How do I set up a call for entry?

Creating a new call for entries is straightforward. This guide walks you through each step and explains what all the form fields mean.

Getting Started

To create a new call:

  1. Log into your EntryThingy account
  2. Go to your Calls page (click "Calls" in the main navigation)
  3. Click the "New Call" button (top right)
  4. Select "Create New Call From Scratch"

You'll see a form with several sections. The form is organized into cards that group related settings together. Let's go through each section:

Basic Information

This section collects the essential details about your call:

  • Name of Your Call: The title that will appear everywhere (required). Examples: "2026 Annual Juried Exhibition" or "Spring Photography Show"
  • Call Type: Optional classification (Gallery, Competition, Festival, etc.)
  • City: Where your call is located (required)
  • State: Select your state from the dropdown (required for U.S. calls)
  • This is an international call: Check this box if your call is outside the U.S.
  • This is an online call: Check this box if your call is entirely online (no physical location)
  • Call Description: A brief description that appears under the call title. This shows up on the artist view and our public calls list (required)
  • Categories: Optional disciplines or categories artists must choose from when submitting. Examples: Painting, Sculpture, Photography, Digital Art, Mixed Media. Leave empty if you don't need categories. You can add up to 20 categories.

Important Dates

All dates default to 11:59 PM Pacific Time (PST/PDT) on the date you select:

  • Submission Deadline: The last day artists can submit entries (required). After this date, submissions close.
  • Late Submission Deadline: Optional late deadline. After this date, entries close completely and the call becomes jury-only.
  • Jury Results Due: Optional date when jury results will be announced to artists.
  • Show Start Date: When your exhibition/show begins (optional)
  • Show End Date: When your exhibition/show ends (optional)

Publishing Settings

  • Publish Call Immediately? Check this box to make your call visible to artists right away. If unchecked, you can set a scheduled publish date below.
  • Publish Date: If you want to schedule when your call becomes visible, enter a date here. The call will automatically become visible at 11:59 PM Pacific Time on this date.

Upload Settings

This section controls what artists can upload and how many pieces they can submit:

Per Entry Rules

An entry can contain multiple pieces of artwork. Set how many pieces artists can include:

  • Minimum Pieces: How many pieces are required per entry (default: 1)
  • Maximum Pieces: Maximum pieces allowed per entry (default: 4)

Allowed File Types

Select which file types artists can upload:

  • Images: .jpg, .png, .gif
  • Video: .mov, .mp4
  • Documents: .pdf, .doc
  • Audio: .mp3

At least one file type must be selected.

Advanced Upload Settings

Click the "Advanced" section to reveal additional options:

  • Max Entries Allowed per Artist: How many separate entries each artist can submit (default: 4)
  • File Upload Requirement:
    • Required: Artists must upload files
    • Optional: File uploads are optional
    • Either file upload or web page link: Artists can upload files OR provide a web page link
  • Allow Additional Piece Views? Lets artists add different views of one piece (useful for sculptures or 3D work). Choose 1-5 additional views, or "No" to disable.
  • Minimum File Size (MB): Optional minimum file size requirement. Leave at 0 to allow any size.
  • Maximum File Size (MB): Maximum file size per image/video. Recommended: 10-25 MB for images, 100-500 MB for video (default: 15 MB)
  • Minimum Pixel Width (Per Image): Optional minimum image width requirement. Recommended: 1920-3000 px for print quality. Leave at 0 to allow any width.
  • Ask for Depth (3D artwork): When enabled, artists will be prompted to provide depth measurements for 3D artworks
  • Ask for art or booth/display: When enabled, artists can specify if their upload is artwork or booth/display space

Entry Settings

This section controls what information artists must provide:

Entries Require the Following

Check the fields artists must complete for each entry submission:

  • Collect Artist Profile Statements: Collects statements from artist profiles (not specific to the entry). These are statements artists write about their style and type of work.
  • Require asking artists how they found the call: Adds a "How did you hear about us?" field
  • Description of Entry: Artists must provide a description of their entry. You can set a character limit (default: 200 characters). This describes the media, technique, and materials for the work.
  • Publicity permission: Ask artists if you can share their work publicly (social media, promotional materials)
  • Resume: Require artists to upload a resume

Each Piece Requires

Check the fields artists must complete for each individual artwork/piece:

