Today I’m thrilled to have agent Analía
Cabello here. She’s an associate agent at Andrea Brown Literary Agency.
Hi
Analía! Thanks so much for joining us.
About
Analía:
1.
Tell us how you became an agent, how long you’ve been one, and what you’ve been
doing as an agent.
Hi Literary Rambles! Thanks so much for having me. J
Well, it’s funny—I didn’t start out intending to become an agent, but
as I’ve been reflecting on my career in publishing so far, my first experiences
in the industry were at literary agencies! My initial goal was to become
an editor. I’ve been a huge reader for my whole life but knew I’d rather
support authors than be one myself, and I love editorial work—but I also knew
most of those jobs were located on the East Coast, and I was based in
California at the time. Literary agencies were some of the only parts of
publishing who were offering remote internships at that time, and I was super
lucky to have the opportunity to connect with great folks at a couple different
agencies who taught me a ton.
I did eventually move to the East Coast briefly for a short stint at
Candlewick—where I gained invaluable experience and worked with a lot of
wonderful, talented people—but I was homesick and wanted to be closer to my
family in California. That’s how I ended up at ABLA in 2021 as Kelly Sonnack’s
assistant, and the rest is history! I’ve been an associate agent since January
of 2025, so I’m very much in a building phase. I’ve been reading a ton of
queries, doing work behind-the-scenes with my clients to get their work ready
for submission, and trying to introduce myself to the industry a bit.
About
the Agency:
2.
Share a bit about your agency and what it offers to its authors.
The Andrea Brown Literary Agency is a
mid-sized agency specializing in both kidlit and adult literature. It was
founded in California over 40 years ago, and we now have agents in all
different parts of the country. You can read more about the agency on our website and
see more from us on Instagram and Bluesky. Our agents are so talented, hardworking, kind, and
collaborative, and are excellent advocates for all ABLA clients. I’m so
grateful to have joined them and to call them my colleagues!
What
She’s Looking For:
3.
What age groups do you represent—picture books, MG, and/or YA? What genres do
you represent and what are you looking for in submissions for these genres?
I’m looking for anything from picture books
through YA. In picture books, I’m particularly wanting narrative-driven stories
featuring human characters. For novels, I’m primarily looking for contemporary
stories with literary-leaning writing. I love characters who feel in-between in any sense (identity, friend
groups, transitional period of life, etc.); stories of self-discovery and
character growth; explorations of sibling relationships and intergenerational
families; and stories from creators whose voices have been traditionally
underrepresented in the industry. In illustrators, I look for art that I’d want
to live in: pieces that are rich in texture, detail, and narrative, with joyful
characters and color palettes that pop.
4. Is there anything you would be especially
excited to seeing in the genres you are interested in?
Give me all the sapphic romances, please! I
would love something with the vibes of Bend It Like Beckham or Ice
Princess but queer. I also appreciate ensemble stories with high stakes
(like The Bear or Vampires Vs. The Bronx). And I love the
gorgeous, dreamy feel of Makoto Shinkai’s recent movies. I would love to see
something with those vibes.
What
She Isn’t Looking For:
5.
What types of submissions are you not interested in?
I am typically not the right agent for the following types of projects:
·
Science
fiction and most fantasy (particularly high fantasy and portal fantasy)
·
Graphic
novels and nonfiction
·
Stories
where trauma is part of the primary conflict (particularly trauma around coming
out)
·
Rhyming
picture book texts
·
Picture
book texts about anthropomorphic animals
·
Novels
told from the perspective of an animal
Agent
Philosophy:
6.
What is your philosophy as an agent both in terms of the authors you want to
work with and the books you want to represent?
It's important to me that I’m connecting with the
submitted manuscript and have a vision for how to help the creator bring it to
readers. I’ve read gorgeous texts that, after much deliberation, I’ve ultimately
decided that I wouldn’t be the right agent to work on them, even though I would
absolutely grab them off the shelf in the future. (And, trust me, this is
always a disappointing realization!) I also have a conversation with
prospective clients about their other works and/or future career goals. If an
author submits a YA contemporary to me, for example, but also aspires to write
high fantasy novels, I’m probably not the best agent for them, even if I really
love their YA contemporary manuscript. Ultimately, this is a partnership, and I
want to make sure that I’ll be the best partner for a prospective client and
their work!
Editorial
Agent:
7.
Are you an editorial agent? If so, what is your process like when you’re
working with your authors before submitting to editors?
I do consider myself an editorial agent. I love
the editorial process—there’s something so rewarding about digging into a
manuscript and getting to work alongside the author to identify where the story
is already singing and where it can be strengthened to give it the best chance
once it’s in an editor’s inbox. The exact process varies from project to project
but I generally aim to do revisions in two phases: tackling developmental edits,
which can take a couple rounds depending on the project, and then a light line
edit to polish everything up before going out.
Query
Methods and Submission Guidelines: (Always verify before submitting)
8.
How should authors query you and what do you want to see with the query letter?
