Muslimette: A New Paying Market

Muslimette is a new on-line magazine of interest to Muslim women.

According to the website:

Muslimette Magazine focuses on Muslim women living in a western world with Islam as their guide. In the magazine, you’ll find fun articles about fashion and beauty, inspiring stories about real Muslim women, tips about single and married life, and much more!

Writers will be happy to know that Muslimette is a paying market and is seeking article writers, bloggers, photographers, researchers, and more. Basic guidelines can be found here. In addition, Sr. Kima, the editor of Muslimette, has provided me with the following detailed information to publish here:

ABOUT MUSLIMETTE:
Muslimette is a new bimonthly on-line magazine for smart, young Muslim women who are in touch with the Western world and who live their lives with Islam as their guide. Muslimette wants to be a fun but wise best friend to these women - inspiring them to be proud of who they are and to be the best Muslims they can be.

(Information about circulation removed at the request of the publisher).

MAIN TOPICS:
Fashion, Beauty, Love, Faith, Life, and Health.

ARTICLE SUBMISSIONS:
We are looking for honest, intriguing, and surprising real-life stories and personal essays about Muslim women in their 20s and 30s (give/take a few years). The stories can be about Muslim women who live anywhere in the world, but they should still be relatable and relevant to the lives and concerns of our reader.

We are also looking for tips, lists, and opinion articles that advise and inform the reader on various aspects of her life, from relationships (no topic is taboo as long as it is handled with class and with the Qur'an in mind), life, faith, work, money, and contemporary events. -- Anything that affects our reader or that will leave her feeling informed, inspired, and/or amused. Please include quotes and anecdotes with these types of articles.

PICTURES:
We would prefer that you submit pictures with your articles, but if that's not possible, we will find alternatives.

THE TONE/STYLE:
Please have a look at Glamour and Marie Claire for an idea of what our style will be like. Muslimette is like a Muslim version of those magazines - minus all the talk about celebs and one-night-stands.

We would like to feature stories similar to those that are published in the magazines above, but with a Muslimah spin on them.

PAY:
Rates of pay have been removed at request of the publisher. Contact the publisher for current rates.

PAYMENT SCHEDULE:
On publication.

RIGHTS:
First Web/Internet Rights. Reprints may be accepted depending on where and when they were previously published.

ISSUES/SPECIALS:
Nov/Dec 2009 - Eid Al-Adha/General
Jan/Feb 2010 - New Year/General
Mar/Apr 2010 - General
May/Jun 2010 - Weddings/Marriage/ General
Jul/Aug 2010 - General
Sept/Oct 2010 - Breast Cancer Awareness/General

SUBMIT TO:
Please submit summaries of story ideas (with projected word count), a few lines about your writing experience and if possible, previously published writing samples to muslimette@yahoo.com

A special thanks to Sr. Kima, and best wishes to all who submit their work to this new on-line publication.

Business Writers Needed in Egypt

This ad is seeking Cairo-based business writers and journalists.

Compensation: $1000 per month + transportation + bonus + mobile allowance + medical insurance

Videojournalist Needed for Syrian Documentary

The author of this ad is in need of a videojournalist to travel to Syria to conduct and film some interviews with local Syrian artists. Pay for the chosen candidate includes airfare, expenses and a daily stipend.

Read the whole ad here.

Islam and Science Fiction

Ahmed K. Khan, science fiction writer and co-editor of A Mosque Among the Stars, defines Islamic Science Fiction in an article published on IslamOnline.net. You can read two of Br. Ahmed's stories here:

The Pre-sonic Man

The Maker Myth

If you are a science fiction writer, you will probably be interested in the Islam and Science Fiction Website.

You can also submit Islamic sci-fi stories for publication on IslamOnline.net by following these guidelines.

Women and Islam Research & Writing Interns

WISE, the Women’s Islamic Initiative in Spirituality and Equality, is seeking research and writing interns to work on creating content for their web portal. Areas of focus include, but not limited to: Muslim women leaders past and present; contemporary Muslim women artists from all over the world; Muslim women’s activism past and present; women hadith scholars, jurists, mufftiyahs; historical and contemporary case studies of Muslim women creating positive social change in their communities; current issues (i.e. FGC, domestic violence, religious and political authority, marriage and divorce, etc.) affecting Muslim women worldwide; grassroots organizations and campaigns working on these issues.

This is an unpaid internship opportunity.

Click here for more information.

World Religion Expert Needed

A company based in New York is currently seeking expert(s) in world religions to help research and verify sacred text content.

The prospective candidates must have a degree in religious studies or proof of their expertise in the specific field.

