Contrary to popular belief, publishing is so much more than just the authors and illustrators. A whole set of people works behind the scenes to make sure we, the readers, get great books.
We wanted to spotlight these book publishing professionals, starting with editors. Continue reading for a list of Latinx editors currently accepting submissions.
Kiara Valdez, Editor, First Second
Kiara Valdez (she/her) is an Afro-Dominican writer and an editor at First Second, Macmillan. She was born and raised in New York City and has been an avid comics reader all her life. She graduated from Williams College with a double major in English Literature and Japanese, and spends her free time reading, writing, and enjoying various hobbies.
She is only looking for graphic novels and is mostly focused on middle grade and young adult. She is open to all genres but is especially interested in magical realism, memoir, #ownvoices stories (especially those from Latinx and Black creators), and stories with LGBTQ+ characters and romance. She likes stories that feel contemporary, real, and are grounded in our world regardless of the genre.
Find more information about her manuscript wishlist here.
Nicole Luongo, Editor, Park Row Books
Nicole Luongo (she/her) is an editor at Park Row Books, HarperCollins. Nicole joined the Park Row team in 2021, after interning at Foundry Literary & Media, Pegasus Books, Blair Publishing, and Mango Publishing. She has a Joint Honors B.A. in English Literature and International Development, with a minor in Spanish, from McGill University.
On the fiction side, Nicole is drawn to voice-driven, contemporary upmarket “book club” fiction featuring strong female protagonists, psychological thrillers that subvert the genre (i.e. unreliable female narrators, female perpetrators, etc.), select coming-of-age stories and select historical fiction, with an emphasis across all genres on amplifying underrepresented voices. While she doesn’t acquire genre fiction, she loves genre-adjacent fiction—speculative fiction, magical realism (especially those based on cultural folklore), feminist dystopian, etc. In the nonfiction space, Nicole is drawn to standout, accessible narrative nonfiction and compelling memoirs geared towards a female readership.
Read her full manuscript wishlist here.
Jenny Lopez, Assistant Editor, Sourcebooks Fire and Sourcebooks Young Readers
Jenny Lopez (she/her) is the assistant editor at Sourcebooks Fire and Sourcebooks Young Readers. She believes that stories hold so much power—to connect, to save, and to change us for the better.
Jenny is currently looking to acquire middle grade and young adult novels and is passionate about working with BIPOC and traditionally marginalized creators. Because of her background and identities, she is especially excited to acquire stories from queer and Latinx/Latine voices!
Overall, she is interested in diverse and inclusive stories across all genres. Jenny loves stories with complex characters, immersive worldbuilding, and has a soft spot for anything speculative—especially fantasy and horror.
Read the specifics on her manuscript wishlist here.
Nadxieli Nieto, Executive Editor, Flatiron Books
Nadxieli Nieto (she/they) is an executive editor at Flatiron Books, Macmillan. She edits literary and upmarket fiction, select nonfiction, and art books. She is also the former director of PEN America's Literary Awards and is on the board of Latinx in Publishing.
She is currently looking for upmarket and literary fiction, YA, and select nonfiction, with a focus on work by Latinx authors and BIPoC. Nadxieli is drawn to innovative, language-driven work in fiction, often with weird or speculative elements, and idea-driven, researched nonfiction on culture, feminism, immigration, and the environment. She is not currently seeking memoirs.
For more information on her manuscript wishlist, visit her website.
Crystal Castro, Assistant Editor, Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Crystal Castro (she/her) is an Assistant Editor at Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, Hachette Book Group. She is currently seeking MG and YA titles for her list, specifically thrillers, mysteries, horror, fantasy, and adventure. Crystal is drawn to character-driven narratives and voicey manuscripts where she can get a sense of the main character’s personality from the first page. She is also looking for debut projects from BIPOC authors, hoping to bring more Puerto Rican voices to her imprint.
Read her detailed manuscript wishlist here.
Toni Kirkpatrick, Senior Acquisitions Editor, Crooked Lane Books / Alcove Press
Toni Kirkpatrick began her publishing career at St. Martin’s Press, where she worked for more than a decade acquiring crime and other commercial fiction. She joined Crooked Lane Books and Alcove Press in 2019. She serves on the board of Latinx in Publishing.
For Crooked Lane: She is looking for clever traditional mysteries that may or may not lend themselves to punny titles, grittier mysteries, noir, suspense, and thrillers. She is intrigued by crime fiction that explores social issues or moral questions.
For Alcove Press: She is looking for book club fiction that is sexy, humorous, and/or haunting. She would love to find stories that highlight contemporary women’s issues, family dynamics, friendship, motherhood, and the immigrant or multicultural experience.
Visit the Crooked Lane Books website to read more about her manuscript wishlist.
Elizabeth Cervantes is a proud Mexican book lover. She has a bachelor’s in Multimedia Journalism from the University of Texas at El Paso and is currently working on obtaining her master’s in Publishing at Pace University. When she is not studying and reading for her classes, you can find her crying, swooning, or locking her doors while reading children’s books, romance novels, and mysteries/thrillers.
