Event Recording
November 14, 2023
Our new Agent Talks events will feature a literary agent presenting on an area of their expertise, with a Q&A session at the end. Additional sessions will be held in the months ahead. Special thanks to the Association of American Literary Agents and to Literary Agents of Change for collaborating with the Authors Guild Foundation on this series.
Writing is rewriting––even after you’ve signed with an agent. What does the revision process look like once you’re out of the query trenches? Literary Agent Monica Rodriguez at Context Literary Agency will break down the editorial process and how that process will set up your book for the best chance for submission success. We’ll also discuss strategies on how to process your agent’s feedback so that the revisions do not feel overwhelming.
Moderated by Samantha Fabien, agent, Root Literary.
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. In addition to her brand management role, Monica is also a Junior Agent with a mission to help uplift underrepresented voices in publishing, specifically within the Latinx community. In children’s literature, she is actively looking for picture book, middle grade, YA, and graphic novels. She is also open to adult and non-fiction submissions. Please check out her Manuscript Wish List for more.
Association of American Literary Agents (AALA)
Since its founding in 1991, the Association of American Literary Agents has been a leading force in furthering the interests of agents, authors and other rights holders. Through regular educational programming, community-building initiatives, and advocating for agents and authors alike, the volunteer-run organization is dedicated to helping our members maintain and broaden their professional skills in a fast-changing publishing environment. Recognizing the historically exclusive nature of publishing, the AALA is committed to engendering a more diverse, equitable, participatory, and inclusive publishing community. Members of the AALA must agree to adhere to its widely-respected Canon of Ethics, thus ensuring that our membership maintains the highest standards of ethics and integrity in dealings with and on behalf of our clients and our publishing colleagues.
Literary Agents of Change
Literary Agents of Change, the nonprofit born out of American Association of Literary Agents’ (AALA) Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee, was formed to help dismantle the barriers to entry into a career as a literary agent for members of historically underrepresented groups, particularly people of color while recognizing the systems of overlapping oppressions in regard to race, ethnicity, sexuality, gender, class, and ability. Literary Agents of Change offers a Fellowship Program to encourage recruitment into the profession, and a Mentorship Program focused on the retention and promotion of agents from these communities.
Agent Talks: The Hidden Gems of Subrights with Jenissa Graham
Agent Talks: Book Contract Basics with Rebecca Matte
Agent Talks: The Modern Author's Press Kit with Sarah N. Fisk