Looking for expert(s) in Islam and other religions.

Pay starts at $15 per hour. See this ad for more details.

Eid Mubarak!

Eid Mubarak to all blog visitors. Unfortunately, I was not able to update the blog during the month of Ramadan. Now that one of my regular clients is a news agency, I had daily deadlines to meet each day of the month and was quite busy. In some parts of the Muslim world, newspapers close down for the Eid and slow down considerably during the month of Ramadan. The fact is, however, that the news does not stop just because a segment of the population is fasting, tired, or otherwise busy - and the world in general keeps on moving. If you are working for non-Muslim clients, they might not be aware of just how tired you are, but you still need to do your best work. What field do you work in, and was your productivity affected in Ramadan? Did you adjust your schedule accordingly? Share in the comments section below!

7 Halal Writitng Opportunities for August 15, 2009

Today's List of Writing Opportunities:

Copyeditor for BlackDoctor.org

ESL expert to write "Survival English" lessons

Senior Science Editor for Grades 9-12 ($60,000-$75,000 per year)

Science copyeditor

Writer for health communications firm

Writer for national technology magazine

Writer with experience in technical writing for publisher of educational materials

Not sure what is meant by halal?

See: Standards Used to Determine Halal Writing Opportunities

An Unfortunate Trend

When Sr. Serene of damazine left me a comment to let me know that two magazines on this blog's comprehensive list of Islamic publications were no longer publishing, I thought I'd better do some housecleaning and remove any outdated information. Though Sr. Serene only mentioned two publications, I ended up removing ten and placing them in a separate "No Longer Publishing" category. I was particularly surprised about Muslim Girl and Islamica, two glossy magazines that have been sold in mainstream bookstores and had wide appeal. I am also not finished going through the links and suspect there will be a few more additions to this category by the time I am done.

Having been the managing editor of one of the magazines on the list (Our Rising Star), I can tell you that running a magazine is expensive...more expensive than one might imagine. By far, the biggest expense is printing and mailing. It can also be quite costly to have the magazine professionally designed. Many of the publications that are still printing are newspapers (the paper is cheaper) or websites (no printing costs), are printed outside the U.S. (cheaper printing costs), or have solid funding. Others do not print regularly and only print when enough funds are collected. Naturally, this makes subscribers upset and often contributes to the demise of the publication.

I always feel sad when I see an Islamic publication stop printing. Yes, it's true that there is an abundance of Islamic information on the Internet, but magazines reach different segments of the population and have special value.

Writer Familiar with the Persian Culture

This ad is seeking a writer familiar with the Persian culture to write the story of a Muslim woman who goes through many trials after immigrating to the U.S. Unfortunately, I do not know if it is an inspirational story that will show the woman returning to faith, or if it will take an entirely different slant. If you find out, please post a comment and let us know.

Arabic Editor Needed

A N.Y.-based bilingual Arab American community newspaper seeks a freelance Arabic editor.

Click here to learn more about this job.

Blogging Ramadan Competition at IOL

The Art & Culture page of IslamOnline.net is hosting a "Blogging Ramadan" competition.

To enter, you should write one blog post having the theme "What Ramadan Means to Me."

Deadline: September 5, 2009

Click here to learn more about the competition.

Moroccan Recipes at About.com and other Info.

Back in September 2007, I mentioned that About.com was in search of guides to various topics, including Moroccan Food and others like Middle East Issues and Arabic Language. This is considered one of the better paying content sites on the Internet as guides receive a monthly stipend of $675 per month for their first two years. Although this is down from $725 (the rate offered back in September 2007), About.com says that:

In addition to a base payment (guaranteed to be $675 per month for Guides in their first two years, with a minimum of $500 per month afterwards), About.com pays Guides by measuring page view growth (month-over-month for Guides in their first year, and year-over-year every year after) with payment incentives for pageview growth. If your page views grow, you will never make less than $675 per month.

And:

On average, a Guide in his or her first two years will make $1,000 a month. The average Guide compensation is around $2,000 a month, and we have Guides who earn more than $100,000 a year.

In any case, I have been meaning for a long time to draw attention to the fact that Sr. Christine Benlafquih, who also writes for Suite101, became the Moroccan Food Guide at About.com. The recipes on Sr. Christine's Moroccan food site are incredibly detailed and mouth-watering. Some dishes I am thinking of trying are:

Mrouzia

Couscous Tfaya

Sardine Balls

If you think you might be interested in becoming a guide at About.com, check out the list of available topics.

