One of my most formative experiences as a child was when I first faced Islamophobia. I had just decided to wear the hijab in my small-town home of Lima, Ohio, in America. And while in the car with my mother, a man opened his window from his car and screamed out a barrage of swear words, finalising it with a loud, “Go back to your own country, you terrorist Moslem!”

I was ten years old.

As a young Syrian immigrant growing up in America, I had experienced my share of othering and childhood bullying for having a different name, speaking Arabic in public, or eating different foods. But this moment was the first time an adult threatened me, and told me that I don’t belong, that Muslims don’t belong, and included that scary “t” word.

I went home, huddled under the blankets in my bed, and wrote a poem about my feelings, about how Islam is a beautiful religion that I take pride in. About how Islamophobia is wrong.

The mayor of the town heard what happened and invited my family and me to an interfaith event at a local church. And there, I read my poem out loud in front of the Mayor. For the first time in my life, I saw firsthand what writing can do. How it could change perception and humanise my people, the Muslim community. How it empowered me to speak up. And I decided I wanted to grow up and become an author, and always use my written words for good.

But that dream was forgotten for about twenty years. I studied English literature, became a teacher and had my own kids…but never tried writing a book.

Until one day, as I was shopping for books for my young children, I stumbled upon my very first Muslim book ever. A Ramadan book for kids. A book where, for the very first time, Muslims were NOT villains, as seemed to be common in the literature I read in college. Instead, it was a story of pure joy.

I remembered my own dream of writing and started to cry. I had to stop and try to figure out why I was so emotional.

I realised it was because seeing my identity on the shelf showed me what was possible, showed me that being Muslim was a story worth telling. That being Muslim did not mean I didn’t belong in America. 

This inspired me to start my own journey of writing. A journey that took me over five years of constant learning and striving, facing rejections, as well as many barriers. But, Alhamdulilah, I kept persisting, and my debut middle-grade novel “Kareem Between” ended up winning the National Book Award for Young People’s Literature in 2024. I have many more books coming, including a picture book that brings me immense pride with all of its beautiful Muslim joy coming out in January 2027 from Harper Collins, titled “The Kaabah Cat,” about umrah and dua and a loving Muslim family!

Just as seeing my older Muslimah sisters publish books helped me step into my own writing journey, I hope this guide helps aspiring writers enter the publishing space too.

Number one: Bismillah

As always, my biggest tip to writers is to begin with intention. Islamically, this means centering who you are writing for. Rooting your books in the intention of creating beautiful Muslim books that change the world makes your heart grounded in faith, which will keep you going despite the rejections. But also, craft-wise, knowing your story’s heart and your character’s journey before you start will help guide your book as you are writing, and keep it seamlessly flowing to the reader.

Be Brave

Do not allow fears of Islamophobia or misunderstanding by readers who aren’t Muslim to affect your writing. The worst thing a writer can do is craft a story from a place of fear. This weakens the message of the book, and it is sensed by the reader in the story, which can create befuddlement at the conclusion. Fear can hold you back from writing what you love in the first place, and can be a tool of writer’s block and imposter syndrome. Shed the internal fears, trust in Allah, and write BRAVELY! 

Be Real

Don’t stop to define Arabic (or any language), or overly explain an Islamic action. Authenticity is what most readers value the most, and the root of all characters is in our collective humanity. Crafting authentic Muslim characters that live as many Muslims do, practising salah and ibadah, and using words like InshaAllah (as we tend to do even in our public spaces sometimes!) helps round your writing out as real and 3-D.

Just as readers can understand fantasy terms and learn new magical worlds in fiction, so will your very real culture and language be woven as a part of your beautiful story.

So write it proudly, and without hesitation or explanation.

Study the Craft

First drafts are just the very first time you put words on the page. Those words are likely not ready to share yet. Books must be solid in their plot, themes, characters, and emotional arcs. Study craft books like “Save the Cat Writes a Novel” by Jessica Brody, listen to writing podcasts such as Writing for Children, and read widely in the genres you are interested in writing in order to see what is being published. Keep writing to improve your skill. So many authors have to write multiple books before they succeed at creating a story that is compelling enough for readers to marvel at. My first two middle-grade drafts never made it off my computer because they were not plotted properly! And I have so many picture books that weren’t developed enough to be published. Keep writing and developing your skills of storytelling, and you WILL succeed inshaAllah!  

Do your Research!

Learn as much as you can about the different ways of publishing, whether traditional, self-publishing or hybrid. Know that a bad agent can be worse than no agent. Check out websites like Writers Beware for red flag publishers. Scour writing resources online on websites like Writer’s Digest and Lithub, and learn about the proper ways to query agents and submit to editors. Learn about the industry by applying to the Muslim Fellowship at Boyds Mills or seeking out resources from the Muslim community at The Muslim Storytellers. It doesn’t need to be expensive. There are many free resources online through Coursera or Writer’s Digest for authors if you search for them. Seek out as many opportunities as you can to learn about being an author before submitting your manuscripts. Remember, there are many different paths to publishing, and a lot of different ways to get your book out into the world. Doing your diligent research on each path will help you decide which one is for you.

Additionally, there are also a lot of myths about publishing, including one I have heard often–that bigger trade publishers are not welcoming to Muslim literature or that they will water down the Islam in your manuscripts. This is not true. There are many Muslim authors who write fantastic and positive Muslim books, like Huda Fahmy, S. K. Ali, Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow, and the wonderful Zanib Mian, who have inspired me to be unapologetic in my own Muslim representation. Learn from direct and legitimate sources working in publishing rather than believing anything said online.

Create Community

Authors are among the most open people in giving advice and talking about their experiences. Look at the books that are similar to what you want to write, and look up their authors on Instagram or their website. Read their interviews and articles that they link on their website, and take courses they offer. Follow them on social media and see what they say publicly about their writing process and journey. Reach out to the authors who have followed the publishing path you want to pursue and ask them questions about their experience. And remember to value their time! Authors like Aya Khalil offer paid consultations on her website that are very helpful for new writers. And some authors may not have a lot of time to answer questions, so try to ask informed, researched questions rather than asking for help with how to even begin. When signing a book deal or getting an agent, ask other clients of the agent or the publisher what their process has been like. Know yourself and what you want, and don’t rush into anything. Take your time deciding and be informed so that you are making the best decision for yourself.

Trust Your Gut

Last, but not the least, do istikhara prayer before every step, and make lots of dua to Allah ﷻ to guide you to the best path for your dunya and akhirah. Publishing can be a difficult industry to navigate, so give yourself grace, but also make sure to speak up. Your words are YOURS. So stand up for yourself and make sure you are speaking up with kindness and compassion whenever you feel uncomfortable. And know that with time and experience comes more knowledge, and anything worth doing requires persistence and patience.

I was inspired to become a writer by seeing books from Muslim authors who wrote before me make it onto bookshelves. They cracked open the door, forged the path I wanted to follow, and inspired me to venture into this space. And I want to open the door wider. I want to see more and more Muslim authors write, because until now, there are so many different cultures and people within the Muslim community that are still not on the shelf. So many stories yet to be told, yet so little of our stories are published annually. 

Please come in, step through this open door.