As Salaam'Alaykum Sis Umm'Junayd

Thank you for sharing your wonderful IF Introduction to the young sister group! It is so rewarding to see their faces when the light bulb goes on and they realize that Muslims are writing wonderful fiction books with characters and challenges in the stories which they can relate to!

The first time I went to an Islamic school, took my 4 book IF series and talked to the students about writing islamic stories...I was so amazed when the students came to me afterwards wanting an autograph. they didn't know Muslims wrote Islamic Fiction and that it was pubished. They have been for years accustomed to reading only secular fiction books with no Muslims in the stories and some content inconsistent with Islamic beliefs. I was thrilled and thanked Allah for that opportunity I had that day!

Muslim fiction writers need to get out there as you have and talk to our students and their parents so they will become aware of the quality IF books that are being written and published.

Its wonderful that you are doing what you are doing to promote IF!

Salaams,
Widad
MWP Publisher/IF Author

Excellent post, and a real eye-opener. This may also be why publishers don't give Islamic Fiction a chance. It may be that the term itself is too limiting. Good food for thought.

Ya Haqq!

Assalaamu alaikum.

Interesting, enlightening, and hopefully encouraging.

I rather agree that the term itself "islamic fiction" is rather binding and perhaps even self-defeating, if in the beginning.

What I mean is in reference to booksellers, publishers, and distributers, as well as to the public in general. I mean, it is a new genre that few have even heard of, and what they imagine at first mention of the term is something entirely different than what the actual product is.

Islamic fiction is, for the most part, or at least can be, quite interesting and as thought-compelling and even entertaining as the best secular or non-religious fiction.

Perhaps the problem of it is that we are attaching the definitive term of "islam" to it. Perhaps this in itself is a 'turn off' so to speak.

Thinking back to the way that western bookstores are set up...the titles or sections along the aisles...are the chrisitian or jewish books listed or sub-defined as 'christian fiction' or 'jewish fiction'?

Perhaps this is something to think about when we go to marketing the material.

Perhaps we ourselves should not try to limit it so much in title description.

balqees.

Masha Allah sis, that was quite exciting to read :D I think the only way to get IF out there is by introducing it to the muslim children. I think the fact that they don't know what IF is or that it is available is making it difficult to sell to retailers. Once our youth learn what IF is and that they have alternatives, then I think they will want to buy it and retailers will want to sell it since now they have a market. thank you for sharing this experience with us sis.

Assalaamu 'alaikum everyone,

Thank you for your kind comments. It's not over yet... I've got a fever to that this to another level inshaa`Allaah. Watch this space!

Balqees: if the term 'Islamic fiction' is restrictive - which I actually agree with to a certain extent - what would be another way for us to refer to Islamically orientated fiction?

Please do share your thoughts!

~ Umm Junayd.

AsSalaamu Alaikum,

I think if we get really aggressive and spread our fever for Islamic Fiction it will eventually define itself in a positive way. When people first hear the term they might initially think, "Oh, no, more of those ultra-perfect characters" that Umm Junayd and the rest of us cringe so strongly at. But by our efforts to create a vibrant literary community that provides quality fiction, that stereotype will begin to fade.

Those who wrote those initial stories were the pioneers of IF. We, the second generation of writers, are the vanguard. So hold your banners high, people, and let's take every opportunity to define ourselves!

WaSalaam,
Najiyah

Assalaamu alaikum.

I think that the term "Islamic Fiction" is a bit too defining in it's beginning stage, and perhaps even self- defeating. Like I said, if you visit any bookstore anywhere in the world, you will most likely not see a section called "Christian Fiction" or "Jewish Fiction" or "Buddhist Fiction"...or a "Fiction" of the countless religions of the world. The only thing we see in relation to religious matter in the bookstores is simply the "Religion" section. And then there is the "Fiction" section.

So...if we are trying to promote our books to outside publishers/distributors/sellers...what "section" do we want to be associated with? I think we need to more or less choose either "religion" or "fiction". Depends upon our intended audience/readers that we want to reach.

You will most generally find that the younger ppl who are looking for good fiction reads will not go to the religion section. And then the more serious types (whether youth or elder or in-between) who are looking for good religious books will not go to the fiction section.

My point is that if we want to reach a larger audience world-wide, then we need to re-consider our lable in directing towards the section of the bookstores that we want our work to end up in.

Of course, we are all dedicated to Islamic Fiction. There is no question nor doubt about that. But how to promote it outside of the inner circle of Muslims? And even among muslims themselves?

Among the muslims, I think that we need to promote the ideal of Islamic Fiction. But when we are reaching out for distribution world-wide to the secular population, then I think we need to re-think our strategy. When you attach the term "Islamic" to something nowadays...it seems to be rather self-defeating...in that ppl automatically see it as a 'turn-off', keeping in the back of their minds visions of terrorists in the hills, etc.

balqees.

rahma!!

Salaam Iman!

I'll be coming to see you all on Saturday inshaa`Allaah. Are you ready for another 'exciting' session? **grin**

[p.s. Are you still waiting for your copy of Echoes?]