Today I have with me Khushboo Patel, author of the recently published picture book, Stolen Colors, A Story About Body Safety and Consent.

Khushboo has also authored:

A little more about Stolen Colors before I ask Khushboo more about her inspiration and writing process:

Shreya loves to paint. Her world is filled with bright, bold colors as lively as she is. Even her art teacher, Mr. Rao, thinks her work is “”marvelous.”“ But when he asks to paint her during recess when the other kids are outside, Shreya’s excitement turns to fear. The moment she arrives, she knows something is wrong, and in that moment, she freezes.

The experience shatters her love of painting, leaving her feeling awful and unable to find the words to tell her mother why.

Her former rival, Meera, has also become Mr. Rao’s new subject. But unlike Shreya, Meera yells “”No!”“ and runs for help. Meera’s example gives Shreya the courage she needs to reclaim her voice and her love of art.

This crucial resource for families and book collections everywhere includes guidance and resources to help parents and children navigate this important topic.

A powerful and sensitive story about body safety and consent that every family needs.

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My questions appear in bold and Khushboo’s replies are italicized.

Thanks for joining me today, Khushboo! I’d love to start off with Stolen Colors’ origin story. At what point along your writing career did you start drafting this story?

I started my writing journey in 2021, signed with my agent in October 2022, and wrote the first draft of this story in November 2022.

What was the “spark” or the specific moment that inspired this book?

I was looking for books about body safety to read to my kids, and while I found some great ones that talked about body autonomy, good touch/ bad touch, good secret/ bad secret and how important it was to say No and tell a trusted grown-up, it made me think about how tough it is to actually do that, especially if it’s a trusted grown-up that crosses a line. I had this strong urge to tell a kid in that situation that if you can’t do what’s being asked of you, it’s not your fault.

Which mentor texts did you use for this book?

I was also working on My House Is a Muddy River around the same time, which also deals with a difficult subject matter (it is a flood story set in India that explores the meaning of home in the wake of hard times and the courage we need to carry on), and here are some books I remember reading at the time: Each Kindness by Jacqueline Woodson and E.B. Lewis Watercress by Andrea Wang and Jason Chin The Moon from Dehradun by Shirin Shamsi and Tarun Lak Bird by Zetta Elliott and Shadra Strickland Smoky Night by Eve Bunting and David Diaz Wishes by Muon Thi Van and Victo Ngai

Would you call yourself a panster or a plotter?

I do spend a lot of time thinking about the questions I’m trying to explore in the story, and while I don’t plot in detail, it helps me to have a general idea of what happens – the big moments. But while writing the first draft, I try to let myself be free and see where the story takes me. So I guess a bit of both, and each story is also different.

So true! What structure did you choose to follow for this book? Did you decide on it beforehand or did it come about during revisions?

I just knew that it would be intimate storytelling so that’s the way the story came out in the first draft.

What is your favorite thing about the book?

What did this book teach you about the craft/process of writing?

It taught me a lot about emotional honesty on the page and the freedom of fiction, and also a lot about how to think about story (plot, realistic characters, layers) with a subject matter that can feel so overwhelming.

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Which type of books did you start off writing? What made you make the transition to other genres/audiences?

I started with writing picture books. Then I discovered verse novels and fell in love with the form, and had this feeling of – could I…do this? Could I…try..?

How do you switch between projects? Do you work simultaneously on many?

I’m still trying different things and figuring out my process, but I’m finding that I tend to focus on just one project at a time, especially when trying to write that first draft for a longer work.

Which is your favorite kind of book to write?

Just pursuing that idea/ question that won’t leave me – whether it’s a picture book or a novel.

So relatable! I wish you all the best with your upcoming releases and WIPs!

If you’re a reader, please let me know if you’d like me to feature a favorite author of yours.

If you’re a writer, I hope this left you inspired!

If you enjoyed reading this post, please consider showing your support by ordering my books, requesting them at your library, leaving a GoodReads review and/or suggesting my name for author visits/mentor talks!

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Today I have with me the author of the recently published HeartLand, Jilanne Hoffmann. As some of you might know, Jilanne has published books spanning formats and age groups, from board books through middle grade. Wow!

Her titles include:

Board books:

• Happy Camper

• The Honey Bear Hive

Picture books:

• A River of Dust: The Life-Giving Link Between North Africa and the Amazon,

The Ocean’s Heart: The Tiny Creatures Essential to Life

Chapter Book:

The Gold Rush: Shifting Sand and Dreams of Gold

Jilanne's Website

In this interview, we will mainly be speaking to Jilanne about her latest book, a middle grade novel in prose and verse, HeartLand, and how she manages to switch between projects and publish both non-fiction and fiction stories for a range of young readers.

A little more about HeartLand before I ask Jilanne more about her inspiration and writing process:

HeartLand is a coming-of-age novel about a young misfit searching for the truth of her family’s past, set against the backdrop of an environmental cover-up.

Twelve-year-old Xyla longs for her mother to tell her something, anything, about her absentee father. But Xyla’s mother refuses, while desperately wanting Xyla to love the 5th-generation family farm she holds dear.

When Alegría, a girl Xyla’s age who’s “the perfect daughter,” moves into a house on the farm, she becomes Xyla’s first real friend—well, maybe frenemy?

Growing desperate to escape her mother’s directives and disapproval, Xyla secretly schemes to search for her father. But where to start if she doesn’t even know his name?

HeartLand is an intricately layered novel in verse and prose that shows how broken hearts aren’t healed by building walls, but by sharing stories, creating community, and allowing the tendrils of hope and love to work their magic.

Book club Discussion Questions

My questions appear in bold and Jilanne’s replies are italicized.

Thank you for joining us today, Jilanne. Let’s jump right in! At what point along your writing career did you start drafting HeartLand?

Although I’ve been a freelance writer since the early 1990s, I started writing for kids in 2012, without really knowing the requirements for the shorter forms. I learned through 12x12 (and am still a member) and learned from many other kinds of sources, like what is now called Boyds Mills Foundation. In 2018, I read Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse, and that inspired me to write about the farm crisis of the mid 1970s to late1980s in the Midwest and to do it in the form of a verse novel. I started organizing my thoughts and wrote the first draft during NaNoWriMo in 2019.

So interesting! Which mentor texts did you use for this book?

Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse, The Lost Year by Katherine Marsh

Would you call yourself a panster or a plotter?

I’m a plantser. For anything longer than a picture book, I usually start with some kind of an outline that changes as I write.

Relatable! I understand that ‘Out of the Dust’ inspired HeartLand. Tell us more about how the story took shape.

While the editor wanted to buy the book as a completely historical novel in verse, Sales & Markeing wanted a book set in a contemporary time period. They’d only make an offer if it was contemporary. I said “no” because I’d set it in the late 1980s for a reason—that specific farm crisis! But then about nine months later, my agent asked me if I’d consider writing a dual timeline, one historical and one contemporary. I told her I’d think about it. I did some research, and the current state of water quality in Iowa as it relates to agriculture and “factory” farming horrified me. I decided I need to write the contemporary story as well.

Always good to pivot! I love how you adapted and incorporated your publisher’s wish while keeping true to your visionf or the book. Was this story born from a character, a plot idea, or a specific scene?

It was born from all that is wrong with U.S. farm policy and how vertical integration of farming results in farmers being squeezed out because they have little to no choice about the costs of their inputs and have to take a set price for their outputs (often below the cost of their inputs). Corporations have all of the power and control. A very small number of corporations control the vast majority of our food supply chains. And it’s scary. But the egregious pushing of fertilizer and factory farming of livestock and antibiotic abuse is polluting the state’s groundwater. Iowa has a huge nitrates problem, and one of the highest cancer rates in the country. And no one pays attention to the fact that about 80% of the antibiotics sold in this country are fed to livestock.

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What structure did you choose to follow for this book? Did you decide on it beforehand or did it come about during revisions?

I knew I wanted the first version to be a novel in verse, after reading Out of the Dust. And when I decided I would write a dual timeline, I decided the other story would be written in prose. The interstitials in the voices of Time, the Weather, the Farm, and Earl Butz were also there from the beginning. When I added the 2nd timeline, I added interstitials from the present day main character’s father. And then I had to figure out how to weave the verse sections, which were now all considered diary entries, into the prose so that it would feel natural. It took several drafts to get that right.

What is your favorite thing about the book?

Such a warm and memrable cover!

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What did this book teach you about the craft/process of writing?

That story maps via wall stickies, spreadsheets, and patience are essential to go through book pass after pass after pass to make sure all of the threads are woven correctly, that there are no continuity errors, and that every scene/poem has a purpose.

I was revising my book, Aarzu All Around, while you were working on revising HeartLand and I remember how we were comparing notes and discussing how writing longer form novels requires so much organizing to keep track of all the threads. It’s so different from writing board books or picture books! Which brings me to my next question…

Which type of books did you start off writing? What made you make the transition to other genres/audiences?

After leaving engineering, I was a freelance science writer for years. But then I earned an MFA in writing for adults, and originally thought that’s where I’d be spending my energy. But my son was born 6 months before I finished my MFA and we started buying board books. Flash forward about 8 years, and I had decided that I loved children’s literature so much that I wanted to write it. I started out writing picture books, then board books, then wrote a novel in verse and prose and then wrote a chapter book. I like how each form requires a different mindset. It keeps me focused in different ways. One focuses on simple language and using as few words as possible. One focuses on thinking what the images are going to show, but allowing for more complex words. Chapter books tend to be fairly plot driven with a focus on relatable characters and somewhat straightforward but with more complex sentence structure than early readers. Novels require stamina, faith, and a willingness to wrestle with quite a few more words, especially description. But I love writing in verse. My brain tends to think that way, so I love telling a story in through those compressed flash moments and all that’s left unsaid in between.

How do you switch between projects? Do you work simultaneously on many?

I try not to work on two different creative projects in a day. But I can work on different projects throughout the week. At any given point, I have stories or just ideas bouncing around in my head (and I may be doing reading around those ideas), while I’m physically working on others.

Which is your favorite kind of book to write?

That’s a tough one. I love writing picture books, but I think novels have a strong hold on my heart. I love their complexity and the richness of the language that’s allowed...at least the way I tend to write them, LOL.

If you could tell your younger, pre-published writing self one thing, what would it be?

Dear 20-yr-old self: Don’t waste so much time wondering how people become authors. ASK for help in figuring it out. Then just do it. Being an engineer is fun, but it’s not your life calling. This. Writing children’s books your life calling.

Do you have a favorite writing buddy?

Aww! So cute!

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If you’re a reader, please let me know if you’d like me to feature a favorite author of yours.

