Q&A: Sending Attachments to Publishers

Question (submitted via e-mail):

Asalamu alaikom warahmatullah,

I have written a small children's book of 15 pages. It has been written on my laptop in a simple word document. I want to send it to some publishers to see if they can get it published. Is it ok to send it in a word document as I have already typed it this way?

Kind regards,

A.

Answer:

As-salamu Alaykum, and congratulations for writing your book. I pray you have success with it.

Regarding your question, the answer is very simple. Find out what each publisher wants, and adhere to the guidelines for that specific publisher. This varies from publisher to publisher. Kube Publishing, for example, allows authors to submit short manuscripts as Word documents, but also wants to see a proposal. Other publishers have different guidelines and may not want you to send in a manuscript until they evaluate your idea first. 

In general, the publishers of short children's books (especially picture books) will allow you to send in a completed manuscript because the stories are so short that it does not take much time to read them. The same is not true of longer books. Do not ever make assumptions, though. It is bad manners to send an attachment to a publisher unless you've been given the green light. That is why you need to find and follow each publisher's guidelines. If they are not available on a publisher's web site, then you should write to the publisher to request them. I am almost certain that interested publishers will want to see your manuscript as a Word document and not in some other format.

Sincerely,
Amel S. Abdullah

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Do you have a question you’d like to see answered on this blog? Post it here, or send it to me via e-mail. All questions sent via e-mail will be posted anonymously (unless you request otherwise). Click here for an index of all questions answered on this blog.

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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Do you have a question you’d like to see answered on this blog? Post it here, or send it to me via e-mail. All questions sent via e-mail will be posted anonymously (unless you request otherwise). Click here for an index of all questions answered on this blog.

Arab Authors Let Down by Lack of Distribution

This is an interesting article on the state of publishing in the Arab world:

Arab authors let down by lack of distribution

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/

Q&A: Finding a Publisher for my Novel

Question: I hope that you can advise me, insha'Allah (God willing). I am working on a novel at the moment and am a bit lost as to how I should find and approach a publisher - and how I can get the book published. Who do you think would be best to contact with completed work? I tried looking on the Internet, but so many places ask for money to just read your work.

~ A sister in Islam

Answer: First of all, thank you for being the first person to ask a question on this blog. I hope more readers will send in questions and make the blog a great source of information for aspiring writers.

Although I have not personally been through the book publishing process, here are a few things I have learned through research and conversations with those more experienced.

1. The first thing to do is finish writing the novel. Agents and publishers generally want to see completed work – not ideas or work in progress, especially from first-time authors. This applies to fiction in particular. Non-fiction books don’t necessarily have to be written first.

2. Once you have finished writing the novel, make sure that it is in tip-top shape before trying to get it published. Revise it as many times as necessary to make sure that it is logical, well-written, and free from grammatical errors and typos. Some authors test their work with beta readers who offer feedback and criticism. Some also hire editors to help clean up the grammar and sentence structure. For some writers, the process of revision can be lengthy, but it should not be rushed. When you submit your work to an agent or publisher, you want to make sure you are putting forth the best that you have. Writing is a competitive business, and your manuscript must stand out among the others. Even if you need help with issues related to grammar, beware of sinking too much money into editorial services. This can get expensive fast. Writing is your craft, so take the time to learn and polish on your own. These days, there are many on-line critique groups that can help point out weaknesses in your writing. Make use of these free services – they are there to help you.

3. You did not provide any information about the type of novel you are working on (historical, romance, horror, science fiction, etc.) and your target audience (women, young people, Muslims, non-Muslims, etc.) – or whether you will seek out a traditional or Muslim publisher. These factors will all influence what you should do next. If you are going the “traditional” route, you must do some research into the agents and publishers that accept your type of work. Sometimes you can query a publisher directly, and sometimes you may need to query an agent. An agent represents your work and shares it with potential publishers in exchange for a percentage of the sale. An agent should not take money to read your work. Also beware of agents and publishers who recommend specific editors and want you to pay for the service of editing. A mantra that is often repeated on-line is: Money flows towards the author, not away from the author.

4. Agents and publishers usually have guidelines on how they want you to approach them. Conventional wisdom says that you should obtain and follow these guidelines carefully.

5. In most cases, you will need to craft a query letter. The query letter is a brief introduction to you and your novel and follows a specific format. Work on this query as carefully as you work on your novel. It should be properly structured and free from grammatical errors. Do not send out your completed manuscript at this stage. The query letter will be enough for agents or publishers to decide if they want to see more. Some authors send out query letters in batches of five, ten, or more. It can take a very long time to receive a response from an agent or publisher. The long wait is normal. So is rejection. Send out a few queries, and see if you get any feedback. Use it to improve your query letter for the next round of agents or publishers on your list.

