Agent Spotlight: Kathleen Ortiz

This week's Agent Spotlight features Kathleen Ortiz of New Leaf Literary & Media.
Status: Open to submissions. Update as of 5/20/2022: Kathleen has left her agency to launch KO Media Management. She is currently closed to submissions. Check the agency website to find out when she opens to submissions and her submission guidelines.
About: “Kathleen Ortiz is a Literary Agent who has over a decade of experience in the industry, both as an agent and international licensing expert. She focuses on brands for adults and children that bring humor and joy and inspire others in life — a visual component is a huge bonus.
"For both fiction and non-fiction, Kathleen loves looking beyond the book – while the story is most important, she likes to find other opportunities for her clients to help expand their platform and compliment their books. She’s worked in licensing everything from stationery to calendars to greeting cards and more.
"While she’s based in the West Coast, her skymiles argue that she lives in NYC half the year.” (Link)
About the Agency:
"New Leaf Literary & Media is a full service management and representation firm that will be with you before and beyond the sale." (Link)
Web Presence:
New Leaf website.
New Leaf Facebook.
New Leaf Twitter.
New Leaf Pinterest.
Publisher Marketplace page.
Twitter.
#mswl on Twitter.
AAR profile.
QueryTracker, AgentQuery.
What She's Looking For:
Genres / Specialties:
Picture book, Chapter Books, Middle Grade, Young Adult, Adult nonfiction. (Link)

What She Isn't Looking For:
Adult fiction, screenplays, poetry erotica, regency romance, inspirational, adult thrillers, adult horror, or women's fiction.
Dislikes:
Not following submission guidelines.  Querying a genre she doesn't represent. Using "Dear Sir." Etc.  (Link Defunct).
Editorial Agent?
Yes, she makes revisions requests and gives editorial guidance as needed.
Clients:
You can find clients that Ms. Ortiz represents on the agency website. Here clients include
Sarah Fine, Dan Haring, Bree Hester, Sarah Marino, Gail Perry Mason, Dawn Miller, Jamie Reed, Patricia Rushford (Jennie Series), and Kimberlee Turley, among others.
Query Methods:
E-mail: Yes.  
Snail-Mail: No.
Online-Form: No.
Submission Guidelines (always verify):

• "Send query to query@newleafliterary.com. Please do not query via phone.
• The word “Query” must be in the subject line, plus the agent’s name, ie – Subject: Query, Suzie Townsend. Please also include the category (ie, PB, chapter book, MG, YA, adult fiction, adult nonfiction, etc.)
• You may include up to 5 double-spaced sample pages within the body of the email
• NO ATTACHMENTS, unless specifically requested
• Include all necessary contact information
• You will receive an auto-response confirming receipt of your query

We only respond if we are interested in seeing your work" (Link)Please see the agency website for complete, up-to-date submission guidelines.
Response Times:The agency only responds if interested.
What's the Buzz?
Ms. Ortiz has great buzz. Her online presence through blogging and twitter make her popular among aspiring authors, and she's known for having a fun, approachable personality and love of slush. She maintains a small list of clients but is actively seeking fantastic new talent.
Definitely follow twitter to stay up-to-date on preferences and peeves and in informative twitter sessions such as #yalitchat, #kidlitchat, #askagent, etc.
Worth Your Time:
Interviews and Q&As:
Agent Interview with Kathleen Ortiz at Anna Banks (07/2014)
Meet the Agents: Kathleen Ortiz at MidWest Writers (07/2012).
Mystery Agent Revealed: Kathleen Ortiz at Operation Awesome (03/2011).
Interview with Kathleen Ortiz at Points of Claire-ification (11/2010).
Interview with Kathleen Ortiz at Oasis for YA (06/2010).
20 Questions Answered by Kathleen Ortiz at WOW (2010).
Around the Web:
Kathleen Ortiz - The Changing Role of the Agent on YouTube (03/2012).
Secret Agent Unveiled: Kathleen Ortiz at Miss Snark’s First Victim (05/2010).
Contact:
Please see the New Leaf Literary & Media website  for contact and query information.
Profile Details:
Last updated: 5/21/2020.
Agent Contacted For Review? Yes.
Last Reviewed By Agent?  5/21/10
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Have any experience with this agent? See something that needs updating? Please leave a comment or e-mail me at natalieiaguirre7(at)gmail(dot)com

Note: These agent profiles presently focus on agents who accept children's fiction. They are not interviews. Please take the time to verify anything you might use here before querying an agent. The information found herein is subject to change.