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Amanda Carbonell @amandalitagent.bsky.social · 19/07/2026

editingtales.com to read more about me, check out the services I offer, see testimonials and books I've worked on, plus check out free helpful resources. Hope to connect!

editingtales.com

Editing Tales

Helping Your Stories Come to Life

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Amanda Carbonell @amandalitagent.bsky.social · 19/07/2026

Editing Tales is having a summer sale on select services for anybody looking for an editor for their query packages, first chapters, partials, and more. DM, email (editingtales25(at)gmail(dot)com, or use the contact form on my site to ask any questions, receive a quote, or to book! #bookediting

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Amanda Carbonell @amandalitagent.bsky.social · 01/10/2025

It has been a wonderful past year and I'm heartbroken to leave agenting, but I know in the end for me, it is for the best and everything will work out as it should. Keep writing, keep creating, and keep going. 🩷🥲

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Amanda Carbonell @amandalitagent.bsky.social · 01/10/2025

Editing Tales is still open and I am still taking clients there for editing services only, nothing agent-related (editingtales.com). This site also has the free query crash course listed under helpful tips for anybody who finds it helpful! The info there is still good!

editingtales.com

Editing Tales

Helping Your Stories Come to Life

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Amanda Carbonell @amandalitagent.bsky.social · 01/10/2025

I will still be here under @amandacarbonell25.bsky.social writing spooky KidLit & adult books (dabbling a bit in the cozy space too) with my agent if you want to stay in touch in that capacity. I am also on the photo/clock app as amandacarbonell25 and former bird app as amandabadillo25.

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Amanda Carbonell @amandalitagent.bsky.social · 01/10/2025

For anybody who has ever queried me or thought of querying me, thank you. It is an honor to have either been on your agent wishlist or just an agent you thought to query. Your stories matter and your yes is out there, do not ever give up! Breaks are okay, but don't ever stop.

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Amanda Carbonell @amandalitagent.bsky.social · 01/10/2025

treasure to work with all of them on their stories. I cannot wait for the day that their deals are announced so I can celebrate and soon after buy their books for my own family. They are all absolute joys to work with and I have no doubt they are going to do INCREDIBLE things!

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Amanda Carbonell @amandalitagent.bsky.social · 01/10/2025

and (hopefully) future little ones are older and talking in full sentences but as of right now, as hard as it is for me to step away, I know it is for the best. I know my clients are going to be successful. Every single one of them is beyond talented and it has been an absolute

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Amanda Carbonell @amandalitagent.bsky.social · 01/10/2025

a freelance editor, and an author. I had a bit too much on my plate, I ate with my eyes for awhile until I couldn't loosen the belt buckle any further. I know, in the end, this is the best thing for me to do, mentally. I hope one day I can return to agenting when my little one

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Amanda Carbonell @amandalitagent.bsky.social · 01/10/2025

in between. I have loved the process of being an agent -connecting, reading, devouring, offering, the hope for projects on sub, I loved it all. More importantly, I loved where I worked and the people who have mentored me. Unfortunately, I have a lot going on between being a mom,

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Amanda Carbonell @amandalitagent.bsky.social · 01/10/2025

It is with an incredibly heavy heart that I make this post. I am, sadly, stepping away from agenting. I loved every single moment of being an agent. I loved my clients. I loved their books. I loved meeting and connecting with other industry professionals and all of the friends I've made

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Amanda Carbonell @amandalitagent.bsky.social · 27/08/2025

So many wonderful auctions still available to bid on! Today is the LAST DAY to bid! Please spread the word and get those bids in! ❤️

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Amanda Carbonell @amandalitagent.bsky.social · 27/08/2025

If this is of interest to any editors, I would LOVE to connect with you to add you to our list 🩷🍷 Madison is currently on the clock app where she posts funny and relatable writing/editing content, highly recommend giving her a follow!

