How much money did my 2 million viewed comic make?

How much money does a comic on webtoon canvas make? let's find out.
(also we are now close to 3 million views - that is crazy)
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[@KatieCloverArt]

Hey guys, thank you for all the comments. I made this video to show how much money I made with Webtoon Canvas (the side of Webtoons where anyone can post comics, not the Originals where Webtoons hire artists). I made this comic for fun, so any profit I get is a bonus. I am aware that this is not a lot of money, but I still wanted to make this video to show new comic artists what to expect with Webtoon Canvas (and other ways you can make money). In my opinion, Webtoons is a decent place to grow an audience, but not profitable in the long run. If you like this comic and want to buy the physical book, I self-published Sugar and Swords! It’s available on Amazon: a.co/d/0IqTkUk or you can request it at your local bookstore/Library.

[@mu1642]

This is So harrowing to listen to. You’re very positive and seem like a nice person, but there’s something grossly dystopian about the way webtoon has exploited you. I don’t think anyone else has quite put into words how webtoon has legitimately monetized free labor quite as well as you have.

[@KatieCloverArt]

Yeah, I am a very positive person. But honestly, I think the reason is because I have separated myself emotionally from the platforms I post on. I have accepted the fact that the majority of companies are in it for profit first and foremost. I don’t like it, but when they do actually pay me I take it with a grain of salt.

[@oo--7714]

Nah it makes sense, you have to understand it isn’t KZbin, there is literally just 1 advert at the bottom. There is no way you are gonna make any decent money, KZbin forces ads down people’s throats that is why they pay well in comparison, TikTok pays worse, but normal sites like webtoons even less, video ads are a lot more desirable than static ads. The only way she would have been able to make any decent money is through paywalled chapters. The rest though “legitimately monetized free labor”, this is because of the market doesn’t want to pay.

[@mu1642]

@@KatieCloverArt There must be a better answer to this. >:( I suspect there’s something to be said for the lack of any sort of curated experience - none of the major platforms have any kind of method for sorting submissions in a way that might help you find stuff you might be interested in and they certainly make no effort to review submitted content so they can actually recommend it to you. Starting a KZbin channel and submitting your comics to websites directly searchable on google might be the best start… but on KZbin you have the problem of translating views of your videos directly to views on your comic. Every comics related KZbinr has said this is the hardest part. Probably because people who follow you on KZbin are there for your KZbin videos and not necessarily interested in the comics at all. :( I’m wondering if, since you’re doing something short and sweet, this might translate to KZbin shorts? Not animated characters, but animating in the panels like a more sophisticated animatic? Hmm. At least that would focus on the content you’re making and make it easier for KZbin to direct you to people. I’ll be rooting for you! >:(

[@mu1642]

@@oo--7714 I strongly disagree, but I can’t impress upon you my desire to buy content that is relevant to my interests and my inability to even FIND that content. Take Globalcomix for example - most of the independent entries are using every available filter tag. At the end of the day the only comics that remain at the top are the corpo publishers or established franchises. There’s no way to sort what’s available into relevant categories. Webtoons is just a sea of garbage. They make no effort to filter or market the comics on the website, and like the “big 4” save their marketing budget to buy whatever bs has already marketed itself to gain any sort of traction - RE: “The Trial,” which might give you some insight as to what is happening in publishing at a larger scale and why companies like Webtoons have become IP farms rather than looking to buy and promote good products. The problem is not sticker shock. People want good content and they’re willing to pay reasonable prices for it. The biggest issue is finding what you would be willing to pay for. What I unfortunately end up doing is getting recommended to comics that have been pirated from their original source and then buying them retroactively, but I don’t even have the space to do that with everything I find and a lot of the comics I am recommended are limited run (kickstarter/doujinshi published for specific events). I wish I could buy in to a small network of artists who publish similar content - like a bulk subscription. It would make it easier for me to find new stuff that I like, but it would also limit the amount of overwhelm I experience looking for new content. :/ like limited fare at a restaurant, rather than “well, you could have everything you could possibly imagine all of the time.” I don’t really want that. It’s too much work on my part just to find something I want to spend my own darn money on.

