Hello, I’m Spiro (@supirou2052), an illustrator.
As a fellow artist, I sometimes feel disappointed when I see illustrators who lack respect for their clients.
Recently, Skeb introduced a new feature that displays the number of appeals an artist has sent. Surprisingly, this “appeal count” can be a critical indicator.
Be cautious of artists with an excessive appeal count!
If an artist has sent hundreds or even thousands of appeals, it’s a red flag. The reason is simple: these appeals are likely mass-produced, copy-pasted messages with little thought behind them.
They are not sending messages like, “I admire your character and would love to work with you.” Instead, they are likely spamming generic messages just to increase their chances of getting a commission.
Let me share my experience.
When I first started as an illustrator, I used Skeb’s appeal feature. I compiled a list of VTubers I genuinely admired, reviewed their profiles and social media, and even watched their streams or clips to understand their personalities and preferences.
Each appeal message I sent was carefully crafted and tailored to the recipient. While it’s natural for introductions to be somewhat templated, the core content of my messages was personalized for each individual.
Despite my efforts, I was shocked when I later checked my records. I had only sent 18 appeals in total!
That’s right—just 18 appeals. I spent so much time on them that it felt like I had sent way more than I actually did.
The truth is, when you pour genuine effort into writing personalized appeals, you simply can’t send them in bulk.
What about those who send hundreds or thousands of appeals?
Chances are, their messages are AI-generated or generic templates with no personal touch. There’s no real admiration or thought for the recipient.
Out of the 18 heartfelt appeals I sent, I received commissions from two kind VTubers—a success rate of 1/9. This feels realistic to me.
But what about artists who send hundreds or thousands of appeals? Their success rate is likely even lower.
Meanwhile, VTubers receiving these mass appeals might grow frustrated and quietly blacklist such artists. While Skeb’s appeal feature is an innovative system, I’ve decided not to use it for the time being.
Given the current situation, I worry that even if I send an appeal, clients might see it as “just another generic message” and ignore it. And honestly, I can’t blame them for feeling that way.
