*LiLBlueHorse516

E. Spears aka Isis

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Subscription Users, Advice Please?

Fri Nov 6, 2009, 6:10 PM

Mood: Bewildered
Watching: Ranma 1/2

HARPG: Indigo Star Stables -> [link]
Art Policy -> [link]

I'm thinking about getting a subscription now, but I'd like so advice on a few things before I make a decision to subscribe. Please read about my concerns and tell me what you think

Payment Plans
I'm not sure what payment plan to choose. Mind you, I'll be paying with my debit card, so I have some concerns. The options that say "bill every x months" make me kinda nervous, does that mean dA will automatically bill me? What if I no longer want my subscription? Is there a way to notify them so they stop billing me for it should I choose to end my subscription?

Journal Skins
I heard the whole CSS thing is sort of a pain in the butt if you want to make a custom CSS for your journal. Would it be better to pick a pre-made skin or ask someone to make one for me? If so, know anyone would be willing to do it for free? I'm a broke college student here.

Newsletters?
Do you have to have a subscription to publish a newsletter?

Other Benefits
What are the best things about being a subscriber? Is it really that much better than being a regular member? Is it worth the cost?

I appreciate any information you'd like to share with me on any of these subjects. Trust me, you'll be helping me a great deal in deciding one way or the other.

Lil Blue

19 Comments

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=CricketWings Nov 6, 2009, 6:17:03 PM

I've never done the billing method. But I highly doubt DA would be ignorant enough to not accept cancellation of payments. They would have a lot more complaints.

I might be making free templates. In the mean time, I suggest doing a search for free journal skins. I know `Lilyas allows image swapping on her journal skins. So you could just use her codes and swap the images for your own custom journal.

Last I checked you don't, but I'm not entirely sure about news articles.

Other benefits are NO STUPID ADVERTISEMENTS. I've had friends click on links and get insta pwned by viruses on those sites. Also, you can post thumbnails in your journals as well as just regular images with img src HTML tags. You get more space in your portfolio, you can view 120(I think) deviation thumbnails per page rather than being limited to 24, you get access to the critique feature, you can post polls, have a shout board, take advantage of stamps, have more freedom customizing your page and probably a whole ton of other things that I can't think of off the top of my head

*Niur-Tarow Nov 6, 2009, 6:19:20 PM

You buy subscriptions in installments. You can buy them in weeks, 3 months, 6 months, or a year. after your time is up, you will go back to normal dA-ness. I got a year subscription, which set me back $25 (USD). There are lots of neat skins to choose from, but I would advise against starting your own, unless you know how to write CSS. However, I know some people commission others to create custom skins for them. You could write a note to this effect, offering to pay with either money or trades, commission pieces, or whatever. I hope this answers a few questions.

--
"Listen to them - the children of the night. What music they make!"

-Bram Stoker, Dracula

*Gatekat Nov 6, 2009, 6:22:50 PM

Payment Plans -- not sure what you're seeing, but what I look at just says you buy for X number of months.

Journal Skins -- try a trade. Art for CSS. Or use a premade one.

Other Benefits -- I bought mine for one reason: to view 120 submissions a screen. For me, just that is more than worth the price.

The polls can be useful.

No adds is very, very nice.

--
Love Transformers? #TransformersForever
More Transformers Love? #Transformers-Slash
Need Chopper Backup? ~SWAT-Kats-fanclub

=WrathOfNessis Nov 6, 2009, 6:23:22 PM

I've been a subscriber since I first joined the website, and I don't think I could ever let my sub run out while I'm still a member here.

-Payment Plans:
I'm not too sure how dA does their billing since I buy my sub a year in advance. If you're not sure it's worth it, you can just get the 3 month to see if you like it or not.

-Journal Skins:
A lot of the pre-made skins are absolutely wonderful and pretty easy to use since the creators normally include a How-To with the download. I've been thinking of commissioning someone to do a personal skin for my journal lately.

-Newsletters:
I've never made a newsletter, so I'm not sure if you have to be a subscriber to make one.

-Other Benefits:
No ads, for one. Subscribers also get: premium portfolio, critique option, 120 deviations per page, access archives, journal skins, polls, $60 discount on Corel Painter, download art to phone, become a beta tester, customize channels, and other stuff like that.

--
"Life is eternal, and love is immortal, and death is only a horizon; and a horizon is nothing save the limit of our sight."
~Rossiter Worthington Raymond

*LiLBlueHorse516 Nov 6, 2009, 8:19:08 PM

Oh how I do hate those stupid advertisements plaguing my page when I'm browsing around dA! :shakefish:

And I had forgotten about the stamps and polls and images in journals! That sort of thing would be very helpful in my HARPG journal. It all sounds pretty good to me!

Thanks for the comment.

--
HARPG: Welcome to Indigo Star Stables! - [link]

If you're curious about using my work for any reason, this is for you [link]

*LiLBlueHorse516 Nov 6, 2009, 8:21:02 PM

Ah, so it switches back before they just bill you again? I'm certain they notify you when the subscription is up? I'm trying to decide if I'd be patient enough to tackle creating a journal skin.

That does some of my questions, so thanks

--
HARPG: Welcome to Indigo Star Stables! - [link]

If you're curious about using my work for any reason, this is for you [link]

*LiLBlueHorse516 Nov 6, 2009, 8:23:23 PM

The way they word it, it says "bill every 3, 6 or 12 months". Usually when something says 'bill' it means they automatically zap the money from your account unless you say otherwise. Maybe that's not what they meant but that's how I understood it.

You're the second person to mention the absence of advertisements

Sounds like people like that part a lot.

--
HARPG: Welcome to Indigo Star Stables! - [link]

If you're curious about using my work for any reason, this is for you [link]

*Gatekat Nov 6, 2009, 8:28:06 PM

Yes, that does sound like they'll bill you every time. It just doesn't show that for me.

--
Love Transformers? #TransformersForever
More Transformers Love? #Transformers-Slash
Need Chopper Backup? ~SWAT-Kats-fanclub

*LiLBlueHorse516 Nov 6, 2009, 8:28:07 PM

Wow, so you've been a subscriber the whole time! I didn't know that, pretty cool.

I thought about just buying it for the year but you're right, starting with 3 months to see how I like it would probably be best.

I like the concept of journal skins because it would make my page/journals a little more unique, so it's one of the reasons I'm interested in the subscription. Plus, I can actually afford it myself now.
Nobody had mentioned being a beta tester or channels before, very interesting...

Thanks so much for the info, by the way, may I ask how you're doing nowadays?