Let The Light In: Daily Deviations

'Let The Light In (LTLI) is a new  tutorial series from the group Good-Intention that will focus on  the hows and whys of committing good deeds around the deviantART  community. The first article can be found here: LTLI: Art Features

The second edition of this series will focus on the topic of Daily Deviations, and how you can contribute to the community by suggesting them!

What Is A Daily Deviation?
FAQ #61: What is a Daily Deviation?
A Daily Deviation is a one-day feature of artwork from various galleries that is chosen by a Community Volunteer (CV). These are showcased at the bottom of most pages on deviantART, as well as displayed in a chronological archive.

There are many misconceptions regarding Daily Deviations, from users believing they're given away as prizes, or given only to friends and popular users of the community. My aim with this article is to help to shine a light on Daily Deviations, and how you can impact these in your own way.

Who Selects a Daily Deviation?
FAQ #18: Who selects Daily Deviations and how are they chosen?
The above FAQ has an updated list of the current Community Volunteers that choose Daily Deviations. All of these volunteers accept suggestions for Daily Deviations. The real answer to this question, however, is that you have the power to select Daily Deviations, by simply suggesting deviations you feel deserve exposure to the proper CV. While the corresponding Volunteer has the final say on what does and does not get featured, the bulk of DDs are chosen from the suggestions they receive.

How Do I Suggest a Daily Deviation?
1.) Once you've discovered a deviation that you would like to suggest for a Daily Deviation, the first thing you should do is check whether or not they have had previous DDs.  The CVs have a rule that a deviant is not eligible for another DD if they had received one within six months.

To check this, go to the deviant's profile, and type in /dds/ afterward. I suggested a piece by Violetessa, so the URL read: violetessa.deviantart.com/dds/
At the time, she did not have any previous Daily Deviations. If the user does have any, it will show which deviations, and the date it was given.

2.) If they did not receive any previous DDs, or if they received one over six months ago, return to the deviation you wanted to suggest, and check the gallery that it belongs to.
3.) On the same page, go ahead and copy the Thumb Code from the appropriate box on the right side of the page.
4.) Since we now know the gallery the deviation belongs to is 'Photography / People & Portraits / Emotive Portraits', I know who to look for to suggest it to, by visiting the Gallery CV list.  On this list, I see that Kaz-D and 3wyl are in charge of the photography galleries that are not taken by the other CVs listed below.  I chose to suggest this piece to Kaz-D.
5.) Create a Note, or visit the appropriate CV's profile and select 'Send a Note.'  The title of the Note should show that it is a DD Suggestion, and if you'd like to include the specific gallery, feel free.  In the note, I added the Thumb Code, and some formatting to neaten it up. This is just my personal preference, but I've also chosen to include the reason why I feel it should be featured, and let the CV know that the user did not receive any previous DDs.  Most Communtiy Volunteers like to showcase artwork from unseen artists, so this can be a deciding factor for some.
6.) You'll also notice that my Thumb Code has 'big' in front of it, which makes the thumbnail larger, and gives the CV a bigger image to look at.  This is also preference, but I've shown the difference below, despite the window cutting off some of it in the preview.
7.) It's a big difference. It doesn't hurt to grab the CV's attention, and a larger thumbnail will help to accomplish that.
8.) Make sure everything looks the way you like it to by using the Preview option, and send it on its way!  If you've chosen a piece the CV feels deserves to be featured, then you might just find your suggestion has been chosen, and you've helped an artist gain exposure!
An Interview Regarding DDs with Kaz-D
Speaking of Kaz-D, she has been gracious enough to participate in an interview for this article, to help shine some light on the subject of Daily Deviations.

What are general aspects of a deviation that you look for when selecting a Daily Deviation?
Photography, firstly. The piece must be manipulated as little as possible. Then I look for quality, concept, execution and creativity.

What advice would you give someone who is new to suggesting DDs?
Don't just  pick from the most popular pages. Delve deeper and you'll find some fantastic hidden gems. Don't be disheartened if your suggestions aren't  immediately accepted either, we do get a few!

What sort of research do you perform to ensure authenticity of the deviation?
I run all images suggested through a multiple image checker add on for  firefox. That includes tineye and google images as well as a few other  sites. I check metadata, I check the rest of the artists gallery to ensure the same level of artwork there and I sometimes even ask the  artist.

What is the average amount of DD Suggestions that you receive a day?
Around 20 - 30

Is there a certain format that you prefer for users to use when sending you a DD Suggestion?
I love getting notes with explanations! Reasons behind why you want a  piece to get a daily deviation are always welcome. Also so are  thumbcodes

Is there anything else you would like to add on the topic of Daily Deviations?
Daily Deviations aren't prizes, they're not awards. They're features, for one day

Daily Deviation: Tips & Tricks
When it comes to suggesting Daily Deviations, here are a few tips and tricks you may want to know.
You can suggest your own work to be featured, as most of the CVs welcome it.
Research the CVs previously selected DDs for a better idea of the type of work they like.
Most CVs will have a journal explaining their own guidelines and preferences for Daily Deviations.
The DD system does not allow for the same user to be featured more than once within 6 months.
Be sure your deviation is in the right gallery, because it could prevent you from receiving a DD.
Users are not informed prior to being featured, it's a complete surprise to them!
Most Daily Deviations are the result of suggestions, so be sure to contribute your own!

Thank You for Reading!
As always, I very much appreciate those that take the time to read these articles, and I hope you'll have found this useful. A big thanks to Kaz-D for collaborating with me on this tutorial.  If you have any suggestions for a future installment of Let The Light In, then please do leave a comment here!