[@oo--7714]

@@mu1642 ‘ People want good content and they’re willing to pay reasonable prices for it’ No not really, there is a reason why webtoon is the largest platform, it is the most free out of the bunch, the rest have paywalls with coins etc after the first 3 chapters or so. People do not like to pay for content, the majority doesn’t and will not. Partly why KZbin is so successful, this just leads to the devaluation of work and need for multiple streams of income if you want to make money online. Either way the amount they are paying is to be expected when there are barely any ads on the platform and half the users use some sort of Adblock. Having a better algorithm to find content wouldn’t solve the core issue which is the bad monetisation strategy which basically means average creators do not make much money at all. Having a decent algorithm, she would still be making pennies due to the fact that her content is free, and not paywalled. Even if it was paywalled it has a good chance of just being pirated on manga aggregator sites and the like. Another issue is the fact that most comics aren’t of high quality and this is honestly to be expected compared to shonen jump which is very cutthroat and only greenlight a few comics webtoons is very lax in comparison, webtoons also primarily advertises towards women now compared to back in 2018/19 where it was just a place for Korean comics and a few original ones, I literally quit using the site cause it was just too much lol. As for advertising I think it is due to a lack of confidence in their western comic portfolio, it just isn’t that high and even the top webtoon artists have quite abysmal storytelling skills in comparison, even the Korean side which is a bit better still isn’t as good as shonen jump.

[@Erribell]

This is f*cking dystopian. You are so cheerful please never change but they are doing you DIRTY GIRL

[@oo--7714]

they aren't the site has less ads then tiktok, let alone youtube, how are you going to get paid well unless the content is paywalled

[@Erribell]

@@oo--7714 if you get level of success the website should function to the point of rewarding that person meaningfully, it's webtoons fault that they don't have between chapter video ads, not hers, the site is bunk and not even trying to make money

[@168original7]

@@Erribell“ if you get level of success the website should function to the point of rewarding“ So so tbh you aren’t owed anything if you post your works online. Websites aren’t really owed to reward user generated content on the site unless it is contractually obligated. Image hosting is crazy expensive. I don’t think massive adware is the way to go tbh, webtoons is largely free/freemium because the competition is literally piracy sites and going too far with ad monetisation will just turn off viewers. Not to mention most ads pay pennies, only KZbin due to the google infrastructure pays well, TikTok pays like crap and other site will just pay a lot worse due to less infrastructure. The only way it could work where she gets paid properly is if the website was fully paywalled after a few chapters. She would have made money from people who care about her work rather than someone who clicks for a second them moves away. But most people do not care enough in the west to pay for such works unlike Japan and to an extent Korea. There is less love towards these sorts of creative works.

[@Kitarp06]

@@oo--7714 yeah, i checked the webtoon and it has almost no ads. like one little ad at the end of each chapter.no wonder creators don't get paid.

[@ELTABULLO]

Yes they are​@@oo--7714

[@Jetblackbird]

You're getting pennies for how much work you're doing- Webtoons is really exploitative :(

[@oo--7714]

Nah not really, the artist is putting it out there for free, the webtoons site barely has any ads, most people pirate content on mirror sites ( I stopped using webtoons ages ago). The only way she would be making money if webtoons had the ability to paywall canvas comics after the first few chapters But would anyone pay i dunno.

[@blufudgecrispyrice8528]

Didn't they have a feature that lets you have early access to episodes?

[@7heAteles]

@@oo--7714​​⁠ your are not thinking outside of the web toon box. If she used web toons to help grow her own site and email list and used that fan base to push her site even if only 10% of her viewers went over she’d have a an opportunity to make easily 10 times that money on her own site running her own ads. She could be making $500-$2000 per month depending on her own traffic. The legitimate joke that webtoons paid her for her work would have covered the cost to operate a website and email list. Webtoons raking in probably 10-15k per month on her comic based on the industry standards for ad payouts.

