Agent Spotlight: Taylor Martindale Kean

This week's Agent Spotlight features Taylor Martindale Kean of Full Circle Literary.
Status: Open to submissions
About: "Taylor Martindale Kean is a literary agent with Full Circle Literary, representing primarily middle grade fiction, young adult fiction, and illustrators. She is a graduate of The College of William and Mary, where she studied English and Hispanic Studies.
Taylor is looking for young adult fiction and literary middle grade fiction, across all genres. She is interested in finding unique and unforgettable voices in contemporary, fantasy, historical and magical realism novels. She is looking for books that demand to be read. More than anything, Taylor is looking for diverse, character-driven stories that bring their worlds vividly to life, and voices that are honest, original and interesting. Clients include: Emery Lord, Tirzah Price,  David Bowles, Sylvie Lacroix, Anoosha Syed, Isabel Strychacz, Gloria Amescua, Olivia Sua and more. When not working, Taylor can be found traveling, cooking, spending time with loved ones, or (surprise!) lost in a good book." (From the agency website)
About the Agency:
"Full Circle Literary is a full-service literary agency, offering a full circle approach to literary representation. Our team has diverse experience in book publishing including editorial, marketing, publicity, legal and rights, which we use collectively to build careers book by book.
"We work with both award-winning veteran and debut writers and illustrators, and our team has a knack for finding and developing new and diverse talent. We work with writers and illustrators from development of concepts and proposals for submission to championing a book into the hands of readers. Our titles have received awards and honors from the American Library Association, National Book Critics’ Circle, Children’s Book Council, Society of Children’s Books Writers and Illustrators, National Council of Teachers of English, International Reading Association, and many more." (From the agency website)
Web Presence:
Full Circle Literary
Full Circle Lit blog.
#MSWL on Twitter
LinkedIn.
QueryTracker.

Twitter.  
What She's Looking For:

From the Agency Submissions Page

"Taylor is currently open to submissions in the following categories only: illustrators, author-illustrators. She is not able to respond to queries sent in categories that are not open."

See her bio above for other info on what she's looking for.

"TAYLOR’S WISH LIST  – currently open to illustration submissions only

Illustration that shows the artist’s unique voice and perspective

Magical Realism in Middle Grade and Young Adult

Young Adult fantasy with grounded and compelling world building, diverse casts, and that has smart and savvy heroes and heroines

All Young Adult and Middle Grade fiction with characters who are engaging, imperfect and diverse

A novel that deals with a family living in the aftermath of a serious crime (From the agency website)

What She Isn't Looking For:
Anything other than illustrators or author/illustrators
Editorial Agent?
Yes.
Clients:
There is list of select client titles on the agency website and in her bio.
Query Methods:
E-mail: No.
Snail-Mail: No.
Online-Form: Yes.
Submission Guidelines (always verify): 
All submissions should be through their QueryManagr form.
See the Full Circle Literary website for complete, up-to-date submission guidelines.
Query tips:
There are a number of great tips from Ms. Martindale in this interview at GotYA.
Response Times:
The agency only responds if interested. If interested, expect a response within 8 weeks. Response times available on the web suggest Ms. Martindale generally responds to queries within that time frame, often sooner. Her response time on requested material is sometimes longer.
What's the Buzz?
Taylor Martindale 's clients seem very happy with her representation. 
Worth Your Time:
Interviews:
Interview with Agent Taylor Martindale Kean at SCBWI Washington ((01/2018)
A Cafe Chat With Taylor Martindale Kean at EasternPennPoint (04/2017)
Contest interview with Taylor Martindale at Operation Awesome (10/2011).
Interview with YA agent Taylor Martindale at GotYA (04/2010).
Blog Stuff:
Ms. Martindale will be posting on the Full Circle blog occasionally.
Contact:
Please see the Full Circle Literary website for contact and query information.
Profile Details:
Last updated: 3/24/2023.
Agent Contacted For Review? Yes.
Last Reviewed By Agent? 4/30/2023.
***
Have any experience with this agent? See something that needs updating? Please leave a comment or e-mail me at natalieaguirre7(at)gmail(dot)com

Note: These agent profiles presently focus on agents who accept children's fiction. They are not interviews. Please take the time to verify anything you might use here before querying an agent. The information found herein is subject to change.

Agent Spotlight: Stefanie Sanchez Von Borstel

This week's Agent Spotlight features Stefanie Sanchez Von Borstel of Full Circle Literary.
Status: Closed to submissions. The agency website says she plans to open to middle grade fiction and nonfiction and illustrators only in May 2023.

