Johanna Castillo is a Senior Agent at Writers House Literary Agency. A seasoned professional in the publishing industry, Johanna was formerly Vice President & Executive Editor at Atria Books/Simon and Schuster and Editorial Director of Atria Español for nearly fifteen years. In that role, she acquired and edited forty-one New York Times bestsellers by multiple national and international bestselling authors including Isabel Allende, Rachael Ray, Sara Shepard, Javier Sierra, Laura Esquivel, Felix J. Palma, and María Dueñas.

While at Atria Books, Johanna edited #1 New York Times bestseller It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover, as well as 14 of her other titles, including Ugly Love, November 9 and others.

She has been featured in The Miami Herald, The Boston Globe, The Daily News, and in Publishers Weekly. She was featured as a “Mujer on the Move” by Latina magazine, named a 2005 Prominent Latina by El Diario La Prensa, and was named one of the 25 Most Powerful Women by People en Español magazine in 2016. She is also a board member of the Board of Directors of Poets & Writers.

As a literary agent, Johanna is actively building a list of talented authors with whom she can work closely editorially and form solid, long-term partnerships.

Johanna is seeking works of Literary and commercial fiction and narrative non-fiction. She is always seeking new diverse voices, particularly Latinx and African-American.

Isabel Allende, Samanta Schweblin, Victoria Alonso, Natasha Alford, Rafael Agustin, Justin Baldoni, Jonathan Conyers, Leila Meacham, Dr. Ginger Dean, Reyna Grande, Diana Giovinazzo, Ariana Godoy, Antonia Hylton, Anita Hughes, Sofia Quintero, Tina Lifford, Lauren Martin, Pat LaFrieda, Armando Lucas Correa, Dr. Dana Williams, Robyn Moreno, Sonia Guiñansaca, Sheleana Aiyana, Lissette Norman, Devin Allen, Fernanda Frick, Krishan Trotman, Leslé Honoré, Brea Baker, Jessica Hoppe, Carmen Rita Wong and others.

Fiction includes: THE SILENCE IN HER EYES, Armando Lucas Correa (S&S) -- A BALLAD OF LOVE AND GLORY, Reyna Grande (S&S) -- ON A NIGHT OF A THOUSAND STARS, Andrea Y. Clark (Hachette) -- THE LIGHT AFTER THE WAR & LANA'S WAR, Anita Abriel (S&S) -- DRAGONFLY, Leila Meacham (Hachette) -- #KRISETTE, Sofia Quintero (Knopf Children) -- ANTOINETTE'S SISTER, Diana Giovinazzo (Hachette) -- A MAGICAL NEW YORK CHRISTMAS, Anita Hughes (SMP/Macmillan) -- TENDER IS THE FLESH, Agustina Bazterrica (Scribner) -- MOONWALKING, Zetta Elliot and Lyn Miller (FSG Children) -- A LONG PETAL OF THE SEA, Isabel Allende (Ballantine) -- PLATANOS GO WITH EVERYTHING, Lissette Norman (HarperCollins Children's) -- OLDER, Pamela Redmond (S&S) -- CHRISTMAS ON THE RANCH, Anita Hughes (St. Martin's) -- BROWN GIRL, Leslé Honoré (Little Brown, Children's) -- RAISE THE BAR, Fernanda Frick and Glenn Lazo (Dial) -- THE FORBIDDEN NOTEBOOK, Alba de Cespedes (Astra House) -- THE BOND BETWEEN GIRLS, Christine Kandic Torres (HarperCollins) -- NINETEEN CLAWS AND A BLACKBIRD, Agustina Bazterrica (Scribner) -- VIOLETA, Isabel Allende (Ballantine/PRH)--

Nonfiction includes: MAN ENOUGH, Justin Baldoni (HarperCollins) -- KID QUIXOTES, Stephen Haff (HarperCollins) -- BECOMING KID QUIXOTE, Sarah Sierra (HarperCollins Children) -- A HISTORY OF SCARS, Laura Lee (S&S) -- THE LITTLE BOOK OF LIES, Tina Lifford (HarperCollins) -- THE BOOK OF MOODS, Lauren Martin (Hachette) -- GLORIOUS BEEF, Pat LaFrieda (HarperCollins) -- THE GOOD BOSS, Kate Eberle Walker (Benbella) -- QUEENS OF THE RESISTANCE SERIES: #1 Nancy Pelosi; #2 Elizabeth Warren ;#3 Maxine Waters; # 4 Alexandria Ocasio Cortez, Brenda Jones and Krishan Trotman (PRH) -- TONI AT RANDOM, Dr. Dana Williams (HarperCollins) -- SEARCHING FOR EMMA, Armando Lucas Correa (HarperCollins) -- STOP SEARCHING FOR YOUR PASSION, Terri Trespicio (S&S) -- GET ROOTED, Robyn Moreno (Hachette) -- BECOMING THE ONE, Sheleana Aiyana founder of Rising Woman (Chronicle Books) -- THE OTHER, Daniela Pierre-Bravo (Hachette) -- MY SIDE OF THE RIVER, Elizabeth Camarillo (Macmillan) -- INCLUSION REVOLUTION, Daisy Auger Dominguez (Hachette) -- WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME, Carmen Rita Wong (Crown) -- LOVING ME AFTER WE, Ginger Dean (Flatiron/Macmillan) -- UNTIL SOMEONE LISTENS, Estela Juarez (Roaring Brook Press) -- ROOTED, Brea Baker (One World) -- NO JUSTICE, NO PEACE, Devin Allen (Hachette) -- WEALTH WARRIOR, Linda Garcia (Hachette) -- FIRST IN THE FAMILY, Jessica Hoppe (Flatiron Books) -- MADNESS, Antonia Hylton (Legacy Lit) -- AMERICAN NEGRA, Natasha Alford (Harper) -- THE SOUL OF A WOMAN, Isabel Allende (Ballantine/PRH)

If you think I would be interested in your work, please send me your query letter and the first 5 pages (or up to the first chapter) of your manuscript in the body of an e-mail (no attachments, please) to jcastillosubmissions@writershouse.com
Thanks!
11/14/2022: Submissions closed until January 2nd, 2023.