[@oo--7714]

@@7heAteles most people will not browse it though that is the issue, most sites aren’t getting that much traffic and usually it is hard to translate 10% of your viewers onto your site, more 1-5 percent. And webtoon users aren’t all that loyal nor do they convert that well into paid users, the fanbases for western webtoons with millions of views is small, and they don’t have much fan art or a really loyal fan base compared to manga. People gather around on centralised platforms nowadays compared to the past. So still I doubt it would be even a somewhat profitable endeavour, you must also understand webtoons has 1 ad , 1 legit alt 1 advert, you ain’t making much money at all over 1 advert (small and static) at the bottom of the page that barely anyone clicks. Webtoons is taking a chunk share but overall it is pennies bro. Legitimate pennies. And they are hosting a bunch of webtoons many of which haven’t been updated in years on canvas. The best thing to do is paywall it but that ain’t happening, no one wants to pay for indie comics really. And who uses email spamming, like what, seriously that isn’t good in the slightest.

[@EddyTheLion]

😢

[@Brittanysplittany]

Honestly we should leave reviews to Webtoon complaining how exploitative it is. I cannot believe these numbers after you’ve put in so much work! 50k view ~ like $12 WHAT

[@oo--7714]

Bro it isn’t paywalled

[@thomasrdiehl]

That's roughly the lower end of what creators on KZbin make. Doesn't seem that bad to me. I really think people just have no idea how little money websites actually make.

[@devinkipp4344]

​@thomasrdiehl right. Free websites work on ads and it doesn't pay much

[@FluffyKittenofMordor]

Dang, the art grind must have been absolutely bonkers for those 90 episodes. You were basically a Japanese mangaka pushing out content at breakneck speed for those two to three years? Such discipline and drive 😲 I hope you get the financial gains you deserve soon, even if your initial intentions were just to connect with your readers.

[@IvanWongRF]

This is devastating....

[@AlexAlexanderHimmel]

Thank god you started this youtube channel and Patreon. Great decision Now you can make some real money!

[@Kemmicals]

Recognized the art from the thumbnail immediately and had to click omg. I didnt know you had a youtube channel! Also Its such a bummer they removed the creator rewards program. Saw some creators complaining about how detrimental it was to their income :(

[@DSHT88]

As someone who is working on his first manga series and thought of releasing it on webtoons, these numbers are egregious O_O

[@skadoomosadi1411]

I guess it's safe to say Webtoon ain't it. Well thanks for sharing, very informative. Hope KZbin treats you better

[@BlackHayateTheThird]

Thank you for the video! I love these kinds of videos- they really help people give realistic ideas on what it takes to make comics- and it's definitely a passion project! Definitely interested in hearing how your other streams of income help and your experiences with them, especially on kickstarting your comic book.

[@KatieCloverArt]

Happy to hear you liked it! I have more comic videos planned that I hope to make soon :D

[@AJ_the_Dragon]

Every time I see that you wrote Sugar and Swords I get a jump scare XD I found Crystalized through your channel but Sugar was in the recommended on webtoons at some point

[@KatieCloverArt]

haha XD They are pretty different. happy to hear you found my comics :D

[@Alejandro-Luna]

Oh I remember reading your story. It was fun and cute. But yeah, pretty much the whole comic market is ruined. People just doesnt want to pay for anything but keep demandibg more. Is insane for creators. Few people respect the effirt, even less is willing to remunerate creators for it. Still, happy to see you still enjoy doing it.

[@aronseptianto8142]

i guess for context, youtube pays out roughly 0.01cents per view which is in the order of 100x more than webtoon. Granted, webtoon has much less ads but i think it's important to take account that hosting video is WILDLY more expensive than hosting webtoons. Granted, youtube shorts is like 0.01 cents per 1000 view which is much lower than webtoons

[@Learn-Digital-Art]

Thank you so much for sharing this video! I've just decided a few days ago to start making my own webcomic, so finding your content couldn't have come at a better time. It's really helpful to understand the potential timelines and earnings involved. I'm currently unemployed and just beginning to learn about art and storytelling. Seeing the realities of income through webcomics laid out so clearly is invaluable, though it does make me realize the challenges ahead. It seems like a tough road, especially for someone new like myself, to rely solely on webcomics for a living. But learning from experienced creators like you gives me hope and direction. Thanks again for the insights! And I just subscribed to your channel, Looking forward to more of your content.

