Paloma Hernando is a comics-rooted, genre-bending agent at Ayesha Pande Literary who champions illustrated works and speculative fiction with queer, Latinx, and abolitionist sensibilities.
In brief
Paloma came up through the indie comics and DIY zine world before pivoting into agenting — that origin shapes everything: they have a genuine insider's eye for sequential art that most agents simply lack.
Graphic novels are the clear core of the list, but Paloma is actively expanding into prose adult and YA fiction, particularly horror, SFF, and literary-commercial hybrids — writers in those spaces have a real opening right now.
A firm, non-negotiable political stance runs through the wishlist: any story touching police, prisons, or the military must take an abolitionist position — this is one of the most specific filters in agenting and writers should take it seriously.
Paloma is Argentinian, reads Spanish, and explicitly names South American settings and non-white Latinx perspectives as high-priority — an underserved taste signal that querying writers should not overlook.
Their personal touchstones span manga (Chainsaw Man, Fullmetal Alchemist fandom, Daemons of the Shadow Realm), literary queer fiction, feminist horror, and Disney Channel-level heart — a combination that rewards pitches with emotional weight and genre fluency.
Lately
Paloma joined Ayesha Pande Literary in the fall of 2024, signaling a deliberate expansion from a primarily illustrated/comics focus toward a fuller prose and literary list — writers in adult SFF and horror have an early-mover advantage as the list is still being built.
What Paloma is looking for
This is Paloma's founding passion and the deepest part of the list. They want work that demonstrates mastery of what the comics medium can uniquely do — not prose illustrated with pictures, but storytelling that could only exist as sequential art. Action-driven narratives, manga-influenced aesthetics, children's and all-ages work, and projects from author-illustrators all qualify. Pitch packets must include a full synopsis, character introductions, setting notes, and ten finished pages, plus a portfolio link.
Paloma wants horror that cares about character as much as scares — stories where the monsters have interiority and meaning, not just menace. Queer horror, Latinx horror, feminist horror, and literary horror are all explicitly named priorities. Character-driven work that blends horror with contemporary realism is especially welcome.
Paloma is drawn to speculative worlds with genuine texture — settings you want to inhabit, not just pass through. LGBTQ+ fantasy, Latinx fantasy and sci-fi, feminist SF/F, literary fantasy, and high-concept literary-commercial hybrids all fit. Genre combinations are a plus: fantasy threaded with drama, sci-fi with literary ambition, or anything that resists a single shelf. Trans characters in leading roles and PoC-centered retellings of classic stories are active priorities.
Paloma wants romance that feels genuinely fresh rather than formulaic — organic emotional arcs, queer love stories in surprising or unusual contexts, and genre mash-ups (paranormal, time-travel, fantasy romance). LGBTQ+ rom-coms are explicitly welcomed. The emphasis on 'unlikely situations' signals they prefer hooks that surprise rather than comfort.
Contemporary YA, fantasy YA, and LGBTQ+ YA are all on the list, as are MG/YA graphic novels and children's graphic novels. Paloma has a stated tolerance for emotional sincerity and even earnest cheesiness — they cite fanfic and Disney Channel movies with genuine affection, which matters for voice-driven YA.
Paloma is interested in picture books — both fiction and nonfiction — but ONLY from author-illustrators. Writers seeking an illustrator for their picture book text should look elsewhere. The specific draw is off-the-wall visual storytelling: concepts that live or die by their artwork.
Paloma is open to literary fiction and high-concept literary-commercial hybrids, particularly those with speculative elements, immigrant experiences, or social themes. This is an expanding part of the list given their 2024 move to a prose-focused agency.
Nonfiction appears on the agency submission categories but is not foregrounded in Paloma's own wishlist language. Likely best suited to projects with clear pop-culture or LGBTQ+ angles given their stated interests.
Not the right fit
On Paloma's list
Taste fingerprint
How to query Paloma
Email is the submission method — follow the agency's current posted guidelines precisely, as the requirements differ between prose and illustrated works.
For graphic novel and comic submissions, a complete pitch packet is mandatory: full detailed synopsis, character introductions with descriptions, relevant setting notes, exactly ten finished sequential art pages, and a link to your portfolio. Missing any of these is likely a fast rejection.
If your work has any police, prison, or military content, address your abolitionist framing explicitly in the query letter — do not make Paloma guess at your stance.
Lean into Latinx identity, South American settings, or Spanish-language cultural context if relevant to your work — Paloma is Argentinian, reads Spanish, and has named these as gaps they want to fill.
Manga influence is a strong selling point: if your graphic novel or prose has structural, tonal, or aesthetic debts to manga, name them. Paloma's reading list skews heavily in that direction.
Genre hybrids outperform single-genre pitches here — if your book blends horror and contemporary realism, or fantasy and literary fiction, foreground the combination rather than trying to pick one shelf.
Paloma has a stated love for emotional earnestness, fanfic sensibility, and big-hearted storytelling — don't sand down the sincerity or humor in your voice trying to seem more 'literary.'
Trans protagonists and queer love stories in unconventional settings are explicitly on the wish list — if your lead is trans or your romance is structurally unusual, say so early in the query.
Paloma is early in their time at this agency (joined late 2024), so the prose list is actively being built — this is a good moment to query adult SFF and horror before those slots fill.
Always verify the live submission form status before sending — the open status observed in April 2026 may change.