Shadi Kafi, Author
@shadikafi.bsky.social
Iranian-American 💚🤍❤️
Picture Book Author
Unagented
PEANUT BUTTER AND JAHAN
Coming April 2027, Lantana Publishing
shadikafi.com
Instagram: @shadikafi
YouTube: Publishing Diary
Picture Book Author
Unagented
PEANUT BUTTER AND JAHAN
Coming April 2027, Lantana Publishing
shadikafi.com
Instagram: @shadikafi
YouTube: Publishing Diary
Iranian-American life with intense parents means being afraid to shave your legs listening to Paula Abdul, parents crashing prom & hijab arguments. Can Shadi navigate family expectations, cultural contradictions & multiple worlds to discover what Iranian & American means? #DVpit #MENA #WOC #MEM
September 30, 2026 at 10:44 PM
This has been so helpful! Thank you to everyone who liked and shared feedback on my 2 pitches today! I am so grateful ❤️❤️❤️
September 22, 2026 at 8:04 PM
This has been so helpful! Thank you to everyone who liked and shared feedback on my 2 pitches today! I am so grateful ❤️❤️❤️
Iranian-American life with intense parents means being afraid to shave your legs listening to Paula Abdul, parents crashing prom & hijab arguments. Can Shadi navigate family expectations, cultural contradictions & multiple worlds to discover what Iranian & American means? #preDV #MENA #WOC #MEM
September 22, 2026 at 6:56 PM
Iranian-American life with intense parents means being afraid to shave your legs listening to Paula Abdul, prom car chases & hijab arguments. Can Shadi navigate family expectations, cultural contradictions and multiple worlds to discover what Iranian and American means to her? #preDV #MENA #WOC #MEM
September 22, 2026 at 6:11 PM
Iranian-American life with intense parents means being afraid to shave your legs listening to Paula Abdul, prom car chases & hijab arguments. Can Shadi navigate family expectations, cultural contradictions and multiple worlds to discover what Iranian and American means to her? #preDV #MENA #WOC #MEM
9-year-old Iranian American Zayda abhors structure at home. Rules kill her creativity. She must get her F up before Maman takes her out of play group where her Zayda-ness shines, all while learning to play within play group's rules to rethink that rules can support creativity. #WOC #PreDV #MENA #CB
September 22, 2026 at 2:21 PM
Iranian-American life with Shadi's intense parents means being afraid to shave her legs while listening to Paula Abdul, prom car chases, and hearing hijab arguments. Shadi stops letting either culture define her and finds what being Iranian and American means on her own terms.
#preDV #MEM #WOC #MENA
#preDV #MEM #WOC #MENA
September 21, 2026 at 7:43 PM
9-year-old Iranian American Zayda abhors structure because it kills her creativity. An F in English is the norm until she finds an after-school play group where the rules help the play work. Can she can bring up her grade while learning how shared creativity can add to her own? #preDV #WOC #MENA #CB
September 21, 2026 at 7:31 PM
9-year-old Iranian American Zayda abhors structure because it kills her creativity. An F in English is the norm until she finds an after-school play group where the rules help the play work. Can she can bring up her grade while learning how shared creativity can add to her own? #preDV #WOC #MENA #CB
9-year-old Zayda, an Iranian American with BIG ideas, is told she is "too much." Her F in English where she abhors structure threatens her place in after-school play group perfect for her Zayda-ness. Can she learn that making room for others' gifts is a gift to herself too? #preDV #CB #MENA #WOC
September 21, 2026 at 7:22 PM
PEANUT BUTTER AND JAHAN
Coming April 2027, Lantana Publishing
shadikafi.com
Instagram: @shadikafi
YouTube: Publishing Diary
Coming April 2027, Lantana Publishing
shadikafi.com
Instagram: @shadikafi
YouTube: Publishing Diary
Shadi Kafi
shadikafi.com
August 18, 2026 at 5:49 PM
PEANUT BUTTER AND JAHAN
Coming April 2027, Lantana Publishing
shadikafi.com
Instagram: @shadikafi
YouTube: Publishing Diary
Coming April 2027, Lantana Publishing
shadikafi.com
Instagram: @shadikafi
YouTube: Publishing Diary
Reposted by Shadi Kafi, Author
Basic elements of a pitch:
– Concept/World
– Character Arc
– Conflict/inciting incident.
