What is Verified vs. Unverified?
Every publishing partner on a DriveThru site starts out as Unverified. This measure is in place to ensure that all new partners have a chance to become accustomed to our basic tools. An Unverified partner has access to most tools but will see a lock symbol next to some that are unavailable.
In addition, all Unverified partners must use a "Request to Make Public" button to activate new titles through an approval process rather than a "Make Public" option to make a title public immediately, i.e., without staff approval.
An Unverified partner cannot manually initiate a PayPal withdrawal of publishing earnings, but automatic end-of-month payment by check or PayPal is available. The partner is also subject to a 30-day hold on all earnings before those earnings can be withdrawn from the site.
Once a partner has met our requirements to become Verified, they are given full access to our more advanced tools; they are able to activate new titles for sale immediately; and they have their earnings held for just 15 days, rather than 30 days.
How do I become Verified?
Our guidelines to become Verified are:
- have at least two paid public products. For this purpose, "paid" includes PWYW titles, but it does not include DMsGuild or other Community Content titles.
- the most recent of those titles is at least one month old
If you have hit both of these marks and have not yet been Verified, you can contact Partner Relations by submitting a request through our webform to request verification. Depending on circumstances, these guidelines may need to be discussed further with your Partner Relations Representative.
Note
Some circumstances may fall outside of these guidelines. You're always welcome to contact Partner Relations by submitting a request through our webform to review your items on a case by case basis.
How long will it take for my new titles to be approved while I am Unverified?
It normally takes 2-3 business days for us to approve Unverified partners' new titles as a Partner Relations Representative works through the current queue. However, note that this process can sometimes take up to a week if the queue is currently very heavy, and this period can also be affected by staff travel and vacation schedules.
What if I need to use a tool like making a bundle before I’m Verified?
We regret that some tools are not available until you are Verified. That said, if you have an urgent need to use a locked tool, please contact Partner Relations by and you can make your request for verification.
Is it possible to go from being Verified to Unverified?
In some cases where a partner has demonstrated that they cannot or will not use our tools and our site in accordance with our guidelines, or if they take part in any sort of questionable activity involving our site, they may be changed to Unverified status for a specified or an indefinite period of time. The terms of this are determined on a case-by-case basis depending on the reason for the change of status.