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DDs: An IntroductionOne of the best things about being a writer on deviantART is the opportunity to be featured in a Daily Deviation (DD). While most literature communities can only offer you an audience of other writers, deviantART can expose your work to an incredible range of artists - and even non-artists (and other assorted muggles). A DD is a golden ticket to the kind of exposure which is so hard for a struggling wordsmith to find.
And yet, the systems behind DDs seem to be a mystery to a large part of the deviantART community. Our recent poll suggests that almost half of our voters don't understand what DDs are or how they work.
#WritersInk is stepping in to help. Over the next few weeks, we'll be talking in more detail about some of the different aspects of DDs. We'll explain how suggestions are processed, how to suggest a piece, and what to look for when making a suggestion. We'll also pay a visit to Daily Literature Deviat

Identifying a Possible DDWith so much variety out there, it can be difficult to know what makes a piece good enough to receive a Daily Deviation (DD).
We've put our heads together with the Literature Community Volunteers (Lit CVs), to come up with some advice on what makes a DD stand out. This isn't a definitive list, nor does it guarantee that your suggestions will actually get featured, but it should help you better understand what sets DDs apart from the rest.
Emotional Reaction and Wider Appeal
Possibly the most defining feature of all successful DDs is how they connect to the reader. Reading is often a personal and intimate activity, thus the emotional connection between the reader and literature varies. At some point though, we all form a connection with what we read. In the words of ^NicSwaner:
"Writing should resonate on an emotional level, as art does, whether it entertains, saddens, or shocks. If a piece resonates with me, and I

Daily Literature DeviationsOver the last few weeks, we've been discussing the ins and outs of Daily Deviations - but that's not the only feature a writer can receive...
What are Daily Literature Deviations?
A Daily Literature Deviation (DLD) is another feature available for writers, serving as both a badge of quality and an opportunity for further exposure within the literature community. Every Monday to Friday, the DLD account =DailyLitDeviations posts a journal that features five outstanding pieces of literature from community submissions. This account is not affiliated with Daily Deviations (DDs) or the Literature Gallery Moderators: it is an extension of the literature community itself.
Why are they important?
Because people care enough for them to exist. Daily Deviations showcase the best literature there is to offer to the entire deviantART userbase, and that's great, but the literature community has found a way to showcase even more of its best work to a dedicated audience. The DLD t

An Interview with xlntwtch

Let's start simple. Tell us a little bit about yourself and your Lit life.
I've only had work printed the 'old-fashioned' way in print magazines, both "glossy" and "pulp." I've never self-published and don't consider it. I never wrote a novella or novel and don't intend to. You can find a few of my short pieces (meaning fiction already published) here on dA. Besides journalism, one of the first printed was The Black Bag and I had to rewrite the end for dA because so many readers here didn't "get it." I took that to mean the story was too regional for readers around the world. I rewrote the last two paragraphs to include more description. The rest remains the same.
If a writer here wants a link to a very good book, updated constantly about traditional publishing, I recommend The Writer's Market online. It costs, either per month

Weekly Round-up!We hope all of our members have had a pleasant weekend! We at #WritersInk are coming off four days of spending time in good company to delivery this Weekly Round-up, and there's a good spread once again this week ranging from Faustian pacts to tiny whales.
We'll be doing a little spring cleaning around the #WritersInk HQ as well, so you may find a cleaner, brighter Round-up coming your way later in the month.
This Week's Highlight's!

The Deal Maker by =EmmyIsAZebra
To see Theodore one last time, Vera is willing to give up everything, and that's where it all goes wrong.
The Faustian pact is a moment in literature that shows just how powerful a character's desires are, and this short story is a fine example. It's also notable for it's well written dialogue throughout.

Weekly Round-up!This week we have a mixed bag of literary sweets for you to enjoy, all dedicated to the human spirit and its ability to endure and embrace, both beauty and devastation.
We would still very much love to hear your opinion about the new journal skin, thanks already to everyone who made suggestions

This Week's Features!

