D.A. Now Lets Users Buy Digital Content
The developers over at the website DeviantArt have now given artists the ability to sell their digital goods using their new service. I'm personally a member of the site and I've featured other artists as well.
I think that this is a wonderful move by the guys at D.A. And for some reason I'm surprised it never crossed my mind or took this long to develop the tool. I see people with eternal links all the time to buy premium content. Why not put everything under one umbrella?
Well one is that DeviantART will still keep %20 of the proceeds but that's pretty good when it compares to what they make off of prints. However, as far as artwork goes I think people are going to continue down the commissions path.
DeviantART is also staying my favorite publisher because of how they intertwine copyright deep into the site's mechanics. D.A. makes it dead simple with Creative Commons Licences, thumbnail images and watermarks to ensure your art remains your own. With their new feature than will become available for everyone is the coming weeks, comes the ability to load in a custom licence agreement with the digital files.
And they aren't locking you into their own digital currency either. What you make off of the premium currency can be wired to your PayPal account or even into a check. So you can get actually paid for your work.
The text from their update is below:
DeviantART is proud to announce our Premium Content Platform
The Premium Content Platform was built to represent high-quality content — the premier pieces in an artist's repertoire of work. We encourage the sale of everything from comics or stories for download, to high-res files like .PSDs, textures, tutorials, brush packs, and more!
DeviantART Points are a virtual currency that can be used to buy virtual and real goods on deviantART. Points can be purchased using a credit card or PayPal, and one U.S. dollar is the equivalent to 80 Points. A buyer making a Premium Content Platform purchase must use Points for the transaction.
Premium Content Platform sellers have the opportunity to generate real earnings through sales. Sellers are able to set their own prices for downloads and a seller retains 80% of all revenue earned.
Buyers make Premium Content Platform purchases with Points. While all payments are made in Points, earnings from work sold can be withdrawn as U.S. dollars via PayPal or check, or converted into Points.
Buying Premium Content is a straightforward and user-friendly process. Simply click the "Purchase" button, ensure you have enough Points available to make the transaction, enter your password, and agree to the Seller's Agreement. Your download will start immediately!
To assist future buyers, we encourage previous buyers to rate sellers on a five-star scale. It only takes a moment to rate a seller and feedback is critical to helping others make purchasing decisions.
Eligibility and Agreements
Sellers enter into an agreement with the buyer on each download. When making a download available for sale, sellers can use a standard Personal Use/Personal Non-Commercial Use License Agreement or can insert their own Custom License Agreement.
Supporting Artists, Empowering Buyers
The majority of work on deviantART will always remain free. Members and visitors will still be able to browse and download millions of deviations at no cost. The Premium Content Platform was built to represent the premier pieces in an artist's repertoire of work. Our aim with the Platform is to provide a place where artists are able to sell their work and feel empowered and dignified by receiving a deserving share of the earnings. Buyers are able to directly support the artists they love through purchases made on the Premium Content Platform.