2. The Dark Side of CANVAS: What You Should Know Before Starting

I continue to talk about the platform, having already written about its features and capabilities. But there are also downsides. I'm sharing an honest list of shortcomings.

1. Distinctive authorial style = smaller audience
If your artistic style differs from the classic "commercial" webtoon style (anime aesthetics, bright colors, dynamic angles), be prepared for the mass audience to receive your comic less favorably. The platform is oriented towards certain visual trends, and deviating from them can reduce reader interest, even if your story is brilliant.

2. Need for VPN
For authors from Russia, access to WEBTOON is restricted. You will need a stable VPN service. Without it, you won't be able to register, upload episodes, or track statistics.

3. You'll have to bring your own audience
CANVAS has virtually no internal promotion tools. The platform does not guarantee you a wave of new readers — you need to attract all traffic yourself through social media (Instagram, Telegram, X, TikTok, etc.). Essentially, you work as a marketer for your comic, and CANVAS only serves as a storefront. If you don't have a ready base of English-speaking subscribers (and who does???), breaking through to an audience will be possible but difficult.

4. Monetization: payments are decreasing and unavailable for Russians.

• Payment amounts tend to decrease, Naver constantly revises monetization terms. Withdrawals to Russian cards are not made. You'll have to find workarounds (foreign account, partner abroad, etc.), which adds headaches and risks.

5. Language barrier
You need to publish in English — this narrows the pool of potential authors who do not have sufficient language skills and/or are afraid they won't manage.

6. Huge competition
There are hundreds of thousands of comics on CANVAS. Standing out in this stream is extremely difficult, especially if your genre is not in top demand (romance, fantasy, drama).
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Bottom line: CANVAS is a powerful tool, but not a panacea. If you know other drawbacks of the platform that you've personally encountered, write them in the comments! Share your experience so other authors are aware. 👇
There will be a separate post about censorship.