Drawing Conclusions by *pestomonkey
Warning: Contains subtle mature themes - reader discretion is advised
An artist must tame his arousal to sketch his subject's beautiful form as the morning light illuminates the curves of her body.
While you'd probably call this piece "erotica" at first glance, that label doesn't do it justice. Here's a charming, quietly provocative character study which flirts coyly with eroticism, but never gets too explicit. The result is a charged, sensory story of hunger and romance.

The house still stands by :

Weekly Round-up!Fire beats deep within the smouldering heart of this week's Round-up. There's the hell-lit eyes of beasts on the African plains; the raining hellfire over Saigon; and the fire and smoke of a war-torn city. Come and see our outstanding literature submissions, featuring three life-changing and hair-raising events.
This Week's Features!

Grandfather by ~PeppermintPictures
The story of a solider struggling with the silence which followed the napalm storm.
There's a poignant dignity about ~PeppermintPictures's dedication (eulogy?) to her grandfather. It's a reminder that although wars end, they never truely leave those who fought in them.

There Stands the Grass by ~TimtehGrey
A Kenyan Safari takes a terrifying turn for the worse when a thunderstorm erupts over Hell's Gate Park.
We don't see to

How to Suggest a DDThe beauty of Daily Deviations is that they can be suggested by all members of the Deviantart community, including you!
To put forward a suggestion, just compose a new note addressed to one of the Lit CVs. Please note just ONE CV as multiple notes tend to create confusion.
If you're stumped on which CV to send in your suggestions to, you can check out their preferences which are stated in their profiles.
Before you Suggest
Having found the perfect piece of writing for a DD (maybe even with the help of this guide), there are a few things you should check before making your suggestion.

If the author has used a preview image, please make sure it's theirs or one they have permission to use. For further reading about this, see http://crliterature.deviantart.com/journal/Literature-Previews-DDs-and-You-339976813

Check whether the deviant has been featured in the past six months.

A Romantic TakeoverRomance is no longer limited to lengthy novels that only women read. It's infiltrated every genre and can be found in nearly all literary works. Whether it's the focus of the novel or just a side story, romance adds to character depth and helps the reader grow an attachment to the characters and their stories.
While romance novels are defined by two characters meeting and growing an attachment to each other, romance as a sub genre doesn't have to follow these same rules. The story isn't going to revolve around the emotions brewing between the characters; the invading aliens, storming goblins, or murder mystery is the focus.
Let's take a deeper look into romance novel's roots and how it launched itself into other genres and took over literature as a whole.
The Romance Novel
by: `GrimFace242
We can hardly discuss romance without bringing up Jane Austen. She's often considered the epitome of romance. Her novels are romance by

Weekly Round-upOnce again, it seems, death preoccupies our selection of outstanding literature from this week's submissions. Luckily, we've found a gem from way back to remind us of how good life can be. Won't you join us in another Weekly Round-up?
This Week's Highlights

His Very Own Meadow by *Laura-Lie
The problem with old haunts is they they tend to be filled with ghosts from the past.
A darkly enigmatic piece, cleverly laced with subtle melancholy. It focuses on how a place can stay exactly the same over a long period of time, and yet we can change so much. The piece stands out because it balances story-telling with exposition so well - allowing the reader to uncover the plot for themselves.

I was a hero, you know by ~Cionie
A nurse is surprised when an elderly patient rasps into life and starts talking to her. But her curiosity is drawn as the can

Daily Literature Deviations for May 2, 2012Guidelines | How to Suggest a DLD | Group Administrators | Affiliation | Chatroom | Current Staff Openings
Daily Lit Deviations for May 2nd, 2012
We are proud to feature today's Daily Literature Deviations!
You can show your support by ing this News Article.
Please comment and

the features and congratulate the artists!