If you’re an author, I hope this left you inspired!

If you enjoyed reading this post, please consider showing your support by ordering my books, requesting them at your library, leaving a GoodReads review and/or suggesting my name for author visits/mentor talks!

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Thank you for stopping by!

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I was equal parts nervous and excited, because this was my first author visit as a middlegrade author.

I stayed up way past my bedtime, but author visits are always worth losing sleep over.

It makes me so happy to see all the diverse titles the children are exposed to (Kudos to their teacher)! And can you spot Awe-samosas! beside Aarzu All Around?

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This is my humble setup for all things virtual: school visits, interviews and webinars.

The kids had come prepared with questions…lots of them. I was gobsmacked by how thoughtful and nuanced they were and delighted see that the kids were so excited about cricket.

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The kids unanimously voted for Flying Chappal as their favorite poem, and I had to admit it was particularly satisfying to write (IYKYK). They also suggested I write another book with the same characters, but continuing the story from Sukoon’s POV. (Pssst: I hope my editor is reading this! LOL!)

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I wish the session could’ve gone on longer, but scroll down to see how we found a way to answer all their questions.

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Following the session, Ms. Keshava shared: You have really inspired them to try out different types of poetry! And a few kids have been trying to play cricket outside during playground time. The really cute thing is that the entire game is an imaginary choreography, without any balls or equipment, and yet somehow they are all in on the same improv act where they can tell if it’s an out or a six! It’s the sweetest thing <3

This made me so happy because all I kept hearing while this story was on submission, despite editors loving the poetry, was that this story wasn’t suited for the American Market because American kids aren’t familiar with the game of cricket.

After the session I was blown away by all the letters the children wrote me and this lovely collage that Ms. Keshava put together for me— She truly brought the story alive for her students in the most delightful way. I also heard from the kids that she was bringing in Pakistani delicacies and henna for a celebration in class.

Here are some of the letters I received:

I replied via recorded audio to each of their messages!

Their teacher shared: I was so moved by your novel. To see a book that so effortlessly captures the emotions and essence of home and family that are so nostalgic…it was like being transported to my childhood. I love that so many of (the) words and references are untranslated, written so that you could hear the characters naturally. It makes me so happy to see more and more stories like this that centre the voices and experiences of diverse characters and cultures…

Aaaah! :) But wait, it gets even better…

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I also got to see some scans from the childrens’ writing journals. Will you take a look at their poetry:

And the sweetest sign-off from their teacher, who has clearly done a brilliant job with her class: From the bottom of our grateful hearts, thank you a million times over! Wishing you much love, health, and happiness… like my students I, too, am eagerly awaiting your next books.

I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below. And if you know a teacher, a librarian, or a school (anywhere in the whole wide world) who would enjoy reading about my author visit, or booking me for one (virtual or in-person), please share this post with them.

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I’ve been fortunate to have three of my books illustrated by Anoosha— a dream come true. Just take a look at these gorgeous covers!!

These three books center Muslim families, observances, and festivities and are part of the Our Neighborhood series of board books that celebrates every kid’s culture so kids can find themselves, their family, and their friends in every book.

The series is published by Little Bee Books and distributed by Simon & Schuster.

Friday Fun and Excited for Eid are already on shelves and available for purchase, while Radiant Ramadan is releasing later this month (November 25, 2025) and is available for preorder!

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Before we jump into the interview, a little grounding: I’m taking a break from interviewing my editors, but incase you’re interested, check out my previous interviews with Emily Settle (editor for three of my titles, namely, A Dupatta Is…, Henna Is…, and The Camel Library) and Krista Vitola (editor for Aarzu All Around).

I also interviewed my lovely agent, Lynnette Novak.

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I will be back with more interviews with editors I’ve worked with soon, but for now I want to highlight the talented artists whom I’ve been fortunate to work with! In case you missed my interview with Anain Shaikh, check it out here.

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My questions are in bold and Anoosha’s answers are italisized.

Welcome Anoosha! I’m so thrilled to be interviewing you today.
Tell us where you started and what sparked your interest in illustration.

I was a big reader as a child as so I initially wanted to pursue an animation career; as it combined by love of arts, film and storytelling. I ended up getting a BFA in Illustration, and through that program I discovered the world of children’s publishing. Although I initially worked in animation after graduating, I dabbled in children’s books here and there. I eventually committed to it fully when I realized it was my calling. Not only do I get to combine all of my storytelling interests, but I had the opportunity to create the stories I was most passionate about that relate to my culture and the books I wish I had as a child.

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That’s wonderful. Your sure have contributed immensely to the true depiction of South Asian culture in your children’s books. I’m curious to know how you developed your skills when you were starting out.

Practice! I am the first artist in my family, and my school didn’t really have a big support for the arts. I would spend a lot of my free time (sometimes during classes) doodling and following online tutorials. I carried a sketchbook, gave myself a lot of little personal projects, and pushed myself to improve. Most importantly, I shared my work online. It was how I found other artist friends and a network of creatives to aspire towards, support me and push me to be better.

I agree, community is so imporatnt in keeping us going in the publishing world! Can you share a pivotal moment or experience that shaped your career as an illustrator?

Although I had been illustrating books for three years by this point, my first big gig was working on Bilal Cooks Daal (by Aisha Saeed). This was my first Big 5 publisher, my first big advance, and my first time working of a cultural story. I started to finally see illustration as a viable career option, and I loved working of books that celebrated my identity. And most importantly, through this book I met my agent Taylor! And her influence on my career can’t be understated.

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I love Bilal Cooks Daal. It was one of the mentor texts I used when drafting my book, Awe-samosas!

How did you decide to work on our book project/series and what was your process like?

Our paths had crossed a few times already! There were a few previous books I had been approached for, but at the time they weren’t able to work out. But I was hoping for the chance to work with Marzieh at some point. When I was contacted to work on the My Neighborhood series, I felt like this was the perfect time. I was actually six months pregnant, and looking to slow down on my arts practice in preparation for the baby and an international move. And a board book series worked wonderfully for my schedule and capacity. A board book has fewer pages than a picture book and can work with a much simpler style. And best of all, this would be a wonderful book for my new baby.

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I have to say the excitement at getting to work with you was mutual. I maintain a list of dream illustrators from South Asia that I would love to work with, and send it across to my editors once we sign a new contract. You were always at the top of my list…So when I learned you agreed for not one, but all three books, I was elated!

Can you walk us through your typical creative process when starting a new illustration project?

I typically start with a concept art stage! I begin with character design exploration, creating a mood board of references and inspiration, and doing studies if needed. Then comes sketches, revisions and finals.

I loved the characters you created for this series. How long did it take to complete the illustrations, and what challenges, if any, did you face?

The publisher was very accommodating and we arranged it so that I would work on the first two books during my pregnancy, and the last book after I came back from maternity leave. Since each book had a simple style, I think it might have taken me two months per book. The sketches I was able to do in about a week, and the final art in two weeks. Definitely a lot easier than my other books! The biggest challenge came from motivation. I was so exhausted and achey during pregnancy and had to push myself to work. And for the last book, I was itching to get back to art creation so that wasn’t an issue. But finding time to work was the problem! My baby at three months was a contact napper, and I struggled to find the time to squeeze in drawing time.

That sounds like a tight schedule. I can’t imagine how you made everything look so effortless in the books. Bravo!

What did you enjoy most about working on our book, and what made it stand out to you?

One of the suggestions I made for the illustrations was to have a recurring cast. Each book would focus on a different family, but we would see the children pop up in each others’ stories. I thought this was a cute way to add a bit of world-building. I also loved that this could be a great first book to read to my baby, and share my religion with him. I had a wonderful moment where I was able to read Excited for Eid to him on Eid this past Spring!

That sounds so special. I’m so happy our books are a part of many familys’ celebrations.

What inspires your creativity and sparks new ideas?

Usually other artists! I try to immerse myself in different sources of creativity outside of publishing. These days I’ve been very interested in textile and mixed media artists.

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That’s interesting. I too love how creativity can show up in different places and hw it influences art and writing over time.

How do you think AI will affect the future of children’s book publishing, and what opportunities or challenges do you see on the horizon?

I think (hope) that traditional publishing will remain committed to supporting actual human creators, and that is the impression I am seeing from the pubs I have worked with. My biggest concern is for smaller pubs and international ones who might use AI to cut corners. Since these are the ones that beginner artists are usually working in, it will make it harder to find those first gigs and a lot more competition as well. However, I also think that although AI the shiny new thing right now, over time consumers will grow tired of it and turn back towards real creators.

I hope so too! Can you share some details about your illustration revision process, including how many rounds of revision you usually go through? What stages do you typically get feedback at, and how do you incorporate it into your work?

I typically see at least one round of revisions per stage (sketches and finals). This will include notes from the AD and editor, but occasionally requests from the author as well. Towards the end, I will also see notes from the copyeditor as well, where we will check in with the consistency. I will sometimes push back on notes if I feel like the changes would be to the detriment of the artwork or my intention.

What are you working on currently, and what can we expect from your future projects?

I am currently working on the final art for my fourth authored title LOVE IN EVERY LANGUAGE, a follow-up picture book to my award-winning ‘That’s Not My Name!’. I am also finishing up a manuscript/dummy for another story, that I hope to submit in autumn.

That sounds amaing and leads well into my next question: Since you’re also an author, how does the process differ for words you have written yourself? Do the sketches come first, or do you start with the words? How do you revise personal author/illustrator projects?

When I work with an author, I have to work with the story that is given to me and that is a fun challenge to bring to life. But as an author/illustrator, I have control over all forms of the story-telling process. I don’t write the text first, and then do the art. I do them simultaneously. I might begin with some sketches to work out some visuals, or maybe with an outline first to plan out the basics of the story. But at all times, I am thinking about both. And if I write something, and then create some art, I will go back to the text and rework it. The art will influence the text, which influences the art. This way, I have a finished piece of work where one cannot exist without the other; both parts of the book are integral to telling a story.

What is you favorite part about being a children’s book creator?

Creating books that can make an impact for children.

Can you recommend any valuable resources, such as books, courses, or online communities, for aspiring children’s book illustrators?

If you haven’t already, check out my website! I am a big advocate for free, accessible education and I share many resources including my blog and my youtube channel that dive into how I make my books as well as the business side of the job; talking about things liek pricing your works and dealing with contracts.

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I love your vlogs— I’ve learnt so much from them on my own illustration journey.

What advice would you give to aspiring illustrators looking to break into the industry?

FIND YOUR PEOPLE. This can be a very isolating career, and it is important to have a group of creatives buddies to be a source of support.

That’s amazing advice.

