Latinx in Publishing (LxP): What do you do?
Monica Rodriguez (MR): I'm the Director of Brand Management at Context Literary Agency. My role is to help Context authors with their brand, offer advice, and support their books throughout their writing career. My day-to-day in this role can range from brainstorming social promotion ideas for a cover reveal to pitching our authors for interviews in publications or podcasts. The role has been such a fun experience where I feel like I've finally married my skill set with something I love: books!
LxP: How did you get started?
MR:I started in publishing as a writer. (In fact, I'm in the query trenches myself!) I've also been a book blogger for three years over at Find A Lovely Life where I run the Find A Lovely Book Club. When I started querying, I realized there weren't enough Latinx agents out there. I also realized how much of the querying process was similar to pitching on the public relations side. I've been working in marketing and advertising for over eight years and was looking for a role where I could use my skills to promote things I loved. During #PitMad, I found myself looking at pitches for exciting books I wanted to read. It dawned on me that being an agent might be something I would love, and I could use my marketing skills to help authors as well. I applied for an internship position at Context Literary Agency where I met Tamar Rydzinski, we later discussed a marketing position at Context. I've been at Context for a few months now and I'm so glad I followed my curiosity, which led me to this new role. Agenting is still something I am interested in and will be opening up to queries sometime next year!
LxP: What do you wish you knew before getting into the industry?
MR:How slow the publishing industry really moves. I thought I knew how slow things moved in publishing, but it wasn't until I was on the other side of it all that I really understood why it takes so long to sell and promote a book. Every part of the process, whether you're a writer or an agent, takes time. Patience really is a virtue in this industry and I think it's helped me slow down and appreciate each part of the process.
LxP: What book are you currently working on or reading?
MR:I'm currently working on supporting promotional plans for a few Context titles, a few fantasy series as well as some contemporary romance novels. I do get to read the books as a promotional perk, so my TBR list has grown! For my leisure reading, I just finished The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune for book club and started reading Beautiful Country by Qian Julie Wang last night.
Monica Rodriguez is the Director of Brand Management at Context Literary Agency. She helps authors connect with partnerships that enhance their writing careers, supporting their books before and after they’ve hit the shelves. Her love for books can be traced back to elementary school, where the best days were spent attending book fairs and author readings. She is the creator of Find A Lovely Life where she runs the Find A Lovely Book Club. She is also a Mexican-American author and a contributing writer for LatinaMediaCo.
