International Fiction by Muslim Authors

My blog stats tell me that many people come to this blog because they are seeking a list of Muslim writers. Here is one list you might find useful. There is, however, a distinction between Muslim-authored fiction and fiction with Islamic themes. I have not read most of the books on the above list, but I am almost sure that many of them are culturally oriented and do not seek to educate the reader about Islam or promote correct Islamic teachings. This is something that Sister Widad talks about frequently. Besides starting a publishing business dedicated to Islamic fiction, Sis Widad also created a database of contemporary authors who are writing religiously oriented Islamic fiction. If you're not sure what the distinction is, you'll probably be interested in Sis Widad's most recent blog post:

Why is Islamic Fiction Different from Other Fiction Written by Muslims?

All of this does not mean that there is no value in "cultural" fiction written by Muslims. It is just important to understand the difference and read with a discerning eye. Generally, if you are looking for religiously oriented work, then you should browse the websites of Muslim publishers or mega-retailers like IslamicBookstore.com, which, by the way, recently added a section for Fiction with Muslim Themes to its website. I also noticed there is a section for Muslim Fiction at Online-Islamic-Store.com.

P.S. I just came across this excellent analysis of Muslim fiction written by Umm Zaid. You'll definitely want to read her article if this is an issue that interests you.

Call for Submissions: Halal 2

About a year ago, I mentioned that Linda D. Delgado (Sis Widad) was putting together a second volume of her popular cookbook: Halal Food, Fun and Laughter. Although the deadline for submissions was originally August 2007 and then extended to September, it turns out that Sister Widad is still working on the book and accepting submissions in a variety of categories. Details are here (in the original announcement). The proceeds from this book will go to charity. Also, Sis Widad has decided to focus on healthy eating and provide more vegetarian recipes in Halal 2.

In other news, Sister Widad has started a new discussion group dedicated to Islamic fiction. I am also happy to announce that a fundraising initiative by HalfDate.com raised more than $1200 for Sister Widad to pay for the design of five teacher-study guides that will, insha'Allah, be of significant benefit Muslim teachers and children.

New Blogs for Writers

Sister Widad has started two new blogs of interest to Muslim writers. Check them out:

http://islamicfictionbooks.blogspot.com/

http://islamicfictionbooks.wordpress.com/

Hot Off the Presses: Sophia's Journal

The following is a press release I acquired from Muslim Writers Publishing:

(For the record, this sounds like an amazing book).

I am a little late posting this, so you will have to check with the publisher on the price.

Muslim Writers Publishing is happy to announce the forthcoming publishing of Sister/IWA member Najiyah Helwani's new book, Sophia's Journal: Time Warp 1857... an historical sci-fi book written especially for older youth and teens. A good read for adults too... perfect as a supplemental book for any school's American History course! This exciting Islamic Fition book for Teens will be released and available within the next three weeks!

Book Details:

During a bike ride with her family near Lawrence, Kansas, Sophia Ahmad falls into a river and is washed downstream. She emerges in 1857 – smack in the middle of Bleeding Kansas

Sophia is an American Muslim teenager who's intelligent, feisty, and determined, yet also a bit of a germophobe, among other anxieties. A high school sophomore, Sophia is on the verge of
getting her driver's permit and embarking on a summer of mall visits and evenings at Caf? Rumi with her friends when she suddenly finds herself living in the past.

Just as Sophia is beginning to adjust to her new surroundings, she is aghast to find that slavery is being practiced in her adopted community. She and her adopted sister Abby set about fighting for the freedom of the slaves they know.

Along the way a local boy captures Sophia's heart, but when he proposes marriage she is torn about marrying outside her faith. Sophia turns to an old Gambian slave who is still a closet Muslim. He helps her work out her fears, and this causes an exciting, dangerous and unexpected turn of events, in which Sophia learns that the best cure for worrying about oneself is taking care of others.

Author Najiyah Diana Helwani's love of her American roots blends beautifully with her Islamic faith, and readers will be delighted to discover that the two are not mutually exclusive. Raised on the windswept prairies of central Kansas, Helwani's connection to and research of frontier life manifest in an interesting and realistic setting for Sophia's adventure. The book includes a glossary and several unique recipes that are specific to its period in history.

Author Bio:

Najiyah Diana Helwani is a teacher and freelance writer whose published credits include poetry and magazine & newspaper articles. Sophia's Journey: Time Warp 1857 is her first Islamic Fiction novel, and the first novel to bear the Islamic Fiction emblem. Najiyah currently teaches English and writing in Damascus, Syria, where she lives with her husband and six children. When she is in the USA she conducts workshops on Islam and the history of United States'
relations with the Middle East.

List price $10.95

Ordering:

Contact Sister Najiyah's publisher at woodad@mindspring.com
Provide your Mailing name and address and number of copies you
want to order! http://www.muslimwriterspublishing.com/

Shipping anywhere in the USA $3.00
Shipping outside the USA: The publisher will advise you of the
shipping cost on reciept of your order.

After this Pre Publication Sale, Sophia's Journal: Time Warp 1857,
will be available to order from IslamicBookstore.com and Amazon.com..

