WeMakeWebcomics.com talks with the Daniel and Dawna Davis, the husband and wife team behind Steam Crow, to ask about their commitment to their company and its products.
Look just about anywhere on the Monster Commute website and you're not only presented with the opportunity to explore the magnificent world of Monstru, you're also invited to become an active participant in the success of its creators, Daniel and Dawna Davis. This is no accident.
Through Steam Crow the Davis' deliver exceptional artwork in a wide range of media, and yet each product maintains a distinctive look and feel that reflects and reinforces the company's brand. Their websites' design feature buttons, logos, artwork and widgets with a cohesive overall theme, so visitors to any of their sites are not simply passive viewers, they're taking part in an immersive experience.
One simple yet effective technique the Monster Commute creators use is to treat their readers as honored members of a team. When you think about it, all readers are collaborators to some extent - your webcomic's success depends on their enthusiasm. Many webcomic creators already understand this and make a point of taking the time to read and answer comments and emails.
The Steam Team have built their success on this approach – in addition to posting a new Monster Commute strip every weekday, they also share knowledge as artists, sales and marketing agents, and business owners – and they do so while working full time for their respective jobs and as partners and parents for their family. "It's all about consistency," says Daniel, "People will not want to invest in you unless they see that you're going to be doing more of your work for a long time."
He recommends posting new work on a very regular basis, "Or you'll be quickly forgotten. The people who succeed are the ones who are busting ass putting new work out all of the time." Not only that, but "You've got to write back every person who emails you about your work."
"A publishing schedule is another matter," the artist continues. "You've got to post when you say that you're going to post, and do it as often as your life can manage. Best is seven days a week. Five days a week is good too. Three days is all right. Once a week is pretty slim. Beyond that, it's probably not enough to gain any momentum." It's with this in mind that Steam Crow posts a new page of Monster Commute five days a week, no matter what.
Each Monster Commute update also comes with a blog post. "I usually post an additional blog post once per week, too." Which can't be easy for a family man who is already working to support his brood, "So far, knock on wood, I've not missed an update. It's tough sometimes though."
What the Davis' have established in getting in the habit of updating regularly and answering questions is that their team of readers knows that Steam Crow can be counted on – and it's this sense of trust that webcomic creators must develop with their audience if they hope to become successful. That's not the whole of it, though.
"Be great at what you do. Hands down," says Daniel, insisting that other webcomic creators ought to check their work – that is "Make sure that other people outside of your circle like what you're up to." Pay attention to what new readers say. Ask people who have never seen your work before to evaluate it. Talk with people whose work you admire and find out if they see a direction for your work that you haven't thought of before.
Daniel worked for nearly ten years as a graphic artist before he was encouraged to launch Steam Crow, "Just "believing in yourself" isn't quite enough, you need to road test your work by getting it out there and doing it. If people react in a good way, you're on your way."
He also stresses the importance of knowing what you're trying to accomplish, "Know what kind of life you're trying to build. When opportunities come, make sure that they align with these goals. I get opportunities but I don't take them unless they align with this compass."
For example, while attending their first comic convention Steam Crow was approached by a number of interested industry professionals. "Daniel got a lot of business cards from Nickelodeon, Sesame Street Workshop, Sony and Disney," says Dawna, also an artist, "People were drooling over his work, which was really good."
"In one day, I got more compliments on my artwork than I've had my whole life," Daniel admits. "I've been approached by companies that like my work, art style, etc., however, they wanted me to work on their projects, rather than saying "Hey, we want to publish Monster Commute." Now, I'd be all for someone like Dark Horse to publish my books. I'd probably be all over that, though I'd likely make less money than doing it myself."
But he's not that interested in quitting his good and stable job to work on someone's temporary project, "It just doesn't make sense."
What does make sense for the Steam Team is to continue working on their webcomic and creative products, and on further honing their marketing skills. Steam Crow has just released a fourth book to join its growing library, and the company has been able to recoup much of the cost of publishing because fans believe in their products, "We had the goal of trying to raise $5000, which is a crazy goal," says Daniel. Crazy, but by no means impossible - to date their book drive has helped to collect 70% of the funds required to deliver Book 1 of
Monster Commute A Travel Novel into the hands of faithful Steam Crow collectors.
To see full inventory of Steam Crow products, including prints and plushies, visit their site at SteamCrow.com. Additionally, you can preview Monster Commute Traffic Novel 1 on video and learn more about their book drive.
For examples of how to better market your webcomic world, follow @steamcrow on Twitter, and never hesitate to ask the Davis' for advice here on the We Make Webcomics forum - they are genuinely glad to be of help.
Promoting your comic beyond the boundaries of your website is another key component to getting the best results from your work. WeMakeWebcomics.com will meet up with the Steam Team again in the spring ahead of this year's convention season. Be sure to check back for more tips from these avid Comicon participants.
