What are the first weeks of publishing like?

[Scuppers]

I just started my comic and I'm curious how it normally goes. Did you start by getting a bunch of friends to read your comic? Will anyone ever read my comic when it is not on the just updated section for those few precious seconds? And how did you keep motivated? I'm really new to all of this, but I'm really loving writing my comic. Just curious, what should I expect? Is there a point where you feel like you are successful, or you feel like you have reached a milestone?
I know that was way too many questions, but all I really want to know is:

What happens next?

Thanks. First post ever!

[TennoujiSaki]

Isn't it just like posting something on the web, then leave it there and visit it every few days or so for updates and checking how reactions are? Or that's how I think it is for me.

[eishiya]

You create your own milestones. Want a milestone of 100 pages? Draw 100 pages. Want a milestone of 1000 readers? Advertise. Want to get interviewed? Advertise and participate in the communities frequented by webcomics journalists.

These things aren't going to just happen to you (unless you get very, very lucky). Even with an excellent story and amazing art, you'll still have to work beyond comicking to gain recognition.

I've largely kept to myself as far as webcomicking goes, which is not the way to go if you measure success by the number of fans your work has (I'm one of the silly ones who is satisfied just drawing comics). If that's important to you, get yourself out there! Market and participate.

But really, what happens next is you go and draw more of your comic! No amount of advertising, readers, interviews, income, etc is going to make your comic better than drawing more of it :D There's always room to improve, and don't ever settle for what you can do at present.

[Scuppers]

Count me inspired!
What was it like for you when you started? Trust me, I'm going to write this thing till I'm done, cause that is why I started. I'm just curious what to expect. Was it quiet over there? Did it take forever for people to look at your comics?
Also, eishiya, beautiful painting. Absolutely beautiful. Just couldn't find a place to say that on your website.

[AndToBeLoved]

When I first started out, I had no idea what to expect as far as gaining an audience goes. I used Google Analytics to track the hits I got a day - I remember I was overjoyed to see that 14 people had visited the site about a week or two after its launch. Haha. My comic has been around for over a year now, and I still don't have the amount of readers that I thought I'd have by now. Lately, though, my collaborator and I have been promoting every day - posting in forums, commenting on other comics, posting on Facebook pages, etc. - and it seems like we're getting many more "sticky" (returning) readers. It's a LOT of work and a LOT of time, but seeing the numbers climb is well worth it.

The number one webcomic rule, IMO, is to update frequently and regularly! That's the best way to gain and keep readers.

P.S. You should try posting a page on Reddit once in a while. I've gotten some pretty good hits from there.

[AndToBeLoved]

One more thing - you should definitely make a banner signature. It's a great way to promote when you're posting in forums!

[elrotram]

To be honest, I helped draw a webcomic for about two months. In that two months, I didn't really promote the comic and the author didn't want to do the work. In two months, we had 5 visitors. If I could do it all over again, now that I'm a little smarter, I'd spend my off time promoting. Use your forum signature to host a banner; contact reviewers to review your comic on other sites; use Facebook, MySpace, deviantArt, twitter, tumblr, etc, to post constant updates about the comic; and, most of all, be consistent in your uploading. If you can upload comics ahead of schedule, do so - that way, you have a steady schedule. Otherwise, it'll end up a little forgotten piece of the site. Don't waste valuable time waiting for readers to flock to you! Sometimes, the promotion can be more fun than writing or drawing - ask for fanart, make up a theme song that others can visit, make promo illustrations, visit cons and promote it there. Good luck! You'll do great~

[Wulfmune]

You're having fun writing your comic, so I'd say you're off to a good start.
I think these things take time. It's tough because it's true that the more effort you put in, the more results you get, but it's also true that the more effort you put in, the more results you expect. Even if you're extremely dedicated, it will take time for the right audience to find your work. Appreciate the small things, like the first handful of readers or the first person to give you feedback. Be patient and never forget having fun with your writing.