Twitter: @deebazargarpur
Agent: Elana Roth Parker at the Laura Dail Literary Agency
Published books: REVISING BEFORE SUBMISSION
Genre: YA
Bio: Deeba is a YA fantasy and sci-fi writer who spends most of her time dreaming up villains that look a lot like heroes. When she’s not writing, she’s an associate editor at Foreshadow YA and a literary agent assistant to a rad agent.
Experience: I’ve worked as a literary agent assistant for multiple literary agencies! I was also an editorial assistant at Disney Publishing Worldwide! I’ve juggled a lot of hats from submissions to editorial work to intellectual property creation. You name it, I’ve probably done it. On the freelance side, I’ve worked with best selling authors and writers that are still in the querying trenches, as well as sensitivity read for multiple major houses.
Mentoring style: My mentoring style is pretty simple. I’ll do a read through, send out a big ol’ edit letter, let you have time to read through it and digest (a week usually), prepare all your questions, Skype it out, get a clear revision deadline going, and then I’ll let you fly! I really like to focus on that first big edit on a developmental stand point. I won’t pick at line edits until we’re in a good place with the overall plot. 
I’m entirely open to Skype, Google Hang outs, Slack, Whatsapp, texting, Google Docs, whatever you need, I like to think of myself as super tech savvy in communicating. Communication is #1, above all for me. Good communication = amazing working relationship. Always!
Mentee style: My ideal mentee is a self-starter who doesn’t need hand holding and can get down to work. I’m not a gushy type of mentor and I need a mentee that gets that. I’ll hooray for everything that works and hone in on everything that needs tightening. I’d like a mentee that has revised before (but it’s okay if this is your first ms too!) and has a clear vision of what they want and isn’t afraid to voice their opinions! Communication is key!! Collaboration between edits is really the best type of environment and bouncing ideas off each other usually produces the best results!
What kind of novel would you like to work on? Islamic mythology, JINN, anything WW1 or WW2 (bonus from unheard perspectives), original fairytales, retellings, Central Asian stories, refugee stories, non-Western fantasy settings, villains, alternate realities, parallel worlds, anything sci-fi, anti-heroes,time travel, lush microsettings, unique magic systems. I’m open to a bunch of things! If it’s not in my anti-MSWL, send it!
DO NOT SEND ME:
Fae, romance as main plot, anything in space (sorry not your mentor for that!), aliens, vampires, happily ever after, witches, genies (please no), princesses.
Favourite:
MOVIES: Spirited Away, Fight Club, The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, Mulan, Moana, It, Dunkirk
BOOKS: Everless, The Young Elites, One of Us is Lying, The Hazel Wood, The School for Good and Evil, All the Light We Cannot See, Six of Crows, The Belles, The Darkest Minds, This is Not a Love Letter, Prosper Redding, Children of Blood and Bone, And the Mountains Echoed
TV SERIES: The Expanse, The 100, Stranger Things, The Bold Type, Broad City, Friends, This is Us
Mentoring package offered: Full manuscript and redrafts until submission ready
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