As-salamu Alaykum (peace be upon you), Dear Readers...

NEW for September 18, 2016:

This blog has MOVED to the Muslim Writers Club, a new website dedicated to all of your writing needs.

Here are some of the pages you will find on the new site:

Jobs and Internships for Muslim Writers – Check out the latest opportunities.

Freelance Markets for Muslim Writers – A list of magazines, newspapers, and websites that want to work with YOU, insha'Allah. Includes many paying markets.

Book Publishers of Interest to Muslim Writers – Have you written a book? Start your search for a publisher here.

Contests & Events for Muslim Writers - Competitions, courses, webinars, and more. Don't miss the fun!

Writing Activities for Muslim Children – Coming Soon!

Q&A Page - Get your questions about the art (and business) of writing answered.

Articles and Other Resources – Even more resources for Muslim writers.

Hope to see you at the new site, Insha'Allah!


Sunday, April 10, 2011

Q&A: Lack of Funds for Publishing

Question (submitted via e-mail):

I am writing a book about Islam and mental health. I do not have enough money to get it published. Insha'Allah you can help me in this regard.

Answer: 

As-salamu Alaykum (peace be upon you), and thank you for your letter.

It is a pretty common misconception that you need money in order to get a book published. In fact, assuming that you will attempt to have your book "traditionally" published, that's not the way it works at all. A traditional publisher will pay you for the privilege of publishing your work...not the other way around! A traditional publisher will also typically bear the expenses of editing, formatting, illustrating, printing and marketing your book.

If, on the other hand, you are planning to "self-publish," you will be the one responsible for all of the above. There is also "subsidy" or "vanity" publishing, which is generally very expensive and undesirable for many reasons.

Mental health is a hot topic among Muslim readers, so, provided that you have written an interesting, well-researched book, you will probably be able to find a traditional publisher to publish your work, especially if you have specialized credentials in the field you are writing about.

To get started, please see this list of traditional Muslim publishers and submission guidelines.

Also read: Traditional Publishing versus Self-Publishing

And: Finding a Publisher for my Novel

Although the last resource listed above deals specifically with novels, much of the advice about scams and money also applies to works of non-fiction. The most important thing is to understand how the whole process works before signing a contract or getting involved with any specific publisher (traditional or otherwise).

Sincerely,
Amel S. Abdullah

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This blog is maintained by Amel Abdullah, a freelance writer, editor, and Arabic to English translator.