Salima Alikhan
Picture Book Editor
Salima Alikhan is a picture book author and illustrator, teacher, and editor. She is the illustrator of Pieces of Another World (Arbordale, 2006), Rocky Mountain Night Before Christmas (Pelican, 2008) and Lawyer’s Week Before Christmas (Pelican, 2009) and author/illustrator of The Pied Piper of Austin (Pelican, 2010). She has also been a teacher in Montessori classrooms and has taught art and children’s theater, where she learned a lot about both children and storytelling. Salima is currently enrolled in the Vermont College of Fine Arts MFA program in Writing for Children and Young Adults, where she’s honing a love of critical as well as children’s fiction writing.
AREAS OF SPECIALTY
- Picture books.
AVAILABLE FOR
- Picture book critiques and content editing.
- Picture book book layout, design, and structure.
"Salima is a timely, thorough, and thoughtful reader whose feedback is both constructive and encouraging—she has a great eye for character authenticity, as well as a talent for asking questions which help develop the plot and its execution. Her delivery is sincere and heartfelt, always looking out for the writer’s best interest, and any writer would be lucky to work with her."
-Kayla Olson, writer
"I consider myself fortunate to have received critique feedback from Salima Alikhan on several occasions. Salima is incredibly intuitive and her questions never cease to guide me in the right direction. She is also very astute when it comes to identifying big picture issues and offering insight that improves pacing and helps to define the heart of the story. Her compassion and her ability to commiserate as a fellow writer are invaluable assets in the process."
-Shelli Cornelison, writer
"As an editor, Salima reads carefully and thoughtfully–not just taking in the words and ideas in front of her, but also caring and reaching for the intent of the writer, the varied perspectives of readers, and the greater realms of possibilities for the work."
-Lalena Fisher, adjunct professor at Texas State University
"Salima has a keen eye for plot elements, a refined sense of pace and character, and a spot-on ear for dialogue and prose. Most impressive of all, she has the capability of walking in another writer’s shoes, sharing their vision, and helping get the most out of a story."
-David Gill, instructor at Vermont College of Fine Arts
"Salima’s critiques were deeply insightful. She displayed a real ability to dig beneath the surface text of a work-in-progress and offered helpful suggestions and thoughtful questions that, to my mind, really helped me enhance my manuscript."