Almost every first-time author makes the same handful of mistakes. They cost time, money, and confidence — and they’re avoidable, if you know to look for them. Rushing to publish. A manuscript that feels finished after three months almost never is. The gap between “I’m tired of writing this” and…
Never in history has publishing been so accessible. With a few clicks, a manuscript can become a book. Stories can reach homes across the world instantly, without the traditional gatekeepers of the past. This ease is often celebrated as freedom — and in many ways, it is. But for Muslim…
Every author considering self-publishing reaches the same fork in the road. They look at editing quotes, do the maths, and ask themselves whether they can skip this step — or replace it with a friend who reads a lot. The answer is almost always no. The reason is that “editing”…
The first time you read your editor’s notes, your stomach drops. The notes feel personal. Some are confusing. A few seem to contradict each other. You read through twice, close the document, and don’t open it again for a week. This is normal. Almost every author reacts this way to…
A professional editor will charge you by the hour or by the word. The cleaner the manuscript that arrives in their inbox, the less they have to charge — and the more attention they can give to the deeper work only they can do. Self-editing isn’t a substitute for professional…
Children look for themselves in stories long before they know how to ask for representation. They look for familiar names, homes that resemble theirs, parents who sound like their own, and values that feel safe and affirming. When they do not find these reflections, they quietly learn a message. This…
Non-fiction books are sold on proposals, not manuscripts. Most non-fiction books are sold before they’re written — which means the proposal is doing the work the manuscript would do for fiction. A book proposal isn’t a synopsis. It’s a sales document. Its job is to convince a publisher that this…
Most writing advice treats consistency as a willpower problem. Wake up earlier, want it more, push through. For writers with families, jobs, and the ordinary obligations of a full life, this advice is not just unhelpful — it sets up a cycle of self-blame that makes writing harder, not easier….
Most South African writers don’t apply for grants. Not because they’re not eligible, but because they don’t know what’s available, what they qualify for, or when the deadlines fall. The funding is there — the visibility isn’t. The SA grants landscape is broader than most writers realise. Funding exists for:…
Most books that never get written die in the same place: somewhere around chapter two or three, when the energy of the idea runs out and the structure that should carry the rest of the manuscript hasn’t been built yet. The fix isn’t more discipline. It’s more planning. A working…
Children do not learn values only through instruction.They learn them through absorption. Long before a child can articulate right and wrong, stories are quietly shaping their instincts — what feels acceptable, what feels humorous, what feels admirable, and what feels normal. This is why stories matter far beyond literacy. They…
This month, we’re delighted to introduce Zahra Rahman, a children’s author and illustrator whose debut work nurtures a love for salaah through imagination, colour, and Dr Suess-style rhyme. Beyond being an author, Zahra works as an online English teacher, supporting students from around the world as they overcome their fear…
