I’m a Kurdish-American author who was born in New York City, and I presently call Miami Beach my home. I received my master’s degree in psychology from Florida Atlantic University. I became a voracious reader in high school and a relentless writer in college. My persistence paid off in 2008 when I attained agent representation and in 2009 when I got my first book deal. BESTEST. RAMADAN. EVER. is my first novel and it will be published by Flux in 2011. In addition to being a writer, I'm a middle school English teacher. I am a member of Mensa and SCBWI.Author Photo by Corey Weiner/redsquarephoto.com
ON WRITING
When people find out I'm a writer, they sometimes barrage me with questions and comments that are hard to address. How can I get published? I don't believe it takes that long. Will you refer me to your agent? It should only take a few days to write a book. It seems that people who go this route in speaking to me are looking for a shortcut, but there are no shortcuts in publishing.
I started writing novels in the 90's when I was a teenager. On this website I documented my forays into writing with my first, second, third, and fourth novels. In over a decade I wrote various manuscripts in different genres, all the way from pictures books to MG to YA to adult novels. I was trying to find a style and voice that fit my ideas. I was also learning the craft, mainly on my own through books, websites and rejection feedback, but I was diligent and persistent in my quest to be published.
It's all about who you know. Some beginners think you have to be well connected to be a published author. I had no connections whatsoever. Yes, you can be discovered from the slush pile. I visited agency websites and carefully read their submission guidelines. I read sample queries to get an idea of what a stellar query should look like. Rejections were numerous, but I developed a thick skin and kept going.
I wrote inside a bubble, unaware of local writers and groups they belonged to. It wasn't until after my book deal for BRE that I explored the world of critique groups and conferences. I'm sure if I was knowledgeable about these resources early on, my work would have progressed at a quicker pace. Today my critique group is like gold to me. So put yourself out there by meeting fellow writers and industry people.
RESOURCES
Absolute Write Water Cooler
AgentQuery
Nathan Bransford's Blog
Pimp My Novel
Preditors & Editors
Pub Rants (Agent Kristin Nelson)
Query Shark
Rants and Ramblings (Agent Rachelle Gardner)
The Rejectionist
The Rejector
SlushPile Hell
Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators
Verla Kay's Message Board
Video - SO YOU WANT TO WRITE A NOVEL
YALITCHAT
Posts
