sarahlin
patreon
TWC Comic and Poll
🕑 Added 2023-10-28 17:00:05 +0000 UTCWell... this weekend was supposed to be a big important audiobook release, but Audible has finally screwed me over and not released. -_- So it'll just happen randomly next week, probably? I apologize for the delay in chapters, but I already had this post set up and I really want to get everyone's opinion.
($5 patrons already saw this, but please check out the poll at the bottom!)
You may have recently heard about a lot of western progression fantasy novels getting webtoon adaptations, putting up $100,000+ to have major studios draw them or signing away the adaptation rights to bigger players. Well, I'm afraid I'm not popular enough or well-connected enough to be part of that, but I don't know if that's my style anyway and I have been quietly working on something in the background.
Over the years I have worked with an artist from the Philippines who has always been prompt and professional (he did the anatomy set, by the way). Recently we discussed the idea of doing a webtoon together, as it would have obvious benefits for both of us.
The in-line image is his work, but the real focus should be the attachment (don't miss it!). This would be Episode 2. The first episode in terms of reading order would cover the prologue of Soulhome, but since that's a long and artistically-taxing section (plus the introduction for new readers) I wanted to leave that for later when we have everything refined. But I think this is still representative of the idea.
My vision for the webtoon is not 100% identical to the books, because I already wrote the books. This is an adaptation intended to draw in new readers. The webtoon would be faster paced, less subtle about characterization, and involve faster gratification. On the other hand, it would also allow for leaning into the visual side of things, especially the world and character expressions. We could do amazing things with Krikree, for example.
I want to know what everyone thinks of this so far. Bear in mind my goals above, but you don't have to approve. Indeed, one of the reasons I'm posting this is in case more ardent webtoon fans think that this isn't up to snuff and shouldn't represent the series. But this is one of the things I have been working on in the background, so I hope you enjoy. ^-^
Kickstarter Question
The webtoon economy is grim and turning a profit is not very likely. I can spend a moderate amount trying to start up something like this, but I don't have the combination of wealth and passion it would take to bankroll an entire webtoon. Another author, however, raised the option of Kickstarter funding.
Kickstarter is the hot new thing for authors, but I've stayed out for three reasons: I think it might be too early for me, it isn't necessary for me business-wise, and I prefer to keep my attention on writing. This might be an interesting experiment, though! It could gauge the level of interest in a TWC comic, potentially find a few new readers, and fund a series of comics.
Before that gauging, however, a poll to get everyone's interest. Answers are anonymous, so please vote your preference to let me know! All other feedback is welcome too, of course.
Comments
Sarah Lin
These responses are also useful, thank you!
Inv7ctus
I would love a Comic, I just wish I had the money to help fund it.
Sarah Lin
The omnibus is out BECAUSE the fourth audiobook is about to launch.
Laggmaster
Was not expecting an omnibus audiobook of books 1-3. I figured book 4 was about to launch.
Runcible Technician
If the comics are going to be limited overall, you should just have a two or three page worldbuilding splash that you could add to each book. White Wolf publishing has done that for the Exalted and Aeon Trinity series of gaming books and it really did set the stage for the content past that point. A notable example that springs to my mind is in Return of the Scarlet Empress where the beginning of the book has a surreal dream sequence comic that is revealed to be the dying thoughts of a major character in the game narrative as he is murdered, setting the stage for the end of the Time of Troubles.
Sarah Lin
Thanks for your detailed thoughts. There's basically zero chance the comic could ever catch up, even with faster pacing, but worrying about ongoing progress is a valid concern. While I'd hoped that a comic might draw in new readers while the series was ongoing, attempting it after the conclusion is at least a possibility. Art in the books is a non-starter, I'm afraid. Amazon charges by file size and my profit margins are low, given the price of the books. If you want supplemental art, Patreon is the place where you'll find it.
The Freigh
I really love the webcomic personally and I think it would be neat to see the characters/scenarios on the page. With that said, I’m ambivalent about paying for a kickstarter given that I’ve already read the books, as others have noted, and I’m worried about the financial viability given how saturated the market is. Selfishly, given how many more books it feels like are left before the series is finished, I also worry that work on this might delay/impact progress on the book series, (or even just cause the perception that it’s doing so) which could impact your Patreon and have the opposite effect you were looking for. And starting the comic without the main series being finished might be risky if the comic eventually catches up to the books. On the other hand, if you finish the books first and try this again, it could be a fun thing for book fans to relive the series, and you’d have some buzz coming into it if the assuming people loved the ending. Just my two cents. But again, the comic itself was top notch and Ignis seems like a fantastic artist. Unrelated, but have you considered including more art within the books itself ala Stormlight Archives?
