Can you please tell us more about your book?

Death in Sonora is what I’ll call a “Spur and Crescent” Western, which is to say it’s the traditional 1800s Southwest setting, but featuring a devout Muslim protagonist. While trying to help a mysterious widow bring her husband’s killer to justice, our hero, Omar, ends up entangled in a web of schemes and double-crosses that threaten to erupt in open war. It’s a fast-paced, action-heavy story, but Omar’s faith is central to his character and guides how he navigates this treacherous situation he’s caught up in.

How long had you been querying/submitting it?

I started querying in 2019. It’s a niche genre, so I only sent out a few queries at a time, maybe 25 total over the years. Basically, whenever I found an MSWL or agent website mentioning Westerns or at least adult historical without a “No Westerns, no religion” caveat, I would send a query.

Had you considered submitting your manuscript to a small/indie press before the #SmallPitch event?

I queried one of the larger independent presses, but I think that’s it. I had actually been eyeing Shaherazad Shelves for a while, because I liked the idea of a Muslim-oriented press, but my book didn’t tick all the boxes on the MSWL so I had been self-rejecting.

How has your experience been with your publisher so far? (from the #SmallPitch like to today)

Shaherazad Shelves has been wonderful. Samiha got back to me within about a month of querying, and honestly I was scared to read her email because a quick response usually means a form rejection… but it wasn’t. We talked over her concerns with some aspects of the story, and I think we ended up with something very close to what I had first set out to write. I had kind of downplayed some of the more Islamic aspects of the protagonist’s character to make him more “relatable” to a general readership, whatever that means, so I am very happy to be working with a press that values those very aspects, which, after all, are what make this story worth telling. Release is scheduled for 2026, so we’re not very far into the process yet, but I’ve been very satisfied so far.

What advice do you have for querying authors?

I suppose the same tired saws about querying being a marathon, not a sprint? But I’d definitely encourage writers not to self-reject, because I almost missed out on an incredible opportunity by doing that!

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