Literary Agent Interview: Taj McCoy and Query Critique Giveaway

 Today I’m thrilled to have agent Taj McCoy here. She’s an agent at Laura Dail Literary Agency. 

Hi­ Taj! Thanks so much for joining us. 

About Taj: 

1. Tell us how you became an agent, how long you’ve been one, and what you’ve been doing as an agent. 

I started agenting in 2022, which is the same year that my debut novel released––I’m a romance author and a literary agent. After I secured my first literary agent and book deal, my agent and I started talking about the similarities between my former career in law school admissions and career development and agenting. After a lot of encouragement, I started assisting an agent to learn more about the publishing process. I assisted for a year before seeking my first role at Rees Literary Agency, and I joined the Laura Dail Literary Agency earlier this year in February. 

As an agent, I consider myself a generalist––my clients write across all age ranges, in fiction and nonfiction, and I also represent a few illustrators. For the most part, I try not to speak in absolutes when it comes to what genres I will or won’t consider, though that may change later on. 

About the Agency: 

2. Share a bit about your agency and what it offers to its authors. 

LDLA has a robust clientele with a wide range of literary works over the course of nearly 30 years. The team isn’t massive, but I think we have a team of thoughtful and experienced agents who are looking to build lists of strong and talented creatives. We’re each different in our approaches, which is great, because we collaborate and tap into the team for different perspectives on pitches, sublists, etc. The team is quick to boost client news, both from individual agent accounts and the agency account, and we’re constantly considering different ways to carve out opportunities for our clients. 

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 a generalist, representing everything from pictures books to MG and YA on the fiction and nonfiction side. I also represent adult projects on the fiction and nonfiction side. I’m open to all genres, though right now, I’d say I’m looking specifically for spooky and adventurous MG and YA, Adult mysteries and thrillers, and romance always (Adult and YA). I am always looking for creatives from underrepresented backgrounds. Amplifying marginalized voices is a priority for me. 

4.  Is there anything you would be especially excited to seeing in the genres you are interested in? 

See above. 

What She Isn’t Looking For: 

5. What types of submissions are you not interested in? 

I am not the right fit for epic fantasy, war stories, or stories that delve into sexual assault or child abuse. 

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? 

I believe that an agent-author relationship is a partnership. We have to be able to openly communicate. I’m looking for authors who are actively trying to grow and improve as writers, who are open to feedback, and who are familiar with editorial revisions. I am always looking for creatives from underrepresented backgrounds. Amplifying marginalized voices is a priority for me. 

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 an editorial agent. Typically my clients and I will do at least one round of revisions before going on submission to editors. I’ll provide clients with both in-document feedback and an edit letter so that they have a sense of big-picture areas of focus and concrete examples of when/where that feedback could be employed. 

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? 

I only consider queries via QueryManager. A query letter should include a short premise of the story, the stakes, the word count, the age range and genre, and ideally some comp titles. I also like a brief intro to the author. 

9.  Do you have any specific dislikes in query letters or the first pages submitted to you? 

As long as the queries include the above, I don’t have additional preferences. 

Response Time: 

10. What’s your response time to queries and requests for more pages of a manuscript? 

Typically, I’ll respond to queries within 12 weeks. Requests for more pages often take longer, and that’s because there are constant interruptions with client work. I don’t onboard new clients when I have a bunch of current client needs to attend to, so folks who have sent full manuscripts unfortunately do have longer wait periods. 

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? 

Yes, I have several indie authors and hybrid authors on my list. Indie authors looking for representation query the same as any other. If an indie author is trying to get representation to sell print rights to something that’s already been published, sales data will be extremely important. Platform may also be something strongly considered, as well as goals and whether there are any fresh projects that haven’t been published previously that could be potentially sold via traditional publishing. 

Clients: 

12. Who are some of the authors you represent? 

Natasha Bishop, Morgan Elizabeth, Quiana Glide, Dr. Michelle Grant, Alexia LaFata, Karmen Lee, Kelly Mangan, Asia Monique, J.L. Seegars, Tracy Simmons, Zoe B. Wallbrook 

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.

https://manuscriptacademy.com/podcast-taj-mccoy 

Links and Contact Info: 

14. Please share how writers should contact you to submit a query and your links on the Web.

https://querytracker.net/query/tajmccoy 

Additional Advice: 

15. Is there any other advice you’d like to share with aspiring authors that we haven’t covered?

Finish the book. Authors (myself included) have a bad habit of continuing to edit and revise and polish the first half of the book, while the second half sort of just never happens. We get so caught up in perfecting that first bit that we never finish. Stop editing and finish the book. Allow your draft to be rough but complete. Then dive into revision rounds and see the magic happen! 