Thank you so much for sharing your learnings and thoughts on your authoring and illustarting journey and on the current market, Anoosha. It was a pleasure to have you and I wish you all the best with your books.

Readers, I hope you enjoyed this interview as much as I did.

Please leave a comment or message me with your thoughts! If you learnt womething valuable, be sure to share the post and subscribe to get future posts.

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Before we jump into the interview, a little grounding: I’m taking a break from interviewing my editors, but incase you’re interested, check out my previous interviews with Emily Settle (editor for three of my titles, namely, A Dupatta Is…, Henna Is…, and The Camel Library) and Krista Vitola (editor for Aarzu All Around).

I also interviewed my lovely agent, Lynnette Novak.

Follow Marzieh on IG

I will be back with more interviews with editors I’ve worked with soon, but for now I want to highlight the talented artists whom I’ve been fortunate to work with!

My questions are in bold and Anain’s answers are italisized.

Welcome to my blog, Anain. Let’s start from the very beginning and talk about your Career! What sparked your interest in illustration?
Thank you for having me, Marzieh. I was a huge Disney fan as a kid and would watch every movie that came out. I loved recreating drawings from all the disney coloring books I had and then one day realised I could just make fan art from imagination too if I wanted so basically fanart is where it all began!

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That’s great to hear! How did you develop your skills when you were starting out?
I had a bunch of coloring pencils and stationary that I used to get as presents and I would draw almost everyday to improve my skills. Then once I started university I bought my own drawing tablet to start digitally

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Can you share a pivotal moment or experience that shaped your career as an illustrator?
I was once attending a conference in college. During one of the talks I started doodling in my journal and then everyone around me saw. It was the first time people showed so much interest in my art and I realized I might be good at this. The event photographer even took a picture of the drawing and people came up afterwards to compliment it. It was really pleasantly surprising and ironically the talk was on how to utilize your time better so I guess I did that. Haha!

How did you decide to work on our book project and what was your process like?
I was really inspired by the story and the fact that it was based on real life events. Reading the script I could already imagine the beautiful scenery and clothes for all the children. I am always up for projects that are about my country and culture as I would really love the world to know more about it!

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How long did it take to complete the illustrations, and what challenges, if any, did you face?
It took around six months to fully draw and color everything. This does not include the storyboarding and concept process. The main challenge was to make the charactes really stand out from the background especially Roshan as the camel and the desert background could be hard to distinguish. Since the entire story is based in a desert a big challenge was to not make it look boring so I really had to think about how to add bright colors in each page.

What did you enjoy most about working on our book, and what made it stand out to you?
It was about books! I love reading and its a big hobby. It was so wonderful drawing cute scenes with all the children and Roshan and the story really is a unique one!

Can you walk us through your typical creative process when starting a new illustration project?
The first thing I do is research. I looked at so many camel photos especially those in Pakistan as we have a very different style and harness for them. People love their animals here and decorate them as well. I love going through different images and making a mood-board of locations, photography and illustrations that might inspire my art style.

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What inspires your creativity and sparks new ideas?
Looking at other illustrators and animators. I also love playing video games and indie games often have beautiful art styles that really inspire me to add more to my work.

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How do you think AI will affect the future of children’s book publishing, and what opportunities or challenges do you see on the horizon?
There is no denying that AI has quickly become a big part of the market. While I think it has its uses in terms of idea generation, I really do not support it due to its environmental impact. I don’t think AI can ever replace illustrators completely especially with children’s book illustration as that requires an amazing imagination that only humans are capable of.

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I agree! Can you share some details about your illustration revision process, including how many rounds of revision you usually go through?
So I divide my illustrations into three to four steps mainly the first being storyboards, then a basic lineart and then color. If it is a book I wait for approval after each step and before the coloring I add an extra step where I create one page properly with all the lighting and colors for a final approval of the overall art style. I also usually add a character sheet before the storyboard process where I fully color the main characters so everyone has an idea of how they might turn out. Dividing it into small steps insures that I don’t have to do extreme changes later on and makes the process much easier

What are you working on currently, and what can we expect from your future projects?
I’m not doing a lot in terms of illustration these days since I’m doing my masters degree in Germany but I always try to incorporate illustration in my university projects. My most recent one included an illustrated game targeting the divide between children from immigrant backgrounds and German children. I plan on creating more content and really trying to improve my art style more.

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That sounds so interesting! What is you favorite part about being a children’s book creator?
The fact that you can tell even the most simplest of stories in a super imaginative and creative way. With children you don’t have to worry about being realistic. I love creating colorful and lively illustrations and hence I have always been drawn to working for things that target children.

I absolutely love that about children’s books, too. Your style is perfect for them! Can you recommend any valuable resources, such as books, courses, or online communities, for aspiring children’s book illustrators?
Youtube and Instagram. You can find so many free tutorials on youtube that I would never recommend a paid course if you want to learn illustration. Follow as many artists and illustrators on social media. Make boards on Pinterest and try finding as many free sources as you can because a lot of artists are willing to teach and put tutorials for free online.

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What advice would you give to aspiring illustrators looking to break into the industry?
Practice, practice, practice. See what is happening in the market and what is popular. Make Fanart. Have fun with what you draw because publishers want to see your passion and interest and not just trends. Try making friends within the community because that can help you so much in getting gigs.

Thank you so much for sharing your learnings and thoughts on the current market, Anain. It was a pleasure to have you.

Readers, I hope you enjoyed this interview as much as I did.

Please leave a comment with your thoughts! If you learnt womething valuable, be sure to share the post and subscribe to get future posts.

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If you missed previous interviews I conducted, check them out now. This post is an interview with my literary agent. And here I chat with my awesome Feiwel & Friends (Macmillan Children’s) Editor, Emily Settle.

How Aarzu Found a Home

I began writing Aarzu in 2021. We were still very much in the midst of the pandemic and I won a scholarship to a class taught by Cordelia Jensen through The Highlights Foundation. I’ll talk more about my writing process in another post, but for now I want to share how Aarzu found a home.

Initially, the book was titled: Aarzu Raza, Extra No More! other than its obvious meaning, ‘extra’ refers to extra players on a cricket team— the ones who exist, but mostly sit it out on the benches. I also have a poem in the book explaining all the different contexts in which Aarzu understands the word ‘extra’.

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So I spent about six months writing the book, during which I was also getting feedback and had begun my revision process. I signed up for a professional critique with my teacher after the class ended and had sent the manuscript to my agent around October of 2021. We spent a month on revisions and sent the book out when we were both happy with it.

Over the next couple of years all we kept hearing was ‘cricket is not a big thing in the US’… and so, despite many editors loving the voice and themes in the mansucript, including the lovely Lisa Mangum, Editor at Shadow Mountain (read more about that story here and Lisa’s review here), they couldn’t eventually acquire the book

After querying 60, yes, 60 editors, my agent eventually said we need to move on to something else. Understandable. But my heart coudln’t let go of Aarzu. Her story held too much of me and my story. I had thoughts of self-publishing (I have immense respect for authors who go down that route, but I couldn’t imagine how I would get around to doing all the work to ensure a successful self-published book). Eventually, my agency’s scouts on different continents, began sharing the pitch with editors outside of the US— places where cricket is actually understood, played, and enjoyed.

Replies were slow, and a few rejections (with thoughtful notes) trickled in. But there was no way to followup with editors or nudge them. Then all of a sudden, ten months after we had stopped submitting to US publishing houses, I received an email from my agent witht he subject line: SIT DOWN!!!

It was a straight-up offer from Krista Vitola, Executive Editor at S&S Books for Young Readers. This was even more unusual, because usually editors send ina note saying they will be sharing the book with their peers/fellow editors or taking the manuscript to an acquisitions meeting. Also, Krista was the last editor on our list of submissions to US publsihing houses!

Editing process for Aarzu

I went through through three rounds of edits for Aarzu All Around and it was an absolute pleasure learning from Krista. I’ll do a detailed post about the most challenging bits of the editing and formatting process in another post. But for now, I just want to say it took about 10 months to get it done!

First Impressions

Before the interview, I want to share my first memory of Krista! I mean how can one not thank their lucky stars to get to work with such a wonderful editor?

I will just say: she signed off ehr first correspondence wiht the words ‘Your fan,’

Enough said!

Interview Time

My questions are in bold below. Krista’s answers are italicized.

Since when have you been in this business/role? Is this what you always wanted to do?

I started in publishing in 2008 as an editorial assistant at Delacorte Press, a division of Random House Children's Books. I've always wanted to be a writer and thought I'd write for a magazine once I graduated from college. But after an internship at a film magazine, I quickly realized magazines were not for me, nor did I enjoy writing on a deadline. I then started writing book reviews for an online book-focused website and attended various presentations with my then boss, who was usually the guest speaker. She opened up the world of children's book publishing to me and I quickly fell in love with the book making process, specifically the editorial process: working with talented authors to reshape narratives, characters, plot threads etc. before they made it to the shelves. I was lucky enough to be offered a job in children's books right out of college and it's been a joy of a ride ever since.

What would a typical workday look like for you?

Lots of meetings!--staff, updates, IP, covers, sales and marketing, list launch and sales conference--And when I'm not in meetings, I'm on calls with authors or zooming with agents to catch up on projects and hear what's coming in the pipeline on submission. If I'm working on a crash edit, I'll block off a few hours to work on that but I mostly read submissions and edit my books at night once I put my kids to bed.

What's your acquisition process like? Can you share some timelines starting off from the time you receive a query? And what exactly happens in the acquisitions meeting?

Every acquisition has its own unique timeline. Editors try and read as quickly as we can but time feels like its slips through our fingers. We always look forward to reading submission--its how we find wonderful new books for our list! But some times it takes us a few days to a few months to acquire something. Many times an editor will bring the manuscript into an editorial staff meeting and discuss it's potential to be added to our list and the overall S&S children's list. Other times, if we'd like the opinion of the wider group, such as publicity, school and library marketing, sales, etc., we will bring it to a larger acquisitions meeting to discuss.

Wow, that insight is invaluable! We often don’t see how much editors are juggling!

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Are there any elements in a manuscript that must be 100% perfect before acquiring it?

Personally, I don't believe any manuscript can ever be perfect. Editors and authors could work on a manuscript forever. But we get it to as close to perfect and as strong as it can be, something we are all proud of.

That makes a lot of sense! Before making an offer, do you check out the creator on social media? If yes, does that factor into your offer in anyway?

I do! I like to see what an author is posting about, who they are connected with, what they commenting on, etc. But I also want to learn more about the author I may potentially be working with. I believe an author/editor/agent relationship is like a marriage. When you connect with someone's work there's an immediate and close connection you have to a part of that person and I want to be sure I'm learning more about that to make the editorial process/relationship the best it can be.

