Alexandra knows, based on her experience of web-comics, that the best rise to the top and develop big audiences. Questionable Content springs to mind as the best example, as Jeph Jacques made it his full-time job. He posts one comic a day, and has merchandise, and is self-supporting.

I would say that he writes strips that are as funny as anything Calvin and Hobbes ever did, but I can read QC for free. Because it’s the internet, it’s more widely accessible in general, but it’s also more accessible because it’s free content.

But the interesting thing about the Internet, is that it allows creators to do things that publishers would never touch. Jacques can make ribald jokes, innuendo, sexual themes, and other craziness that you would never see in a newspaper comic strip.

But because the quality is there, people want to buy merchandise and make donations, and help him be creative as a career.

Ms. Erin has proven the same thing is possible for online writers, not just artists. And it’s because her online community helps her edit, and they constantly review her work to each other, recommending, commenting, sending it to friends.

The best review process in the world, word of mouth, is vastly enhanced by the Internet. The gems get found, because it’s pretty easy to spot something too rough fairly quickly and then pass the word along.

I really like Pages Unbound for its potential to a) create a nexus, where readers can find access to all kinds of stories, like a big online library or bookstore, and b) because it now has a review section.

I’m striving to set the bar for reviews over there, with detailed (albeit brief) critiques that analyze for enjoyment as well as literary merit, instead of just “OMG this book rocks,” or “WTF, stay away from this.” I think others are doing the same, analyzing in a helpful manner.

And because of the reviews, I’ve been able to be in touch with some of the other writers and network with them, to find ways to improve my own story and website to improve the chances it will emerge as a gem instead of as crap.

The Internet works. People find quality and share it.

That being said, I still think editors will play an important role in online fiction. Writing, more than animation or comics, have been proven to be a medium to communicate difficult themes that often do not appeal to a broad public. Editors can help highlight and bring out these works, rather than leave the responsibility of ‘upward development’ to the everyday man.

There will always be a place for people with constructive criticism to help the newcomers polish their craft, but the ratio of crap-to-gold in areas like animation and comics online has NOT stopped or slowed the explosive growth of those media on the internet, nor has it prevented the best from making a living.

Crap gets lost among the crap… gems shine through on their own.