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Amanda Carbonell @amandalitagent.bsky.social · 27/08/2025

I have a new client!!! Madison's thriller novel made me FERAL for the group of moms in her story living in an HOA community who love to sip some wine, gossip, chat about the PTA & soon find themselves with big secrets to hide when one of them goes missing. 🍷 1/2

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Stephanie Owens @stephanieowens.bsky.social · 22/08/2025

✨Excited to share the #pb's I’ve written! 🐐BENNIE & CHANCE🐴 ✅Friendship ✅Acceptance ✅Personal growth ✅Puns! THE QUIET BOY'S MIGHTY ROAR 😶 ✅Self-expression ✅Navigating feelings ✅Nonverbal communication Editors, @amandalitagent.bsky.social has all the details if you’d like to see more!

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Amanda Carbonell @amandalitagent.bsky.social · 07/08/2025

Yes, I was doing some research today for something and I saw that a lot of the wording on the site has changed but faking clients that aren't yours and the rest of your thread listed still definitely makes you a schmagent. I'm beyond dumfounded and disgusted. Thank you for this thread!

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Stephanie Owens @stephanieowens.bsky.social · 05/08/2025

🐐BENNIE AND CHANCE🐴 Can a grumpy goat who hates sharing learn that friendship is worth making room for?🍎 If any #editors are looking for a hilarious and heartwarming #pb that comps GRUMPY MONKEY X TURTLE AND TORTOISE ARE NOT FRIENDS, my agent @amandalitagent.bsky.social has the details!☎️

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Amanda Carbonell @amandalitagent.bsky.social · 07/08/2025

Please beware. NO AGENT WILL CHARGE YOU MONEY FOR REPRESENTATION OR MARKETING OR CALLS OR ANYTHING ELSE! We only get paid when we sell your book, period. PLEASE do as much research as you can on anybody who offers you rep. Research the clients they claim they have and ask around.

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Amanda Carbonell @amandalitagent.bsky.social · 30/07/2025

LAST DAY TO DONATE IS 7/31! Spread the word and donate if you can! Critiques, AMA calls, commissions, mentorships, school visits, books, non-publishing items the list goes on! 💗

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lit agent tasneem motala @seraphecda.bsky.social · 27/07/2025

I'm so happy 🥹

Publisher's Marketplace picture book deal announcement for Napping Baba, written by Roger Lam and illustrated by Alina Chau, to Kelly Delaney at Crown Books for publication in Spring 2027 by Tasneem Motala (that's me!!) for the author.

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Amanda Carbonell @amandalitagent.bsky.social · 25/07/2025

REMINDER: I close to queries at 11:59 PM EST tonight! I am on the hunt for romance, horror, lyrical prose, and a strong voice among other things! Marginalized authors I especially want to hear from you! 🩷 MSWL in next post. Query me here: querytracker.net/query/3570

querytracker.net

Query Amanda Carbonell at Belcastro Literary Agency

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Amanda Carbonell @amandalitagent.bsky.social · 24/07/2025

If any editors are looking for a picture book featuring a grumpy goat and a nervous horse learning how to coexist in the same pasture, I would love to send it your way! 🩷 (Mockup made on Canva, using all Canva graphics/designs, this is not the art 🩷)

Top of half of image has a blue background with soft blue and white clouds. There is a horse to the left, a goat to the right, and farmhouse in the center, a chicken to the left, and a pesky mole.
Bottom half of the page has fun stars, squiggles, and other doodles.

The text reads (in red) BENNIE & CHANCE

Text below reads:

Bennie the goat had the pasture all to himself—and he liked it that way.

No one to share his apples, his shady spot, or his favorite patch of grass. Just peace and quiet. That is until Chance, a clumsy, nervous horse, trots in and turns Bennie’s perfect pasture upside down!

Can a grumpy goat who hates sharing learn that friendship is worth making room for?

