Middle Grade First Pages, with Saba Sulaiman

Inked Voices and Saba Sulaiman are pleased to give away one spot free of charge to a writer from a diverse background. Apply by Jan 10th: https://inkedvoices.typeform.com/to/EaeolwiW

Submissions: There will be one submission of your first 3750 words (approximately 15 pages) at the workshop start. Participants should also plan to share their pitch/short summary with their pages. Your pitch is not included in the word count and will not be critiqued.

Members: $95; Non-members: $112

About Saba Sulaiman

Saba Sulaiman is an agent at Talcott Notch Literary Services, a boutique agency located in Milford, CT. She holds a BA from Wellesley College and an MA from the University of Chicago, where she studied modern Persian literature. In children’s fiction, she is building her Middle Grade and Young Adult lists, and is particularly (although not exclusively) interested in contemporary realistic stories. Being an immigrant who is constantly negotiating her own identity and sense of belonging in a place she now calls “home,” she is committed to highlighting more diverse voices with compelling stories to tell; stories that demonstrate the true range of perspectives that exist in this world, and address urgent and often underexplored issues in both fiction and non-fiction with veracity and heart. Follow her on Twitter @agentsaba and learn more about her at sabasulaiman.com

Saba's critiquing style is one that focuses on broad, big picture issues interspersed with a few inline comments that point out specific instances where the voice/tone sounds inorganic, where there's room for the craft to shine a tad bit brighter, and where she feels distanced from the narrative.

For middle grade, Saba is looking for "anything that’s smart, accessible and written with flair. Whether it’s quirky and funny, or just plain sweet and heartwarming — it’s no big secret that this is my favorite category."