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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