Heyo folks!

Next announcement journal! I think its important I bring an adjustment to pricing to you all's attention. I'm making a couple small changes to better reflect how I feel regarding a couple things with slot commissions.

As you all MIGHT have noticed, the "summer" commissions may have taken a little bit longer than anticipated. I won't deny that I definitely took on more than I anticipated, but it has given me a lot of time to reflect on how long I spend on individual pieces and the overall process, and work to improving on it. There's a couple points I wanted to make adjustments to: complex backgrounds and inserts!

Before I continue, I wanna stress: I am not calling anyone out here, nor am I upset with what or how any of you have commissioned me in the past! Don't throw apologies in the comments about it, please; I promise you're fine.

Backgrounds have been a bit tricky for me to balance properly. For a while now, I've been working on overall increasing the quality of the backgrounds in my pieces - from the complex backgrounds, down to the ones that technically aren't considered having a background. I've been noticing, though, that my complex backgrounds are taking dramatically more time than the other two options, way out of proportion, even. I feel like an increase in price is more appropriate to balance that. Complex backgrounds are now +2x the base price, up from +1x. Simple backgrounds remain the same price. I feel like for most folks, a simple background is likely enough for their needs, with complex backgrounds being an option for those who want something more extravagant, and that price increase better reflects me putting as much effort as possible. I've been putting more detail in my simple backgrounds recently, so I'm positive they will be satisfactory for those with less involved ideas.

The other thing being adjusted is inserts. Inserts have been another thing that have been tricky for me. They can be awkwardly placed at times, and it can sometimes be difficult to depict what is requested in a small cutaway panel. I feel like, at times, it can end up being more trouble than its worth given the amount of real estate it has on the canvas. As such, I will be putting a limitation on the complexity of inserts in a piece. Unlike the price change for backgrounds, though, this one isn't as clear cut. Things like perspective shots or other complex scenes that would otherwise warrant a whole new piece are no longer allowed for inserts. They clutter the piece and approach needing a setup like a comic, which I do not do. Things like a shot of someone's face, a simple zoom-out, or an internal (no matter how much is in there) are still fine, as they are less complicated in nature and execution. That said, it is still somewhat difficult to give you guys a hard line to follow on this; just know that your idea for an insert for your piece may be rejected. I will, of course, encourage folks to chat with me beforehand and discuss their idea with me for help planning if needed, as I will gladly let you know if your idea is too complex for an insert. As always, I am willing to work with folks to find how best to suit their needs. I won't restrict this for slavestream images, but I will advise against it.

**TLDR: Complex backgrounds are +2x base cost now instead of +1x, and inserts will have complexity limitations. **

I hope that all made sense! I'll be adjusting my ToS shortly to reflect this change. Lemme know in the comments, notes or via email if you have ANY questions about commissions. There will be more information coming soon about reopening for commissions!