Please query me via QueryTracker! The materials will
vary based on the type of submission; for illustrators, for example, I’d like
to see either a portfolio uploaded or linked, in addition to a website link.
For picture book texts, just paste your manuscript into the form where instructed.
For novels, I’d like to see the first 20 pages of your manuscript in addition
to a synopsis. (These instructions should also be present in the query form at
the link.)
9. Do you have any specific dislikes in query
letters or the first pages submitted to you?
Not necessarily! Of
course, a polished query letter definitely helps make a good first impression,
but we’re all human and mistakes aren’t the end of the world. I will also say
that if your query materials are externally linked (for example, a link to a
portfolio/website), please check your links, check your share settings, and
make sure agents will be able to access your work! Broken links, links to
locked website portfolio pages (without passwords included in the query letter),
or links to file-sharing platforms (like Google drive/docs) that don’t allow
folks to view unless they expressly have permission can be tough.
Response
Time:
10.
What’s your response time to queries and requests for more pages of a
manuscript?
I make it a point to
respond to every query in my query box, but my response time varies greatly and
depends on when something is received and what else I have going on. Sometimes
I answer a query the day it lands in my inbox because I happen to be in there
already; sometimes it takes a bit longer. And sometimes I hold on to things for
longer because I’m still making a decision, of course!
Self-Published
and Small Press Authors:
11. Are you open to representing authors who have
self-published or been published by smaller presses? What advice do you have
for them if they want to try to find an agent to represent them?
When I’m considering
a client, the most important thing to me is whether I’m connecting with their
work; I don’t see things like being self-published or previously published by
smaller presses as a deterrent at all, as long as you’re querying with new,
unpublished work. I wouldn’t necessarily recommend doing anything differently
in your query process; just be honest and up-front about this when you’re
querying. One of the really cool things about this industry is all the various
paths people have taken on their journey; this is just another type of path!
Clients:
12.
Who are some of the authors you represent?
I currently
represent about a dozen super cool, super talented creators. They range from
picture book authors to MG authors to illustrators, and I’m so thrilled they’ve
trusted me with their work. You can see more about them here.
Interviews
and Guest Posts:
13.
Please share the links to any interviews, guest posts, and podcasts you think
would be helpful to writers interested in querying you.
None yet, but keep
an eye on my website—I hope to be adding some links in the coming months!
Links
and Contact Info:
14.
Please share how writers should contact you to submit a query and your links on
the Web.
I only accept
queries via QueryTracker. You can see more
about what I’m looking for on my website and my ABLA page. I’m also on Bluesky and Instagram. (I’m not super
active in either place yet, but I’m trying to get better about it!)
Additional
Advice:
15.
Is there any other advice you’d like to share with aspiring authors that we
haven’t covered?
Find community—writing/creating
and querying can feel isolating, and it can be helpful to connect with other folks
who are on this journey. But also—easier said than done, I know—try to avoid
the comparison game. Everyone’s path looks different. Keep writing, keep
revising, get connected, find critique partners, and remember that it just
takes one yes. J
Thanks for sharing all your advice, Analía.
Giveaway Details
Analía is generously offering a query critique to one lucky
winner. To enter, all you need to do is be a follower (via the follower gadget,
email, or bloglovin’ on the right sidebar) and leave a comment through May 24th.
If you do not want to enter the contest, that’s okay. Just let me know
in the comments. If I do not have your email (I can
no longer get it from your Google Profile), you must leave it in the comments
to enter the contest. Please be sure I have your email address.
If you follow me on Twitter or mention this contest on
Twitter, Facebook, or your blog, mention this in the comments and I'll give you
an extra entry. This is an international giveaway.
Have any experience with this agent? See something that
needs updating? Please leave a comment or email me at natalieiaguirre7@gmail.com
Note: These agent profiles and interviews presently focus on
agents who accept children's fiction. Please take the time to verify anything
you might use here before querying an agent. The information found here is
subject to change.
Upcoming
Interviews, Guest Posts, and Blog Hops
Friday, May 16th I’m participating
in the Moms Rock Giveaway Hop
Monday, May 19th I have a guest post by author Carol L. Pauer
and a giveaway of her MG Rowley Peters and the Lumberjack Ghost
Wednesday, May 21st I have an agent spotlight interview
with Isabel Lineberry and a query critique giveaway
Sunday, June 1st I’m participating in the Berry Good Giveaway
Hop
Wednesday, June 4th I have an interview with author Aaron
Starmer and a giveaway of his YA Night Swimming and my IWSG post
Monday, June 9th I have an interview with author Nancy McCabe
and a giveaway of her MG Fires Burning Underground
Wednesday, June 11th I have an agent spotlight interview with
Mark O’Brien and a query critique giveaway
Monday, June 16th I’m participating in the Dad-o-Mite
Giveaway Hop
Monday, June 23rd I have an interview with author Michael
Spradlin and a giveaway of his MG Threat of the Spider
I hope to see you on Friday!
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