Humble Pie: Fall 2025 / Spring 2026
Ends on
Call for Submissions for Volume 23
Fall 2025
California College of the Arts' literary and art journal Humble Pie is currently accepting submissions for its 23rd volume.
Published by the Writing & Literature Program at CCA, our anthology Humble Pie is embedded in the belief that self-expression is critical to sustaining a vibrant community. Our mission is to advance the development of poets, writers, and artists, to promote unity within the literary community, and to help build an environment in which literature and the arts can thrive. We encourage multilingual submissions from our global campus.
For Volume 23, we have selected the theme: Arrivals and Departures. We kindly ask for submissions that relate to the theme. That being said, we encourage a wide variety of interpretations and applications of this theme within the submitted art pieces.
This year we will have two separate volumes, one per semester. During fall 2025 we will be introducing our re-imagined online edition of the journal. Submissions for this new digital version of the journal will open on October 10th, 2025. The due date to submit is October 31st, 2025, at 11:59 pm PST.
Please read the following general guidelines before submitting.
You must be a current or former affiliate with California College of the Arts, as students, faculty, or staff. The context of your connection (how and when) should be evident in your biography. You can submit work in multiple categories or genres. Please provide separate uploads for each piece since they will be evaluated individually by our editors.
Submit unpublished work only. We will make an exception if you originally self-published on a platform like Instagram or on a personal website or blog. We will also make an exception if you can easily confirm/verify our right to reprint work that has been published elsewhere.
Simultaneous submissions are OK, but please notify us immediately if you need to withdraw your submission because it is accepted elsewhere.
Submissions are free.
The editorial board will announce decisions and notify artists/writers by mid to late November 2025. If we need clarification about a submission, however, we may contact you prior to this date.
GUIDELINES BY GENRE
Prose Submissions
- Submit up to 3 (three) separate works, must be PDF format
- Upload them as separate files since each submission will be evaluated separately
- Each document should be formatted with 12 point font and 1.5 line spacing
- The maximum word count is 3000 words per work, roughly 9-11 pages
- Written works may include but are not limited to: flash fiction, short stories, personal essays, op-eds, letters, journal entries, and hybrid forms. Translation is welcome so long as the translation is the writer’s own work and the source is credited
Poetry Submissions
- Submit up to 5 (five) separate works, must be PDF format
- Upload them as separate files since each submission will be evaluated separately ● Each document should be formatted with 12 point font and 1.5 line spacing
- The maximum word count is 3000 words total across all submitted works
- Translation is welcome so long as the translation is the writer’s own work and the source is credited
Visual Art and Graphic Narrative Submissions
- Submit up to 5 (five) separate works in 300 dpi (print resolution), must use RGB
- Upload them as separate files since each work will be evaluated separately
- Graphic/visual narratives spanning more than one page should be uploaded as a print/press resolution 8.5" x 11" PDF (limited to five sequential pages per uploaded title/work)
- Artworks may include but are not limited to: painting, drawing, illustration, photographs, film stills, design work, fiber/textile arts (as photographs/scans), collage, sculpture (as photographs), ceramics (as photographs), graphic novel/comic book excerpts/panels, and hybrid forms (surprise us!)
Multimedia Submissions
- Submit up to 3 (three) separate works in an approved video or audio file format, such as: .MOV, .WAV, or .MP4
- Upload them as separate files since each work will be evaluated separately
- Video or audio submissions must fall under a 5 (five) minute time limit
- There are no strict requirements for video resolution and audio quality, since they can be utilized for artistic interpretation and expression
ADDITIONAL UPLOADS AND CONSIDERATIONS
Biography
- Provide a biography of up to 100 words, written in the third person, when filling out the Submittable form
- In your biography:
- List your affiliation with CCA (as a current/former student, faculty, or staff) ○ List your year(s) of affiliation with CCA (if past)
- List your Degree and Major/Emphasis (if a student)
- Some interesting biographical details (about your upbringing, creativity, career, or passions) are strongly encouraged
- Social Media Handle (Instagram and/or Substack)
Pseudonyms
- Pseudonyms (pen names) are permitted
- If you wish to use a pseudonym, inform us and we will help protect your identity
- Biographical information must accurately represent the author’s true identity (in Essence, the only factual “substitute” allowed is the author’s name itself)
- Make sure your pen name isn’t the real name of an actual person affiliated with CCA or a public, literary, artistic, or historical figure
Multilingual Accessibility
- Our staff is fluent in English
- To submit writing in any other language, include an English-language translation with your submission, with a footnote indicating whether you would want the translation included (alongside the original) in the final publication
Compensation
- Because this edition of Humble Pie is digitally formatted, there is no formal compensation in the shape of a physical copy
Writing Help For CCA Students
- For help with written submissions, including your biography, visit the Learning Resources Center (in person or online) at CCA
- LRC coaches can help you brainstorm, compose, and communicate your vision to improve your submission, yet they don’t copy-edit your writing
- The LRC is located on the 2nd floor of the Main Building in room 206 (near the Materials Library)
- To book an in-person or online appointment at the LRC visit the following website: https://portal.cca.edu/learning/learning-resources/make-appointment-coach-ACADEMIC/
Questions
- Please contact us at humblepie@cca.edu
We look forward to hearing from you and seeing your contributions.
The Humble Pie Editorial Staff
Volume 23
Fall 2025