Do NOT try to include everything about your story in your pitch. There’s no way you can tell all elements of your story in a 300 character pitch.
You can make 1 pitch for each bullet point.
#DVPit (2/7)
– Concept/World
– Character Arc
– Conflict/inciting incident.
Do NOT try to include everything about your story in your pitch. There’s no way you can tell all elements of your story in a 300 character pitch.
You can make 1 pitch for each bullet point.
#DVPit (2/7)
August 27, 2025 at 3:40 PM
Basic elements of a pitch:
– Concept/World
– Character Arc
– Conflict/inciting incident.
Do NOT try to include everything about your story in your pitch. There’s no way you can tell all elements of your story in a 300 character pitch.
You can make 1 pitch for each bullet point.
#DVPit (2/7)
– Concept/World
– Character Arc
– Conflict/inciting incident.
Do NOT try to include everything about your story in your pitch. There’s no way you can tell all elements of your story in a 300 character pitch.
You can make 1 pitch for each bullet point.
#DVPit (2/7)
Reposted by Shadi Kafi, Author
My best advice is SPECIFICITY
When I critique pitches I often ask for specifics
“She’s a monster” is vague
“She’s a 9-tailed fox” is specific
Show why your story is unique even if it's based on standard tropes
Making your story stand out among the crowd is the key to a successful pitch
#DVPit (3/7)
When I critique pitches I often ask for specifics
“She’s a monster” is vague
“She’s a 9-tailed fox” is specific
Show why your story is unique even if it's based on standard tropes
Making your story stand out among the crowd is the key to a successful pitch
#DVPit (3/7)
August 27, 2025 at 3:40 PM
My best advice is SPECIFICITY
When I critique pitches I often ask for specifics
“She’s a monster” is vague
“She’s a 9-tailed fox” is specific
Show why your story is unique even if it's based on standard tropes
Making your story stand out among the crowd is the key to a successful pitch
#DVPit (3/7)
When I critique pitches I often ask for specifics
“She’s a monster” is vague
“She’s a 9-tailed fox” is specific
Show why your story is unique even if it's based on standard tropes
Making your story stand out among the crowd is the key to a successful pitch
#DVPit (3/7)
Reposted by Shadi Kafi, Author
Additional things you can add (optional):
– Comps (for plot, genre, character, world-building. Do NOT force comps)
– A Hook. e.g. “A dystopian nation forces its children to fight to the death in an annual televised game”
– Inspo if it’s unique/recognizable e.g. “inspired by Korean-Myth”
#DVPit (4/7)
– Comps (for plot, genre, character, world-building. Do NOT force comps)
– A Hook. e.g. “A dystopian nation forces its children to fight to the death in an annual televised game”
– Inspo if it’s unique/recognizable e.g. “inspired by Korean-Myth”
#DVPit (4/7)
August 27, 2025 at 3:40 PM
Additional things you can add (optional):
– Comps (for plot, genre, character, world-building. Do NOT force comps)
– A Hook. e.g. “A dystopian nation forces its children to fight to the death in an annual televised game”
– Inspo if it’s unique/recognizable e.g. “inspired by Korean-Myth”
#DVPit (4/7)
– Comps (for plot, genre, character, world-building. Do NOT force comps)
– A Hook. e.g. “A dystopian nation forces its children to fight to the death in an annual televised game”
– Inspo if it’s unique/recognizable e.g. “inspired by Korean-Myth”
#DVPit (4/7)
Reposted by Shadi Kafi, Author
The three big elements of a pitch are Plot, Character Arc, and World Building. But if you can’t fit all 3, try making a pitch for each. #DVPit (5/7)
Plot pitch ex.