Oakland-born law grad, Taj McCoy is a romance author, literary agent, and higher education consultant. After working with Rees Literary Agency for nearly three years, Taj joined the Laura Dail Literary Agency in 2025 and aims to widen the entryway for marginalized authors and to normalize Black joy, fat joy, celebrations of culture, and love without limitations. She represents Adult Fiction (commercial, romance/rom-coms, women's fiction, mystery/thriller, upmarket), Adult Non-Fiction (memoirs, narratives, cookbooks, self-help, empowerment, cultural tradition and history), Children's Fiction (Picture books; MG and YA contemporary, mystery, romance, thriller, fantasy), Children's Non-Fiction (historical narratives, picture books), and illustrators. 

Thanks for sharing all your advice, Taj. 

Giveaway Details 

­Taj 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 August 9th. If your email is not on your Google Profile, you must leave it in the comments to enter the contest. If you do not want to enter the contest, that’s okay. Just let me know in the comments. 

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, August 1st I’m participating in the Apple a Day Giveaway Hop 

Monday, August 4th I have a guest post by debut author Isabel Knight and a giveaway of the first book in her Enchantria series 

Wednesday, August 6th I have an interview with author Lillie Vale and a giveaway of her YA Hit Me With Your Best Charm 

Monday, August 11th I have an agent spotlight interview with Krista Van Dolzer and a query critique giveaway 

Saturday, August 16th I’m participating in the Old School Giveaway Hop 

Monday, August 18th I have an interview with debut author Ryan James Black and a giveaway of his MG The Dark Times of Nimble Nottingham 

Wednesday, August 20th I have an agent spotlight interview with Shelly Romero and a query critique giveaway 

Monday, August 25th I have an interview with author James Ponti and a giveaway of his MG Hurricane Heist 

I hope to see you on Friday!

 

 

 

 

Literary Agent Interview: Analía Cabello Interview and Query Critique Giveaway

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! 

Update on 5/23/2025:

Agent of the Month at Writing and Illustrating Part 1, Part 2 (5/2025)

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!

Literary Agent Interview: Carey Blankenship-Kramer Interview and Query Critique Giveaway

Today I’m thrilled to have agent Carey Blankenship-Kramer here. She’s an associate agent at Azantian Literary Agency. 

Status: Carey will reopen to queries in May 2025. Please check the agency website to find out when she reopens to queries.

Hi­ Carey! Thanks so much for joining us. 

About Carey: 

1. Tell us how you became an agent, how long you’ve been one, and what you’ve been doing as an agent.

 

I’ve always been a huge reader, and one of my core memories as a child was realizing wait, there are people behind books?! On top of knowing I wanted to be a published author one day, I also knew I wanted to help other authors realize their dreams too. When I first graduated with my degrees English and Creative Writing in 2016, I decided to pursue another field, because at that time I would have been required to move to NYC to work in publishing and I’m not a city girl by any means. But once remote work opened up more and I earned a lot of experience with internships with agencies and small publishing presses (plus my Master’s in Writing and Digital Communications), I decided to get serious about becoming an agent in 2023. After sending out a few cold emails to agencies to see if they needed a junior agent, I found my first position. Then in January 2025, I moved over to the Azantian team! I’m also glad I pursued other opportunities when I graduated, because now I have almost over a decade working in marketing to help my authors promote their stories. 

Since I’ve become an agent, I’ve signed with ten incredible clients, sold two books, and had a blast reading some beautiful and inspiring stories. Can’t wait to see what happens next! 

About the Agency: 

2. Share a bit about your agency and what it offers to its authors. 

Founded in 2014, Azantian Literary is committed to guiding the careers of both new and established voices in fiction and nonfiction, particularly those who have been historically underrepresented. Whether a heart-warming contemporary, a moving true story, or a grand epic fantasy, we look for the universal truths in our stories that connect us all. I love working with Azantian, because all the agents are so passionate about what they do and beyond eager to help one another accomplish our goals and our author’s goals. It’s such an empathic, talented group that I’m beyond proud to be a part of. The agents at Azantian are doing good work, and my goal as a literary agent to help marginalized voices tell their stories very much aligns with Azantian’s goals. 

