Submission Preflight (artbull-submission)
The last check before e-mailing the submission to the.art.bulletin@collegeart.org (or via a
large-file transfer service). The Art Bulletin is double-blind and accepts Microsoft Word
only — no PDFs, because PDFs cannot be anonymized for review. The most common avoidable failures are
broken anonymity, a PDF submission, and an over-length manuscript. Verify volatile specifics on the
official page first.
When to trigger
- "Submitting this week" — last pass before sending the files
- Confirming the file set, caps, and anonymization
- Checking that permissions are at least underway (see
artbull-images-and-permissions)
Process facts (verify volatile items on the official page)
- Owner / publisher: College Art Association (CAA) / Taylor & Francis (Routledge).
- Submission: electronic only — e-mail (
the.art.bulletin@collegeart.org) or large-file
transfer; Microsoft Word, not PDF.
- Review model: double-blind — strip all author-identifying information from text and notes.
- Article length: up to 16,000 words including endnotes (待核实; confirm current cap).
- Abstract: no more than 100 words; biographical statement ≤ 50 words on the cover sheet.
- Illustrations: maximum 20 images with captions in a single Word file ≤ 10 MB at
submission; high-resolution files supplied promptly on acceptance.
- Style: The Chicago Manual of Style, endnotes (CMOS ch. 14); 12-pt, double-spaced.
- Permissions: the author secures and pays for reproduction rights and photography (fair use
per the CAA code).
- Fee: no submission fee stated; optional open-access APC under T&F Open Select after
acceptance (confirmed as the model 2026-06-22; the APC amount is set by Taylor & Francis — check the
live T&F page if choosing open access).
Preflight checklist
Files (separate Word files)
Anonymity (double-blind)
Length, style & images
Anti-patterns
- Submitting a PDF (cannot be anonymized — breaks the process)
- Leaving author identifiers in text, notes, or file metadata
- Over 16,000 words once endnotes are counted; abstract over 100 words
- More than 20 illustrations or an illustration file over 10 MB
- Treating permissions as a post-acceptance problem only
Desk-reject and return-without-review triggers at this venue
The College Art Association's quarterly can return a manuscript before review when the form makes
review impossible or the fit is wrong.
| Trigger |
Why it stops the paper here |
Preflight fix |
| Submitted as PDF |
A PDF cannot be anonymized for double-blind review |
Submit Microsoft Word only |
| Author identifiers / metadata |
Names, "as I argued in…," or document properties reveal the author |
Strip from text, notes, and properties pane |
| Over length |
Endnotes counted push the manuscript past the cap |
Trim apparatus; recount with endnotes included |
Worked vignette: the preflight that caught three silent failures
Suppose an author is ready to e-mail an article on a Baroque ceiling program. The preflight finds three
problems invisible in a casual read. The document properties still carry the author's name from a
re-save — a metadata leak that would breach the double-blind process. The word count "passed" only
because the author forgot the endnotes, whose dense apparatus pushes the total over the long-form
cap. And the illustrations were spread across two Word files, not the single file the office expects,
with one over the size limit. None of these touches the argument, yet all three could trigger a return
without review; the author clears the metadata, recounts and trims the notes, and consolidates the
plates into one file.
Calibration anchor (hedge where uncertain)
- The most common avoidable failures here are a PDF submission, broken anonymity (text, notes, or
metadata), and an over-length manuscript once endnotes are counted — verify every volatile cap on the
journal's current submission guidelines, and stage the author-funded high-resolution images for
acceptance.