For all of the featured artists: If you receive a DD for one
of your piec

Daily Literature Deviations for May 10, 2012Guidelines | How to Suggest a DLD | Group Administrators | Affiliation | Chatroom | Current Staff Openings
Daily Lit Deviations for May 10th, 2012
We are proud to feature today's Daily Literature Deviations!
You can show your support by ing this News Article.
Please comment and

the features and congratulate the artists!

For all of the featured artists: If you receive a DD for one
of your pie

Intrigue Behind the English DictionariesColor vs. Colour
On an international site such as dA, you often run across cute debates about whether to use an extra "u" or whether it is apologize or apologise. Few people know that this debate was once an international hot button issue between the US and Britain. Noah Webster started compiling An American Dictionary of the English Language in 1807. Eighteen years later he published the most comprehensive overhaul of the American English language. To research the etymology of words, Webster learned over twenty foreign languages, including Arabic and Sanskrit.
Webster chose to revise many of the traditional British English spellings, thinking them too complicated. He dropped the 'u' from words like colour and revised centre and theatre to end in -er. Webster felt that these changes were necessary to help further establish the United States as a

League of Lit Groups: Vol. 2This article will be posted every fourth Tuesday of the month and will revisit one past group spotlight from Love dA Lit and one literature group who is in need of staff to help with their various group activities.

This month we will be taking a look at #TheShelfLife and revisiting #WritersInk!

Navigation
Group in Need | Past Spotlight | Contacting Me

Group In Need
:iconTheShelfLife:
"#TheShelfLife is an effort to promote the published work of writers on deviantArt. The core feature of the group is The Shelf, a listing of published and self-published stories, poems, novels and graphic novels by deviants. There are also blog entries highlighting specific writers, announcing new publishing accomplishments, etc.
The group was born from a series of interviews I conducted called "Deviants in Print," which were designed to get insi

Reasons to Love dA's Lit Community: Part 1Over a month ago I asked "Why do you love dA's Literature Community?" and I received an amazing response, with well over 60 participants! For the sake of length I'll be splitting this article into two parts, with the prize winners at the end of the second article which will be posted tomorrow!

*SadisticIceCream and I decided it would be best that all the reasons remain anonymous ~~because it is easier~~. So without further gushing from me, and in no particular order, here are some
Reasons to Love dA's Literature Community:
I love dA's lit community because it is filled with kind, good-humoured, knowledgeable and supportive people from all over the world, who are passionate about their craft. It seems that dA attracts the most talented amateur writers out there, meaning that there is a lot of wonderf

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Submitted: January 19

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The DD Team

Journal Entry: Sat Jan 19, 2013, 8:22 AM

Welcome to #WritersInk's latest feature: Editorials

Our editorials will discuss issues which affect writers generally, as well as dA Lit specifically. First, we dive into Daily Devaitions (the links above will be enabled as articles are published!)

Before we talk about how to identify and suggest a Daily Deviation, let's take a look at the people who select the Daily Deviations every day!

Who runs the Daily Deviations?

Daily Deviations (DDs) are selected by Community Volunteers (CVs) and Staff members. CVs are people who help manage, educate and support the community of artists who visit this site. That can mean anything from reporting news, to holding contests and features, to reporting common concerns to staff members.

As part of their duties, these dedicated members of the community choose deviations to be featured - and they can only feature one each per day. In the literature community, this task is managed by our very own literature CVs: ^Beccalicious, ^NicSwaner, and ^neurotype.

The literature CVs

A Fond Farewell to Lady CoconutSadly `thorns is no longer part of the team, we wish her the best of luck in the future and know that she will continue to be an influential and helpful member of the dA community

Featuring DDs and helping run the community requires a lot of hard work and time, the latter of which is hard to come by when you have your own personal life to take care of as well. When you add it all up, it's a huge responsibility. This is why the CVs rely heavily on suggestions by other deviants to help the process run quicker and smoother. The other benefit is that the more different people look around for new literature, the more new writers are discovered!

The literature CVs are always looking for good quality literature that showcases originality, character and technicality, but they each have specific types of literature that they prefer to receive. Simply put, they are writers just like the rest of us, and may only be knowledgeable in certain areas of literature.

