Greetings, all! Welcome to deviantART! I'm so excited to welcome you to a  community I have been a member of for going-on 8 years. I started this tutorial  specifically because I know the literature community is  difficult to find, so I wanted to create a kind of quick reference  guide for writers  who have just joined dA (or returned to it after a  long haitus) to let  people know how things work, where to go for  critique, contests, help,  DD suggestions, or just friendly  conversation!

In this guide, I would like to talk about how to  submit literature, critiques, Daily  Deviations, people you should know,  the literature forum, and groups.

This  tutorial began life as a  single article. About halfway through the  first section, I realized  there was no way I could fit all the  information that I think is  important for new members to know into a  single guide without creating  an impossibly-long article. So, I'll be  including links to the other parts of this tutorial in the comments  section at the bottom.

Part IV will look at Daily Deviations and Daily Lit Deviations, including what they are, what it means to get one or the other, how to suggest them, and some  general ettiquette..

So let's get started!

1. What is a Daily Deviation (DD)?

There are a lot of FAQs about Daily Deviations. The most basic is...
FAQ #61: What is a Daily Deviation?

However, this really only talks about DD images. A literature Daily Deviation is a really exceptional written piece submitted to one of the literature categories (note that fanfiction IS NOT considered part of the literature category). It should represent technical mastery of the craft, but should also be somehow amazing to read - whether it makes you cry, or makes you laugh until you fall out of your chair, or just takes your breath away, it's got to be a piece that makes an impact. These are pieces that represent the best of someone's gallery and the literature gallery as a whole.

One of the things I really, really love about the lit community volunteers (that's CV for short) is their dedication to and focus on the impact of DDs on the literature community. But I'll get to them in just a moment

MOST IMPORTANTLY, Daily Deviations are not an award, they are a site-wide feature - they are what the community volunteers think best represent their galleries.

2. How do you suggest one?

Perhaps the question that you're asking first is, Why should I suggest Daily Deviations? ^NicSwaner has an excellent answer to that question...

Oh for any number of reasons, the most logical of them being that I (and  all of us Lit ^CV's) cannot be everywhere on the site at any given  time. There is literature going gravely unnoticed right now that  deserves attention and you may be the only one aware of that writer and  their work. You should suggest literature because it helps represent the  literature community as a whole. It helps us understand what is  impacting writers and what is capturing readers' interest when we  receive suggestions-- of similar topics, genres, or forms. It helps keep  our view of the community in perspective so we are able to make  reasonable decisions regarding DD choices.

As does ^neurotype...

Because people do awesome work all the time and by golly dadgum  whillikers, they deserve sitewide appreciation and recognition. Maybe  it's because they had the courage to write an intensely personal  nonfiction piece, or the nerve to lampoon all the presidents forever, or  because they wrote something that made you go 'wow, I wish I could  write like that.' There's as many reasons as there are people on this  site, and if you want to see stuff you like get featured, that's how you  make it happen.

These two individuals are two of the lit CVs (that means "community volunteer," remember) - you can recognize a gallery CV by their "hat," the little ^ that goes in front of their name. These are the people to whom you make DD recommendations.

So, what does the FAQ say? FAQ #18: Who selects Daily Deviations and how are they chosen? Notice it points out who the CVs are. These CVs change periodically. You can find the list of current community volunteers here:
The Community Relations TeamThe Community Relations Team is made up of Community Volunteers who liaise with Director of Community Relations $Moonbeam13
Community Volunteers help the community out by providing you -- the community -- with a specific contact point in relation to galleries, chat and forums. You’ll find them doing the following;
Helping run community challenges and educational projects
Supporting community events
Helping moderate forums
Being part of the #help team
Being part of the team that moderate #devart and other official chatrooms
Liaising with $Moonbeam13 and $fourteenthstar on community matters
Bringing rockstar deviants to your attention via features, articles and Daily DeviationsPlease read :faq85: before applying for a Community Volunteer positionNote that you must be 18 years of age or older to qualifyPlease do NOT send notes
<a href="http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/X8CLS8B">

KEEP IN MIND that fanfiction counts as its own category and therefore has its own CVs. At the time of writing, the CVs for the literature category are ^Beccalicious, `thorns, ^NicSwaner, and ^neurotype, and they are all BIG SWEETHEARTS and you should go give them love

If you want to suggest a piece that you think is ABSOLUTELY AMAZING, you should make absolutely sure you pick ONE literature CV to suggest the deviation to and check what their rules are.

