Tara Kimberly

Literary Agent

Tara is a self diagnosed Romantasy addict and loves diving into lush worlds with complex characters and messy interpersonal relationships that teach us about our own lives.

Prior to joining D4EO, she had a decade-long career as a $60M+ real estate agent, investor and coach. Interest in querying her debut novel introduced her to the world of publishing as soon as she found out about Literary Agents she realized she had spent the past ten years as an agent in the wrong industry. An ever proponent of messy action, she quickly course corrected - setting her sights on breaking into the publishing world.

She views the agent - author relationship as a deeply personal and mutually beneficial one. She wants to work with authors that dare to dream of massive success, a fulfilling career, and the willingness to put in the necessary work to get there. With a strong emphasis on social media marketing herself, she is looking for authors who are eager to work together to grow their own marketing efforts.  

Tara is interested in primarily Romantasy with a focus on strong female characters and all consuming stories. Her full wish list and submission instructions can be viewed below.

Tara Contreras, literary agent

What I’m Looking For

Adult

  • Adventure fantasy. Think quests with HIGH stakes as well as a compelling & emotional reason why the main character needs to complete their mission. All this AND an angsty romance I can’t get enough of is right up my alley.

  • Mermaids. I want something like Aquaman but for the girls. Give me all the sea creatures, sea witches, crocs, sharks, etc. Sprinkle in a mature, yearning romance & I’m sold!

  • Vampires with a witchy vibe. Specifically a coven of female vampires with a unique twist to the normal Twilight plot. Romance and other monsters are a plus!

  • Fairytale or legend retellings, especially through a hispanic lens. I would love a Romantasy about La Llorona or something similar!

  • Spicy, lush and captivating fantasy romance. I want devotion like Darius, ruthlessness like Xaden, masculinity like Rhys. I want an FMC that is a girl's girl. She knows her worth, is open to love, and embraces her femininity. I want all of this inside of a royal court with monsters, high stakes, and complex interpersonal dynamics. Think ACOTAR meets GOT. 

  • Tropes I enjoy: touch him/her & die, forced proximity, forbidden love & feminine rage.

  • I want action. A compelling plot with twists and turns that I don’t see coming. I want morally grey characters who rationalize bad behavior instead of doing evil stuff and never thinking about it. I want side characters that I love just as much as the main characters. I want a dark, dangerous world. Think A Rain of Shadows & Endings meets Guild. 

  • Dark academia with a strong, angsty romantic element and side characters I’m obsessed with. 

  • Intro to Fantasy. Simple world building that feels accessible to readers just discovering fantasy. Quick pacing that’s engaging but not complex. The emotional component between the characters must be 1000/10.

  • Romantasy from a male POV. A tortured, self sabotaging, gaslighting, morally grey soul that we are rooting for. Think Machine Gun Kelly's music. Specifically "Don't let me go", "twin flame", "sun to me", etc.

  • A mature FMC - maybe a mother? On a quest to save her child. I want a fierce, one tracked mind type in a world pitted against her. I want to feel her torture, her agony and her determination. 

  • Star Wars for the girls. Aliens, monsters, space flights, girl power, a centralized mission that propels the plot and naughty romance between different ranks, good and evil, different species, etc. I am specifically looking for this written by a woman.

  • I’m open to all romance (except historical, gore or SA), but have a soft spot for sports romance, mafia romance, billionaire romance, and love against all odds. I WOULD LOVE A NARCO FANTASY ROMANCE!!

  • I love plus size and strong Romance FMCs. Bonus points if they are funny with an edge. I love stories where women lift one another up and girl power is a central theme even though everyone has their own voice. Think Sex & the City or Friends vibes.

  • Books that feel like a Taylor Swift song. I want to feel deeply for your characters, be invested in their growth, and relate to their flaws. 

  • Books that feel like CW/Freeform shows. Think Reign, Gossip Girl, The Bold Type, Outer Banks etc. I want to be invested in many characters and the world as a whole. I would love fantasy Gossip Girl at an elite prep boarding school. Bonus points if it's a haunted, gothic vibe with a murder mystery at its core.

  • I would love a book that explores gender roles in a way that doesn’t demonize choices, but instead romanticizes both ends of the spectrum. I want to be rooting for both ends to get what they want. Think Yesteryear but with magic and characters you want to see the best in.

