Irene Vázquez
Levine Querido
My Manuscript Wish List®
Howdy! I’m an associate editor at Levine Querido. Our mission is to provide a platform for creators from communities that have been historically marginalized in mainstream publishing including (but not limited to): BIPOC creators, members of the LGBT+ community, creators with disabilities, creators from minority religions, and folks at the intersections of those identities. I’m actively looking to acquire middle grade and young adult novels.
Voice is my #1 priority. I’m particularly interested in contemporary realism, genre fiction that draws from a particular cultural heritage/tradition and/or centers protagonists from underrepresented groups, and queer/trans romance/coming of age that doesn’t center coming out.
In general, I love:
- Books with a strong sense of place (whether real or imagined)
- Books with a climate/environmental angle
- Books that defy categorization and push at the boundaries between “realistic” and “speculative” and “magical realism”
- Books that handle sad or difficult subjects with a fantastical twist (think Kyle Lukoff’s Too Bright to See or Mari Lowe’s Aviva vs the Dybbuk)
- Books in the upper middle grade range
- Books that take place in the South
I’m *not* the right fit for:
- high fantasy
- mythological retellings
- projects in verse
Fun facts about me:
- I love women’s sports of all kinds (especially the WNBA)
- I have a tortoiseshell cat named Gemini
- Outside of publishing, I’m a poet and journalist, focusing on Black cultural traditions, eco-poetics, and environmental justice
Submission Guidelines
Agented submissions can be sent to irene@levinequerido.com.
Vital Info