth reading (I think much of the stuff is average to poor in creativity and poorly edited such as many of Seven Seas stuff), they'd be the type of people you'd want to talk to as they'd have the funding and resources needed to publish your material.

[PencilAttack]

Thanks for the great advice Stutz! :)