What is the most exciting part about your role?

I wanted to be an editor because of my deep love of reading and I think this is still the same. Finding a manuscript that I instantly fall in love with and have the ability to work on and share with the world is very special and unbelievably rewarding.

Can you help us authors understand the term "world rights?"

If the publisher has acquired world rights, they hold the rights to sell your work to foreign publishers/licensors. The agent can negotiate for consultation or approval on these sub rights deals during the original negotiation of your manuscript. If we feel the manuscript has global appeal, we have a dedicated team of sub rights colleagues who have wonderful relationships with publishers, licensing partners and are eager to sell our titles to them.

How do publishers decide how much of their marketing and publicity resources are allotted to each title?

I can speak to other publishing houses, but at S&S every book has different needs and a different budget. Books that may have a smaller advance do not automatically get less resources. Each title is presented, discussed and worked on by all of our staff!

I keep hearing the market for picture book biographies, food-themed books, intergenerational bonding books, and graphic novels is saturated. Yet we keep seeing announcements about books in these genres. Is it true that we should be avoiding these topics and are there any other topics, in your view, which are oversaturated in the market?

I would never tell an author to avoid a certain topic but I would say that if they do find an area in the children's space that has a great deal of books written about it, that their manuscript will need to come at it from a different angle or format or perspective. I'd ask them why they feel passionate about writing on such a topic; what makes their book different?

What's the most awkward (if you're okay with sharing) or funny encounter following someone finding out about your role in publishing?

I just laughed out loud. All I will say is that there are A LOT of people who have written a "children's book".

What story element makes you immediately fall in love with a manuscript?

Voice! I'm happy to fix all the other elements of a story, but if the voice doesn't win me over it is not for me.

Do pre-orders matter? What are considered good pre-sales?

Pre-orders are helpful to gauge interest in a title, but as an author I wouldn't worry about the number. I would tell an author to make connections with their local bookseller, to know the markets/readers for their book and look to reach those readers--either by building their social media platform or reaching out to individuals in charge of organizations who may be looking for their books. In the children's space, school visits are incredibly helpful to reach your target audience, but school visits happen once your book goes on sale.

Once a book is published, do you collaborate with the author to decide which events and engagements to book for the author?

We are always happy to have conversations with our authors on signings, book store events, local festivals, school visits, etc.

If an author you have worked with sends you another manuscript, do you look at previous sales figures for their published books?

Sales are a factor but if this book is quite different from their previous book, which may have had softer sales, than we look more at comparative titles in the market and where this next book will fit amongst them more so than the previous book's sales track.

What elements in an acquired manuscript do you find more commonly need tweaking during the editorial process?

Plot holes or plot threads that go missing, secondary character development, elements that may be too predictable or too far fetched to be believable.

What characterizes a book as a "success"?

You published a book! That is something to be proud of! If you want to get very literal and talk about monetary success than I would say is it when a book earns out its advance.

What do you do when a book you edited and published doesn't sell well?

As I said, the author/editor/agent relationship is like a marriage. There is a long tail in publishing. New formats, new readers to find. We're in it together.

Any words of advice for aspiring, unpublished, un-agented authors and illustrators?

Keep writing! I know you probably hear this often but it's true! Keep writing, keep joining critique groups and going to writing conferences and meeting new people.

Any resources you would recommend to someone looking to improve their craft?

The Manuscript Academy is a great resource as are your local SCBWI chapter.

What's your favorite 'desk snack' (if you have one)?

Peanut M&Ms. I can't have them in the house when I'm working on a tricky edit!’

What are your work station essentials?

I am a minimalist: water, coffee, laptop.

I hope you enjoyed this insightful interview. I’d love to know your thoughts and what you’d like to learn more about!

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I thought this day would never come, but it’s been three whole days that Aarzu has been out in the world and it feels surreal.

Please judge this book by its cover ;)

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About the book

Living with her aunt and patriarchal uncle in Karachi, Pakistan, recently orphaned twelve-year-old Aarzu detests the way she and her younger sister get treated like extras and excluded from all the fun stuff. Aarzu dreams of playing cricket, just like her male cousins and the neighborhood boys in the streets, but her uncle will hear nothing of it. According to him, girls ought to master the art of making round rotis, not play sports.

When her sister requires urgent medical treatment but finances are tight, Aarzu decides to earn money herself. She hears of a part-time job at a bungalow near her school—but it’s only open to boys. Aarzu has no choice but to disguise herself as a turban-wearing boy to get the gig.

Now, Aarzu must find a way to balance school, work, chores, and secret cricket practices—all without burning out or getting caught by her uncle—or else her dreams of making the girls cricket team and her quest to save her sister will crumble around her.

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When I saw Chaaya Prabhat’s gorgeous art for this book, I fell in love. Since the book is set in Karachi, and since Bougainvillea are in bloom all year round in Karachi, I couldn’t resist getting some gorgeous shots in my neighborhood!

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Raves and Reviews

Heartfelt and triumphant. Like a sharply bowled cricket ball, Aarzu All Around spins the story of an orphaned Pakistani girl’s efforts to overcome societal expectations and save her sister.

– Rajani LaRocca, Newbery Honor-Winning Author of Red, White and Whole

As skillful as an all-rounder, Abbas delivers a lyrical action-packed debut full of determination and grit. Underneath beautiful sensory details lies an empowering message: Never give up or take no for an answer. As a cricket fan, I’ve been searching for a feel-good story like Aarzu’s all my life!

– Reem Faruqi, Award-winning author of Unsettled, Golden Girl, Call Me Adnan, and upcoming Zarina Divided,

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Giveaway

I designed my giveaways keeping everyone (teachers, librarians, readers, authors, asiring authors) in mind.

Giveaway 1- For teachers and librarians: A free virtual author visit for your students (preferably once they’ve read the book)

Giveaway 2- For Aspiring and Published Authors: an AMA call or a free manuscript critique or a class of your choice from the offerings on my website www.marziehabbas.com/classes

Giveaway 3- For Readers: A copy of AAA

For details about how to enter, click the botton below. Good luck!

Enter the Giveaway

Guest Blog Post and Giveaway with Literary Rambles

I am also giving away a book through Literary Rambles and have a blogpost aspiring and published authors would find helpful. Here’s an excerpt:

It’s been two years since my debut picture book, A DUPATTA IS…, was published by Feiwel & Friends, Macmillan. I have since had the pleasure of birthing five more picture book babies and two board book babies. And this July, my debut novel, Aarzu All Around, a novel in verse, comes out with Simon & Schuster. I’ve also written eighteen books in the Nadia & Nadir early reader series and about twelve books for various publishers in the educational market. I’m also learning to illustrate and maybe someday I’ll make the art to go with my words *fingers crossed*. Over the years I’ve learnt a thing or two about the publishing industry and my own process that I would love to share with fellow creators.

Learning As You Go Through Your Author Career

1. Write Across Genres: The publishing industry is slow (from writing to revising, and then even once a manuscript is acquired to the time the book releases). The main advice I got at the start of my career was to start work on my next manuscript. But with limiting option clauses and the slow pace of the industry, it became apparent that selling more work in the picture book market was going to take a while. That’s when I began working on longer form manuscripts and reading and writing across several genres.

Continue Reading

If you’re a creative, I want to take a moment to extend a virtual hug to you.

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.

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There!

I hope you’re feeling better.

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I know the world is especially rough.

I know creators feel things on a deeper level.

I know our mental states dictate how productive we are.

And I know you might be feeling like everything is working against you— with BIPOC and other scholarships and quotas being scrapped, with communities growing more distant, with voices being silenced, you might be wanting to retreat into a safe space and not bother with putting yourself and your work out into such a broken world. I get you!

Yesterday, a fellow writer was having a tough day. She posted to our writer’s group about how an anonymous beta reader had shredded her manuscript’s first draft. How this was the first time she was writing in this new genre and how she felt she wasn’t going to be able to get over the negativity that was thrown at her. We comforted her, and reminded her of the important work she was doing. I shared how I keep telling myself that my writing isn’t a Nutella jar!

And so my writing will inevitably not sit well with everyone.

My heart ached for all the rejection we have to face as creatives. Even if you ‘make’ it with one book or article being published, there’s no guarantee you will ever have another word in print. And that’s the tough reality of publishing! I slept over it, but this morning, the uneasiness hadn’t yet subsided. I woke up, dropped my daughter to school, decided to stop by and treat myself to a slice of lemon cake and get myself a large Cappuccino (this is a special treat because I usually have chai).

I’ve been reading The Productive Muslim and while some of the information is flawed/not accurately referenced, I loved what Mohammad Faris, the author, highlights about the concepts of Sabr (patience) and Qadr (destiny) in Islam. The crux of it being: we need to do our part… patience is an active pursuit (after you put in your share of effort). Destiny is what you make of it, while asking for divine help and using the faculties and skills you’ve been blessed with.

When I reached home, I searched my old phone for a picture that always reminds me of my purpose; I need to put in the struggle, give it my best, make sure my goals are aligned with what my Creator created me for, and also trust the process and believe that nothing, not even a speck the size of a seed of rai, goes to waste!

And what was that photo?

It might not look like much.

But let me explain: It is from a mindfulness workshop I took before I dreamt the author dream. In 2019 I had just closed down my cake business (which I ran for over a decade) and I was completely lost. I felt all the effort I had put into making the name I had made for myself had amounted to nothing. All the instruments and gadgets, all the molds and nozzles I had imported (because barely anything was locally available at the time I began my baking business), everything was worthless.

I wanted to write, to process my feelings. But my emotions were all negative and I was filled with fear. All the ‘what if’s’ clouded my vision and I wasn’t even thinking about the big picture or my overall purpose in life. I was numb.

That’s when the workshop instructor placed a pebble in my hand.

She stood behind me and instructed our small group to close our eyes.

We had just had a heart-to-heart with a complete stranger partner about all our fears and our cheeks were stained with tears and our hearts were brimming with uncertainty. I had no clue what the pebble signified at this point, but I rolled it in my palm. I felt its grittiness. I felt it’s weight. I acknowledged its fissures. I felt grounded in the moment. That’s when the instructor’s voice broke the silence again.

She asked us to visualize our biggest fear.

That was the pebble.

We were each asked to step forward and drop the pebble into the trough of water.

SPLASH!

As expected, all the pebbles shrunk.

Dropping my own pebble, visualizing my fears, and sinking them, was such a powerful feeling. I’m all charged up, even thinking about it. But what was more powerful, was opening my eyes, after I had sunk that biggest fear, and watching the rest of the participants sink their fears.