^Beccalicious is someone you'll see a lot around the lit community, especially if you spend any amount of time in the lit forums. If you want to suggest a literature Daily Deviation to her, you can find her guidelines here:
(Updated)DD suggestion guidelines!Hello all
Firstly, I would like to say I am truly grateful for every DD suggestion I receive. It makes me feel reassured that the pieces featured are community decisions, not just my own subjective thoughts and findings. There are millions of writings out there and I can’t see every single one. I rely on good spots of others in hope of continuing to share a variety of good quality and unique literature. Thank you to those who suggest and those who continue to make the time to share their findings.
Please note
I prefer 1 DD suggestion per note.
Please always try to tell me why you are suggesting this piece. A bit of enthusiasm from the suggester can help make me feel enthused about the piece too. Plus it helps add a description to the DD
   

What I look for in Daily Deviations
For those who know me as a writer, you will know I write 

`thorns is, by her own admission, stronger in prose and screenplays than poetry, so keep that in mind if you want to suggest something to her! Guidelines:
DD Suggestion GuidelinesLiterature Community Volunteers
^Beccalicious | `thorns
Why Suggest?
Part of being a Community Volunteer is featuring wonderful deviations as Daily Deviations, but the keyword is community. I need you guys, the community, to tell me what you like to read. Share your favorite stories and scribbles with the rest of the community by suggesting it for a feature. If you adored it, share it with us!
Instructions
Send your suggestion link/thumbnail to me in a note with the subject "DD Suggestion" please! I encourage you to send multiple suggestions, but be sure to only send one per note. That way I won't get confused and can organize them.
It would be marvelous if you could tell me why you think the deviation should be featured. I want to feel your enthusiasm to I can get excited about the piece too!
Please note, I will thank you for the suggestion, but won't tell you if it will be featured beforehand. It's more fun wh

^NicSwaner prefers poetry, since it is what he most practices. Don't forget to check out his newly-updated guidelines!
DD Suggestion Guidelines RevampedRevamped Christmas 2012
Why should I suggest literature to you?
Oh for any number of reasons, the most logical of them being that I (and all of us Lit ^CV's) cannot be everywhere on the site at any given time. There is literature going gravely unnoticed right now that deserves attention and you may be the only one aware of that writer and their work. You should suggest literature because it helps represent the literature community as a whole. It helps us understand what is impacting writers and what is capturing readers' interest when we receive suggestions-- of similar topics, genres, or forms. It helps keep our view of the community in perspective so we are able to make reasonable decisions regarding DD choices.
That Being Said...
I've been a Literature ^CV for a little while now and I'd like to clear up a few things surrounding lit DD suggestions as well as revisit my guidelines below. Starting January 1st, 2013, any suggestion

^neurotype is our beloved cake and the newest lit CV, and is famed for her awesome use of gifs. You can check out her guidelines here:
DDs: I Do That NowHow to Suggest Guidelines I don't like this feature!
Includes GIFs for my your viewing pleasure.
Why should I suggest a DD?
Because people do awesome things and by golly dadgum whillikers, they deserve sitewide appreciation and recognition. Maybe it's because they had the courage to write an intensely personal nonfiction piece, or the nerve to lampoon all the presidents forever, or because they wrote something that made you go 'wow, I wish I could write like that.' There's as many reasons as there are people on this site, and if you want to see stuff you like get featured, tha

Keep in mind
You'll notice that a person can only be awarded a DD every six months. FAQ #313: How can I find out if someone already has a Daily Deviation? Let me show you how you can find out, though.



Click on "browse," and then scroll aaaaaaaaaaaaaaall the way down...




You're looking for ^ this button, at the bottom of the page. It will show you all the DDs that a person has received, with the date listed. If they don't have this button, THAT'S GREAT, it means they don't have a DD yet and you should ABSOLUTELY SUGGEST THEIR PIECE.

To actually suggest the DD, you should send the CV you've chosen a note. Here's how you do this:



Which brings up this box: (bing!)