Hunger Games: “A teen girl is forced into a televised game that makes 24 kids fight to the death for sport. Only 1 can survive.”
Plot pitch ex.
Hunger Games: “A teen girl is forced into a televised game that makes 24 kids fight to the death for sport. Only 1 can survive.”
August 27, 2025 at 3:40 PM
The three big elements of a pitch are Plot, Character Arc, and World Building. But if you can’t fit all 3, try making a pitch for each. #DVPit (5/7)
Plot pitch ex.
Hunger Games: “A teen girl is forced into a televised game that makes 24 kids fight to the death for sport. Only 1 can survive.”
Plot pitch ex.
Hunger Games: “A teen girl is forced into a televised game that makes 24 kids fight to the death for sport. Only 1 can survive.”
Reposted by Shadi Kafi, Author
The three big elements of a pitch are Plot, Character Arc, and World Building #DVPit (6/7)
Character Arc pitch ex.
Hunger Games: “Katniss will do anything to save her little sister, including taking her place in the deadly Hunger Games, a televised fight to the death.”
Character Arc pitch ex.
Hunger Games: “Katniss will do anything to save her little sister, including taking her place in the deadly Hunger Games, a televised fight to the death.”
August 27, 2025 at 3:40 PM
The three big elements of a pitch are Plot, Character Arc, and World Building #DVPit (6/7)
Character Arc pitch ex.
Hunger Games: “Katniss will do anything to save her little sister, including taking her place in the deadly Hunger Games, a televised fight to the death.”
Character Arc pitch ex.
Hunger Games: “Katniss will do anything to save her little sister, including taking her place in the deadly Hunger Games, a televised fight to the death.”
Reposted by Shadi Kafi, Author
The three big elements of a pitch are Plot, Character Arc, and World Building #DVPit (7/7)
World Inspiration pitch ex.
Hunger Games: “Panem is all that’s left of North America. The capital keeps the 12 districts in line by demanding 2 teen tributes each year to fight to the death for sport.”
World Inspiration pitch ex.
Hunger Games: “Panem is all that’s left of North America. The capital keeps the 12 districts in line by demanding 2 teen tributes each year to fight to the death for sport.”
August 27, 2025 at 3:40 PM
The three big elements of a pitch are Plot, Character Arc, and World Building #DVPit (7/7)
World Inspiration pitch ex.
Hunger Games: “Panem is all that’s left of North America. The capital keeps the 12 districts in line by demanding 2 teen tributes each year to fight to the death for sport.”
World Inspiration pitch ex.
Hunger Games: “Panem is all that’s left of North America. The capital keeps the 12 districts in line by demanding 2 teen tributes each year to fight to the death for sport.”
I missed #DVPIT yesterday (sigh), super busy at work to help get the 1000+ community members in and around our high school excited about the greatest Halloween event ever (I help organize each year)! Will keep refining my new early chapter book and be ready for the next one!!!!
October 9, 2025 at 7:11 PM
I missed #DVPIT yesterday (sigh), super busy at work to help get the 1000+ community members in and around our high school excited about the greatest Halloween event ever (I help organize each year)! Will keep refining my new early chapter book and be ready for the next one!!!!
Reposted by Shadi Kafi, Author
DVpit is officially coming back on October 8th, 2025 and we have over 50 agents and editors excited to participate. Follow this account for all announcements and check out dvpit.carrd.co for more details and information!
#dvpit #writersky #booksky #weneeddiversebooks
#dvpit #writersky #booksky #weneeddiversebooks
June 2, 2025 at 6:32 PM
DVpit is officially coming back on October 8th, 2025 and we have over 50 agents and editors excited to participate. Follow this account for all announcements and check out dvpit.carrd.co for more details and information!
#dvpit #writersky #booksky #weneeddiversebooks
#dvpit #writersky #booksky #weneeddiversebooks