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Ana Crespo 💚💛

@anacrespobooks

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🇺🇸🇧🇷 Children’s Author
Former Agent at @eastwestlit
A yet-to-be-announced title ('28)
The LIA & LUÍS books (CB ‘20/‘23/'27)
SAUDADE (NPB ‘24)

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Still celebrating the debut titles I sold... The second #manuscript I sold while an agent was also a #debut! Like #BeforeILivedHere, I had the pleasure to meet #Hilwa (and @safawritesbooks) way before I became an agent. Safa and I met at a Critique & Connect. I adored Hilwa right away (and not only because olives are my favorite food). When I became an agent, I reached out to Safa... After the manuscript was polished, we sent it out on submissions and, about 5 months later, Safa had a R&R. Three months more and she had an offer from Candlewick. Safa's second title, Ameena's Special Thobe is also coming out through @candlewickpress And it is a gorgeous story too! #PBcritiques #amwriting @eastwestlit @anaitsart A post about the picture book Hilwa's Gifts, written by Safa Suleiman, illustrated by Anait Semirdzhyan, and published by Candlewick Press in 2025. The book received a starred review from Booklist, was a 2025 NYPL Best, and 2025 Center for the Study of Multicultural Children's Literature Best, a 2026 Middle East Book Award Honoree, a 2026 CCBC VChoice, and a 2026 Arab American Book Award Winner. by @anacrespobooks

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I prepared everything to launch this new #critique initiative with a nice coupon... Then I realized I posted the wrong file! Ha! The 50% discount coupon for "First-Time" critiques is valid until October 31st, 2026. The "First-Time" appointments are 1.5-hour long and include a 30-min conversation, a 1-hour critique of up to three #PB #manuscripts, and a simple #editorial letter. Looking forward to getting to know you and your work! #amwriting by @anacrespobooks

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DEBUT BOOK #1—It's not TBT, but I thought I'd go back and share some of the debut books I sold during my five years as agent, in the order they were sold. The first title I sold was a debut—the stunning Before I Lived Here, written by @stacysjensen (my former client), illustrated by Victo Ngai, and published by @nealporterbooks, @holidayhousepeachtree. I fell in love with this story even before I became an agent, as Stacy and I were part of the same critique group. Stacy's manuscript was simple... and breathtaking! The moment I decided to become an agent, I reached out to Stacy. The rest is history! And speaking of history, have you read Before I Lived Here? Here's part of the publisher's description of the book: "Journey backward in time through all the layers of history that led up to your neighborhood’s existence." by @anacrespobooks

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Hello, everyone! It's been a very long time. So long that I forgot how to work with Instagram and am posting this for the second time. A lot has changed since I was last here. This past March, I made the difficult decision to leave agenting. There were lots of reasons for it, and I am happy to share them with you when we meet in person. For now, I will say that it was simply the best decision for me at this time. I spent five wonderful years as an agent, worked with incredible human beings, and learned tremendously. Thank you to @_mynameisariel, @dailycrittercrossing, @johnledda, @kdubaygillis, @kirkreedstrom, @patty_cisneros_prevo_ply, @safawritesbooks, @stacysjensen, @annaouchchy, @andrewrootbooks, @carmelasimmonswrites, @k_leff, @authorlaurap, @lisajohnstonhancock, and @authornatashayim for trusting me for the past few years. It's been an honor working with and learning from you! And, of course, it's been a pleasure seeing most of your books grow and become real. Working with Deborah Warren, on team @eastwestlit, has been a dream come true too, and I am happy I will continue to do so as an author. Since leaving agenting, I have gone back to college (almost) full-time, revised a lot of my own manuscripts, and continued to work with my former clients, offering free, one-on-one critiques to those interested. Focusing on the creative part of the job is, certainly, a lot more fun. Now, I have decided to open for paid critiques of picture book manuscripts and dummies. For more information, visit my website. I look forward to connecting with you! And thanks for stopping by! by @anacrespobooks

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