"In the creator economy, it is sometimes easy to mistake low barriers to entry for low barriers to success. Sure, there are no gatekeepers. But whether you are a YouTuber, podcaster, Instagram influencer or TikTok meme-meister, the point where the rewards outweigh the efforts required to create and promote your content can be maddeningly elusive. That is especially true when the content is serialized online comics (aka webtoons), historically a high-effort, low-reward medium under the best of circumstances."
"As webtoons have gone from a niche to an important part of the comics industry in North America, there remains a power curve: a few breakout successes with media deals, merchandise and printed collections; a middle tier of titles doing well enough that creators can focus on them full time; and a vast "long tail" of work still in search of an audience at scale."
Low barriers to entry in the creator economy do not guarantee success for most creators. Many creators face elusive rewards despite easy access and absence of gatekeepers. Serialized online comics, or webtoons, require high effort and have historically offered limited reward. The webtoon market displays a power curve with a few breakout successes capturing media deals and merchandise, a middle tier sustaining full-time creators, and a long tail still seeking scale. Creators at inflection points often need support or validation to break through, otherwise promising talent can get discouraged and valuable IP can fade. Webtoon Entertainment brings Asian-market experience to strengthen the North American webtoon ecosystem.
Read at Forbes
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