Publish immediately vs schedule a time to publish

When creating or editing a call, you have two options for when it becomes visible to artists: publish it immediately, or schedule it for a future date. Both are controlled from the same place — the Save button at the bottom of the call edit page.

The Two Options

Option 1: Publish Immediately

Click the chevron (▾) next to the Save button → Publish now.

The call's status flips to Active as soon as you save. Artists can find it on the public Calls List, your gallery profile, and via direct link, and they can begin submitting right away.

When to use:

You're ready for artists to start submitting
You've finished setting up the call and want it live now
You're editing an existing call and want to make it visible

Option 2: Schedule a Time to Publish

Click the chevron (▾) next to the Save button → Schedule for…, pick a date, then confirm.

The status flips to Scheduled. The call stays hidden until your chosen date, when it automatically becomes Active.

When to use:

You want to prepare the call in advance and launch it on a specific day
You're coordinating with a marketing campaign or newsletter
You want to launch multiple calls together
You're setting up the call after hours and want it to go live at a sensible time

How It Works Behind the Scenes

The status pill in the top right of the form always reflects the current state:

Draft — not visible to anyone. The default for new calls.
Active — visible everywhere artists look.
Scheduled — hidden now; flips to Active automatically on the scheduled date.
Private — published, but kept off the public Calls List. Direct link only.
Jury Only — visible only to assigned jurors.
Closed — set automatically once the submission deadline has passed.

You can also click the status pill directly to switch between these states without going through the Save menu.

Time Zone

Scheduled publish times use Pacific Time (PST/PDT). A call scheduled for March 15 will publish at 11:59 PM Pacific on March 15. Daylight saving transitions are handled automatically.

Automatic Publishing

A background job runs every minute and flips Scheduled calls to Active when their time arrives. No manual intervention is needed — the call goes live on its own.

Changing Your Mind

You can move between states freely until the call is published:

Scheduled → Active now: click the status pill → Active, or use Save → Publish now.
Active → Scheduled: click the status pill → Scheduled, then pick a date.
Scheduled → different date: open Save → Schedule for… and pick a new date.
Active → Hidden: click the status pill → Draft (no one can see it) or Private (direct link only).

Common Scenarios

Scenario 1: Creating a Call in Advance

You're creating a call for a show two months out, but you want to start accepting submissions next week.

Set the submission deadline for when submissions should close
Use Save → Schedule for… with next week's date
The call goes live next week; the show date stays separate

Scenario 2: Coordinated Launch

You're launching a major call alongside a newsletter announcement.

Prepare the call completely while in Draft
Schedule it for the same day as your newsletter
Send the newsletter; the call goes live automatically that night

Scenario 3: Testing Before Launch

You want to review everything before making the call public.

Create the call and leave it in Draft
Review it from the admin view (admins can always see their own calls regardless of status)
When ready, use the status pill → Active or Save → Publish now

Scenario 4: Weekend Launch

You finish setup on Friday afternoon and want it to launch over the weekend.

Schedule it for Sunday — it will publish Sunday at 11:59 PM Pacific (visible Monday morning Eastern)

Scenario 5: Multiple Calls Launching Together

Schedule each one for the same date. They'll all flip to Active at the same time.

Troubleshooting

"I scheduled a call but it's not visible yet" - Check the scheduled date — it publishes at 11:59 PM Pacific. Hover the status pill to see the exact time. - Verify the date hasn't already passed.

"I scheduled it but want to publish now instead" - Click the status pill → Active, or Save → Publish now. The scheduled date is cleared automatically.

"I want to take a published call back to hidden" - Click the status pill → Draft (hides it from everyone) or Private (direct link only).

"I want to change when a scheduled call will publish" - Open Save → Schedule for… and pick a new date.

How do I control who can see my call? — full guide to the status pill
How can I keep my call off the public list? — for Private vs Active