« return to Submissions Guidelines

FACES™ Submission Guidelines

General Information

Lively, original approaches to the subject are the primary concerns of the editors of FACES in choosing material. Writers are encouraged to study recent past copies for content and style. (Sample copies are available for viewing at the Cricket Store, where you can also purchase a current issue.) Issues are also available at many local libraries. All material must relate to the theme of a specific upcoming edition in order to be considered (themes and deadlines given below). FACES purchases all rights to material.

FACES Magazine has no open calls for submission at this time. Please check back.

Lively, original approaches to the subject are the primary concerns of the editors of FACES in choosing material. Writers are encouraged to study recent past copies for content and style. (Sample copies are available for viewing at the Cricket Store, where you can also purchase a current issue.) Issues are also available at many local libraries. All material must relate to the theme of a specific upcoming edition in order to be considered (themes and deadlines given below). FACES purchases all rights to material.

Cricket Media, Inc. is committed to a diverse literary culture, and we welcome works by writers from underrepresented groups (people of color, people with disabilities, LGBTQAI+ folks, and other marginalized peoples).

Guidelines

Feature Articles

  • 700–800 words
  • Includes: in-depth nonfiction highlighting an aspect of the featured culture, interviews, and personal accounts.

Supplemental Nonfiction

  • 300–600 words
  • Includes: subjects directly and indirectly related to the theme. Editors like little-known information but encourage writers not to overlook the obvious.

Fiction

  • Up to 800 words
  • Includes: Retold legends, folktales, stories, and original plays from around the world, etc., relating to the theme.

Activities

  • Up to 700 words
  • Includes: crafts, games, recipes, projects, etc., which children can do either alone or with adult supervision. Should be accompanied by sketches and description of how activity relates to theme.

Puzzles and Games

  • (No crossword puzzles.)
  • Word puzzles using the vocabulary of the edition’s theme.
  • Mazes and picture puzzles that relate to the theme.

Procedure

In order for your idea to be considered, a query must accompany each individual idea (multiple queries can be submitted at the same time) and must include the following:

  • A brief cover letter stating the subject and word length of the proposed article.
  • A detailed one-page outline explaining the information to be presented in the article.
  • An extensive bibliography of materials the author intends to use in preparing the article.

Authors are urged to use primary resources and up-to-date scholarly resources in their bibliography. Writers new to FACES should send a writing sample with the query. If you would like to know whether your query has been received, please indicate in your subject line with “RESPONSE REQUESTED.” In all correspondence, please include your complete address as well as an email address and telephone number where you can be reached. Authors are requested to supply a 2- to 3-line biographical sketch.

A writer may send as many queries for one edition as he or she wishes, but each query must have a separate cover letter, outline, and bibliography.

Please do not send unsolicited manuscripts. Queries only!

Note: Queries may be submitted at any time, but queries sent well in advance of deadline MAY NOT BE ANSWERED FOR SEVERAL MONTHS. Requests for material proposed in queries are usually sent five months prior to publication date. Due to the volume of submissions received, unused queries will not be acknowledged. Email queries to: faces@cricketmedia.com.

Art Submissions

See our submission guidelines for artists.

FACES 2024 Issue Themes (and query deadlines)

January

  • Winter: What special events are held during winter? How is winter marked around the world?
  • Query Deadline: June 5, 2023

February

  • Bears: How do different cultures perceive the bear? What kinds of bears are there around the world?
  • Queries by: July 10, 2023

March

  • Into the Forest:What makes a forest a forest? What are some of the world’s most important forests? What is the cultural significance of forests and trees?
  • Queries by: August 7, 2023

April

  • Mythical Sea Creatures: What myths and legends are there about sea creatures? Are mermaids real?
  • Queries by: September 11, 2023

May/June

  • France: What are the people of France like? What are the country’s famous landmarks? How has it prepared for the Summer Olympics?
  • Queries by: October 10, 2023

July/August

  • A Monumental Issue: famous monuments and structures around the world
  • Queries by: December 18, 2023

September

  • Great Cities of the World: Rome
  • Queries by: January 16, 2024

October

  • Soccer
  • Queries by: February 19, 2024

November/December

  • Polar Regions
  • Queries by: March 11, 2024