Media Relations Representative for Islamic Relief

Islamic Relief is also seeking a media relations representative. According to the ad at WorkHalal.com, the purpose of the position is:

To create and implement media strategies that provide a public profile for Islamic Relief; bring attention to humanitarian causes around the world and Islamic Relief’s response efforts; and make Islamic Relief’s name be among the most commonly recognized aid organizations within media circles and the general public. This position will report to the Communications Manager.

Among other things, this position requires:

• Excellent writing, speaking and analytic skills with which to explain organization's work to media and the public.

Click here for more information about this job.

Communications Writer for Islamic Relief

According to this ad at WorkHalal.com, Islamic Relief is seeking a communications writer:

Responsibilities-
• Develop and edit content for communications materials, including but not limited to official publications (newsletters, annual reports, and brochures), reports, presentations, marketing videos, and the web.
• Collaborate with Communications Department staff on related projects
• Manage and produce website content in a timely manner.
• Determine proper writing style for each medium; select effective accompanying graphics such as photos and video footage.
• Contribute to the establishment of creative direction for projects by analyzing project objectives and providing creative recommendations which define the scope of the project.
• Manage communication projects from start to finish, developing and maintaining adequate controls and checklists for project scheduling and follow-ups, client presentation, reviews and approvals.
• Ensure that client marketing and communications needs are sharply defined and fulfilled.
• Continuously question every project to determine how it will help achieve organizational messaging and business objectives to maximize value.
• Perform other related duties as requested.
Requirements
• Three plus years of related work experience.
• Bachelor’s degree in English, Journalism, Communications, Public Relations or related field.
• Strong Command of AP Style.
• Competent in editorial principles and techniques of communicating information.
• Strong editing, summary writing, and proofreading skills.
• Fluent in the English language, including grammar, structure, punctuation and spelling.
• Ability to work on highly technical material with strong attention to detail.
• Posses strong organizational and excellent interpersonal skills.
• Proficient with Microsoft Office Suite
• Able to work independently with minimal supervision, as well as in a team environment.
• Must have a strong sense of ownership over projects and tasks, be able to identify new opportunities, and have the initiative to pursue them.
• Knowledge of Adobe InDesign, Adobe Photoshop and layout experience a plus.
• Ability to travel to Field Offices overseas to conduct interviews and compose original piece of work a plus.

Click here for more information.

Writing for Truth

I just recently stumbled upon Sr. Fatima Martin's blog, Writing for Truth. Sr. Fatima is the author of When the Mountains are Scattered as Dust, a novel that won the novel category of the Muslim Writers Awards 2008.

Although Sr. Fatima is a "slow blogger," I assure you that her posts are worth waiting for. This is definitely the blog to visit if you are interested in knowing the thought process behind writing a novel.

Summer Kids Reading Club at Light of Islam

Speaking of summer, the Light of Islam bookstore and educational center is holding a summer reading program to encourage kids to read beneficial Islamic books. Thank you, Sr. Ruth, for the great initiative!

You can read more about the program here.

Deadline Extended!

Back in May, I mentioned that the deadline for the The Islamic Foundation Writing Contest would soon be drawing to a close. I just checked the website again, however, and found that the deadline has been extended to December 31, 2009! This is great news for people interested in entering this exciting competition, which has a little something for everyone, even illustrators.

Another good thing about the competition is that it is open to people of all ages, children and teenagers included.

Star Writers

If you're looking for something to do with the kids this summer, it seems like this would make a great family project. You might even start by introducing them to Star Writers, by Sister Amatullah Al-Marwani. Star Writers is a wonderful workbook for Muslim children that introduces them to the world of writing creative stories with Islamic themes. Although it is for children, I, too, am benefiting from the book and learning how to write more creatively.

In any case, check out the guidelines for the The Islamic Foundation Writing Contest.

Manchester Muslim Writers - More Info.

Back in May, I mentioned a new group for writers in the UK: Manchester Muslim Writers. At that time, I did not know much about the group, but it turns out that the group has a website, located at www.muslimwriters.org.uk. All signs point towards this group being very supportive of Muslim writers, holding workshops and other beneficial events. If you live in the vicinity, it definitely sounds like a great resource for Muslim writers in the UK.

Interview with the Baltimore Muslim Examiner

J. Samia Mair was kind enough to interview me on her newly established blog: Baltimore Muslim Examiner. You can read the whole interview here:

Award-winning blogger Amel Abdullah shares her secrets

While you're there, check out some of the other informative articles authored by J. Samia Mair, such as:

The connection between Islam and green

Are American mosques designed for women?

Sababa! Did you know that camels have a third...

'Fortress of the Muslim' - don't leave home without it

Interview with Dr. Esam Omeish - Part I: The Candidate