Monica Rodriguez is a Senior Agent and Director of Brand Management at Context Literary Agency whose marketing-rooted instincts and personal mission to amplify underrepresented—especially Latinx—voices shape every submission she champions.
In brief
Rodriguez wears two hats at Context: she is both a Senior Agent and the agency's Director of Brand Management, meaning authors she signs benefit from someone who thinks about discoverability, audience-building, and shelf life from day one—not just at deal time.
Her stated mission centers on BIPOC, LGBTQ+, neurodivergent, and disabled writers, with particular emphasis on Latinx stories; writers who identify with those communities should lead with that in their query.
Her taste is explicitly commercial-leaning across all age categories and genres, so high-concept, marketable hooks will resonate more than quiet literary experiments.
A May 2026 public signal calling for more kidlit graphic novels suggests she is actively building that segment of her list right now—picture book author-illustrators and middle-grade graphic novelists should take note.
Her wishlist is unusually theme-driven rather than genre-driven: the throughline across every category is identity, belonging, messy families, and mental health advocacy—regardless of whether the book is adult literary fiction, YA contemporary, or middle-grade graphic novel.
Lately
Query update! ✨ I’m officially closed to queries. I’m still working through April-June & have a lot to get through. If you send me a query after 6/30 it will be deleted. You can try me again when I reopen. I’m not sure when that will be but it is usually at the start of a new season. #amagenting
I’ve been looking for a #horror novel that felt like an A24 film and @lolagracebooks.bsky.social nailed it. Every scene felt like a slow moving camera moment and I could not stop thinking about this book. I can’t wait to get this one out into the world! ✨ Welcome to Team Monica, Lola! 🥰 #amagenting
Summer is here but my query inbox is still in Spring. I’m at nearly 2k queries sent between April - June so I will be closing to queries at the end of the month. I still have a few fulls and revise and resubmit requests that I am making my way through. ✨
Had the loveliest time with @scbwiatx.bsky.social for a workshop on comp titles! We dove into how I use comps when I’m pitching as an agent and why they’re important. You’d be surprised what you use in your query ends up on the back of your book! 📖 #workshop #amagenting #querying
Lookin for more #kidlit #graphicnovels in my inbox 👀 #mswl
Rodriguez posted a public call specifically requesting more kidlit graphic novels in her submissions inbox, signaling she is actively seeking to grow that segment of her list.
What Monica is looking for
Rodriguez put out a direct public call for kidlit graphic novels in May 2026, making this her most actively sought format right now. She is looking for visual storytelling that carries the same thematic DNA as the rest of her list: identity, first-gen or immigrant experience, messy families, and coming-of-age across cultures. Writers who are also illustrators, or writer-illustrator teams, have the strongest case here.
This is the beating heart of her list. She wants stories where characters wrestle with what it means to belong—first-generation Americans navigating family expectations, immigrants traveling toward or away from the U.S., and people caught between cultures. The hook should be specific: a particular country, a particular cultural tension, not just a general 'immigrant experience.' She notes an appetite for cultures that rarely receive mainstream publishing attention.
Rodriguez explicitly rejects the idea that coming-of-age is only for young protagonists—she believes the process of becoming is lifelong. Adult novels with protagonists in their 30s, 40s, or beyond who are still figuring out who they are sit squarely in her sweet spot, as long as the self-discovery arc involves self-love rather than self-destruction. Commercially pitched stories with this emotional core will resonate most.
She has a specific and unusual interest in adult sibling and cousin relationships—particularly when those relationships are complicated by cultural difference (e.g., a U.S.-born cousin vs. a cousin who grew up in the home country). This is a narrow but confident want. Messy, imperfect families are welcome; tidy, conflict-free family stories are not.
She describes wanting stories about capable, bold women living full lives. The commercial-leaning qualifier matters: this is not a call for quiet, interior character studies but for plots in which women are active agents driving the story forward. Any genre can carry this, from thriller to romantic comedy to upmarket literary fiction.
Therapy-curious characters and stories that normalize mental health conversations are a recurring thread across her wishlist. This is a flavor or subplot she welcomes, not necessarily a standalone genre pitch—it can live inside a romance, a family drama, or a YA contemporary equally well.
She is drawn to books where place is a genuine character—specifically settings outside the United States, or journeys toward the U.S. that carry cultural weight. A story set in rural Mexico, urban Seoul, or a small Caribbean island will stand out more than a story set in New York with a brief trip abroad.
Not the right fit
On Monica's list
Taste fingerprint
How to query Monica
Lead your query letter by identifying your own background if you are BIPOC, LGBTQ+, neurodivergent, or have a disability—Rodriguez explicitly invites this and it signals cultural alignment with her mission.
Name the specific culture, country, or community your book centers on; vague 'diverse' or 'multicultural' labels will not differentiate your query from the pile.
If your story involves sibling or cousin dynamics complicated by generational or cultural difference, call that out directly in the first paragraph—it is an unusually specific want and naming it shows you have done your research.
Because Rodriguez thinks like a marketer, give her a clear audience sentence: who is this book for, and what shelf does it live on? A confident commercial positioning will resonate with how she evaluates projects.
For kidlit graphic novels (as of mid-2026), flag that format in the subject line or opening line—she is actively looking and a clear label will help your query land in the right mental folder.
Keep the emotional core front and center: she buys on theme and feeling as much as plot. One sentence on what the reader will feel or carry away from the book is worth more than an extended plot summary.
Verify the submission form is still open before sending—status was confirmed open in January 2026 but should be checked at the time of query.