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 represent the full gamut of age groups and genres! Really the only thing I’m not looking for is nonfiction. Sorry to nonfiction writers out there, it’s just not my cup of tea. As far as things I’m specifically looking for:

 

• Stories from marginalized creators featuring diverse characters.
• Graphic novels from author / illustrators. 
• Lyrical writing. I love beautiful metaphors and descriptive language.
• Horror, horror, horror! I love kids getting chased by ghosts / the supernatural or adults having to battle haunted houses. Freak me out without having to be heavy-handed with gore and violence.
• Speculative stories have a special place in my heart. Anything that is set in our world but something is off / different I’m a huge fan of.
• Multimedia story telling. Love books that use things like podcasts, social media posts, texts, etc. to explore themes.
• Main characters that are very driven and headstrong, even to the point of being toxic. Love people that give off Taurus energy.
• If your characters play tennis or video games, I’m interested!
• I’m queer and neurodiverse, so I especially love queer romances and identity searching with ND characters. 

4.  Is there anything you would be especially excited to seeing in the genres you are interested in? 

PBs:

• Author / illustrators.
• Stories that teach readers something without being heavy-handed, whether that’s an emotional lesson or something cultural.
• Stories that focus on different cultures and types of families.
• Something that makes you feel warm and fuzzy after reading it.
• A spooky story that explores folklore from other cultures, like THE SKULL by Jon Klassen.
• Not the biggest fan of potty humor or silly stories where the focus is solely on humor.

MG:

• Queer first crushes and identity searching where homophobia isn’t the main focus.
• Coming of age novels hold a special place in my heart, especially when they explore darker themes or issues, like with THIS APPEARING HOUSE by Ally Malinenko.
• Really looking for horror in this space especially.

YA:

• Speculative stories featuring angsty teenagers now having to figure out a supernatural problem, like with IF YOU COULD SEE THE SUN by Ann Liang.
• Cozy fantasy where it’s easy to slip into the pages and forget the real world.
• Contemporary that explores big problems and takes your breath away, like with WE DESERVE MONUMENTS by Jas Hammonds or IF TOMORROW DOESN’T COME by Jen St. Jude.
• A tennis focused story, especially if it involves a queer romance.

Adult:

• A page-turning thriller. Bonus points if it involves the supernatural, like Simone St. James. Or if it uses different mediums, like NONE OF THIS IS TRUE by Lisa Jewell.
• If you’ve got a weird little book that doesn’t fit neatly into genre boxes, I would love to see it.
• Books that focus on unique lines of work or places where settings are almost like another character, like with ONCE THERE WERE WOLVES by Charlotte McConaghy. 

What She Isn’t Looking For: 

5. What types of submissions are you not interested in?

 

• Nonfiction.
• Books where cheating is the main focus or plot point.
• Stories where animals die.
• Historical fiction.
• Books where spies / government espionage / war / soldiers are the main focus or main characters.​
• Romance stories when romance is the only focus. I’m not a big romcom reader. BUT if you’ve got more things going on like character growth and big emotional problems, like with LOVE AND OTHER WORDS by Christina Lauren, then I’d love it, especially if it’s queer or features BIPOC characters. 

My list is also very full of PBs right now. That’s a harder yes for me, at the moment. 

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? 

Above all, I want to help marginalized authors tell their stories and get their voices heard. Whether your reader is a kid or an adult, every single person in this world deserves the chance to see themselves in a book. 

Aside from that, I’m looking for a story that either moves me, teaches me something new, reconnects me to the human experience, and/or makes me afraid to go to sleep at night. I want to represent all genres and age groups, because I read so widely and so many books have made me fall in love with their pages or helped me connect with some part of me or the larger human experience in general. 

I will say most of my clients have a very strong voice and writing that leans more lyrical than contemporary. And their character arcs are so satisfying. But they vary across genres and age groups. 

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? 

Yes, I’m a very editorial agent. Editing is my bread and butter. Typically, when I sign with a new author, they can expect to go through at least one round of edits. But for most cases it’s been two. One to wrap up any big picture items such as plot or character growth. Then a second pass to make sure your prose is as shiny as possible before we go out to editors. I always offer a collaborative approach, however. At the end of the day, you know your manuscript the best. And I never want to edit something that will change the core of your story and its themes. I always chat with my authors about changes and what works best for them and the market. 