Plop! Plop! Plop!

We all reached for more pebbles.

We all cheered each other on.

We all felt something shift within us!

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So today, I want you to try this out. Do it alone if you want. But if you have a writing partner in close proximity, invite them over and do it together! Also, stay tuned for part two and maybe even part three!

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As you can tell from the subtitle above, I’ve been trying to be more productive this year— taking account of goals on a quarterly (rather than yearly) basis.

I’ve enjoyed following Ali Abdaal (Youtuber and productivity guru of sorts) and was introduced to the idea of the 12 Week Year (by Brian P. Moran and Michael Linnington). It’s a great, and rather intuitive concept, and if you’re someone who is feeling sluggish this year, consider taking the time to go through the book and follow the steps to set up your calendar.

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I will be honest here: I haven’t followed through with updating my planner as meticulously as the program suggests, but it’s helped me enough to know that I need to take stock of my writing (and other goals) more often.

Something special for writers

In January I launched a new section on my website for writers. I am now offering classes on the craft of writing, as well as manuscript critiques. This is big (both, in terms of accomplishing a goal I set myself last year, and continuing to do what I love to do—teach!) and has been very rewarding. I’ve critiqued several manuscripts, sold multiple classes and have been receiving some amazing feedback.

Critiques

I am currently offering three types of critiques:

• Query Letter Critique (for those looking to enter traditional publishing)

• Picture Book Manuscript Critiques (for rhymers, non-rhymers, fiction writers, non-fiction writers, self-publishers and/or those looking to traditionally publish)

• Novel in Verse Critiques (first 10 pages of an MG or YA NIV)

In additional I am also offering AMA calls for anyone who is confused about what their next steps should be/ needs some hand-holding/ wants to ask specific questions about publishing, or simply needs some cheering on when the going gets tough.

Sign up for a critique from Marzieh

Classes

I am also offering classes on the craft of writing after great feedback from attendees at the 12x12 Picture Book Challenge webinar on PB structure that I conducted last year, and a class on revision that I taught through The Writing Barn on self-editing and revision.

Sign up for a Class taught by Marzieh

Ramadan and productivity

March was the Islamic month of fasting, Ramadan, and I love to reset and realign my purpose with my passions. I also treat it as a time for resolutions and journal about my dreams and hopes for the year. I often divide these goals into categories; broadly speaking they are spiritual, professional, physical, financial, psychological and personal.

Do you set clear goals for the different areas of your life?

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A shift in perspective

With all that has been happening around the world, and the inevitable spillover into publishing, and subsequent drop in sales, I have been constantly questioning why I’m doing what I’m doing. I keep wondering if I am making the best use of my time. I wonder if I should shut my social media accounts and go into a shell. I wonder what the future holds in a world that is so broken. I wonder if sending out manuscript after manuscript (only to gather rejection after rejection) is the right way to go.

I’ve been speaking to lots of people in publishing—editors, agents, authors— and everyone sees a bleak future for publishing (and the world in general).

But that only made me dig even deeper for answers. Answers that reminded me:

Words bring hope.

Words bring joy.

Words are resistance.

And resistance needs perseverance!

So here I am: persevering, persisting, resisting!

Things that are bringing me joy

A thoughtful gift from a dear friend:

Feedback from clients, especially those who’ve availed my services multiple times:

New coasters that match the gorgeous cover (illustrated by Chaaya Prabhat) of my upcoming novel, Aarzu All Around (to be released on July 29, 2025):

Preorder Aarzu All Around

What I’m working on

As I’m gearing up for the release of my debut MG novel in verse, Aarzu All Around, I am drafting another novel in verse which is very close to my heart. It revolves around the diagnosis of a child on the spectrum and how their neurotypical sibling deals with all the challenges that come with it. This project (which I hope to call a book someday) is proving to be a journey of self-discovery and introspection. I am roughly 9000 words in and just let me say: there have been a lot of tears (the emotions are still raw, the path is still messy, and the future is still uncertain) but also a lot of gratitude and submission and growth. I don’t want to give away too much, but if you’re someone who knows where I’m coming from, please drop a comment, and let’s connect! Also, prayers are more than welcome!

I’m also a mentor (for the third time... Wohooo!) for PB Rising Stars and will post more about the program and my mentee in my next newsletter.

In the meantime, I’d love to hear what has been keeping you busy!

If you missed it, check out this post for the interview with my literary agent!

Emily was my first editor (for my debut picture book, A Dupatta Is…). She has also edited its companion title, Henna Is…, and my upcoming picture book, A Camel Library (to be released August 2025).

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Before the interview, I want to share my first memory of Emily! I was recently agented back in 2020 and had polished my first manuscript draft after signing with my agent (which later went on to become A Dupatta Is…). It had been three weeks the story was out on submission when Emily requested my agent to set up a call.

Whaaaaaaaaat?

After hyper-ventilating and pinching myself to check if this could really be happening, I began thinking of all the things Emily might ask me on call. I wondered if she didn’t like any specific bit, or if she wanted me to revamp my manuscript completely, or *insert all new-author-imposter-syndrome thoughts here*.

When we finally got on call, I remember being completely floored by Emily and her single most important question (after she raved about my manuscript and how much she loved it!). And the question was….

Wait for it…

…

..

.

How do you pronounce your name? I want to make sure I get it right when I pitch your manuscript at our next meeting!

I mean how can one not thank their lucky stars to get to work with such a wonderful editor? And I’ve been super lucky to work with Emily three times!

Interview Time

My questions are in bold below. Emily’s answers are italicized.

Since when have you been in this business/role? Is this what you always wanted to do?

I joined F&F as an intern in Fall 2014, was hired on full-time as the publisher's assistant in June 2015, and I've been here ever since! Most recently I was promoted to Editor in April 2022. I actually didn't even know book publishing was a job until after graduating college! Growing up I changed my mind a lot—I flipped from wanting to be anything from a veterinarian to a helicopter pilot to a tattoo artist. In high school I got into writing, and I ended up going to college for journalism. I worked at a newspaper as a copyeditor for a couple years after graduating, but it turned out I wasn't in love with what I was doing. I thought copyediting books would be more to my taste, so I went to grad school for publishing, and it was during that time when I fell in love with acquisitions / developmental editorial instead.

What would a typical workday look like for you?

I wish I could say I just got to read all day in a comfy chair with a yummy beverage, but sadly that is not the case, haha. I honestly spend most of my days either in meetings, answering emails, or doing paperwork. I think people might be surprised to know just how small a portion of my day-to-day is actually spent reading submissions and editing books!

What's your acquisition process like? Can you share some timelines starting off from the time you receive a query? And what exactly happens in the acquisitions meeting?

I work on books for all ages, but regardless of the genre I'm reading, I'm always looking for something about a submission that feels special, whether it's the overall concept or the main character or the voice. But I also need to have a strong vision for how I would pitch the book and position it in the marketplace—if I don't have that, I wouldn't be setting the book up for success to the best of my ability, which is perhaps the most important part of my job. I read hundreds of submissions a year and I have to pass on most of them, but it's pretty much never because the book is "bad." My most common reason for turning something down is that I just don't feel I'm the right editor for it, either because I don't know how to pitch it or I don't know how to help the author make it better. As an author, you want your editor to have that spark for your project—otherwise they're never going to be able to advocate for you and your book as passionately as they need to. As for timeline, it honestly varies wildly. I personally try to respond to all submissions within 3-4 months, but it could easily take more like 6 if I'm really swamped with other work and just don't have time to read. And then again I've definitely heard of other editors who often respond inside a week, and others that sometimes take a year or more. It really depends on an editor's existing workload and personal time management strategies.

Wow, that insight is invaluable! We often don’t see how much editors are juggling!

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Are there any elements in a manuscript that must be 100% perfect before acquiring it? And what are they?

I'm not sure anything can ever be 100% perfect? If anything I think it's usually the imperfections in a submission that draw me to it if it's either something I know how to fix (which gives me that great feeling of "This book needs ME!!!") or it's something that makes it different from other books in the market.

That makes a lot of sense! Before making an offer, do you check out the creator on social media? If yes, does that factor into your offer in anyway?

I do! It's helpful to know if an author has a social media presence yet, and if they do, the kinds of material they post, any mutual connections they have, whether they're particularly good at making videos or graphics or bookish photos, etc. But it's always much less important than the read—if I love a manuscript, it won't matter if the author doesn't have any social media presence, and if I don't love it, it won't matter how big an author's platform already is.

What is the most exciting part about your role?

When I'm working on an edit and I finally figure out exactly what the book needs to be even better! It's like solving a puzzle, and when the pieces click into place it's incredibly satisfying. That and the feeling of being able to give an author the "yes" they've been waiting so long for. :)

I keep hearing the market for picture book biographies, food-themed books, intergenerational bonding books, and graphic novels is saturated. Yet we keep seeing announcements about books in these genres. Is it true that we should be avoiding these topics and are there any other topics, in your view, which are oversaturated in the market?

No way! Some people like to say "Write what you know," but I prefer "Write what you love." It's important not to write to the trends—ex. don't write a vampire romance novel for no other reason than because they're popular—but I believe the opposite is also true. Just because the market might be crowded in a particular genre or topic doesn't mean you shouldn't write one too, especially if that's the story you're most passionate about. Passion isn't something you can fake, and editors (and readers!) can tell when a writer doesn't actually feel that personal connection to their own work. And if the author doesn't really care about the story, why should the reader? True, if there are a lot of competitive titles out there already, there's always a chance you may have more challenges to overcome in order to sell and publish that book successfully, but the market is always changing. An area that is saturated now might actually be lacking in one to two years from now when your book actually comes out. It's pretty impossible to predict, so I would never encourage an author to give up on a story they care about just because there are similar titles that already exist.

What's the most awkward (if you're okay with sharing) or funny encounter following someone finding out about your role in publishing?

When my nephew was around five years old apparently, he told his friends at school that I worked in a "book factory"! XD

What story element makes you immediately fall in love with a manuscript?

It can be something different for every book! For me it's usually either a particular character or the author's voice (or a combination of the two). But it can be any singular element that feels special and makes me care about the story—anything from a creative piece of world-building to a cool magic system to a particularly adorable animal sidekick.

Do pre-orders matter? What are considered good pre-sales?