Output format
【Files】manuscript · abstract · illustrations · captions · cover sheet — all Word? [Y/N]
【Anonymized】text + notes + metadata clean; Word not PDF? [Y/N]
【Length】words incl. endnotes ≤ 16,000? abstract ≤ 100? bio ≤ 50? [Y/N]
【Illustrations】≤ 20 images, file ≤ 10 MB? [Y/N]
【Style】Chicago endnotes + captions/credit lines? [Y/N]
【Permissions】secured/underway + high-res plan? [Y/N]
【Next】await decision → artbull-revision-and-response on R&R
Supplementary resources
1---2name: artbull-submission3description: Use when running the final pre-submission preflight for The Art Bulletin — double-blind anonymization, the required Word files (manuscript, abstract, illustrations, captions, cover sheet), word/abstract/illustration caps, Chicago formatting, and the permissions status. Final checks; it does not draft content.4---56# Submission Preflight (artbull-submission)78The last check before e-mailing the submission to **the.art.bulletin@collegeart.org** (or via a9large-file transfer service). The Art Bulletin is **double-blind** and accepts **Microsoft Word10only** — no PDFs, because PDFs cannot be anonymized for review. The most common avoidable failures are11broken anonymity, a PDF submission, and an over-length manuscript. Verify volatile specifics on the12official page first.1314## When to trigger1516- "Submitting this week" — last pass before sending the files17- Confirming the file set, caps, and anonymization18- Checking that permissions are at least underway (see `artbull-images-and-permissions`)1920## Process facts (verify volatile items on the official page)2122- **Owner / publisher:** College Art Association (CAA) / Taylor & Francis (Routledge).23- **Submission:** electronic only — **e-mail** (`the.art.bulletin@collegeart.org`) or **large-file24 transfer**; **Microsoft Word, not PDF**.25- **Review model:** **double-blind** — strip all author-identifying information from text and notes.26- **Article length:** **up to 16,000 words including endnotes** (待核实; confirm current cap).27- **Abstract:** **no more than 100 words**; **biographical statement ≤ 50 words** on the cover sheet.28- **Illustrations:** **maximum 20 images** with captions in a **single Word file ≤ 10 MB** at29 submission; **high-resolution files supplied promptly on acceptance**.30- **Style:** **The Chicago Manual of Style**, **endnotes** (CMOS ch. 14); 12-pt, double-spaced.31- **Permissions:** the **author** secures and pays for reproduction rights and photography (fair use32 per the CAA code).33- **Fee:** no submission fee stated; optional open-access **APC** under T&F Open Select after34 acceptance (confirmed as the model 2026-06-22; the APC amount is set by Taylor & Francis — check the35 live T&F page if choosing open access).3637## Preflight checklist3839### Files (separate Word files)40- [ ] Manuscript (Word, 12-pt, double-spaced, **endnotes**)41- [ ] Abstract (**≤ 100 words**)42- [ ] Illustrations file (single Word file **≤ 10 MB**, **≤ 20 images** with captions)43- [ ] Separate captions/list-of-illustrations file44- [ ] Cover sheet (author, **≤ 50-word bio**, contact, **word count**)4546### Anonymity (double-blind)47- [ ] No author name/affiliation/acknowledgments in manuscript or notes48- [ ] Self-citations neutralized (no "as I argued in…")49- [ ] **Submitted as Word, not PDF** (so the office can anonymize)50- [ ] Identifying **file metadata stripped** (document properties)5152### Length, style & images53- [ ] Article ≤ ~16,000 words **including endnotes**54- [ ] Chicago notes/endnotes; "Figure n" references consistent; full credit-line captions55- [ ] Permissions secured or clearly underway; high-res image plan ready for acceptance5657## Anti-patterns5859- Submitting a **PDF** (cannot be anonymized — breaks the process)60- Leaving author identifiers in text, notes, or file metadata61- Over 16,000 words once endnotes are counted; abstract over 100 words62- More than 20 illustrations or an illustration file over 10 MB63- Treating permissions as a post-acceptance problem only6465## Desk-reject and return-without-review triggers at this venue6667The College Art Association's quarterly can return a manuscript before review when the form makes68review impossible or the fit is wrong.6970| Trigger | Why it stops the paper here | Preflight fix |71|---|---|---|72| Submitted as PDF | A PDF cannot be anonymized for double-blind review | Submit Microsoft Word only |73| Author identifiers / metadata | Names, "as I argued in…," or document properties reveal the author | Strip from text, notes, and properties pane |74| Over length | Endnotes counted push the manuscript past the cap | Trim apparatus; recount with endnotes included |7576## Worked vignette: the preflight that caught three silent failures7778Suppose an author is ready to e-mail an article on a Baroque ceiling program. The preflight finds three79problems invisible in a casual read. The **document properties** still carry the author's name from a80re-save — a metadata leak that would breach the double-blind process. The word count "passed" only81because the author forgot the **endnotes**, whose dense apparatus pushes the total over the long-form82cap. And the illustrations were spread across two Word files, not the single file the office expects,83with one over the size limit. None of these touches the argument, yet all three could trigger a return84without review; the author clears the metadata, recounts and trims the notes, and consolidates the85plates into one file.8687## Calibration anchor (hedge where uncertain)8889- The most common avoidable failures here are a PDF submission, broken anonymity (text, notes, or90 metadata), and an over-length manuscript once endnotes are counted — verify every volatile cap on the91 journal's current submission guidelines, and stage the author-funded high-resolution images for92 acceptance.9394## Output format9596```97【Files】manuscript · abstract · illustrations · captions · cover sheet — all Word? [Y/N]98【Anonymized】text + notes + metadata clean; Word not PDF? [Y/N]99【Length】words incl. endnotes ≤ 16,000? abstract ≤ 100? bio ≤ 50? [Y/N]100【Illustrations】≤ 20 images, file ≤ 10 MB? [Y/N]101【Style】Chicago endnotes + captions/credit lines? [Y/N]102【Permissions】secured/underway + high-res plan? [Y/N]103【Next】await decision → artbull-revision-and-response on R&R104```105106## Supplementary resources107108- [`../../resources/external_tools.md`](../../resources/external_tools.md) — anonymization, Chicago, and image-prep tooling109- [`../../resources/official-source-map.md`](../../resources/official-source-map.md) — official Art Bulletin / CAA submission facts and 待核实 markers
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