Saritza Hernández is an Andrea Brown Literary Agency agent with 15+ years championing queer and BIPOC voices across MG, YA, and adult genre fiction and nonfiction — with a proven commercial track record in romance, cozy mystery, fantasy, and children's books.
In brief
Her sales record is heavily weighted toward Latine and BIPOC authors, with repeat clients Charish Reid (romance), Raquel V. Reyes (cozy mystery), Mayra Cuevas (kidlit and adult), Venessa Vida Kelley (SFF/romance), Shelly Mazzanoble (nonfiction), Louangie Bou-Montes (YA/adult), and Elia Winters (romance) — long-term partnerships are clearly central to how she works.
Her wishlist names a broad range of adult categories, but the confirmed deal record skews toward cozy mysteries, contemporary romance, children's picture books, and Latine-centered stories — if your work sits at the intersection of those, you have strong evidence she can place it.
Publisher relationships visible in the sales record include Crooked Lane, Canary Street Press/Harlequin, Knopf/S&S, Erewhon, Wednesday Books, Abrams, Beach Lane, and University of Iowa Press — a mix of Big Five imprints and strong commercial indie houses.
Her submission window is strictly the first two weeks of every calendar month in 2026 — email queries are automatically deleted and flagged as spam; use only the online form.
She accepts work exclusively from creators who identify as members of an underrepresented group or global majority — this is a hard prerequisite, not a preference.
Lately
When your agent copies arrive and you’re in even more awe of the final version as you were of the initial manuscript. TAKE IT TO YOUR GRAVE is a queer, Afro-Latiné YA thriller with deaf rep, by @loulawrites.bsky.social & available for preorder now. 👻🪦🩶🏳️🌈 bookshop.org/a/96260/9781...
👀Querying Authors: Please note that I am open to queries for the first 15 days of every month and I work hard to get through my queries quickly. If you decide to email your query to me instead, it is automatically deleted and the email is reported as spam. Please follow sub guidelines.
She reminded querying authors that her submission window runs only through the first 15 days of each month, that she works quickly through her queue, and that any query sent by email is auto-deleted and the address reported as spam. Writers must use the online form and follow submission guidelines exactly.
What Saritza is looking for
Sexy, swoon-worthy, escapist stories with complex characters. She gravitates toward contemporary and multicultural romance with strong emotional hooks. Friends-to-lovers and young-love tropes resonate personally with her. Her sales record confirms robust commercial placement in this category.
Propulsive, thought-provoking SFF with crossover appeal — she wants stories that feel otherworldly but speak to universal human concerns. Epic scope and literary ambition both welcome. Her wishlist signals this is an active priority.
Both cozy and immersive fantasy are welcome — the throughline is character-driven storytelling that pulls the reader into a fully realized world. Romantasy elements are consistent with her taste profile given the romance + fantasy overlap in her wishlist comps.
Atmospheric haunted tales and visceral horror that grip from page one. She favors Latine-inflected or culturally grounded horror over generic scares, based on her comp selections and deal history.
Amateur sleuths with personality, set in small towns or tight communities. Her deal record with Raquel V. Reyes's Margo Martínez cozy mystery series (multiple books at Crooked Lane, including award-winning titles) is strong proof she actively sells in this space.
Immersive family sagas and genre-bending literary-commercial crossovers. She's drawn to works that are emotionally resonant and culturally specific, particularly stories rooted in diasporic or Latine experiences.
Food and drink books that center cultural identity and the diversity of cuisine, especially from underrepresented culinary traditions. She also wants narrative nonfiction exploring the world through popular culture or family dynamics.
Open to all YA genres, with a stated emphasis on science fiction and romance as her top priorities within the category. Her recent YA deal — a 1975-set vampire story described as a murder-mystery with a humanity-redemption arc — shows she's actively placing YA with commercial Big Five imprints.
Open to all MG genres, again with science fiction and romance flagged as particular interests. Her recent MG picture-book-adjacent and chapter-book deals suggest strong kidlit publisher relationships.
Her recent deals include multiple picture books, and her client list includes an illustrator (Cindy Lozito). The query-status snapshot references picture books as an active category. She represents illustrators as well as author-illustrators. Note: her stated focus is on underrepresented creators.
Not the right fit
On Saritza's list
Taste fingerprint
How to query Saritza
Use the online query form only — email queries are auto-deleted and the sender's address is flagged as spam. This is a firm, non-negotiable policy.
Submit only during the first two weeks of the calendar month; queries that arrive mid-to-late month fall outside her open window.
Before submitting, confirm you meet the eligibility requirement: she accepts work exclusively from creators who identify as members of an underrepresented group or global majority.
Lead with cultural specificity — her entire client list and wishlist reflect a clear aesthetic preference for stories rooted in particular cultural identities, especially Latine, BIPOC, and LGBTQ+ communities.
For romance, lean into complex emotional dynamics and specific cultural settings rather than generic backdrops. Her comp titles are almost entirely multicultural contemporary; your pitch should reflect that register.
For SFF, emphasize both propulsive plot and thematic weight — she named titles that span epic military fantasy and quiet solarpunk, so the common thread is that ideas must matter, not just spectacle.
For cozy mystery, community and character are paramount — her proven track record in the subgenre centers culturally specific amateur sleuths; a generic small-town sleuth without a distinct cultural lens is less likely to stand out.
If querying kidlit (MG, YA, picture books), flag whether you are the author, the illustrator, or both — she represents illustrators as well as writers and this detail matters for how she evaluates the submission.
Her personal background includes a deep affinity for Spanglish culture, young love, and stories about smart (and smart-aleck) kids — mentioning culturally resonant details in your query letter, rather than a generic pitch, is likely to connect.
Check the live submission form status immediately before querying — the window opens and closes on a monthly schedule, and a cached status may not reflect where in the month you're submitting.