Samiha Hoque

Shaherazad Shelves (ShSh) is a small independent press. It is a Muslim-owned business, and modest advances are offered on a case-by-case basis.

Samiha graduated from Brooklyn College with a minor in English with honors and a B.S. in the Earth and Environmental Sciences. As the lead editor and director at Shaherazad Shelves, she actively seeks MG, YA, and Adult fiction across most genres. She also accepts fantasy chapter book series. (Please note: due to religious reasons, she works mainly with female authors.)

MG, YA, or Adult Fantasy

• Any subgenre of fantasy (dark, portal, urban, court, etc.)
• Magic-less fantasy, but yes! to mythical creatures like The Princess Academy or Dragon Slippers or magic existing but not used like Ella Enchanted (the book)
• #OWNVOICE second-world fantasy
• If religion is mentioned, it must be monotheistic, like Skylight by Patchree Jones
• Teen fantasy like Sitara, Lady of the Lotus, or Sisters of the Lost Marsh
• Chapter book fantasy like The Magic Tree House series
  • Contemporary chapter books are allowed if there is a Muslim protagonist like Yusuf and Yusra’s Holiday Dilemma series by A. Dawood
• Dream projects: Wuxia, Balkan-inspired fantasy, Tang dynasty-inspired fantasy, prehistoric Earth as a setting (e.g., mammoths, dinosaurs), chapter book/early middle-grade horse or dragon series.

MG, YA, or Adult Sci-Fi

• (Preferably) Eco-fiction/climate themes
• Any type of punk, e.g., steampunk, silkpunk like Of Jade and Dragons by Amber Chen, goldenpunk (sci-fi based on the golden age of Islam)
• Sci-fi genre blends like Blood of the Levant by Abdullah Yousef
• Dream Project: Military, monster sci-fi like Attack on Titan or Xenoblade Chronicles

YA or Adult Contemporary

• Must have a Muslim protagonist
• Slice of life/high school stories like Flower Child by Atiyah Brinkley
• College/Adult romances — bonus to see a non-super-rich love interest!
• Upmarket fiction (literary aspects + high-stakes plot) like Home Is a Silhouette by Kataru Yahya
• Anything that explores or critiques culture or region-based conflicts
• Dream Projects: Muslim romance novels starting after marriage, love life of essential workers (factory, janitorial, etc.).

Adult Historical Fiction

• Must have a Muslim protagonist
• All time periods, preferably with romance sprinkled in
• Anything after WW2 might be a hard sell unless it has an interesting set-up (e.g., Bangladesh’s independence in 1971)

Adult Nonfiction

• Must have a Muslim theme
• Counter-culture essays/collections
• Books about Muslim traditions and anything that includes science with Islam!
• Dream projects: essay collection critiquing post-modernism, modern beauty standards, or secular religion.

Overall things to consider:

• Moral-driven books/moral characters
• Muslims in fiction
• Stories that compare to ANY book ShSh has published
• Retellings, folklore, and legendary beasts
• Fantasy only with little or no magic
• Girls working with boys, not against, re: Studio Ghibli
• Romantic aspects should be minimally physical, leaning more emotional
• F/f friendships as an integral part of a story, as well as female villains!
• Don’t stress word count or the three-act structure; ShSh publishes stories at any length and in any way!
• The inherent diversity of Muslims. While experiences vary, ShSh leans toward orthodoxy (Sufism is orthodoxy! Samiha will die on this hill)
• NOTE: Samiha is a hands-on editor. She will comb through your work!

ANTI-MSWL:

• Horror
• Mystery/thriller/detective (OK if it’s in MG)
• Monotheism as an antagonist force
• Anything about France, Belgium, Netherlands/Denmark, or Portugal that doesn’t address their brutality of Indigenous peoples
• “Issue books” that bash a culture, people, etc., to appeal to the modern gaze
• Any level of descriptive/explicit sexual actions (non-sensual, closed-door, or references are OK in adult fiction)
• “Stabby” heroines or morally gray protagonists unless written purposefully

Submission Guidelines

Submissions should be emailed to https://querymanager.com/query/ShaherazadShelves

Please familiarize yourself with the imprints and what each is looking for before submitting during the open periods. I accept both unagented and agented submissions. I prefer agented submissions to be sent via email rather than the Query Manager link, but please include all crucial details.

Guidelines & Details