The short answer is yes, they matter. But the long answer, as with most things in publishing, is "it depends on the book." Preorders are very useful because it can give booksellers an early indication of consumer interest in a title, and that in turn will help them decide how many copies they want to take up front for their account. The more copies they take, the more visibility in stores the book will have, and the bigger the first print run will be. But it depends—preorders aren't usually a must-have for the average picture book, for instance, but they can definitely have a huge impact on high-profile / celebrity picture books. Accounts will still support a novel if they love the read even if there aren't a lot of preorders, but healthy preorders will let them know they need to be paying closer attention to one they may have overlooked for whatever reason. Preorders are also a huge factor in what books make the weekly bestseller lists, so if being a bestseller is a priority for you as an author and/or for your publisher, then yes, preorders absolutely do matter. While not having many preorders probably won't be an indicator of impending disaster for most authors, having even a few will only ever help you and your book. They never hurt!

Once a book is published, do you collaborate with the author to decide which events and engagements to book for the author?

As their editor, not usually. Most of the strategizing about what events or promo an author should do or wants to do happens with their assigned publicist and/or marketer. I can certainly make recommendations to the publicist based on what I know about the author and the book—"She lives in Chicago so we should pitch her for a panel at C2E2" or "This book has awards potential so we should make sure to have ARCs at all the major librarian conferences" etc.—but they're the ones who ultimately make the marketing plan and submit any pitches.

If an author you have worked with sends you another manuscript, do you look at previous sales figures for their published books? If yes, what digits are considered "good"?

Yes, previous sales track is often an important factor in whether I'm able to acquire a new book from an existing author. There isn't a set number of sales that's good for every book, but the individual advance and other expenses is a pretty significant factor—meaning the more we spent on a book, the more copies it needs to have sold in order for us to justify buying a second, since it would be reasonable to expect we'd have the same level of expenses.

What elements in an acquired manuscript do you find more commonly need tweaking during the editorial process?

For picture books, it's usually making sure the story has sufficient emotional depth and kid-appeal. Since you've only got like 150-300 words to work with, every single one of them needs to be perfect. (NEVER let anyone tell you that writing picture books is easy!) For novels, there's usually either a character arc that doesn't feel quite right, or some kind of plot element that's either missing or feels superfluous. Maybe there's a redemption arc that doesn't feel quite earned or a scene that's missing that would've explained why what happened happened. Could be anything! I personally am a bit of an impatient reader, so my editing style often emphasizes pacing—making sure the story keeps moving forward at all times, even during quieter moments. Every writing choice made in the book should be with the purpose of moving forward.

What characterizes a book as a "success"?

Sorry if I sound like a broken record, but it depends! :) Usually for the publisher, a book would be considered successful if it results in a positive return on investment (the author's / illustrator's advance earns out, the profits outweigh the expenses / losses, etc.). But those aren't necessarily the only indicators of success.

What do you do when a book you edited and published doesn't sell well?

Cry, mostly. T^T But sadly it does happen, and more often than you might think. The cruel reality of publishing is that you can do literally everything right—tight storyline, beautiful cover, robust marketing plan, enthusiastic and involved author, sales support—and a book will still underperform. And pretty much never for an explainable reason!

Any words of advice for aspiring, unpublished, un-agented authors and illustrators?

1.) Decide what you want out of your publishing experience early on. Every author gets to decide for themselves what "success" looks like to them—it could be getting published by a particular house, earning enough money to be able to quit your day job, winning an award, attending a particular event or festival as a guest author, anything that's important to you. Not only will having that picture of what YOUR success looks like help you to not try to compare your journey to someone else's, but it's also extremely helpful for both your agent and publisher to know what your expectations and hopes are going in. 2.) Do ALL the research. Look at what kinds of books different houses are publishing, and publishing well. Speak to an agent's other clients and an editor's other authors before signing with them. Meet other authors, whether aspiring or published a hundred times, and listen to the whisper networks. Ask EVERY question you can think of! 3.) Read absolutely everything you can find! Read across genres and age groups and formats, not just the ones you prefer to write in. And most importantly, read diversely and inclusively. Step outside your comfort zone and your personal worldview as often and enthusiastically as you possibly can.

Any resources you would recommend to someone looking to improve their craft?

Since I'm not a writer myself I can't personally testify to these books' usefulness, but I've heard good thinks about both SAVE THE CAT by Blake Snyder (and Jessica Brody did a version specifically for novels) and BIRD BY BIRD by Anne Lamott. But I think the two most essential things you can do to improve your writing is to KEEP writing, and read read read read read.

What's your favorite 'desk snack' (if you have one)?

I don't feel fully human until I have my coffee—always hot, never iced, with a truly reprehensible amount of vanilla creamer.

Wow! Thank you for inspiring and educating us through this super insightful interview, Emily.

I love seeing workspaces, and Emily was kind enough to share hers! (*swoooooooooon*)

Everything looks so organized and even just looking at it inspires me to jump into a focused work session! I’m especially in love with the ladder and the color-coded bookshelf, and the wall art, and pretty much everything!

Let me know your thoughts and what you’d like to learn more about!

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Please applaud my very Halloween-sy Snow Angel!

Looking back at 2024, I am filled with gratitude for all the books that made it out into the world and all the connections I made with readers!

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New Books: Friday Fun & Excited for Eid

I’m incredibly excited for these two titles and can’t believe one of them has already won an award! Insh’Allah, I hope to spread my beautiful deen (religion), Islam, and the love and respect it deserves through these accessible stories 💕

More about Friday Fun:
Join an adorable kiddo in this ode to Fridays, the holiest day of a Muslim week. Starting with a bubble bath and putting on a special outfit, eating at a mouth-watering potluck, and ending with a celebration of community at the mosque.

Here are a few sample spreads:

Aren’t these the sweetest illustrations by Anoosha Syed?!

More about Excited for Eid:

Starting with a morning feast, and ending with an evening treat, a Muslim family gathers with loved ones, eats dates and honey, dresses up, and heads to the mosque. This irresistible board book is sure to delight and inform, serving both as a mirror and a window into a joyous Muslim household.

Here are a few sample spreads:

Both books deliver an ode to Muslim celebrations and are part of a wonderful, rhyming board book series titled Our Neighborhood (Little Bee Books). They’re sure to delight and inform, serving both as a mirror and a window into a joyous Muslim household and are available wherever books are sold and here:

Buy Marzieh's Board Books

PSA: even though this is a board book, it will be enjoyed by older readers too!

Auctions

If you’d like to support some great causes, I’ve contributed critiques to the #KidLit4ceasefire 2025 Auction and the Kidlit For Los Angeles Auction. There’s already a number of bidders and I’m so grateful to all bidders for their enthusiasm to support these amazing causes. I’m always blown away by the power of community and this just makes my heart SO full!

There’s very little time left, so get your bids in NOW!

Critique Services, Mentorship & Classes

As you all know, I’ve been a mentor for PB Rising Stars for 2 years, have conducted several classes for writers through several different writing programs and have offered up critiques for auctions— all going to show I absolutely love to teach and help aspiring authors to navigate this very daunting publishing world.

All the details for my critique services can be found here:

Get a critique from Marzieh

And all the details for my classes can be found here:

Classes offered by Marzieh Abbas

If you scroll all the way down to either of the tabs above, you’ll see testimonials for my classes and critiques. Here’s one from one of my favorite authors, Valerie Bolling:

My debut PB biography, Yasmeen Lari, Green Architect, releases this month. I'm here to share my learnings from writing a NF children's book.

How I got the idea/ chose the subject for my book: I stumbled across Yasmeen Lari's (Paistan's first woman architect) name when I was researching for my book (ABCs of Pakistan). I inquired on a mom-group "What icon/famous personality/monument/event significant to Pakistan can I include that begins with the letter 'Y'?"

How I began my research: I found out Yasmeen Lari lives in my city, Karachi. It was during the pandemic, and I needed a lead. While I dove into secondary sources of research, I kept reaching out to family and friends -- trying to figure out if anyone knew how I could meet with her.

Secondary research: I watched youtube videos, and studied all the material available on The Heritage Foundation's website-- I started pasting links into a word document and even screenshotting titles and copy-pasting and transcribing quotes, incase a website was taken down

Primary Research: The same mom group on FB got me a lead to YL. I called her up and she was down with COVID. So was her talented husband, Sohail Lari, historian and photographer. She gave a date for a Zoom interview, a week from the date on which we first spoke.

By the interview date, YL was in hospital, and her husband had just passed away in hospital from COVID. I got a call from her, apologizing for moving up the date. I as so astonished... this famous lady, who had achieved so much in life, and was so ill, was so humble and respectful of commitments.

The interview: I was blown away further by her grace, knowledge, and big heart (which you will learn more about in the book). Besides patiently sharing all she had done, her open-source architecture model was WOW. She wanted to hold back nothing. Despite her design knowledge, she respected the vernacular of the local villagers. That’s rare— the more successful people get, the more stingy they get with sharing what they know!

End of the interview: After having learned more about the BAre-Foot Architecture model I told her how I was going to submit her story to international publishers-- that I wanted the world to be inspired by her work. She gave me the most humble smile and said, "beta (a term of endearment), this isn't why I do what I do."

Despite all her accolades, she hasn't lost an ounce of humility. She is so selfless and so focused on leaving the world a better place than she found it.

In writing her biography and learning about her life, I learnt more abut life than I have in a lifetime! And I want to share this with you!

In 2023 Prof Yasmeen Lari, was awarded the King's inaugural Royal Gold Medal for architecture for her zero-carbon, self-build houses for displaced people. On winning, Yasmeen's first thoughts: “How do I open up the field for others, for younger professionals?” She's always thinking about others!

At 83, most people are long retired, but when you see Prof. Yasmeen's plans for the future, you feel inspired to step up and do your role...

for your countrymen,

for the environment,

for the world!

Mentor text study: I made spreadsheets to study each mentor text for craft elements: POV, tense, page turns, pacing, scenes, first pages, maintaining momentum in the middle, concluding remarks, slice of life vs cradle to grave...you name it! I didn't have the finances for exp classes, so this was it

Writing + Revising: I used lyrical writing to decrease word count. Added art notes so the art could do some heavy weight-lifting. I made sure my backmatter was SOLID. No room for any slip-ups, no facts without a source... I had a timeline, list of accolades, biblio, + additional resources

Selling the manuscript: We got two offers when my agent sent this out! TWO! Despite being told its an over-saturated market and that editors weren't acquiring anymore!

Moral: Write what ignites a curiosity in you--it will likely excite someone else! Also, the market is forever in flux!

A request: Authors, teachers, librarians, parents: if you found anything of value in this obnoxiously long thread, please consider purchasing a copy of Yasmeen Lari, Green Architect.

Themes: perseverance, environmental sustainability, natural disasters, rehabilitation, architecture

Preorder Now

Fig. 1: A wooden figurine being dramatic (face-palming) atop a stack of books authored by me.

