Naima B. Robert – Learn How to Write a Children’s Book Na’ima B. Robert Mistakes to Avoid #2
AI: Summary ©
In this video, a speaker discusses the difference between the Islam of Islam and the Islamic book. They explain that while the Islam of the characters is a backdrop, the Islamic book is a story that teaches the story of the Islam of the characters. The speaker advises the audience to be clear on their goals for their book and to be aware of the publisher where they fit in the market. They also suggest finding the right publisher for a story with the appropriate title and setting their sights on the publisher.
AI: Summary ©
Yes. It's your sister Naeema b Robert here
back with another video on how to write
for children.
If you've been following the series, you know
that I'm sharing with you some of the
the learnings, some of the the the teachings
that we've been sharing with clients and students
for several years now, mashallah.
And today I want to talk to you
about
the role of Islam and Muslims in your
story.
Now this particular subject applies across the board.
It applies whether you're doing board books, picture
books, chapter books, novels, whatever it is. But
it is important because it helps you to
understand
exactly
what kind of Muslim or Islamic book you
are writing.
So
let's agree, firstly,
that there is a difference between a Muslim
book and an Islamic book.
Okay. You may not agree with me, so
let me hear me out. This is what
I mean about the difference between the two.
A Muslim book is a book that has
Muslim characters.
It has Muslim characters.
It may have a Muslim setting,
but its aims are not to teach Islam.
It may not even mention anything about Islamic
values or Islamic principles.
The Islam of the characters is part of
the cultural backdrop.
They happen to be Muslim and this is
a story about them. I'm sure you can
think of many stories, books,
films, TV shows where it's a Muslim show.
It's a Muslim book. But is it teaching
Islamic principles?
Not quite.
Then on the other hand, you have an
Islamic book. And we can say that an
Islamic book is one where Islamic values
or Islamic knowledge is explicitly or implicitly being
taught.
Okay.
The Islam of the characters
is front and centre. It's a major part
of their character. It's a major part of
the plot. It may be a major part
of the themes.
So in these two examples,
in the Muslim book the Islam is a
backdrop
and in the Islamic book the Islam is
in the foreground.
Now, why should this make a difference?
Well, if you want to put a book
out there, and especially if you want to
work with a publisher,
it's really important to be aware of which
book you're writing
because different these 2 different types of books
appeal to different audiences
and, most importantly,
they appeal to different types of publishers.
Now it may sound obvious to you that
this is the case but you'd be surprised
at how many people
write an Islamic
book and then send it to a mainstream
publisher that is interested in diversity, for example.
So before I get into that, let me
just backtrack because
we know that many, many,
traditional publishers
are now interested in publishing stories,
from a diverse back from diverse backgrounds, from
diverse voices.
We even have some publishers that have established,
a whole imprint specially for Muslim books.
So there is money behind these because there
is a huge demographic of readers, and publishers
are aware of that. Publishers are in the
business of making money.
But,
an Islamic book
that teaches Islam and teaches Islamic principles
is not what those publishers are looking for.
They are looking for a book that will
sit comfortably
in their multicultural
section.
So that book is not going to be
one that is a book of dawah or
a book that is, you know, differentiating
Muslims on the basis of their Islam or
even just too Islamic.
That's not what's going to interest them. And
I'm not saying this to you to to
say, you know, those publishers are good or
bad. It's just that you need to understand
the type of book that you're writing and
the type of publisher that will be interested
in your book. So if the Islam of
your characters is a backdrop,
part of their kind of cultural backdrop, background
and it's, you know, it's not the main
part of the story,
if the story is good enough, if it
would sell, those publishers are an easy audience
for you.
You can also take that book to an
Islamic publisher. However,
just as a, you know, a mainstream publisher
that is interested in, kind of, Muslim stories,
is not interested in stories that are promoting
Islam per se,
An Islamic publisher
is looking for stories that promote and teach
Islam.
So if you are writing an Islamic book,
be aware that you want to be pitching
it for the Islamic audience.
Parents who do not want Islamic literature will
not buy an Islamic book, whether they're Muslim
or not.
On the other hand, parents who are Islamic
will probably buy a book that has Muslim
characters, just for the idea of having Muslim
characters. But it doesn't always work the other
way around.
My point is this,
get very clear on your goals for your
book
because I've worked with many sisters who were
hoping to get a deal from a traditional
publisher and they know that that traditional publisher
is looking for diverse voices, is trying to
be to
that
publisher.
That's
not
what
they're
looking
for.
So
to that publisher.
That's not what they're looking for. So just
be aware of that. If you're writing an
Islamic book and your goal is to teach
Islam and to propagate Islam, you need to
be looking at Islamic publishers, publishers where their
goals align with the goals of your book.
So I hope that that makes a difference,
that it makes some kind of sense to
you and maybe allows you to see kind
of the story that you're working on, you
know, where does it fall?
Remember that just because you are a Muslim
author doesn't mean that you're writing either of
those. You could not be writing a Muslim
or Islamic book. Your book could be a
very general story that appeals to everyone. We
know many, many Muslim authors who have done
this. Some stories are simply universal.
Some information is universal. And we have some
authors who write about Islam
for a general audience. I'm one of those.
Many of my Islamic books or books that
talk about Islam
are there to teach non Muslims about Islam
in a way that is beautiful and makes
sense to them. So just because you are
a Muslim author doesn't mean you have to
write about Islam or Muslims.
Just come up with a fantastic story, do
it really well, and find the right publisher
for that story. And if you are writing
a story with Muslim characters or with an
Islamic theme, be aware of where you fit
in the market and set your sights on
the publishers that are looking for what you
are doing, inshallah. And I hope that that
makes sense. I hope that that's helpful. Hope
it clears up some misconceptions.
And, I would love to hear your thoughts
in the comments.
If you would like us to help you
to figure out your story, to edit your
story, to give you advice on which publisher
you should be going for or which publishing
route is best for you,
simply go to my website, naimarobert.com/services
and send in a form. We'd love to
hear from you. We'd love to be able
to help you and support you and work
with you.
Until the next video,
I guess you've got some thinking to do,
insha'Allah. We'll see you on the next one.
Assalamu Alaikum, Warahmatullahi,
Wa Barakatuh.