About Omar

Bio

Omar Abed writes children’s books, poetry, and computer code. His picture books offer a generational bridge, making children laugh out loud while helping adults rediscover the magic of a creative story.

In his spare time, Omar is probably playing with his son, watching movies with his wife, or hacking away at some passion project. Omar is Palestinian-American and lives in Northern Virginia with his family.

Check out my book profile to learn about my favorite authors and books.

My Journey

I loved books as a child. Once I grew older and entered high school, I became interested in spoken-word poetry through Poetry Out Loud, a national poetry program introduced through my English classes. Poetry was like music. The words held power and rhythm. So, although I decided to pursue a career in engineering, I continued writing personal poems throughout high school and college whenever inspiration struck.

After graduating from college with a degree in Computer Engineering, I yearned for a creative outlet. I decided to post some of my poems as spoken-word pieces online. They didn't get very many views, but one comment stuck out and set things in motion: "If you made some tweaks to this poem, it would work really well as a children's picture book."

So, I made some tweaks, and sent my brand new picture book manuscript out to several publishers, and in response I heard...

Nothing.

I went back to the drawing board with a completely different manuscript - a story that I had written for my wife, which I thought might work as a picture book. In 2019, I self-published You, Me, and a Tree.

Writing this story taught me more about the publishing industry and gave me some credibility. When I was ready to start querying again, I was more prepared. Eventually, Connor Eck from Lucinda Literary gave me a chance and became my agent in 2020. Later that year, Penguin Random House acquired The Book That Almost Rhymed, my "traditional" debut.

To follow along, join me on social media (@OmarAbedWrites) or join my mail list. You can also contact me or check out my Media Kit to collaborate.