Backstory: My Instagram followers had been stuck at 5982 for eons. I decided to run a paid ad. Living in Pakistan, the exchange rate and taxes are pretty crazy— so this was/is a literal investment!

I agonized over which post to promote.

I agonized over how to select my target audience.

I fought against self-doubt (because let’s face it: promoting your work, and yourself as a brand, is really tough, despite being a marketing major).

I even tried to time the post just right (if there is such a thing)!

Eventually, I went with a picture of a handmade doll reading my debut: A Dupatta Is…

As I put my phone away for the night, I hoped it would be a successful ad campaign, garnering more interest for my debut book and others I’ve written since.

When I woke up, this is the first comment that caught my eye:

Fig. 2: Comment: “Where can I get this doll?????”

Sigh!

The doll is more interesting than my book! LOL!

Sure, the doll is super cute, and she was created to resemble the main character in my book… but how do I get my point (my books) across to people?

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If you have any advice on how to do a better job at marketing, or a similar anti-climatic story to share, please leave a comment (or commiseration) in the comments section below. Or get in touch via my website.

What you can do to help: send hugs and prayers! Also, if you can click a picture of any of my book/s at your library, a bookshop, or even your own shelf, please do send them across. They’re the sort of pictures that really make my day!

In the meantime, I’m going to go think about bundling my books with handmade dolls! ;)

I thought it would be great to hear from industry professionals for a peek behind the publishing scenes. I have a series of interviews lined up that I can’t wait to share with my readers.

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I’m so happy to welcome my first guest: Lynnette Novak, Literary Agent at The Seymour Agency.

I’ve been lucky to work with Lynnette since September 2020! Here are some of the books Lynnette has sold for me (some of them are already available to buy and others are up for preorders):

Haha! That’s pretty much all my traditionally published books…From board books to chapter books and a MG NIV (the cover of which will be shared very soon!).

How I got my Agent

If you’re interested in learning more, you can read details about my author journey and how I signed with Lynnette here.

Interview Time

My questions are in bold below. Lynnette’s answers are italicized.

Since when have you been in this business/role? Is this what you always wanted to do?

I've been an agent with The Seymour Agency since 2017. Before that, I was a teacher, author, and freelance editor.

What would a typical work day look like for you?

Every day is different, which is one of the things I love about the job. For example: answering emails, negotiating offers, reviewing contracts, editing, sending projects out on submission, editor meetings, agency meetings, conferences, teaching workshops online or in person, offer calls, researching editors, reading queries, reading requested submissions and client manuscripts, and so much more!!!

What's your process for signing on a new client like? Can you share some timelines starting off from the time you receive a query?

This varies. I might like a query but not have time to really dig in, so I'll put it in my maybe folder. Or I might love it and request the full right away. I might read the material within a few weeks of receiving, but most of the time, it takes a couple months or more, unless there's an offer on the table. My clients come first, which means I read requested submissions during my "free time." If I love the manuscript and become obsessed with it, I'll set up a call with the author to see if we might be a good fit. If I believe we are, I'll offer to represent them.

Before making an offer for representation, do you check out the creator on social media? If yes, what factors would make you double think your offer of representation?

Yes. If the person is disrespectful, rude, or posts things that don't sit well with me, I won't set up a call.

What is the most exciting part about your role ?

I GET TO READ FOR A LIVING!!!

In your view, are there any oversaturated topics in the market?

Yes, but that changes all the time, and it's cyclical. Something that might not be hot right now could be hot in a month, and the reverse is also true.

What's the most awkward (if you're okay with sharing) or funny encounter following someone finding out about your role in publishing?

It's tough to explain to someone not in the industry what I do for a living. I often will say I'm like a realtor for authors and then explain it from there.

What story element makes you immediately fall in love with a manuscript?

VOICE all the way!!!

Do pre-orders matter? What are considered good pre-sales?

Yes. It can help the book become a bestseller faster. That varies depending on the topic, age category, and genre.

If a self-published author queries you, do you look at previous sales figures for their published books?

Yes, because publishers will and I need to know what they're going to see.

Do you consider yourself an editorial agent? if yes, what does the editorial process look like once you sign on a new client?

Yes. I was a freelance editor before this, so I can't help myself. That's different for everyone, and every project.

In your view, what characterizes a book as a "success"?

That varies. If the author is happy, I'm happy.

Can you help us authors understand the term "world rights?"

That means the agent or their foreign rights team can sell the foreign rights to foreign publishers. Each deal is different, so this is hard to answer.

How do publishers decide how much of their marketing and publicity resources are allotted to each title?

It's based on how much they think they'll make off the book.

Any resources you would recommend to someone looking to improve their craft?

Conferences, online workshops, and current how-to-write books could help.

What's your favorite 'desk snack'?

Popcorn.

Any words of advice for aspiring, unpublished, un-agented authors and illustrators?

Be patient and learn to have thick skin. Both will help a lot in this industry.

Wow, thank you, Lynnette! That last piece of advice is gold (and something I need to keep working on myself).

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Querying Lynnette

You can learn more about Lynnette Novak here. She is currently open to queries for adult horror and adult nonfiction. Good luck!

Query Lynnette Novak

Coming Up

I have a few editor interviews lined up, so stay tuned!

I hope you enjoyed this issue. Happy reading, writing, and revising!

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Order Henna Is...

Henna Is… is a lyrical love letter to henna, written by yours truly and brilliantly illustrated by Anu Chouhan.

Henna is so much more than a form of temporary body art.

Henna is nature—seeds sprouted into shrubs, leaves kissed by tropical rain.

Henna is color—the orange of juicy mangoes, sun-kissed brown, or black as the feathers of crows.

Henna is fragrance—earthy and nutty, lemony and clove-y.

The intricate patterns of flowers, feathers, vines, and other symbols painted and stained onto skin has been a tradition in cultures all around the world for thousands of years. Beautiful and eye-catching, henna also carries the scents, textures, and colors of family and identity.

There’s also a wonderful audio version, narrated by Lipica Shah with special sound effects that make it an enchanting audiobook.

'Henna Is...' Audiobook

Please consider requesting Henna Is… at your library. Here is all the information compiled on one sheet, that you can provide the library staff. If you have any problem accessing the file, or any questions, feel free to reach out to me through my website.

My inspiration for ‘Henna Is…’

Since I was little, the most fun part about Eid has been getting henna, also known as mehendi, on my hands and sometimes feet. Once tattooed, I enjoy inhaling the deep, earthy scent till it lasts.

As I grew older, I learned henna artists hide messages in motifs. So fascinating! The messages may be symbols—like lotus flowers, peacocks, and butterflies—or names and initials, especially the names of grooms on the hands of their brides.

Other than its decorative purposes, henna also has medicinal healing properties and serves as a conditioner and a natural dye for hair. It is also widely used to mark cattle, thus replacing more intrusive techniques of heat stamping used in the past.

This book is an attempt to share these fun facts, my culture, the deep sense of identity I draw from these joyous rituals, and more, about the much-loved art of henna-ing.

I also put together some fun worksheets to go with the book and am so grateful to my street teams, Kidlit Works, 2021-derfuls, and PBSpree for all their help in promoting my books.

Worksheets for Henna Is...

Please leave a comment below with your thoughts on the book!

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Crowdsourcing Promo content

Since this book launched towards the end of July, I couldn’t really do any virtual school visits like I did for Awe-samosas! (you can read more about how I celebrated my book’s launch with 10 schools and over 1450 students here).

Instead, I decided to garner support and excitement for its launch by hosting a giveaway. I asked my Instagram followers to share memories and pictures of henna from their childhood.

Here are some of the sweet pictures and messages I recieved.

“My mum passed away 31 years ago and (my) grandma (passed away) 11 yrs ago... so its quite a distant memory when my mum would soak the henna powder with tea mixture or water n then let it sit for some time so that the color would be richer. My grandma would always put mehndi on her hands in summers. As kids we would try to make patterns but often ended up with scribbles on one hand and colored fingertips with a round disc on the other. My late mum had premature grey hair and she would always put henna in her hair… still remember the gorgeous reddish hue her hair used to get.”— Fiza Naeem

“Applying Henna has always been really close to my heart. My Nani used to apply henna and there was not a single time that her hands were without henna. That memory itself is just so special to me that I try to apply henna on my hands and my daughters without any event… simply for the love of henna ❤️”— @littlebook.buddies

“I love henna. My daughter and I apply henna before every Eid or wedding at home. We are creating lovely memories together. 🤍”— Nida Tariq

What I’m Reading

It’s tough juggling a book release, writing, reading and revisions. I’ve barely been at my desk writing this summer. But I’ve been enjoying Natalie Goldberg’s ‘Writing Down the Bones— Freeing the Writer Within’. I’m about half way through and have definitely found some motivation to draft a new story and continue with an abandoned manuscript. So yay!

I loved her advice on ‘first thoughts’ and just getting everything down without editing. We’ve all heard this advice before, but reminders are always great.

In Other News

We have adorable covers for my upcoming board books. Hasn’t Anoosha Syed done such a great job with them?

These are part of the Our Neighborhood series of board books that celebrates every kids' culture so kids can find themselves, their family, and their friends in every book.

Preorder Marzieh's Board Books

Every time a fellow author friend visits my corner of the world, I get super excited. Not only do we always have so much in common, we also get to talk about upcoming projects and discuss trends in the publishing industry. This might not be a big deal for most writers who get to attend conferences, writing retreats, and connect weekly with author friends and critique groups in their vicinity, but it’s HUGE for me.

So when I found out Zainab Khan (author of Noura’s Crescent Moon) is visiting, I had to make the most of it. We even managed to squeeze in a critique session and make some headway on our own respective projects.

My PB Rising Stars mentorship is coming to a close. This is my second year of being a mentor and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed working with my current mentee— going through the basics of PB storytelling, revising a manuscript over several rounds, discussing best practices for querying, and polishing pitches and a query letter. My last mentee is now agented and I hope for good news from my current mentee soon!

If you’re an aspiring writer, do consider signing up on to the PB Rising Stars website to get notified about future mentorship opportunities.

Coming up in Future Issues

My agent and several of the editors I’ve worked with have been gracious enough to share a peek into the other side of publishing. As authors, we often feel like publishing needs to be demystified and I learnt so much from these publishing professionals. Fellow authors sent in questions and I’ll be sharing my agent and editor responses in upcoming newsletters or via my promo group’s (Kidlit Works) newsletter (so be sure to subscribe).