You'll want to title your note "DD Suggestion." Only include one suggestion per note, for the sake of the CVs. They use notes to keep track of suggestions people have sent to them, so PLEASE only send one per note HOWEVER, feel free to send as many as you want!

In your note, either link to the deviation by copy-pasting the web address into the link or copy-pasting the thumb into the note.



You're looking for this, on the right-hand side.

You should also include in your note a few reasons why you think this deviation deserves a DD.

3. What is a Daily Literature Deviation (DLD)?

=DailyLitDeviations is a project created by the literature community itself specifically to feature amazing lit. They are able to feature more pieces every day, and they work supersuper hard! The profile is where pieces are featured, and the group, #Daily-Lit-Deviations, collects all the pieces.

Note that a DLD is. not. a DD. Here's what they have to say about their project:

Daily Literature Deviations is a group dedicated to promoting the work of Literature artists on deviantArt.
By  showcasing one featured Daily Deviation per day the Literature Gallery  Moderators provide the community with a showcase of excellence in  Literature. In contrast, we will be showcasing excellence with a series  of literature pieces each day in a News Article to serve the community.  We are a diverse group featuring 5 pieces of quality literature every  day.
In such a large community many artists feel that their work goes unnoticed. We are here to help change that!
Please show your support by reading and ing the pieces featured in our daily News Article.

4. How do you suggest one?

Very much the same way you suggest a DD! You can find a list of the admins here:
Group AdministratorsWhat our Admins do
All Admins:
Must be 18 years of age or older so that they can view mature content.
Advertise DLD on their front pages. We also appreciate journal and signature advertisements.
Adhere to any and all changes made by the Administrative Assistant and the Owner.
Are responsible, dependable and available for the required scheduling commitments.
Category Admins:
Suggest four deviations each week to be featured.
Receive suggestions from the general members of deviantArt to be featured.
Review each suggestion to ensure it fits within our guidelines.
General Admins:
:bulletblue: Read all of the suggestions from our Category Admins.
:bulletblue: Choose five pieces from the suggestions to feature in our daily news article.
:bulletblue: Prepare and submit the daily news article from the DLD account.
:bulletblue: Update the front page of the DLD acc

Make sure to check everyone's guidelines! Also keep in mind that a single deviant can only be featured every thirty days!

5. What does it mean to get one?

I have said this before, but I'll say it again: Daily Deviations and Daily Lit Deviations are not awards, they are features. For this reason, the lit CVs are increasingly NOT featuring pieces that have already been featured elsewhere in some way.

Getting one of these features feels AWESOME and will get your work a lot more attention. But remember, it will not throw you instantly into the spotlight, you still have to work hard! Don't just work for a DD or DLD, work to get better!

Which brings me to...

6. General Ettiquette

FAQ #873: What do I do when I disapprove of a Daily Deviation feature?

There can sometimes be a lot of drama when it comes to Daily Deviations. Some people complain that they don't understand why a piece has been chosen, or they don't like it or WHATEVER.

Here's the deal: DDs and DLDs are not chosen specifically to slight you. If you have a problem with a piece that is featured, do not abuse the artist in their comments. Be classy. If you genuinely have a problem with a feature or a question about one, send a note to the person who featured it. And if you don't see enough work that YOU think should be featured: THEN SUGGEST SOMETHING.

BUT, be realistic. If you don't understand why your pieces aren't getting featured, take a critical, honest look at them. Is your technique (at least close to) flawless? Do you have strong imagery? Take a look at some of the other pieces that have been featured to get an idea of the kind of quality CVs and admins are looking for. And remember FAQ #18: Who selects Daily Deviations and how are they chosen?

"Anyone can suggest a daily deviation and self-suggesting is not only allowed, but encouraged."

If you think your work deserves more attention, then suggest it! It can't hurt.

Just remember to stay calm, be respectful, and don't be a diva.
And that's it!

In   the next tutorial, I'll introduce you to wonderful and helpful people in the lit community who you ABSOLUTELY should know.

If there's  anything else you think should  be included in this tutorial, or a topic  that you think should be  covered in a later one, let me know! I am open to suggestions (and will  not pretend my guide is perfect ).

Hope you enjoyed,

XOXO,