Hi
Syrone! Thanks so much for joining us.
Thank you so much for the invite. I love the Literary Rambles platform and the amazing resources that it provides!
About Syrone:
1. Tell us how you
became an agent, how long you’ve been one, and what you’ve been doing as an
agent.
I actually started agenting in a not-so-conventional way. For years, I juggled roles- as a non-profit caseworker, and as a writer/journalist/magazine editor. I balanced things for a while, then merged into writing, editing and proofreading. I eventually interned with several independent publishers, before finally stepping into agenting. It’s been an awesome journey. I also successfully wrote and published a 4-book children’s series with my twin sister.
About the Agency:
2. Share a bit about your agency and what it offers to its authors.
Belcastro Agency is an independent, full-service literary agency. We represent and support a wide array of genre. The agency’s individual, client-oriented approach is what I really appreciate. We are an editorial agency, and enjoy the process of development with our writers. Belcastro Agency is hands-on and career focused. Our clients and their projects truly matter.
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?
Right now, my wish list is pretty open. I represent creative, imaginative, PB’s. MG and YA’s that are real, emotionally driven, and offer strong, marginalized voices. With Adult Fiction, I am interested in rich, compelling stories, with multi-layered, characters. I especially love a family and friendship trope with heart-stirring concepts.
4. Is there anything you would be especially excited to seeing in the genres you are interested in?
Anything with surprises, especially stories that catch me off guard is appealing. Like most agents, I am looking for the unique factor, stories that keep me hooked and pulled in from the beginning to the end.
What She Isn’t Looking For:
5. What types of submissions are you not interested in?
I’m not interested in horror, paranormal or sci-fi. Absolutely no sexual assault, abuse, graphic violence or erotica. No short stories, novellas or poetry collections. My wish list is available on the Belcastro website.
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?
The author-agent relationship is a unique one. It’s important that share a great working connection. Communication is key. I love the collaborative process, especially with debut authors. It’s an honor and a thrill to support the work and dreams of debut authors.
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 am a developmental agent. I work closely with my clients to ensure the success of their manuscript. I focus on making sure that the manuscript is solid and ready to go on submission. Because this is a collaborative process, it’s important that there is a good working relationship. It’s also essential that my clients and I share the same vision for their project. It definitely has to be mutual.
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?
We use a submission link which leads to a query form. I suggest that querying writers check out my wish list on the Belcastro website before submitting. The query link is available on the webpage. The query form will request a query, bio, synopsis and the first 20 pages. I will send a request for more, if I am interested in reading the full manuscript.
9. Do you have any specific dislikes in query letters or the first pages submitted to you?
Get to the point. Balance and flow are essential. The query letter is about the story. It’s a turn off for me, when a writer spends more time talking about their background and writing process before actually introducing the story. I want to engage with the concept of the story and need to be drawn in from the beginning.
Response Time:
10. What’s your response time to queries and requests for more pages of a manuscript?
My response time is based on my work flow. I periodically close my query inbox to new submissions, simply because I want to give myself sufficient time to review and read through each project that I receive. I realize that waiting is nerve-wracking, but sometimes a little extra time could be a good thing.
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?
While I don’t represent projects that have previously been self-published, I do work with authors who have previously published with smaller publishers, or have a new project needing representation. Don’t be afraid to submit new projects. On rare occasions, a publisher may offer a second glance at a previously self-published project, but it’s more desirable to receive something that has not yet been published or has been previously represented.
Clients:
12.
Who are some of the authors you represent?
Many of the writers that I represent are debut authors. I love working with novice authors due to the developmental aspect of things. I currently represent a variety of genre, which I love. It’s so much fun working with different types of projects, and the authors with different writing styles.
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.
I often work with Writing Day Workshops- https://www.writingdayworkshops.com/
My wish lists can also be found on multiple websites:
Query Tracker- https://querytracker.net/
Manuscript Wish List- https://manuscriptwishlist.com/
Links and Contact Info:
14. Please share how writers should contact you to submit a query and your links on the Web.
Use this link to follow my wish list and access my query form-
https://www.belcastroagency.com/submit-a-story/
Additional Advice:
15. Is there any other advice you’d like to share with aspiring authors that we haven’t covered?
Make sure that your project ready and is well edited. When choosing people to review your work, be objective. Make sure that you choose beta readers that will be honest, and will openly share their thoughts. Family members and close friends aren’t always as objective as you might need.
Thanks for sharing all your advice, Syrone!
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.
Syrone
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 September 19th. 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 Bluesky 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
Monday, September 14th, I have an interview with M.K. England and a giveaway of her MG Riley Dare: Slightly Witchy Sleuth
Wednesday, September 16th, I’m participating in the Falling Into Leaves Giveaway Hop
Monday, September 21st, I have an agent spotlight interview with Tali Shammas and a query critique giveaway
Monday, September 28th, I have an interview with Isaac
Fitzsimmons and a giveaway of his MG Astra Fox and the Rise of the
Wonderworkers
I hope to see you
on Monday!
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