Networking

So our topic today, it's a bit of a big one.

It's one of the buzzwords, so to speak.

It is one that can feel a little weird to use in web comics.

But what we're talking about in this episode is basically just the concept of connecting with other creators or other creatives.

And this can have a ton of benefits, like getting to share opportunities with one another, sharing audiences, and also just make the process of making your web comic less lonely.

It's also something that can get a bit awkward if we don't approach it in a natural or respectful way.

And it's become a loaded topic depending on what's going on in the scene at any given point in time.

And today we're going to talk about what it looks like.

The first question for the group, bit of a softball, basically, what does networking mean to you?

So for me, comic creation is a pretty lonely process.

So networking is really a good way to remind yourself that you don't have to go on your own.

And a lot of my network is really just creating a support group of friends and acquaintances around that specific thing.

So it's pretty much adding shared knowledge into one giant pool.

Yeah, my starting point for networking is very much the same as Ray's.

It stems from just a need to have a community around me to know that there are other people doing the same thing as me.

That's how it all started back when webcomics were just a hobby for me.

And that's still a really important part of what I look for and what I try to maintain online.

When I'm working on web comics so that I don't become a hermit, because that's always my inclination is to just hide away and, you know, never talk to anyone.

But I force myself to because I do think that the community element is important.

And then that has grown as I went into web comics on a professional basis.

Now, it does also have a big impact.

professional element to me, which is how do I share resources with other creators? How do I make sure that I know what's going on in our industry? How do I know what types of companies and businesses to avoid? And it's basically a lot of supporting each other in ways that are not just being friends, but are a little bit more constructive, I guess.

Yeah.

And then, you know, whether that's, you know, helping each other build an audience or just warning each other about what to watch out for.

Those are all benefits that I personally always I'm looking for.