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lit agent tasneem motala @seraphecda.bsky.social · 22/07/2025

chill very early announcement but i will be reopening general queries on September 1st and closing at midnight on September 14th! my bipoc query form is open year-round so if you're under that umbrella do not feel rushed! but for everyone else that is the window 💜

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Sandra Proudman @sandraproudman.bsky.social · 22/07/2025

There is no food in Gaza. Please share this and bear witness is nothing else. People are eating leaves to survive but everyone is suffering immensely. The children. The elderly. The new mothers. The husbands and sons and brothers getting shot at just to try to get “aid”. We have failed as humans.

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Amanda Carbonell @amandalitagent.bsky.social · 07/07/2025

I'm happy to answer any questions in the meantime regarding queries/querying me, my MSWL/anti-MSWL and so on. If you would rather DM me, please feel free. Happy Querying!!

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Amanda Carbonell @amandalitagent.bsky.social · 07/07/2025

to provide because I just may not be the right fit at the end of the day. Please know that my passes are never meant to be a NEVER, they are just a "not right now." You are always welcome to query me again. You can also query any other open agents at the agency 🩷

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Amanda Carbonell @amandalitagent.bsky.social · 07/07/2025

The writing can be great but ultimately, I'm not the right champion at this moment. So, this is basically a run-down of my brain so it gives you more of an insight to the reasons for my rejections. I try to give feedback where I can but sometimes there really isn't any feedback

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Amanda Carbonell @amandalitagent.bsky.social · 07/07/2025

Lastly, typically fulls and partials will get a more detailed pass from me. I try and offer as much feedback as I can but sometimes it can just simply be the response that I hate to give and receive of it's just not quite the right fit for me.

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Amanda Carbonell @amandalitagent.bsky.social · 07/07/2025

not be sure about, but please don't send the query if it is literally exactly what is on my anti-wishlist please 🩷 (saying this with ALL the kindness)

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Amanda Carbonell @amandalitagent.bsky.social · 07/07/2025

to send it anyways, just in case. I promise, where I appreciate and understand whole-heartedly the uncertainty and I'm sure well-intentioned query, please don't do that. I am MORE than happy to answer a DM or email before you send the query for clarity on something that you may

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Amanda Carbonell @amandalitagent.bsky.social · 07/07/2025

makes sense, but please let me know if I can clarify further. Another reason for passes is because of stories not following my anti-MSWL. Please, please read it and do your best to follow it. Mistakes happen but please don't acknowledge my anti-MSWL and then say but you wanted

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Amanda Carbonell @amandalitagent.bsky.social · 07/07/2025

another time period. That's just not for me at this time. I am looking for books for KidLit & Adult for kids/adults of today's time period if that makes sense! I have 90s comps for the campy/funny feel of the comps I use, not to have a story based in that time period if that

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Amanda Carbonell @amandalitagent.bsky.social · 07/07/2025

suggestions but I don't like to overdue it since I would have only read one chapter from your book. Another reason I have been passing lately is because I have been looking for more modern books, meaning based in today's world of 2025 and have been getting stories based in

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Amanda Carbonell @amandalitagent.bsky.social · 07/07/2025

their personality. There's typically a lot of telling as opposed to showing in the story which takes me out of your world. Like Ariel, I want to be a part of that world. Really put me in their with your characters. Usually for these sorts of passes I try to offer some friendly

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Amanda Carbonell @amandalitagent.bsky.social · 07/07/2025

I will also tend to pass if I'm not connecting to the voice. Now, what I typically mean by not connecting to the voice is really not connecting with a character due to the literal lack of connection -- missing their thoughts, feelings, what they're seeing, and a real sense of

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Amanda Carbonell @amandalitagent.bsky.social · 07/07/2025

just be when a project is not for me. That never usually has anything to do with the story or the writing, it's simply that it is not the right fit for me at this very moment but please know you can always requery me if changes are made OR if you have another manuscript to query!

