Frequently Asked Questions

Our definition of diversity is an ongoing or temporary experience inseparable from one's upbringing that offers a meaningful perspective on life. Experiences include religion, culture, and disabilities that teach communities to be kinder to one another.

Yes, diversity is necessary for our books. A love story in the English countryside is just as diverse as a fantasy romance based in Bangladesh. Diversity introduces us to people's intimate lives, so as long as the story is written with heart and love for readers, we believe it is worth publishing.

Diversity does not mean writing about your select medical history and/or labeling hardship as if it makes you unique.

—We strive to pay our authors, but we aren't a multi-million dollar publishing conglomerate (yet!), so it is not a guarantee. We are a traditional publishing house (albeit a small one) offering:

• a modest cash advance, if applicable;
• five free author copies;
• lifetime net royalties.
• If applicable, IP writers are paid a minimum of 500 USD for novel-length work.

In addition, we provide legal protection, ISBN & barcode, cover design, editing, and marketing included in the publication deal. 

We do NOT charge reading fees or any fee for the aforementioned services. You can also choose to have your accepted manuscript optioned for animated film through our partnership with Al Majarra Studios.

—In short, we are looking for genre fiction (fantasy, sci-fi, historical, contemporary romance, and literary fiction) and select non-fiction in the MG, YA, and NA age categories with a preference for Muslim leads. All books must be suitable for Muslim children and adults.

All romantic aspects of the book should be "clean" or "sweet" and not explicit, i.e., family-friendly romance.

Our interests fluctuate, so read more about the editors on the team page to see if your manuscript fits us. Or follow us on Twitter to see our open calls and blog for specifics.

This means that you are not waiting on anyone else's decision, be it a literary agent or another publishing house, for the manuscript you submit to us.

For us to consider it, your manuscript should be submitted exclusively. There is some leeway, as explained on our Submissions page. This is a new rule we have implemented to streamline our acquisition process (and to acknowledge the time and effort we put into reading requested manuscripts). Thank you for understanding.

—No. Like any book, a story is universal. Muslims have been picking up books with lead characters, settings, cultures, and authors who are non-Muslim—and enjoyed them. A non-Muslim can do the same for books written by or about Muslims.

—Our priority is to uplift Muslims who have been purposely gate-kept from the literary world for practicing and holding onto their faith. 

However, starting October 2022, we will accept books written by or about non-Muslims through our imprint, Sorra Books. Subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on social media to stay in the know!

Yes! We know many Muslim writers self-publish their stories because of the lack of resources and support from traditional means. Shaherazad Shelves is happy to consider re-publishing your work to give it the extra love it deserves.

Only if you've revised your manuscript significantly or according to the revision & resubmit comments. This is not a guarantee that the manuscript will be accepted, unfortunately.

—Join our Discord and let us know in the questionnaire that you're interested in being an ARC reader.

You also don't have to be a famous booktuber, bookstagrammer, or booktoker to get a physical copy. We like small and up-and-coming people. If you do happen to be famous booktuber, bookstagrammer, or booktoker, we like you, too!

 —No, we did not. We are not perpetuating a German rendition of a Persian/Arab lore. Our spelling (Shaherazad) is closer to how we expect farsi and farsi-influenced languages like Urdu or Bangla would transliterate it.

—We chose Shaherazad Shelves with the goal of telling 1,001 stories to a cutthroat world to keep our Muslim identity alive, metaphorically speaking. 

We chose the name Sorra Books to pay homage to our Bangladeshi roots. The word "sorra" means "little bird" in the Sylheti dialect of Bangla. Shush Books gets its name from being the shortened version of Shaherazed Shelves. Saladeen Books is named after the great Salah ad-Din Ayyubi, the Muslim warrior who freed Jerusalem, to inspire readers to fight for justice.