[@KatieCloverArt]

You're welcome! I'm happy to help out. Webcomics are a lot of work but it's something I love to create. Best of luck to you!

[@Learn-Digital-Art]

@@KatieCloverArt Thanks😄

[@highdefinition450]

now i'm wondering about how much you would have made on tapas or if you had merch like some other comics out there or something.. it's insane how little you made, yikes :/

[@bkucenski]

There is a huge amount of work and expense that goes into building an audience. And you're largely on your own for monetizing it. The last thing platforms want to do is be generous with the people actually putting up the content.

[@kaicastle.]

This just proves that when your work finds the right audience. You’re well-known in the WebToon community compared social media, which most artists have the opposite experience, but you’re already earning compared to others.. More power and thanks for sharing! 😊

[@soepdelsoep]

There needs to be a better way to pay comic artists

[@FunEngage]

I just started reding your comic (im at ep. 27) and This feels like the free guy movie (LOVE IT)

[@FunEngage]

finished. Loved this comic

[@KatieCloverArt]

I just recently watched that movie and yeah I can see the similarities! XD

[@tambokii]

Such a good video!! I love your art!! ❤

[@gbjsyzftbcacjyfubjygkgcjae3182]

thankyou for making this, as someone who's hoping to get into comic making himself

[@raisnaix]

Great vid! Sharing to all my artist friends.

[@EvilSnails]

Thank you for sharing such honest numbers and teaching fellow artists!

[@pepitocovid-91]

OMG, I SAW THIS VIDEO IN MY RECOMMENDED AND I INMEDIATELY RECOGNIZED YOUR ART STYLE, I LOVE SUGAR AND SWORDS SO MUCH!!!

[@generalmortars7557]

This is so depressing, what are these webcomic platforms for? If only a tenth of those 140,000 views dropped you $1, you would still be walking away with $14,000 a month.

[@oo--7714]

Do you think they would be giving her 1 dollar a month, or even that 10% would pay. More like 1 percent and most would only pay once. Not all viewers will read the next chapter, nor will they care enough to buy the comic.

[@brettsymons604]

I intend to post on webtoons in probably around a year. I always took it as a place to get patrons and the like as their pay outs are kind of what I expected from a free site. And also just seeing how the webcomics I read tend to have links to other places where creators get more money.

[@KatieRoseHere]

I love this comic. I binged it in two days

[@mangle9143]

Sugar and swords is such a sweet comic. I'm loving crystalized so far. Now I'm curious about how it's doing because you also have a website for it. I suppose I'll just have to wait 1-3 years so that you have enough data on it. Have a lovely day.

[@KatieCloverArt]

Thank you! It will take some time to get more data but I will say from what I have so far, Crystalized is growing slower than Sugar and Swords. But that is something I expected because Crystalized updates are less frequent.

[@ELTABULLO]

We need a better platform

[@Rick586]

Very interesting!

[@angelbonser4909]

OMG!! I'm so happy you use Photoshop too! The art of Sugar and Swords is so beautiful, and now I have hope that I might someday get close to your level. 💕 💞

[@SCARaw]

are you?

[@KatieCloverArt]

Aww, thank you so much! I hope you have a great day!

[@AmandaComeauCreates]

You bring so much joy. hopefully that makes up for the lack of financial reward :(

[@ShiitaKitsune64]

I wonder how much Webtoon has made off of your comic at your expense :P

[@GabrieldasNevess]

great video, I always wondered what was the income of webtoons, ty!!

[@KatieCloverArt]

I'm glad you liked it!