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Amanda Carbonell @amandalitagent.bsky.social · 07/07/2025

something being *too* high will usually include a link to a resource for suggested word counts. I will also pass on something if the word count is too low for a MG/YA/NA with the same resource. Another reason for my passes which I typically do tend to send certain forms for will

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Amanda Carbonell @amandalitagent.bsky.social · 07/07/2025

age category. Submissions are incredibly difficult with the state of the world and SO many other things within the industry for editors (if you've been paying attention) so you want to make sure your story fits within the a certain range of what you are writing for. My passes for

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Amanda Carbonell @amandalitagent.bsky.social · 07/07/2025

colleagues, anything over 100K is pretty hard to sell for a debut author - ALL DEPENDING ON THE CIRCUMSTANCE, this is not to say that it is NOT possible but that it is incredibly difficult. With that said, it is even MORE difficult to sell something over 100K within the KidLit

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Amanda Carbonell @amandalitagent.bsky.social · 07/07/2025

a little leery -- this is all depending on age category/genre and then, your query, all factors I take into consideration before I decide to read onto the first chapter/synopsis. However, anything over 105K is typically a no for me. In my conversations with editors and other

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Amanda Carbonell @amandalitagent.bsky.social · 07/07/2025

Hello! I wanted to provide a bit of clarity on some of my rejections currently, a bit of insight into my brain. A thread: For starters, at this current moment there a few reasons for some of my rejections, the main one is word count. Typically, for myself, if anything is over 100K, I'm 1/?

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Amanda Carbonell @amandalitagent.bsky.social · 04/07/2025

Hi, just reminding everybody due to the increase of emails I’ve been getting. I do NOT accept queries sent to my email. Any queries sent there (unless previously discussed) will be deleted unseen. I only accept queries through my query manager form. Thank you!

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Amanda Carbonell @amandalitagent.bsky.social · 03/07/2025

Forgot to post here too! I have a small handful of subs left in my inbox to read through and I just know this is going to be SO difficult. But, in other news, I’ve decided to open to queries! 🎉 send me all your horror, romance, MG, & more 🩷 QueryTracker.net/query/3570

media.tenor.com

a group of people dressed in halloween costumes are dancing together .

Alt: a group of people dressed in halloween costumes ( from left to right Michael Meyers, Pennywise, Jason Vorhees, & Scream) are dancing together

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Stephanie Owens @stephanieowens.bsky.social · 25/06/2025

🎉 HOORAY! My sensory #boardbook is ON SUB! 🐶👦 Join a silly pup & his toddler bestie as they romp through all the colors of the 🌈! Bursting with color, texture & interactive fun sure to tickle toddlers’ toes! 📞 @amandalitagent.bsky.social to be added to the sub list! #editors #publishers #kidlit

media.tenor.com

a cartoon dog is sitting in a basket holding a shoe

ALT: a cartoon dog is sitting in a basket holding a shoe

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Amanda Carbonell @editingtales.bsky.social · 22/06/2025

Hi #writingcommunity! This is @amandalitagent.bsky.social / @amandacarbonell25.bsky.social and I made a page dedicated to the editing services I offer 🩷 I’ll be posting query tips/advice and of course, updates for all things Editing Tales! #writers #freelanceeditor #bookeditor #books #querytips 1/2

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Amanda Carbonell @amandalitagent.bsky.social · 18/06/2025

I'm working through my inbox as we speak. My plan is to open for a couple of weeks, one week to all authors and the second week only for marginalized authors. I will keep you all updated on an open date 🩷

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Amanda Carbonell @amandalitagent.bsky.social · 18/06/2025

Hello! Here is an updated MSWL: amandalitagent.wordpress.com/agent-mswl/ I did my best to cover EVERYTHING, but please let me know if there needs to be some clarity anywhere. I want this to be accessible to EVERYONE. I have also updated my list on MSWL's site. I don't have an open date as of yet 1/2

amandalitagent.wordpress.com

Agent MSWL

I’m really looking to be immersed in an author’s story. I want to be deeply connected to your character’s thoughts, feelings, reactions, and movements. I’m looking for strong worldbuilding an…

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Amanda Carbonell @amandalitagent.bsky.social · 14/06/2025

Today! Can’t wait to hear these pitches!! I still have a few slots available for any author looking to pitch me 🩷 I cannot wait to connect to you all!

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