I gravitate towards stories about…identity, family relationships, and travel. I’m looking to uplift underrepresented voices in publishing. In children’s literature, I am currently looking for MG, YA & Graphic Novels. I also represent illustrators and comic artists. In adult fiction, I’m looking for contemporary romance, speculative, sci-fi, and book club fiction.
Across all genres & age groups, I’m looking for:
- Stories about identity, specifically first-gen stories or immigrant experiences.
- Stories about self-love with coming-of-age themes. (I believe we are always coming of age, regardless of age!)
- Stories about family relationships, messy/dysfunctional families or found families.
- Stories about sibling relationships or cousin relationships, specifically navigating adult sibling relationships or cousin relationships with cultural differences. (i.e. first-gen themes)
- Stories about travel, where the book is set outside the U.S. or even traveling to the U.S. (Non-travel related books set outside the U.S. count!)
- Stories with messy characters who are trying their best.
- Stories with characters who are curious about therapy or where mental health is advocated for.
- Stories about badass women doing badass things.
- Stories about cultures that are rarely explored.
2026 MSWL
Specifics but not limits:
Here are a few things I would love for each category I represent. That doesn’t mean the door is closed for your project! For more bookish tastes check out my bookstagram @findalovelybook, you can get a sense of the type of books I like to leisurely read there. Check out my recent sales and client books to get a feel of who I represent.
Genre Highlight: Horror & Mystery
I’m looking for more adult horror and mystery in my inbox. Let’s break it down! 🔪🩸
💀 Really love atmospheric gothic horror with a cultural connection
💀 If it could be an A24 movie, I want to read it
💀 I like my horror with a side of societal commentary that questions institutional systems
💀 Anything that confronts fear in a way that develops our main character
💀 I like a slow-burn surprise horror as much as an action-packed page-turner
🔍 I also like my mystery with societal commentary with bipoc main characters
🔍If there’s a side of humor with your mystery, I want to read it
🔍If there are siblings protecting each other from unspeakable things, please send
In Non-Fiction, I would love…
- In-depth topics that challenge society’s status quo and dive into girlhood or masculinity like For the Love of Men by Liz Plank
- New perspectives from journalists that highlight international journalism like Byline by Cristi Hegranes
- Enlightening narratives that discover connections in nature like The Hidden Life of Trees by Peter Wohlleben
- Modern parallels that organize big topics into digestible and actionable engagement in civics and current affairs like Democracy in Retrograde by Sami Sage & Emily Amick
- Exploratory issues in pop culture from creative industries like Mood Machine: The Rise of Spotify and the Costs of the Perfect Playlist by Liz Pelly
In Adult Fiction, I would love…
- Literary stories that question the American dream like Imbolo Mbue’s Behold The Dreamers
- Messy, contemporary self-love journeys like Queenie by Candice Carty-Williams
- Stories with espionage and diverse female characters like American Spy by Lauren Wilkinson
- A romance that explores eloping or a fun Vegas book like Honey Girl by Morgan Rogers
- A dystopian-contemporary world that explores climate change and class structure like All City by Alex DiFrancesco
- Speculative thriller/horror with historical cultural elements like Vampires of El Norte by Isabel Cañas
- Giddy slow burn contemporary romance with bipoc characters like The Neighbor Favor by Kristina Forest
- Philosophical sci-fi like The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
- Fantasy with cozy magical realism like Water Moon by Samantha Sotto
- Identity driven coming-of-age that features first-gen protagonists like Maame by Jessica George
In Young Adult, I would love…
- Time travel adventure books like The Girl from Everywhere by Heidi Heilig
- Historical books with satire like The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee
- Travel stories that have identity themes like As Far As You’ll Take Me by Phil Stamper
- A creepy, haunting story with siblings like in Here There Are Monsters by Amelinda Bérubé
- Romance with cultural significance like Canto Contigo by Jonny Garza Villa
- Adventure fantasy with protective yet spunky knights like Not For The Faint Of Heart by Lex Croucher
In Middle Grade, I would love…
- A novel in verse like Jasmine Warga’s Other Words For Home
- A story with a sense of adventure like The Total Eclipse of Nestor Lopez by Adrianna Cuevas
- Unique voice with a museum element like in Aru Shah and the End of Time by Roshani Chokshi
- Coming-of-age stories in international settings like Go Well, Anna Hibiscus! by Atinuke
- A voicey character driven Lizzie McGuire vibe like Mani Semilla Finds Her Quetzal Voice by Anna Lapera
In Graphic Novels, I would love…
- Being emotionally blindsided by unexpected characters like in Sheets by Brenna Thummler
- Something fast-paced with a mystery element that blends prose and graphic novel elements like I Am Princess X by Cherie Priest
- A coming-of-age story that blends cultural folklore like The Magic Fish by Trung Le Nguyen
- A buddy adventure fantasy like Lightfall by Tim Probert
- Dreamy solar punk sci-fi like Lunar Boy by Jes and Cin Wibowo
- Coming-of-age through language and identity like The New Girl by Cassandra Calin
- Speculative cultural narratives like Manu by Kelly Fernandez
- Stories where place feels like a character like in Brownstone by Samuel Teer & Mar Julia
illustrators & comic artists
submission guidelines for illustrators:
Please send a bio/artist statement + social media links and/or website with your portfolio link to querymonica[at]contextlit.com
If you have a pitch packet for a graphic novel, please include a query letter and a link to it online, I cannot open attachments. I will only request a PDF if I want to see more.
current clients
check out who i represent
I got into agenting with a mission to help uplift underrepresented voices in publishing, specifically within the Latinx community. If you identify as (but not limited to) a person of color (BIPOC), Latinx/e/a/o, Asian, Middle Eastern, LGBTQ+, neurodivergent, or have a disability, please send your query my way!
monica rodriguez 