[@anthonycadette]

ok i'm following you now great video

[@user-fe7sn9ed3u]

Good for you. Still daydreaming about this happening to me

[@roborant_swe]

Wouldnt it be an option to make a slideshow and post it on youtube instead?

[@digitalcurrents]

It's not that Webtoons is exploitive, it's that it's much smaller than KZbin or TikTok so its audience is smaller and it makes less money from ads.

[@tok_tj]

Curious to know - would webtoons get angry with you if you put your patreon details WITHIN the comic at the end of the chapter? (aesthetically of course) Like how some authors put a 'follow me on my socials' section once you finish a chapter? I am slowly producing a webtoon right now and I know that money earned on webtoon will be miniscule - so I'm looking at other money avenues too. Curious to learn what other webtoon artists/authors are doing!

[@KatieCloverArt]

I don't think they will get angry at you for doing that. You can link your Patreon to webtoon so they already have a way for creators to promote themself. I advertise the book version of Sugar and Swords at the end of each episode and have not run into any problems with them.

[@philltheotherguy1868]

Do you make merchandise like stickers and pins?

[@KatieCloverArt]

Yes I do! I plan on adding more to my online shop when I have time but here is a link: katiecloverart-shop.fourthwall.com/ I sell shirts, stickers, and more :D

[@philltheotherguy1868]

@@KatieCloverArt they look cute! If you don’t mind me asking, do those make you enough money to cover how little you get from webtoons?

[@RUdigitized]

To be frank as much views as you give them that amount of pay is criminal

[@nekomarulupin]

At that point, you would make more money attempting to self publishing. Why are you letting yourself get exploited like this?

[@mf--]

How? Paper books? She isplanning to self publish those too. She has digital copies in her store.

[@RM-xr8lq]

not sure why these artists use exploitive for-profit companies instead of self-hosting or using IaaS, would take them an hour to set up an s3 bucket on AWS

[@oo--7714]

They would be in the negative in terms of revenue, not to mention no one would visit your site

[@RM-xr8lq]

@@oo--7714 some of the most successful and well known webcomics are self hosted, and setting up ads and trackers is trivial pretty easy to market on greedy western social media sites but to link to open source self hosted website, retaining user base

[@oo--7714]

@@RM-xr8lq like what, I doubt any of them had animation adaptations or the likes, looking into it, making comics is a fools errand in the west, you cannot make anything that is legitimately successful like jjk at all.

[@oo--7714]

Like seriously if you wanna be creative just make a game, people will not bother with comics, or art (unless it's corn)

[@LeonLowe-qs1sg]

publish a physical comic book

[@jamaalshad1018]

7:00

[@Amelia_PC]

All this effort, a sh**ton of views, and THIS payment? It doesn't even reach a standard comics industry gig per month, and I'm talking about a zero popular artist like me. Popular artists make triple the standard (the standard is something around $4K per issue). Weebton is clearly taking advantage of creators and making them work like slaves. You can use it as a portfolio to find gigs easily in the comics industry. It's still important to show your portfolio to publishers, but don't underestimate the power of your numbers. Editors are changing their game, and popularity is becoming a bigger factor in finding artists. Or a Kickstarter. With this huge audience, you can monetize your comic easily.

[@Dreamingofyou317]

People don’t understand, webtoons most likely are paying a fair amount, it isn’t going to be allot

[@zackaryXjoseph]

Soooo webtoon is basically a rubbery!! They're rubbing you.

[@SCARaw]

i didnt even saw it

[@SY_Design22]

😮

[@Charlie-hv3dh]

jump to 7:30 for important info I suppose

[@soda_fairy]

That’s horribly bad oh wow

[@philltheotherguy1868]

None of you know what exploitation is

[@aura7117]

I swear. I can't tell if these comments are just from kids or very emotional adults who haven't experienced the real world.

[@scribblingjoe]

Wow, well, you're certainly not doing it for the money.

[@shoop9274]

your getting ripped off

[@Winterfang]

Jesus seems like a lot of work for nothing.

[@Die.Trying]

This is insane

[@_Junker]

🥐