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More About Nada Shawish Dutka

Languages: English, Moderate Arabic

Nada Shawish Dutka writes picture books and is also working on debut longer length projects at the moment. She is also a long-time marketer for Brands. Most recently, she has been working on intellectual property projects (IP) with familiar characters.

Nada gravitates towards literary and commercially accessible writing, and bringing underrepresented characters to mainstream publishing through universal themes and storytelling. Her favorite topics are moody or spooky, and incorporate little-big worlds, creatures and the outdoors. Nada is represented by Paige Terlip at Starling Literary Agency.

You can find Nada online at:

www.nadawrites.com

Instagram I LinkedIn

Nada’s strengths include…

  • Dialogue. Nada loves to spend time with dialogue and can help guide authentic internal and external dialogue between characters and themselves.

  • Setting. Descriptive settings and world-building are passions of Nada’s and she can help you pull out the strong points to make your settings feel "real" and powerful.

  • Accessibility and universality.

  • How to get your themes and message to come through to readers in a relatable way.

  • Educating about the business side of publishing.

  • Polishing strong query letters and drafts.

  • Researching agents, agencies, and making a plan to determine who can help you reach your career goals.

  • Author development and branding strategies, especially social media.

Nada would love to work with someone who:

  • Is trying to break through and do something different in commercial publishing

  • Is trying to make a career change

  • Is as passionate about reading as they are about writing

  • Wants to think through the "business side" of publishing

  • Is serious about being a career author

  • Identifies as BIPOC

A Note from Nada:

“Try to be clear and concise about what you are trying to achieve in your submission. Don't bury the lead!”

Nada’s Picture Books

Nada writes in other markets, so check out her website to see her full catalog.

COOKIES AND CRESCENTS: AN EID STORY, written by Nada Shawish Dutka, illustrated by Zelma Firdauzia

If Nada created a Visual Wish List, it would be made up of…

*Unless otherwise stated, the below serves as a wish list only. Each mentor is excited about the opportunity to find a manuscript they can’t stop thinking about. Please apply if you think you’d be a good fit.

The big feelings and discovery of Ember in The Bakery Dragon by Devin Elle Kurtz

The macabre tale of Jon Klassen's The Skull

The pacing of The Yellow Bus by Loren Long

Tough conversations and feelings like Watercress by Andrea Wang and Jason Chin

The modern cultural storytelling in When You Trap a Tiger by Tae Keller

Creatures and people like in Pax by Sara Pennypacker

Internal dialogue and development in The Clackity by Lora Senf

Nada is a good fit for:

  • Fiction

  • Moody manuscripts that have characters working through big changes or challenges

  • Scary adventures (but not egregious violence or gore)

  • Multigenerational / Family

  • Big heart manuscripts

  • Magical or whimsical settings, especially fairy and folktales retold/untold.

Nada is not a good fit for:

  • Nonfiction/biography

  • Humor

Who can apply to Nada?
Unagented Text-Only Authors

Nada especially encourages BIPOC creators to apply, but all are welcome to apply if content is a good fit.