How are Daily Deviations made?

The process for choosing and creating DDs is quite simple. A suggester can send a note to a CV with a deviation that they would like to see featured, and the CV will decide on whether or not they want to feature it. If the CV isn't 100% sure, they will consult the other lit CVs or browse the author's gallery for a deviation that they prefer over the one suggested.

The CVs

As you may already know, Community Volunteers are deviants with the ^ sign in front of their username. What a lot of people don't know is that CVs don't stay CVs forever - they usually only hold the position for about a year, and then it is given to someone else. Keep an eye on the CV's home #CRLiterature to stay in the loop.

If at any time you aren't sure who the CVs are, you can find a complete list of all the CVs at FAQ #18: Who selects Daily Deviations and how are they chosen?. The CVs can also be contacted at #CRLiterature, where you can also find events and projects going on in the literature community as well as interesting articles and features.

Without further ado, here are our lovely, hard-working CVs who put so much time into helping our community run smoother. Please read their suggestion guidelines if you think you're interested in suggesting DDs - they will tell you not only what they want to see in a suggestion but also what they don't want to see!

The CVs will always read everything you send them! But that doesn't mean that they don't have their preferences; they each have their own niche in the realm of literature, and have more experience with certain types of literature. Each CV is listed below with their favorite type of literature, but keep in mind that you can send any of them any piece of literature that you think is worthy of a DD!

Username: ^neurotype
CV Nickname: 'Cake'
Guidelines: [link]

^neurotype would love to see more humor, horror or nonfiction prose suggestions

We shall keep you informed on who will be replacing

Username: ^Beccalicious
CV Nickname: 'Tigger'
Guidelines: [link]

^Beccalicious would love to see more scripts

Username: ^NicSwaner
CV Nickname: 'Armadillo'
Guidelines: [link]

^NicSwaner would love to see more poetry

Who can suggest a DD?

Anyone can suggest a Daily Deviation! In fact, it is encouraged that everyone makes the effort to suggest literature every once in a while. The CVs are very busy and sending in your suggestions not only lightens their load but also helps expose your favorite writers.

Now that you know who to send your suggestions to, the big question is: How do I know if this is DD material? We'll cover this in next week's article, Identifying a potential DD.

17 Comments

The DD Teamby #WritersInk

Journals / Culture / Editorials

~juniorel Jan 21, 2013 Writer

This is awesome! I'm saving this in my inbox to remind me.

`GrimFace242 Jan 21, 2013 Writer

Awesome article!

~Cionie Jan 21, 2013 Professional Interface Designer

This is a great article! Very informative, thank you

*bloodawni Jan 20, 2013 Hobbyist General Artist

Ooh, this is excellent! I'm looking forward to the next one, I never know whether I should submit something or not!

*sleyf Jan 20, 2013 Hobbyist Traditional Artist

Thanks for taking an interest! Hopefully the next one will help you out in that respect

*bloodawni Jan 21, 2013 Hobbyist General Artist

I'm sure it will. I'm looking forward to it!

~Janoera Jan 19, 2013 Student Digital Artist

Nice work! You've done such a great job with it I'm nervous about my turn

~Aikuna Jan 19, 2013 Hobbyist General Artist

Ooh this is great to know, thanks for sharing! I've been trying to get more involved with the dA community lately and this seems like a great way that I haven't considered before.

~monstroooo Jan 21, 2013 Hobbyist Writer

Wonderful! The community's always looking for more people to make it stronger

Suggesting DDs is one good way of getting involved - but the easiest two things are simply to read and comment on other people's work, and to get involved with a couple of friendly groups

The rest really just falls out from there

~Aikuna Jan 21, 2013 Hobbyist General Artist

Thanks for the suggestions! I've been trying to do a little of both of those as well (it's almost overwhelming when you see the amount of possible groups to join!), slowly trying to get back into the dA community as I've been inactive here and with writing/art for quite some time now DX. But I think I could do with more reading and commenting on my part.

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