6. If, on the other hand, you are seeking out a Muslim publisher, the rules are different, a point that Linda (Widad) Delgado stresses in her book, A Muslim’s Guide to Publishing and Marketing. For one thing, Muslim publishing does not use agents, and business practices may vary considerably from one publisher to another.

7. In all cases, do thorough research to make sure that you do not become the victim of a scam or an unscrupulous publisher, agent, or editor. Check on the reputation of the people you deal with. Most importantly, learn about the process of book publishing before jumping into it. There are no shortcuts to this. If your work is accepted for publication, be prepared to write a synopsis and marketing plan. Again, there are many on-line groups that can help answer your questions and help guide you in the right direction.

Here are some links to help you on your quest for information:

Novel Writing Forum (Absolute Write)

Bewares and Background Check (Absolute Write)

Why Agents Shouldn’t Charge Fees (Absolute Write)

Index to Agents and Publishers (Absolute Write)

How Real Publishing Works (Absolute Write)

A Partial List of Muslim Book Publishers


Sincerely,
Amel S. Abdullah

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Do you have a question you’d like to see answered on this blog? Post it here, or send it to me via e-mail. All questions sent via e-mail will be posted anonymously (unless you request otherwise). Click here for an index of all questions answered on this blog.

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.

A List of Muslim Book Publishers and Guidelines

This page has moved. Visit the new page here.

Paying Internship at Illume Magazine

Illume Magazine is looking for a general assistant/editor. Here is the message I received:

Job Announcement: Publishing Internship
Position: General Assistant and Assistant Editor
Status: Internship
Location: Online (on-site meetings if available)
Salary: 10 paid hours/month + commission

Illume Magazine has an immediate opening for a general assistant/editor, someone proficient with the English language and knowledge of current events is a must. Candidate must have some experience writing and copyediting for print and digital media and be willing to devote at least 20 hours a month to the magazine. Sales, promotions and marketing a plus.

If you desire a future in journalism, aspire to expand your written portfolio, or want to gain work experience in the publishing industry, please respond soon. We are seeking to fill this position in the next few months.

Responsibilities include:
Sales
Account Management
Online Research
Newsbrief writing/editing
Corresponding w/ writers
Responsible for all correspondence with the Press
Ensures reviews of issues, contributors and staff
Directs and supervises the flow of promotional and advertising materials to and from the internal departments and the external services

Candidates should send an email with a cover letter, resume and links to previously published works, if applicable. Please include all contact information and references. Candidate will also be subject to an interview.

Visit the website for contact information.

Sister's Space Blog Carnival - Writing Our Lives

If you are a Muslim woman, you might be tired of others writing about the lives of Muslim women with such authority. March is Women's History Month, and Um Zaid at the Sunni Sister Blog is hosting a Sister's Space Blog Carnival with the theme Writing Our Lives.

According to the site: "Your post can be about practicing the diyn, spiritual experiences, converting, race, marriage, motherhood, gender issues, non-Muslim society, Muslim society, people who are not Muslim and / or women acting as authoritative voices on our lives, etc. It can be a regular post, a poem, a short story, or anything else unusual. Only posts written by Muslim women are eligible."

Read more about the carnival here.

Get Paid for Writing Letters to the Editor

This is an intiative sponsored by America's Muslim Family Magazine and Dr. Mohammed J. Khan to encourage Muslim youth (ages 12-24) to write letters to mainstream publications. Each quarter, they will pay $40 to the first 25 letters that are published in mainstream publications and mailed to the magazine. There is also a prize of $250 for the best letter published (from all the entries - not just the first 25). Read the details here:

The Young Muslim Writer's Alliance

Also: Don't miss these valuable tips for getting a letter published. There is great advice here for writers young and old.

Job Opening: Art and Culture Editor at IslamOnline

Are you interested in living in Cairo and working for IslamOnline.net as an Art & Culture editor?
Click here to read more about this job.

Job Opening: Assistant Manager of Corporate Communications

Bank Islam Malaysia Berhad is seeking an assistant manager of corporate communications in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Responsibilities include:

• To perform editorial task that includes interviewing, writing, editing, copy-editing, proof-reading and maintaining quality standards in publishing process i.e. press releases, articles, speeches, letters, internal newsletter, annual reports, brochures etc.
• To conduct primary and secondary research to develop content for publications and other communication materials.
• To liaise with various channels of content partners and providers on a regular basis.
• To handle customers’ queries and feedback for the bank.

Read more about this job here.