  • Warning books that explore red flags in relationships and the insidious nature of abusive ones. I would love one of these with a male POV as well. 

  • A warm & fuzzy book normalizing confident women while shedding light on misogynistic behavior that is constantly normalized in our society. I love worlds that feel full and natural while at the same time highlighting deficiencies in our own.

Genre benders are very exciting to me right now! Here’s my hot list:

  • Cozy gothic fantasy romance

  • Gothic dark romantasy

  • Gothic dark romantasy with humor

  • Dark RomComs

  • Thriller RomComs

  • Feminist Dystopian Romance

  • Latina/Plus Size/Fiery-Funny FMCs

  • Little Mermaid x GOT x Outlander

Books I’m OBSESSED with right now:

  • Anathema

  • The Irresistible Urge to Fall For Your Enemy

  • Rose in Chains

  • Atmosphere

  • Half City

  • The Dark Lord’s Guide to Dating

Things I Love

  • Fierce female characters who embrace their femininity

  • Strong female friendships

  • Challenging stereotypes

  • Sharp opinions

  • Emotional, deep & dynamic relationships (platonic & romantic)

  • New takes on standard tropes

  • Unique magic systems

  • Emotional turmoil that rips me apart then sews me back together

  • Morally grey characters

What I’m NOT Looking For

Don’t Waste Your Query If...

  • There is no romantic element to your manuscript. I need romance in EVERYTHING so if you don’t have even a romantic subplot, I’m not the agent for you.

  • Space opera or epic fantasy can be used to describe your book. Brandon Sanderson as a comp is an immediate no from me-I’m a simple girl.

  • Trauma is the main element. I appreciate a good healing arc, but if sexual assault, domestic violence or suicide is a main element in your book, it’s not a good fit for me. Automatic no for me is SA between the main love interests that doesn’t feel essential to the plot.

  • Terminal illness, sickness/COVID themes are prevalent in your book.

  • Spooky, creepy & dark are definitely my vibe, but gore or slasher vibes are decidedly not. If your book gives Quentin Tarantino (excessive gore for the sake of gore), I’m not your girl. The only exception for this is fantasy. I love a stabby FMC. 

  • Talking animals. Dragons/magical creatures are the only exception. Monsters are different, but I don’t want sentient pets or side characters.

Things I Hate

  • Miscommunication tropes

  • Manufactured problems with an easy solution that’s ignored

  • Bully romance

  • Whiny FMCs

How to Submit

Submission Guidelines for Debut Authors

Tara accepts queries through QueryTracker on an invite only basis through pitch events. You can find upcoming pitch event opportunities here. Please read through everything here and above on my wish list prior to querying me. I am particular in terms of what I am looking for & don’t make many exceptions!

Things you must have done PRIOR to querying:

  1. Get Beta reader feedback. (Ideally more than 5 and outside your personal network)

  2. Get Critique Partner (fellow author) feedback.

  3. Multiple drafts of developmental & line edits yourself.

*If you are looking for Beta Readers or a Critique Partner, feel free to join our free writers group on Skool. I DO NOT accept queries in this group & will immediately reject if you try to query me here because that is not what our group is for. (So please don’t try - I hate having to blacklist.)

** If you have self published the book you are querying at any point please disclose that in your query. Also, please include all sales data related to the title and the timeframe it covers. If your sales numbers are not in the 5-10K range over the past year, and/or 100K+ KU page reads per month, it is unlikely I will be interested.

Submission Guidelines for Self Published Authors

I accept queries via email (books@tarakimberly.com) only if you meet one or more of the following:

  • ~5,000-10,000 ebook & print book sales in the past 6 months-1 year

  • ~100K+ KU page reads per month

  • Foreign publishers seeking rights

  • Audiobook publishers seeking rights

  • Book box deals (Aurora Crate, OwlCrate, etc.)

Please include the following info in the body of your email:

  • Sales numbers from all sources broken down by type (ie print copies, ebook, audiobook, etc.)

  • Any book box deals ongoing

  • Any publisher interest/rights requests

  • Your book title and a short blurb

My goal is to get back to everyone with personalized feedback, but that requires an immense amount of time, so please be patient. If you query me during a pitch event, I try my best to respond within 4-5 months. Indie authors, if time is of the essence, please expect a prompt reply from me.