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? 

Authors can query me at Query Manager only when I’m open! My form will guide you with the information I need and how I need it. I typically require the first ten sample pages with each query as well. As a gentle reminder, if you query me via email or website form, or ask me questions about your query via the same methods, I won’t be able to respond and will have to delete your message sight unseen. Just to be fair to all the other authors following the rules. 

9.  Do you have any specific dislikes in query letters or the first pages submitted to you? 

I typically don’t go for projects that open with a dream, a prologue, or a phrase that goes along the lines of “I know what you’re thinking” or “Let me explain how I got here” etc. The element that all these writing styles have in common is I’m instantly reminded I’m reading, and I’m not settling into your story or your world. I like to be able to sink my teeth into your writing immediately. If your first ten pages can help me escape this world, that’s fantastic. 

Response Time: 

10. What’s your response time to queries and requests for more pages of a manuscript? 

My response time is slower than I’d like right now, but I do respond to all queries and requests for pages. I’m taking about four months to respond to things right now, but I never mind a nudge. But I will always respond, I promise, even if it takes me some time. 

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? 

Yes, I am! For the right project and the right author, of course. I wouldn’t be able to work with authors on the stories they already have published, so I would need them to query me with a new story that we would then work on. But because my goal is to work with my authors their entire career, having already been published isn’t an auto-rejection for me. 

For authors who are already published and are trying to find an agent to represent them, I encourage you to be honest in your query letter! Let me know about your previous deals, how the sales numbers are looking if you have that information, and why you’re looking for an agent now. Letting me know your story is just important as pitching your current manuscript. That way, I’ll be able to tell if I can help you move along in your career or not. 

Clients: 

12. Who are some of the authors you represent? 

I currently represent ten extremely talented authors and illustrators. I’m so lucky to work with them! I’ve got clients who create PBs, MG, YA, and adult fiction. They range from heartwarming contemporary stories to horror that will make you jump at the shadows in the corner of your eyes. Aside from being incredibly talented with lyrical writing and page-turning plot, my current list of authors is also 100% BIPOC, queer, and/or neurodiverse. If you’d like to learn more about my clients and what drew me to their work, you can click the link below: 

https://www.careyblankenshipkramer.com/authors.html 

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. 

You can check out my previous articles and interviews on my press page on my website, available here: https://www.careyblankenshipkramer.com/press.html. I’ve been lucky enough to be on a few podcasts so far and looking forward to even more! 

Links and Contact Info: 

14. Please share how writers should contact you to submit a query and your links on the Web. 

Writers can query me via QueryManager when I’m open: https://QueryTracker.net/query/3066. 

As far as links on the web, here are mine! 

Website: https://www.careyblankenshipkramer.com/

IG: https://www.instagram.com/careyblankenshipkramer/

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/careybk.bsky.social

Twitter: https://x.com/careyfblankensh 

Additional Advice: 

15. Is there any other advice you’d like to share with aspiring authors that we haven’t covered? 

Querying is really tough right now, and it’s been getting tougher over the years. There are just not enough people in publishing to help tell the stories of everyone writing them. While you’re querying, be gentle with yourself. Know that rejections can be extremely subjective and what might not work for me will absolutely work for another agent. And make sure you keep writing, which is the biggest challenge of all while you’re querying. But the world needs your stories, so look after your mental health and fight against burn out with every turn of your page. 

Thanks for sharing all your advice, Carey.

 Giveaway Details

­Carey 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 3rd. 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

Wednesday, April 23rd I have an agent spotlight interview with Rebecca Eskildsen  and a query critique giveaway 

Monday, April 28th I have an interview with debut author Alby Williams and a giveaway of their MG Where There Be Monsters 

Thursday, May 1st I’m participating in the Come What May Giveaway Hop 

Monday, May 5th I have a guest post by author Donna Galanti and a $50 Barnes & Noble Gift Card giveaway to celebrate the release of her MG Loon Cove Summer 

Wednesday, May 7th I have an interview with author Aimee Phan and a giveaway of her YA The Lost Queen and my IWSG post 

I hope to see you on Wednesday!