Everyone romanticizes the thought of creating OCs and original content but when you come down to it the truth is that no one else tends to give a fuck about all your hard work and love you put into these characters and your fan art/fics will get hundreds more notes than anything original you create. And that’s really shitty. Support artists and writers, friends, you never know when someone’s original characters and content could become your favourite new thing.
Okay, look, I — as a person who loves original art and makes original stories and characters — am sick of hearing this bullshit, okay? Sit down, calm down, and let Granny Laura explain you a thing:
Your fanworks are getting more views than your original works because people are looking for fanworks and people are more likely to find something they are looking for than something they are not.
Let me give you an example.
Let’s look at 10 people on Tumblr: of these 10 people, 4 love Doctor Who, 4 love Supernatural, 6 love Harry Potter, 3 love anime, 2 are super hardcore into Sherlock and all of them would love your brand new original manga-style comic about time-travelling, crime-solving witches tracking down the demon queen that killed their uncle.
What do you think these 10 people are searching for on Tumblr? You know what they’re NOT searching for? Time Witch Chronicles by J. B. Pancakes because you know what? It’s original and it’s not something they’ve been exposed to yet. Woah, who’d’ve thought?! Instead, they’re searching for things they know they like: Doctor Who, Supernatural, Harry Potter, anime, Sherlock. They follow people who like those things and share those things with them. See what’s happening here?
There are people out there that are waiting to love your New Original Thing, but the chance that those specific people are going to stumble upon your specific thing at random is sadly very slim.
But you know what? You know what they are looking for. Fanworks.
Do not blame your potential fans for liking other things and being involved in other fandoms. That’s gross, and that’s what you (we, I’ve felt this way, too) are doing here. Nobody (nobody I know, anyway) goes out specifically looking to not support original projects that are interesting to them. Nobody. People, fans, want to find new things to love. Those things could be your things, but you have to be able to find those people who are gonna like your stuff, and that means reaching out, not lashing out.
Instead, take a look at what you’re making. Find your “brand” or “aesthetic.” Find fandoms that seem to value the same things — if you’re not already a part of one — and then target those fandoms. Make fanworks they’ll find, and tell them, “Hey, if you like this, here is a thing I am making that you might also like, feel free to check it out!” Not everyone who sees it is going to convert to the Church of Time Witch Chronicles, but there is a much bigger chance that someone who likes your thing will find it than if you only ever post original work.
“But I don’t want to make fanart! I only want to make my art!” Then go find a publisher who will advertise for you.
You know what always gets me to go look at someone’s art? Seeing their art.
You know what never gets me to go look at someone’s art? Seeing them try to guilt people into looking at their art.
Fandoms don’t appear out of thin air. They have to be built, not bullied.