Natalia Vazquez Torres
Charlesbridge Publishing
My Manuscript Wish List®
My Manuscript Wish List® Items
PLEASE READ: I can only accept agented submissions at this time. Due to the volume of submissions, any unagented, unsolicited submissions will go unanswered.
I’m an assistant editor at Charlesbridge Publishing. I am primarily looking for fiction and nonfiction picture books, but am open to some chapter books, middle grade, and YA.
Please refer to my wishlist to see if we can be a good fit.
Fun facts about me:
- I was born and raised in Puerto Rico
- I used to be a translator for the Air Force
- I have a BA in Creative Writing and Foreign Languages from the University of Puerto Rico, and a MFA in Creative Writing from Emerson College
- I am obsessed with grammar, be it in Spanish or English, or any other language that has fun tidbits within
- If I’m not reading, then I’m crocheting/knitting
- I love running, even if I’m inconsistent. I used to run 5Ks with my 22-lb corgi-terrier mix, but now that she’s older, we have slowed down to walking them
Submission Guidelines
PLEASE READ: I am only open to agented queries at this time. Due to the volume of submissions, any unagented, unsolicited submissions will go unanswered. If you’d like to submit to Charlesbridge and are unagented, please send your materials to childrens.submissions@charlesbridge.com. (See website for more info.)
(Note: Please send the manuscript as an attached Word document, not pasted in the body of email.)
I work on a variety of titles from board books to YA, both fiction and nonfiction. In no particular order, I look for:
- representation of all kinds on the page
- books that teach social-emotional lessons
- a strong voice with a personal story to tell
- creators from backgrounds that have been historically underrepresented in traditional publishing
- picture books with LGBTQIA+ content
- picture books that introduce different cultures and play with mixing the languages on the page
- characters who are BIPOC/Latinx
- characters who are neurodivergent
- unique family structures
- characters that defy gender norms
- coming-of-age/exploration of identity
- intersectionality
I love to read:
- character-driven stories told from unique perspectives
- modern twists on classic tales
- narratives with unusual structures
- romance and coming-of-age stories
- light horror-adventure grounded in the real world and intermingled with self-discovery journeys
- nonfiction that surprises me
- found family
In terms of nonfiction, I’m particularly intrigued by:
- texts focused on nature and science
- slice of life picture book biography
- the arts
I’m currently NOT looking for:
- alphabet books
- rhyme and poetry books
- novels-in-verse
- high fantasy (magical realism is ok)
- YA Fantasy
Vital Info
Favorite sub-genres:
BIPOC, Disability, Diversity, Grief, LGBTQ+, Latinx stories, Magical Realism, Marginalized Voices, Slice of life, YA Contemporary, coming of age, contemporary
I’d like the next…
Examples of picture books:
- Abuelita and I Make Flan by Adriana Hernández-Bergstrom
- Again, Essie! by Jenny Lacika
- A Dream for Every Season by Njie Haddie
- Forever Cousins by Laurel Goodluck
- We Are Better Together by Bill McKibben
- You Are Enough by Margaret O’Hair
Examples of middle grades:
- Language of Sea Birds by Will Taylor
- The Last Hope in Hopetown by Maria Tureaud
- The Clackity by Lora Senf
Examples of young adult:
- Rubi Ramos’s Recipe for Success by Jessica Parra
- The List by Siobhan Vivian
My favorites include…
- Any and all romances, be it historical or contemporary (both in TV shows and books)
- Historical fiction stories
- Coming-of-age stories
- Any stories that deal with intergenerational family dynamics (like Rubi Ramos’s Recipe for Success)
- The Last Cuentista by Donna Barba Higuera
- Ophelia After All by Racquel Marie
- If I See You Again Tomorrow by Robbie Couch
- It’s so difficult by Raúl Nieto Guridi
- The Girl from the Sea by Molly Knox Ostertag
- Lighthearted rom-coms and K-dramas
