Muslim Sheroes of Minnesota Book

We are currently in the production phase of the book creation process, but we have made significant progress and are on track with our original grant timeline. Our first draft of the manuscript has been completed! The manuscript includes 26 Shero stories, 20 of which are previously published Sheroes and 6 new Sheroes who have never been featured on our platform. All Sheroes have been interviewed and their stories written even our existing Sheroes stories were updated and rewritten as necessary to best describe what work each is currently doing and who she is today. The first draft of the manuscript also includes introductions from our founder Nausheena Hussain and our Executive Director Malika Dahir as well as back matter, such as information about nominating a Shero, information about RISE, and a glossary of terms.
Photography and illustration are also in production. Our photographer has been working with each Shero to capture photos of her in her element, with many shoots taking place at Sheroes' workplaces, schools, and community centers across Minnesota. 15 photo sets have been photographed, edited, and approved; 5 are currently being edited; 6 are being scheduled and will be photographed in the coming months. Our illustrator has begun working on the four illustrations that correspond with the four themes of the book. These interior illustrations are each approximately 50% completed, and she is now starting to sketch ideas for the book cover.
As we move forward with production, we are preparing for the later evaluation phase of our project. This is the first time RISE has embarked on a project of this scale, and we want to understand its successes and learn from its challenges. We have drafted a survey to assess our measurable outcomes, which our Sheroes will be asked to complete when the final draft of the book is completed. To ensure transparency and equity in our storytelling process, each Shero is involved with editing and final approval of her story.
Finally, to get a head start on the publication phase of this project, we were able to secure a few quotes from printers through our publisher, Daybreak Press.

; Because of the support that we received from the Cultural Heritage grant, we were able to complete our manuscript for our Muslim Sheroes of Minnesota book, complete nearly all artistic elements for the book, and begin the editing and publishing process. We learned firsthand that writing and publishing a book is a long and arduous journey, and without this grant, we would not have been able to dedicate the necessary time and resources to the creative process.The manuscript includes 26 Shero stories, 20 of which are previously published Sheroes and 6 new Sheroes who have never been featured on our platform. All Sheroes have been interviewed and their stories written even our existing Sheroes stories were updated and rewritten as necessary to best describe what work each is currently doing and who she is today. The manuscript also includes introductions from our founder Nausheena Hussain and our Executive Director Malika Dahir as well as back matter, such as information about nominating a Shero, information about RISE, and a glossary of terms.The manuscript is now being edited by the talented Daybreak Press team. In the meantime, we have negotiated and finalized a publishing contract that outlines the terms of our partnership, and we have contributed our financial investment toward the creation of the book.Our photographer has completed all but one photoshoot of our Sheroes, with many taking place at Sheroes' workplaces, schools, and community centers across Minnesota. Our illustrator has completed all four interior illustrations that correspond with the themes of the book, and she is now refining the illustration for the cover.We have also dedicated time to planning community outreach and engagement for the book. We began developing a comprehensive outreach plan, taking stock of our assets, such as Sheroes' organizations and networks, community partners, and potential book placements. We also inquired with 11 women/BIPOC-owned marketing/PR firms and consultants, met with several, and received proposals from our top three.