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I’ll also be covering my middle grade novel revision process and some tips for MG and YA authors. I also cannot wait to share the cover for my MG NIV which is now titles Aarzu All Around (previously: Aarzu Raza Extra No More). If there’s any other writing-related topic you’re curious about, let me know in the comments and I’ll try and cover it in future issues.

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I had a samosa party with friends, family, and picture book enthusiasts!

I enjoyed making surprise samosa fillings. Pictured above is the sweet samosa that inspired this story. You can read more about it in the last part of this post.

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Samosa Goodness

I’m still experimenting with samosa flavors, but so far, my absolute favorite has been the apple cinnamon filling. It’s also one of the fillings that Noor pulls off successfully in the story. I served it up at a family event with ice cream and caramel syrup and everyone loved it! I simply stew peeled and diced apples with brown sugar, a squeeze of lemon juice, some brown sugar and a generous sprinkling of cinnamon powder. Yum!

Author Visits

As I mentioned in my previous post, I coordinated several virtual author visits. I met with kids (1452 in total) in different parts of the United States, Canada and Pakistan. I gave a short introduction to my author journey, shared my published and upcoming titles, did a read aloud of Awe-samosas! and shared activity sheets to go with my book! This, along with friends sending me pictures of my book/s out in the wild (at bookstores and libraries), and my books being featured in AANHPI month posts, were the best part about launch month!

Below are some of the pictures shared by teachers, librarians, and author friends.

Oh, we also shared the samosa-love by forming samosas with our fingers (picture for reference: second row, first picture from the right) just before signing off!

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I Signed with Authors Out Loud

I’m so excited to share that Authors Out Loud will now be managing all my speaking arrangements!

To request an in-person or virtual speaking engagement, please contact Authors Out Loud, or view my Speaking Profile.

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In other news

Much of the months of April and May were spent revising my upcoming MG novel in verse. I had to work through lots of helpful notes from my editors and there were times when I felt my brain could hold nothing but the several different threads running through my book. Being a picture book author, writing and revising my first middle grade novel has been a sharp learning curve for me. Even though novels in verse are much shorter than regular prose novels, it still felt really overwhelming to hit each plot point at the right time and keep track of where each character appeared and what role each appearance played in the larger scheme of things!

My editor also suggested a title change, and I can’t wait to share more on that soon!

Also, I got to see cover art by the amazing Chaaya Prabhat and when the time is right, I’ll be sharing it on my website!

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Coming up in Future Issues

My agent and several of the editors I’ve worked with have been gracious enough to share a peek into the other side of publishing. As authors, we often feel like publishing needs to be demystified and I learnt so much from these publishing professionals. Fellow authors sent in questions and I’ll be sharing my agent and editor responses in upcoming newsletters or via my promo group’s (Kidlit Works) newsletter (so be sure to subscribe).

As always, I’d love to hear your thoughts and feedback about my posts!

Leave a comment

Happy Ramadan to everyone. I know this year feels different and heavy, but here are some great books that share this joyous time of year for Muslims.

T-5 days to the Awe-samosas! launch

With Awe-Samosas! releasing in just 5 days, I wish I could hop on a plane and be on US soil for the launch— meet with my editor, agent, publisher and sign books and meet readers and distribute swag and…Sigh!

Let’s be real! We’re in the middle of Ramadan and the school year; an in-person book launch isn’t happening for now! So I decided to (fry as many samosas as I could :p JK!) make the launch of AWE-SAMOSAS! as exciting as possible.

Preorder Awe-Samosas!

Since my debut, A Dupatta Is…, released last year, I had some idea of promo activities that drained me, and those that brought me joy (and hence made the effort worth it). Who knows what translated to actual sales and what didn’t! As authors we have to do whatever we can, in a sustainable way, so our books make it to readers far and wide.

(p.s.: If your library doesn’t already have a copy of my debut, please place a request!)

Order A DUPATTA IS...

One takeaway from debut year was: I didn’t want to simply have a virtual book launch with a bookstore. It’s hard to explain, but being remote (I live in Pakistan), and not being able to see the expression on people’s faces when they pick up your book, or flip through a hard copy, is NOT fun! I wanted friends and family to celebrate and with this book being about samosas, I thought I should have a samosa party! (Pictures coming soon).

I’ve learned I find the most joy in seeing kids’ expressions as they get to the climax of the book, or notice what’s happening in the illustrations that isn’t in the text— it’s that mix of awe and wonder and anticipation that makes all the waiting (for the book to release) worth it as an author. I decided to have virtual + free author visits to celebrate the launch of Awe-samosas! I can’t wait to share the interior art of this gorgeous book! Bhagya Madanasinghe has done such a brilliant job.

Coordinating Multiple Virtual Author Visits

I’ve decided to hold sessions on three days and needed to send out a form to any teacher, librarian, or school coordinator, interested in hosting me virtually. I shared posts on Twitter and Bluesky, stating the same. I soon began getting responses through the contact form on my website, but I then came the task of setting up the sessions and allotting time slots.

I didn’t want to have to email teachers and librarians back and forth and coordinate timings. I also didn’t want to get into the mess of having overlapping sessions and dealing with different time zones (note: this was an open invitation to any school/library around the world). After asking around and not getting any concrete solution from fellow authors, I created a Google Sheet which looked like this:

The ‘Date’ column has a drop down menu with options for the dates I was willing to have the read aloud session. I limited this to three dates that suited me during launch week.

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The last column is slightly cut off, but it provides a field where teachers can enter the meeting link they will generate. If you want to do something similar, please email me and I’ll send across a copy of the Google Sheet, which you can then make a copy of and edit according to your requirements.

I’ll share more about how the visits went on my IG, so stay tuned, and say a little prayer for me so there are no glitches :)

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In other news

I can’t believe I’m going to be a published MG author!!

It’s been a thrilling ride (right from when I first conceived the idea for AARZU RAZA to when the offer came in) and I can’t wait to tell you more about it. But that will need an issue of its own!

As always, I’d love to hear your thoughts and feedback about my posts!

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I visited every library I could get to and gasped when I found my book in the wild.

I signed books, visited bookstores and signed author walls.

I conducted presentations and readalouds.

I also did lots of touristy stuff with friends and family!

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Craft books I’m excited about

I’ve taken several classes with Kirsten W. Larson, have read all her books several times, and she is a great critique partner! She is also a wonderful teacher and I’m sure this book on NF PBs is going to serve as a great guide to many aspiring and established authors, including myself (I can’t wait to dive in).

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Gearing up for the release of AWE-SAMOSAS!

I’m so excited it’s March! AWE-SAMOSAS! releases on March 26th and I can’t wait for readers to devour this yummy story.

Pre-Order AWE-SAMOSAS!

I’ve been told by advance readers that it has them craving samosas. It’s no surprise; Bhagya Madanasinghe has done a stunning job with the illustrations and there’s a yummy samosa recipe in the backmatter.

Mr. John Schu hosted the cover reveal for this book! Read some juicy details here:

Behind the Scenes for Awe-Samosas!

Learnings I want to carry forward in 2024

I usually follow Julie Hedlund’s 12 Day of Christmas posts and love how she emphasizes starting with a positive mindset, recounting successes and surprises in the past years and easing into the new year without focusing too much on resolution-setting. At the end of every year, this helps me remember moments I’d forgotten about, and grounds me in gratitude. I want to do a similar exercise every month— just to keep the momentum going.

Also, with four picture books and two board books releasing this year, I want to commit to being more pro-active about my social media content scheduling. I’ve learned it isn’t as intimidating if you manage to post to several social media channels at once (FB Meta Suites planner helps me post to IG and FB simultaneously and to schedule posts), preferably well in advance.

Things to expect in future newsletters

The more I post about my publishing journey, the more questions I get from fellow agented authors and aspiring writers and the more I realize how opaque all of publishing is. I know how frustrating that can be, irrespective of what phase of publishing you are in.

I hope to share more about the process of writing, revising, submitting and other pub-related stuff in future newsletters. If you have any questions about the process, feel free to leave a comment below.

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Thank you to all my newsletter subscribers for sticking around and supporting me as I juggle all the new, exciting, and challenging responsibilities of being a published author! For those of you who don’t know, my debut picture book, A Dupatta Is…, released on April 11, 2023.

Buy A Dupatta Is...

Being a newly published author has been thrilling and intimidating all at once…Just like switching over my newsletter to Substack from Mailchimp has been thrilling and intimidating! I’m still not sure it’s working the way I think it should, so please let me know in the comments section at the end of this post!

Talking of new things, I recently also created a Bluesky account and would love for us to connect there, too.

Connect with Marzieh on Bluesky

Being new to writing (I started in 2019) and newer to being a published author, I’m constantly trying to do more of social media, and constantly struggling to keep a balance (if there is such a thing!). With my background in Marketing, I know there isn’t any guarantee of what will actually move the needle, but my sincere effort is towards getting my books into the hands of readers who will cherish them.

A Little About Me

I’m a baker turned award-winning author. I love adding magic to my creations— whether that’s a seven- layered rainbow cake or the books I write for children all over the world.

I enjoy learning new skills, jumping rope, sipping chai, and observing nature. I dream of owning a talking parrot someday.

A Dupatta Is... is my debut picture book in the traditional American market. I have several upcoming children’s books including Awe-samosas! (Clarion, 2024), Henna Is...(Feiwel and Friends, 2024) and Yasmeen Lari, Green Architect (Clarion, 2024) to name a few. I’m also the author of the early-reader chapter book series titled Nadia and Nadir. Twelve books have hit the shelves already, and more are on the way! One of the titles, Nadia and Nadir—Hurricane Helpers, won the Best Early Reader award hosted by the Muslim Book Reviewers in 2022.

I’m a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI), Julie Hedlund's 12x12 Picture Book Challenge, and a graduate of the Lyrical Language Lab and Children’s Book Academy.

I’m represented by Lynnette Novak at The Seymour Agency. You can visit me on the web and connect with me on my socials here: IG , Twitter, and FB.

What I’ve Been Up To

I recently returned from a trip to the US where I got to do super exciting book-related stuff. More on that in my next post :)

This week I was invited to share my journey and some tips and tricks about the craft of writing for children in the AA&NHPI Monthly Mixer via the 12x12PB Challenge platform.

I love connecting with writers at any stage of their journey. It’s the absolute best when you can inspire adults to dig into their experiences and work towards creating meaningful, yet fun, stories for children. Since I live on the other side of the globe, it was 5am here in Pakistan. But, armed with my cup of chai, I had a great time chatting and making new writer-friends.

That’s all from me for now. I hope I did this right! If you like what you read, and would like to know more about my author journey, my life in Pakistan, and see random pictures of what inspires me, please subscribe to future posts.

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