Forum Moderators: not2easy
Thanks in anticipation.
I wish I understood your question a little better, could you possibly re-phrase it?
Or..perhaps it's just me not reading it correctly!
- Chad
Are you saying that some webmaster has framed your copyright content into his site, and you would perfer royalty payments vice dropping the enthical behavior?
Welcome to WebmasterWorld Seamus_Devlin! :)
There will be a "strip" - on the client sites or the webmaster sites?
There will be an artist creating strips - you have to pay the artist if I understand correctly. Who will be paying the hypothetical $4, your clients or the webmasters you contact?
Knowing a bit about the business model might help with figuring how to contact the webmasters.
My thinking is that a relationship between readers and a with cartoon strip character (humorous and with an interactive challenge) will generate stickability. I am working with a good artist who is risk averse. Therefore, I must pay him (and am happy to do so). Be that as it may, we have an original character and situation which seems to achieve the elements I seek: daily whimsicality, humor, a challenging test/puzzle, identity and recognisability/ familiarity of context/situation with (an added bonus) an educative element of the word-a-day type thrown in. (No apple pie!)
I have read a lot in "Webmaster World" (a credit to all of you contributors and, given what I have seen, I suppose I should not have been surprised at the generosity of your welcome). My readings have vastly increased my general knowledge However, I don't think I've fully come to understand the psyche/operations of webmasters. Hence my question seeking advice how best to contact webmasters with a view to attaching content to client sites.
As I see it I need to generate, say, $4/5 a month/$40 pa to myself from each client so that this amount*x clients will cover costs and yield a return. I have no objections if the webmaster uses the transaction as a loss, leader/at cost or as a minor profit centre (though the corollory is: what will the market bear?)
However, most of what I read says paid for content is close to heresy so that I am at a loss as to how to approach the august body of working webmeisteren to understand their practice and preferences and, later, to engage direct and mutually beneficial interest in the product.
I've probably been overly lengthy and wordy but I'd be grateful for informed opinion.
Again, many thanks for your patience and forbearance, the more so in that I worry I am close to promotion.
To clarify: are you saying that you've got a cartoon strip that you want to sell to web sites? And you want to know how to do it? And want to know what is the going rate?
(Sorry, I don't know the answers, but I'm enjoying trying to elicit the question/s).
You are attempting to develop something like the joke of the day or checking the daily weather at your favorite site (a tool that develops the reason a visitor will want to return to a owner's site).
If I'm reading your post correctly this would be an animated character that can be downloaded and resides on the clients computer desktop.
Server side operated (collaborative) that changes say: daily and entices the client to come back.
If correct, I believe targeting webmasters would be the wrong corporate person since they are not the decision-maker in marketing and promotion. (need the marketing manager/director or higher CEO, etc.)
Smaller businesses, (one man operations) and the webmaster/decision-maker -- but I would tend to believe, the pitch would would be a hard sell (in most instances). Most of these have limited existing web side followings, more local market based and off-line. The web site tends to be only a brochure and not setup to develop return customers. (these are generalization and not necessarily the case in all industry segments and markets).
I also beleive you would need to target general audience web sites, and portals unless the character could be developed with "niche" information: customized/personalized (e.g. tip of the day for whatever industry).
Similar to Bonzi Buddy.
... am I close? :)
I would be interested in taking a look at your character strip.
Can you sticky me a link to a demo please.
Feedback - excellent! :) Very unique approach, lovable characters and humourous.
First I think you should seek out existing web info on other comic strips, authors, and their assocation with newspapers (both on and off-line)
Comic strip syndication is a very good possibly, but also a "rats nest" for copyright infrigments. You will want to develop an appreciation for the hurdles, and roadblocks.
It would also be good to keep a written record (log or diary) of all milestones, as proof of authenticity, as well as recording time stamps of each digital original.
A lawyer with a background in copright laws may be a good idea as well (if your budget allows), if not add this to your research list.
<Added> Also notice your web work does not indictate copyright material. You should at minimum add a copyright statement to each page. This may not stop anyone from doing unethical things but the physical statement indicates they have had an advance warning.</added>
Seamus - you could always add the URL to your profile. You may even pick up some interest in your work from members here ... there are an awful lot of webmasters here you know!
The question really seems to be about syndication of a cartoon strip. I must say that I can't recall seeing that many cartoon strips on web sites, so you'd need to look at the possible market. My own experience is that a few years ago I was a producer on a small-business orientated web portal for a major UK brand. We talked about adding 'sticky content' in the form of a daily cartoon. I vaguely remember there was a technical/security issue, in that we would have to allow a feed from a third-party onto our own pages, so the idea was not taken any further. Perhaps you need to think about delivery methods (as well as potential market size).
Good luck anyway, its a great 'product'.
Those interested can sticky Seamus_Devlin requesting the URL and that way he can also maintain a record of WebmasterWorld visitors. IMHO :)
Additionally, searching Google for comic strip syndication/ sydicators/ syndicator turns up some material that might be helpful. You might also try a search for web syndicators. In the latter search, I came across content-exchange.com, which might have helpful resources. Such sites are probably similar to job sites... a lot of people looking... but at least you'll get an idea of the marketplace.
There are companies out there that will syndicate your content, though I don't know how well they are doing in the current economy. Definitely post your url in your user profile here.
