Kathleen Ortiz is the founder of KO Media Management, a New York-based agency built around illustrated content, humor, joy-forward books, and commercial fiction — with a growing focus on contemporary romance for adults alongside her long-established strength in visual and children's media.
In brief
Ortiz left her senior role at New Leaf Literary & Media in 2022 to found her own agency, KO Media Management, bringing with her a decade of experience in subsidiary rights and international licensing — an unusual depth that makes her especially valuable to clients with IP that can extend beyond the page.
Her client roster (Liz Climo, Catana Comics) skews heavily toward humor-driven, illustrated, and social-media-native creators, signaling that she has built real publisher relationships in the illustrated/gift-book and graphic novel space — not just a stated interest.
Her current agency page signals a pivot toward contemporary romance for adults, a category not historically associated with her public brand; this is a genuine expansion, and romance writers with warmth and wit have a real opening when she is accepting queries.
A key practical note: her own page states she is 'most likely to refer projects to the other KO Media agents, who are actively building their lists' — meaning new queries from unknown writers may be redirected internally rather than taken on personally.
Submissions were observed closed as of January 2024; writers should verify the live form status before querying, as the situation may have evolved since then.
Lately
Ortiz's current agency page explicitly states she is 'most likely to refer projects to the other KO Media agents, who are actively building their lists' — a candid signal that her own client intake is limited right now, even when submissions are open.
What Kathleen is looking for
This is Ortiz's most actively stated new pursuit. She wants romance novels across all subgenres, with particular enthusiasm for rom-coms, stories with K-Drama sensibilities (will-they-won't-they tension, emotional depth, found family), second-chance love stories, and slow-burn dynamics. The emphasis on K-Drama feels and rom-coms suggests she's drawn to warmth, wit, and emotionally satisfying arcs over dark or angsty fare.
This is the center of gravity of Ortiz's career and client list. She represents content creators and illustrators as much as traditional authors, and loves projects that fuse visual storytelling with humor, encouragement, and pop culture references. Both adults and children's audiences are in scope. Her existing roster demonstrates strong commercial relationships in this space.
Ortiz welcomes children's projects — including middle grade, picture books, and illustrated chapter books — especially when a visual element is central rather than incidental. Her background suggests she's most energized by illustrated formats; prose-only children's manuscripts are less likely to be her strongest fit.
She is open to nonfiction for adults, particularly projects rooted in humor, joy, lifestyle, or inspiration — the same emotional territory as her illustrated clients. Spirituality is also listed. Projects with a strong platform or visual/brand component will align most naturally with her interests.
A distinctive niche: Ortiz explicitly represents brands and content creators, not just individual authors, and approaches projects through the lens of 'all angles' — meaning licensing, merchandise, and media extensions alongside publishing. This is a selective category best suited to creators who already have an established audience and intellectual property that can live beyond a single book.
Not the right fit
On Kathleen's list
Taste fingerprint
How to query Kathleen
Confirm the submission form is currently open before sending anything — it was observed closed in early 2024 and her own page notes she may redirect new queries to other KO Media agents.
If querying for romance, lead with what subgenre it is and flag the specific qualities she named: is it a rom-com? Does it have K-Drama pacing? Is there a slow burn or second-chance arc? Name it early and specifically.
If querying an illustrated or visual project, foreground the visual concept and any existing audience or platform — her background in licensing means she's thinking about IP potential from the first read.
Pitching a brand or content-creator project? Treat this less like a traditional query and more like a brand brief: what is the IP, who is the audience, and where can it go beyond the book?
Ortiz's agency explicitly handles international rights and licensing at a sophisticated level; if your project has international or merchandise potential, mention it — this is a differentiator that will resonate with her specifically.
Do not address her as though she is still at New Leaf Literary & Media — she founded her own agency, KO Media Management, in 2022. Getting this wrong signals you haven't done your homework.