1) Learn to play with the TGPs first, then automate the process when you know what you're doing (that's when TGSW is great). If you want the TGSW program up quickly and want to submit to more then 5-10 TGPs, get Vince's TGSW db as he's done the homework with each TGP and collected the recips so it will get you operational in minutes vs. days!).
2) Build clean galleries, with minimal advertising and NO tricks - that keeps you from getting blacklisted, and a lot of the good TGPs share their blacklist and are quite unforgiving. Go slow, and learn the ropes.
3) Use 20 thumbs/pics, even if 16 or less is the minimum. Trust me, it pays off especially when it's a judgement call. I've found bigger galleries get posted ahead of smaller galleries, other factors being equal (and the diff in B/W is nothing).
4) Put your real target link/banner in the lower right or bottom of the gallery page.
5) If you use banners, add your own text to encourage the surfer to click. If possible, use new banners that aren't stale from overuse. Crude home-made banners will pull better then slick sponsor provided, even when obviously going to the same place. Being different pays... :)
6) Counters - use your log files or invisible counters, don't give up precious page real estate to a counter that may take the surfer away from your real target. If you have to use one, use the CE counter (for me it converts about 1:400/$25 sale). Trick - add it to your recips... if you use TGSW, and reset the # of recips to 3 so the pages generate with 3 real recips and 1 counter, but it looks like 4 recips. ;)
7) Fine tune everything and make it match - Gallery name, pictures, sponsors, page text and keep them focused on your goal - sending traffic to the target(s). For me, it's 3 per gallery - primary (banner with text & seperate text link as part of a pitch), secondary (text link only with pitch), and pays the bills (text link only for the curiosity click or maybe an email collector).
8) If you've got fresh content, use it. Overused content will cost you both in places that will post your galleries, and in surfers that will click on your ads looking for more.
9) If you use a form email collector, customize it!! Add some text to the pitch, even if it's just a few words that set it apart from the same thing everyone else uses.
10) Watch your page colors and backgrounds... (for me white for teen & amateur, black for all else), and links you want surfers to click in h1 tags.
11) Don't waste your time with free sites; what you save in B/W you'll lose to the host's banners and 404 control. Speaking of 404s, show no mercy. Post your galleries on domains that don't have the bland 404 handlers used on your AVS sites. TGPs are different, and take a different mindset... get in their face. IMO surfers that use the TGPs are harder to sell as they are looking for free stuff, but they will spend the money if it's something they really want and they think you have it.
12) If you have the time, put up your own TGP - it's great for gallery design & marketing ideas, and it will give you more insite into the mechanics of TGPs. Gives you a good feel for what will piss off some of the other TGPs when it happens to you. :)
Last thought, depending on how closely you work with your ISP, you might let them know you're going to do TGPs so they expect the spike in your B/W. High traffic TGPs can put a load on your server's CPU as well as B/W considerations so plan ahead if possible.
Depending on how many domains you run, it can get pretty rude in short order - but it can be quite profitable to you in terms of fresh traffic to existing projects, as well as extra dollars. If you're really new to TGPs expect about 60(+/-) days to figure it out (less if you're used to doing FS promotions for your pay sites or partnership programs).
Hope that helps you some...
Rhino