  • Piece Description: Description of the individual piece
  • Dimensions: Height, width (and optionally depth) measurements
  • Material: What the piece is made of
  • Price: Sale price of the piece. If enabled, you can also select a currency (USD, EUR, GBP, etc.)
  • Year: When the piece was created

Payment & Coupons

Configure whether your call charges an entry fee:

  • Entry Fee Type:
    • Paid Entry: Your call charges an entry fee
    • Free Call: No entry fee required

If you select "Paid Entry," additional payment options appear:

  • Payment Button Builder: Use this tool to generate a PayPal payment button. Enter your PayPal email, return URL (where artists go after payment), base fee, and any additional pricing options (per-piece pricing, dropdowns, etc.). Click "Generate Button Code" to create the button HTML.
  • Coupon Code: Optional coupon code artists can use for discounts
  • Coupon Instructions: Instructions for how to use the coupon code

For detailed information about setting up PayPal payments, see our article on PayPal IPN setup.

Instructions & Terms

Provide instructions and terms for artists:

  • Entry Instructions: Instructions shown to all entrants before they begin their application (required). This is where you explain submission requirements, eligibility, and what artists need to know.
  • Allow Editing After Submission? When enabled, artists can continue editing their submission after payment, but before the entry deadline. This means you won't need to manually change statuses back to "Not Submitted" for artists who want to make edits.
  • Instructions for Entrants After Entry is Submitted: Optional instructions shown after an artist submits their entry. This is useful for providing next steps or additional information.
  • Instructions for Accepted Entrants: Optional instructions shown only to artists whose entries are accepted. Use this to provide delivery instructions, exhibition details, etc.
  • Terms of Entry for Entrants: Legal terms and conditions that entrants must agree to (rights, usage permissions, eligibility requirements, etc.). Check the box to show this field to artists.
  • Additional Instructions for Bottom of Printable Entry: Instructions that appear at the bottom of the printable entry form. Check the box to enable this field.

Juror Settings

Configure how jurors will evaluate entries:

  • Instructions for Jurors: Optional instructions for how jurors should evaluate entries
  • Vote By: Should jurors vote on individual pieces or entire entries?
    • Entry: Jurors vote on entire entries (all pieces together)
    • Piece: Jurors vote on individual pieces separately
  • Voting Range: Set the scoring range (inclusive). Example: 0 to 4 means jurors can give 0, 1, 2, 3, or 4 points.
  • Voting Categories: Optional categories for scoring (e.g., "Technical Skill," "Creativity," "Concept"). You can add up to 10 voting categories. If you don't add any, jurors will use a single "Points" category.
  • Jurors For This Call: Select which jurors should review this call. To add more jurors, go to Admin → Admins & Jurors to invite new jurors to your organization.
  • Blind Jurying: Choose whether jurors can see artist names:
    • Show Artists: Jurors can see who submitted each entry
    • Blind: Artist names are hidden from jurors

Promotional Materials

Help artists discover your call:

  • Add this call to our public Calls List? Select "Yes" to make your call appear on EntryThingy's public calls list where artists can discover it. Select "No" if you only want to share your call via direct link.
  • Promotional Image: Upload an image to make your call stand out on the public calls list and call detail page. This image can also be shared on social media. Accepts JPG, PNG, GIF, and iPhone photos (HEIC format). Maximum file size: 20 MB. Square or landscape orientation works best. Recommended minimum size: 1200px wide for best quality.

Saving Your Call

Once you've filled out the form:

  1. Review all your settings
  2. Click "Save Call" at the bottom of the page

If there are any errors (like missing required fields), they'll be highlighted in red at the top of the form. Fix any errors and save again.

After saving, you'll be taken to your call's detail page where you can:

  • Edit the call settings
  • View entries as they come in
  • Manage jurors and voting
  • Download entry data
  • View statistics

Tips for Success

  • Start with the basics: Fill in the required fields first (title, city, state, description, submission deadline, entry instructions). You can always go back and add more details later.
  • Use clear instructions: Your Entry Instructions should clearly explain what you're looking for, eligibility requirements, and any special submission requirements.
  • Set realistic deadlines: Give artists enough time to prepare quality submissions. Consider your jury timeline when setting the submission deadline.
  • Test your payment button: If you're charging an entry fee, make a test payment to ensure everything works correctly.
  • Publish when ready: Don't check "Publish Call Immediately" until you've reviewed all settings. You can always publish later from the call detail page.

Need Help?

If you have questions about any specific field or setting, check our other help articles or contact support. We're here to help you create a successful call for entries!

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