How to Set Submission Fees for a Call

Start with the budget, not a market average

There is no universally correct submission fee. A transparent fee connects to the real cost of the program and does not promise that payment improves an artist's chance of selection.

Build the cost model

List jury honoraria, staff time, platform and payment charges, accessibility support, promotion, installation, insurance, prizes, shipping support, and closeout. Separate costs that scale with each application from fixed exhibition costs. Then model likely paid applications under low, expected, and high participation.

required net fee revenue ÷ expected paid applications = starting fee target

Adjust the target for grants, sponsorships, member support, prize funding, and the organization's access goals. If the result is unaffordable for the intended applicant pool, change the program budget or find subsidy rather than presenting a high fee as a screening tool.

Choose a fee structure

Crafted Call supports free calls, flat call fees, category-specific fees, and configurations where additional entries have a different cost. Membership benefits can also support member pricing when eligibility is clearly defined. Keep the structure understandable enough that an artist can know the total before beginning.

Design waivers as a normal path

Publish who can request a waiver, what information is required, the request deadline, who can see the request, and whether it is separated from jury review. Avoid burdensome proof that creates more exclusion than the fee itself. Track waiver use without exposing it to jurors.

Communicate the full price

State the base fee, included entries, additional-entry price, refundable or nonrefundable status, payment methods, taxes if applicable, waiver path, and what happens after a technical failure. Show the amount before checkout and repeat it in the receipt.

Pre-checkout confirmation is implemented in controlled rollout, so access to an additional final confirmation step can vary by organization. Even without it, staff should test the published call as an artist and verify every visible price and policy.

Revisit the fee after each call using actual volume, waiver requests, staff hours, payment failures, and applicant feedback. Avoid unsourced claims about what “most” shows charge; peer data is useful only when region, program type, prizes, and included entries are comparable.