Order now to get your copy of Sophia's Journal: Time Warp 1867

Book Fairs at Islamic Schools

Have you ever thought of doing a book fair at your local Islamic school? What about a creative writing contest?

Linda D. Delgado (Sister Widad) of Muslim Writers Publishing gives you the tools and incentives to take on these projects.

Read more here.

Note: Muslim Writers Publishing will donate $100 worth of books to your school library if your fundraising efforts reach a minimum of $400.

IslamicFictionBooks.Com Launched

Linda D. Delgado (Sis Widad) has started another exciting project for Muslim authors. This time it is a website dedicated to Muslim fiction: IslamicFictionBooks.com. On the site, Widad lists a number of books in the genre of Muslim fiction and includes the bios of authors who write Muslim fiction. She defines "Islamic fiction" and shows how it is different from fiction simply authored by Muslims. She also provides a set of emblems that she encourages authors, retailers, and publishers to use on their books, websites, and promotional materials. If you are an author of Muslim fiction, make sure you contact Sis Widad so she can add you to the database.

Deadline Extended

The submissions deadline for Widad's Cookbook has been extended to September 30, 2007!

Call for Submissions: Recipes, Poems and Short Stories

Back in 2002, Linda D. Delgado (Sis Widad) began collecting recipes from friends around the world as well as original short stories, poems, and scriptural references to food. The result was Halal Food, Fun and Laughter, a delightful cookbook that was published early last year.

Sis Widad is compiling a second volume for charity, and she needs new submissions of recipes, short stories, and poetry. This is what she told me she is looking for:

Recipes: original, never been published before. List ingredients and method for making the recipe. If any unusual ingredient is used (something native to their country), please explain below the recipe in a footnote and suggest something similiar that could be used.

Funny food short stories: a funny story that is about eating or preparing food. We all have such cute stories we can think of when cooking with our kids or making a big goof when trying a recipe! Maximum of 500 words. I will edit for spelling and punctuation but won't change the written story.

Funny food poetry: light-hearted poetry about food. A maximum of 32 lines. Any style acceptable.

Contributor Info: The contributor should include their name/city/state and/or country. If they have a website and/or blog, they can include this. This informationwill be included in the book crediting their contribution.

Deadline: August 15th is the deadline for submissions. I will respond to each contributor and advise if I have chosen his/her work for inclusion.

Contributions to the volume are volunteer submissions, and all profits will go to a Muslim food bank. Contributors will receive a volume of the book their work is published in. Send all submissions and queries directly to Sis Widad.

Gaining Name Recognition

As Sis. Widad mentions in A Muslim's Guide to Publishing and Marketing, gaining name recognition is a vital part of marketing your book successfully. One way to do this is to write articles for magazines and web sites, especially those that allow you to mention your book or link back to your web site at the end of the article.

I have listed a number of Muslim magazines, web sites and newspapers here. This is certainly a good place to get started with your marketing efforts.

In addition, there are numerous web sites that allow you to post articles on various topics. For the most part, these are non-paying markets, and there are many of them. When submitting to these web sites, always consider the quality of the web site and what your name will be associated with. Also realize that some web sites are there for the sake of dawah, while others are businesses and have the goal of drawing more traffic to their sites through your articles. There is nothing inherently "wrong" with the second model, but do make sure that you are not inadvertently giving away rights to your article - and always make sure that your by-line is there, preferrably with a 2-4 sentence bio. at the end that helps you with your marketing goals. Also make sure that your articles are not being sold or compiled into an e-book (unless you are okay with that).

Every now and then, I will list some sites that accept article submissions. Here are five for now:

Hilal Plaza
General articles on Islam, culture, and Middle East affairs.
Businss-oriented.
No payment.
Guidelines for Writers

Islam For Today
Conversion stories are particularly welcome.
Dawah-oriented.
No payment.
Guidelines for Writers

IslamWay
General articles on Islam.
Dawah-oriented.
No payment.
Submit Articles Here

IslamWay Sisters
Articles of interest to Muslim women.
Dawah-oriented.
No payment.
Submit Articles Here

Muslims Internet Directory
Accepts articles and e-books on various Islamic topics.
Business-oriented.
No payment.
Submit Articles Here

A Muslim’s Guide to Publishing and Marketing

I have mentioned A Muslim’s Guide to Publishing and Marketing on this blog before. The author, Linda D. Delgado (known to many as Sis. Widad), is an expert on the Muslim book industry as well as kind and helpful. She has personally answered many of my own questions on publishing and been a great source of support and guidance for members of the Islamic Writers Alliance, which she founded in 2004.

Sis. Widad wrote this book to help Muslim writers sort out the maze of information out there on getting a book published. In detail, she outlines the options available to writers and further explains the inner-workings of the Muslim publishing industry, which operates by different rules than you will find in the world of secular publishing.

Since I am currently reading Widad’s book myself, I will, over the next several months, be sharing some gems of wisdom from its pages. I hope you’ll join me by purchasing your own copy of the book (click on the Amazon link above) and contributing to the discussions after each post in the blog.