About: "Stefanie Sanchez Von Borstel is co-founder of Full Circle Literary, an entrepreneur, and mom with 25+ years of experience in trade book publishing. Prior to agenting, she worked in editorial, publicity and trade marketing with Penguin and Harcourt Children’s Books. She enjoys tapping her publicity and marketing background to champion writers and artists. Stefanie represents children’s books from toddler to tween, and select adult nonfiction. In adult nonfiction, her focus is on creativity and inspiration. Recent titles she represents: You Will Leave a Trail of Stars by Lisa Congdon (Chronicle) and The Tunisian Crochet Handbook by Toni Lipsey (Abrams).

Children’s books Stefanie represents have been awarded the Sibert Medal, Caldecott Honor, Schneider Family Book Award, Ezra Jack Keats Honor, Charlotte Zolotow Award, Christopher Award, Jane Addams Children’s Book Award, New York Times Best Illustrated, Pura Belpré Awards and Honors, NCTE Orbis Pictus Honor, and Agatha Award. Some of Stefanie’s clients include Monica Brown, author of Frida Kahlo and Her Animalitos, a New York Times Best Illustrated Children’s Book; Sibert Medal and Caldecott Honor recipient Juana Martinez-Neal known for Alma and How She Got Her Name; Rafael López illustrator of #1 NYT Bestsellers The Day You Begin and Just Ask!; and poet Carmen Tafolla, author of Charlotte Zolotow Award-winning What Can You Do with a Paleta? 

Award-winning middle grade authors include Celia C. Pérez, author of Tumble and The First Rule of Punk, a Pura Belpré Honor and Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor Book; Diana López, author of Lucky Luna and forthcoming Los Monstruos; and Pura Belpré Honor author Adrianna Cuevas, author of The Total Eclipse of Nestor Lopez. Stefanie also represents a celebrated list of illustrators including Juana Martinez-Neal, Lisa Congdon, Christine Almeda, Adriana M. Garcia, Estelí Meza, Vanessa Morales, Thaís Mesquita, Rafael López and Alexander Vidal. She is always thrilled to work with creatives that have a distinct style or expertise that can crossover to both children’s and adult markets.

A proud Tejana from San Antonio, Stefanie is based in southern California. She is a member of the Association of American Literary Agents and a board member of Latinx in Publishing." (From Agency website)
About the Agency:
“Full Circle Literary is a full-service literary agency, offering a full circle approach to literary representation. Our team has diverse experience in book publishing including editorial, marketing, publicity, legal and rights, which we use collectively to build careers book by book.
"We work with both award-winning veteran and debut writers and illustrators, and our team has a knack for finding and developing new and diverse talent. We work with writers and illustrators from development of concepts and proposals for submission to championing a book into the hands of readers. Our titles have received awards and honors from the American Library Association, National Book Critics’ Circle, Children’s Book Council, Society of Children’s Books Writers and Illustrators, National Council of Teachers of English, International Reading Association, and many more." (From Agency Website)
Web Presence:
Full Circle Lit website.
Full Circle Lit blog. 
AgentQuery.
QueryTracker.

Social Media: IG and twitter pls follow @fullcirclelit
What She's Looking For:

STEFANIE'S WISH LIST - [QUERY STEFANIE SANCHEZ VON BORSTEL]
Stefanie is currently closed to submissions. She will reopen in May 2023 via QueryManager in the following categories only: middle grade fiction/nonfiction, illustrators.

From Her SCBWI Exclusive Interview:

"Full Circle has had some exciting middle grade debuts this year, and I warmly welcome middle grade manuscripts exploring themes of identity, family, community, and social justice. I’d love to find a middle grade with a touch of magic or a manuscript that explores the joys of life such as cooking or family traditions. I’ve also had the honor of working with exciting author-illustrator debuts by SCBWI members Juana Martinez-Neal and Susie Ghahremani, and I’d love to bring more women of color illustrators and author-illustrators to children’s books."
What She Isn't Looking For:
Romance, historical fiction, mystery, science fiction, fantasy, westerns, poetry, screenplays, cookbooks, or rhyming picture books. (Link)
Editorial Agent?
The agency supports its clients through all phases of the publishing process, including editorial support when needed.
Clients:
There is list of select client titles on the agency website. Some of Ms. von Borstel's clients are listed in her bio above.
Query Methods:
E-mail: No.  
Snail-Mail: No.
Online-Form: Yes.
Submission Guidelines (always verify):
The agency only accepts submissions via QueryManager. (Link)
See the Full Circle Literary website for complete, up-to-date submission guidelines.
Response Times:
The agency only responds if interested, usually within 8 weeks.
What's the Buzz?
Full Circle Literary is a well established and respected agency that prides itself on its full circle approach. They are big supporters of diversity in books and actively seek multicultural and diverse projects. Ms. von Borstel’s clients seem very happy with her representation. Her experience and sales recommend her.
Worth Your Time:
Interviews:

Publishers Weekly “Literary Agents Assess the Middle Grade Landscape” and Horn Book “A Conversation with Literary Agents on Diversity and Inclusion“. 
Around the Web:
Contact:
Please see the Full Circle Literary website for contact and query information.
Profile Details:
Last updated: 3/11/2023.
Agent Contacted for Review? Yes.
Last Reviewed By Agent? Yes.
***
Have any experience with this agent? See something that needs updating? Please leave a comment or e-mail me at natalieiaguirre7(at)gmail(dot)com

Note: These agent profiles presently focus on agents who accept children's literature. They are not interviews. Please take the time to verify anything you might use here before querying an agent. The information found herein is subject to change.

Agent Spotlight: Adriana Dominguez

This week's Agent Spotlight features Adriana Dominguez of Full Circle Literary.

Update on 3/6/2022: Adriana is now a senior agent at Aevitas Creative Management. Check their website for her submission guidelines. 

Update on 1/25/2023: Any information about Full Circle Literary has been deleted.

Status: Open to submissions
About: "Adriana Dominguez represents award-winning illustrators including John Parra, a New York Times Best Illustrator and recipient of three Pura Belpré Honors, Kirkus Prize finalist Jaqueline Alcántara, and Orbis Pictus Honor recipient Juliet Menéndez. Her author list includes NAACP Image Award winner Katheryn Russell Brown, Pura Belpré Honor recipient Angela Cervantes and Emmy Award-winning journalist Maria Hinojosa.
"Adriana has wide-ranging experience in publishing; she began her editorial career at Scholastic in the 1990s, served as Children’s Reviews Editor at Críticas Magazine (Library Journal), and as Executive Editor at HarperCollins, where she led the children’s division of the Latinx-focused Rayo imprint. She has a long trajectory of supporting authors and illustrators from underrepresented backgrounds and always welcomes submissions that offer a diverse point of view.
"Adriana is interested in illustrators with fresh, unmistakable styles, platform-driven narrative nonfiction from children to adult, and select children’s fiction from picture books to middle grade. She is based in New York." (From the agency website)

What She's Looking for:
Narrative nonfiction from children to adult, illustrators, picture books, middle grade

About the Agency:
"Aevitas Creative Management is a full-service literary agency, home to more than thirty agents in five cities (New York, Boston, Washington DC, Los Angeles, London), representing scores of award winning authors, performers, thinkers, artists and public figures. Aevitas also provides high-level strategic communications consulting and original content development services to internationally renowned business, political, and cultural leaders, institutions, brands, and estates."
"We offer our clients unusually meaningful editorial guidance and inspiration, and serve as their advocate throughout the publishing process. We’re known for our dedication to our clients, and because we’re highly selective in who we choose to work with, we’re able to serve our clients thoughtfully and consistently." (From the agency website)
Editorial Agent? Yes

Web Presence:
Aevitas Creative Management

Twitter.
LinkedIn.
QueryTracker.

Update on 1/25/2023

Publishers Marketplace

Clients:
There is list of select client titles on the website.
Query Methods: Closed to Submissions
E-mail: No (only).  
Snail-Mail: No.
Online-Form: Yes.
Submission Guidelines (always verify):
See the agency website for complete, up-to-date submission guidelines.
Response Times:
Unknown
What's the Buzz?
The buzz on Ms. Dominguez is quiet but positive.  She's only been agenting since late 2009 but has over 10 years of experience in publishing, many in editorial positions. 
Worth Your Time:
Interviews and Podcast:

Interview with SCBWI (Date unknown)

Featured Agent at 12 x 12 (05/2017)
Tips From 5 Literary Agents Representing Latino Authors at NBC News (03/2016)

Podcast with The Children's Book Council (04/2015)

Interview at Eastern Penn Points (11/2014)

Select Blog Posts:
Writing With Cultural Authenticity at The Official SCBWI Blog (08/2019)
Contact:
Please see the agency website for contact and query information.
Profile Details:
Last updated: 1/25/2023.
Agent Contacted For Review? Yes.
Last Reviewed By Agent? 6/24/2010.

***
Have any experience with this agent? See something that needs updating? Please leave a comment or e-mail me at natalieiaguirre7(at)gmail(dot)com
Note: These agent profiles presently focus on agents who accept children's fiction. They are not interviews. Please take the time to verify anything you might use here before querying an agent. The information found herein is subject to change.