We've entered a new game era with Sims 3. This also means we are establishing our Artist Teams for the new game. All current Sims 2 SA/FA will remain listed as such for Sims 2 and still enjoy the benefits that come with being a Select or Featured Artist here at TSR. For Sims 3 everything starts over and everyone submitting here are potential candidates.

So what does it mean being a TSR Select or Featured Artist? Here are the benefits in short:

Select and Featured Artists have the following benefits:

• You'll have your own minisite with all options available (if you don't have one already) to promote your creations, blog, galleries and more.
  
• You are listed on the Select/Featured Artist lists, making it easier for visitors to find you and your minisite.
• Your creations can be filtered out in our downloads archive by viewing SA/FA creations only.
• Your creations will be featured more often on the frontpage than regular Artists. There is also a frontpage spotlight that randomly feature an SA/FA every day.
• Free Access to the site. As an active SA/FA you will always have full subscriber access to TSR.
• A shiny unique SA/FA badge on your minisite, indicating your status and which game you create for.
• The option to choose a publication date for your creations and no need to wait for approval of your submissions, they are already approved and will be published automatically on the site.
• The ability to edit all your creations at any time without having to go through us.
  
• Access to private forums where Select and Featured Artists can socialize and share ideas, get feedback from other Artists and more.

Select Artists have the following SA only benefits:

• Select Artist minisites will receive unique features in the near future (a work in progress).
• You automatically participate in a Monthly Contest and can win great prizes! Every month three creators will be picked and awarded $50, $40 and $30 Amazon Gift Certificates.
• All your work will always remain free to download here at TSR, and will be better promoted.
• You may be considered for a Featured Artist position if you continue to submit high quality creations regularly. Becoming an SA does not automatically mean you will become an FA, please remember this, but we will keep an eye on your work and your progress as an Artist. To become an FA you must (in most cases) become an SA first, so this is the first step towards becoming a Featured Artist.
• Access to an SA only private forum where you have direct access to TSR staff.
  

Featured Artists have the following FA only benefits:

• An incentive based reward system which gives you the opportunity to earn money for your work submitted to TSR. The more popular your creations are, the more money you will earn. You can at any time withdraw the money available in your incentive account and it will be paid out to your Paypal account. Due to this, most of your work will only be available to subscribers. You will have the option to set a number of creations in a free rotation each month.
• A unique minisite with advanced options that lets you create your own unique look and feel - much like your very own website. See an example here: http://www.thesimsresource.com/artists/shakeshaft/
• Even more promotion of your work in selected spotlights throughout the site, such as the frontpage upcoming items pod, today's releases and more (a work in progress).
• Private FA only forums where you can interact directly with the staff here on TSR as well as other Featured Artists.
• Weekly FA-only chats together with TSR staff to discuss the latest News, plan Collections/Themes, Select Artist candidates and more.
• Early access to our tools as they are developed and become available for beta testing.
• Additional benefits such as FA-only competitions, monthly bonuses and much more.
• Last but not least, the honour and respect that comes with being chosen a Featured Artist here on TSR!

So how do you become selected you might ask?

It's quite simple: submit your work to TSR. We've been looking at Sims creations for the last 9 years and we know what is and  isn't good enough to make the grade. Initially we will invite Artists to both teams starting in July. After the first teams have been announced, the Select Artists will be handpicked by the Featured Artist team (during the weekly chats) while Featured Artists are handpicked by TSR staff. Invitations are sent out by mail and private messages. It does happen on rare occasions that we go outside of TSR and invite Artists to our teams at both levels.

What are we looking for?

We will be looking for all types of Artists as Custom Content creation evolves. Initially we will invite a handful of exceptional Pattern, Sim and Lot Artists. Further down the line there will be positions open for Clothing, Hair, Objects, Make-up and basically any type of Custom Content you can create for the game.

When we review an Artist's potential we look at several factors. A good creation that works well in the game is essential of course, but it is also important to create beautiful previews for your creations - this is overlooked by many exceptional Artists, so please take your time with this! Having your own unique style as well as a popular style is also important - there is room for both (take Cyclonesue's original Rust and Industry series or Cashcraft's massively popular Victorian series as good examples). Last but not least it is also important to present your creations with a proper title and description - understanding what your creations are in a search result should be obvious, not hard.

All in all, consistently submitted high quality creations that are presented well with beautiful previews, meaningful names and proper descriptions are what we will be looking for - are you up for it?

How do you apply?

Simple. You don't! By submitting to TSR you've already started the process and we have already begun reviewing the many quality uploads pouring into our databases,. If you are good enough, you will be noted. So don't hesitate to submit your own quality work today, tomorrow or whenever you feel ready for the challenge :)

Good luck everyone!

/Thomas and TSR Staff