lit agent tasneem motala
@seraphecda.bsky.social
chronically tired but determined
✒️ literary agent at belcastro agency
🎨 author branding expert @litmotif.ca
gen queries: CLOSED
bipoc queries: OPEN
find me everywhere: https://linktr.ee/seraphecda
✒️ literary agent at belcastro agency
🎨 author branding expert @litmotif.ca
gen queries: CLOSED
bipoc queries: OPEN
find me everywhere: https://linktr.ee/seraphecda
Pinned
ᴊᴀɴᴜᴀʀʏ ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇs 𖹭
⭒ client "catch up" meetings
⭒ sending responses to full requests
⭒ editor nudges and more submissions
⭒ client reading and editorial
⭒ general queries are staying closed
⭒ bipoc queries forever open
𖹭
⭒ client "catch up" meetings
⭒ sending responses to full requests
⭒ editor nudges and more submissions
⭒ client reading and editorial
⭒ general queries are staying closed
⭒ bipoc queries forever open
𖹭
about a third of the way thru a full and leaning very yes... 👀
January 27, 2026 at 10:56 PM
about a third of the way thru a full and leaning very yes... 👀
also, a personal gripe with all the messaging going around: books have always been political and stories have always mattered
there's nothing "now more than ever" about it. it will always be political and always matter.
oppression never stopped. people just looked away bc it didn't affect them.
there's nothing "now more than ever" about it. it will always be political and always matter.
oppression never stopped. people just looked away bc it didn't affect them.
January 26, 2026 at 5:00 AM
also, a personal gripe with all the messaging going around: books have always been political and stories have always mattered
there's nothing "now more than ever" about it. it will always be political and always matter.
oppression never stopped. people just looked away bc it didn't affect them.
there's nothing "now more than ever" about it. it will always be political and always matter.
oppression never stopped. people just looked away bc it didn't affect them.
Reposted by lit agent tasneem motala
The Publishing for Minnesota Auction goes live at midnight on Wednesday. The number of items for auction has doubled since I first heard about it this evening and they're still adding more: www.32auctions.com/publishingfo...
Publishing for Minnesota
Silent auction 'Publishing for Minnesota' hosted online at 32auctions.
www.32auctions.com
January 26, 2026 at 3:19 AM
The Publishing for Minnesota Auction goes live at midnight on Wednesday. The number of items for auction has doubled since I first heard about it this evening and they're still adding more: www.32auctions.com/publishingfo...
i dont have anything deeply meaningful and impactful to say about what's happening in the world (in Minnesota, Palestine, this snowstorm on the East coast, or otherwise). but still:
rest when you need to. fight where you can. take care of each other 💜
community is everything
rest when you need to. fight where you can. take care of each other 💜
community is everything
January 26, 2026 at 4:53 AM
i dont have anything deeply meaningful and impactful to say about what's happening in the world (in Minnesota, Palestine, this snowstorm on the East coast, or otherwise). but still:
rest when you need to. fight where you can. take care of each other 💜
community is everything
rest when you need to. fight where you can. take care of each other 💜
community is everything
Reposted by lit agent tasneem motala
At the end of the day, the Black Lives Matter era was about whether people should be killed in the street, and lots of people decided yeah and put those little blue flags on their cars. It spread to everyone because it stopped for no one.
January 24, 2026 at 4:45 PM
At the end of the day, the Black Lives Matter era was about whether people should be killed in the street, and lots of people decided yeah and put those little blue flags on their cars. It spread to everyone because it stopped for no one.
came across a job description that said "we are disruptors"
a bald man with a speech bubble that says ok on it
Alt: a bald man with a speech bubble that says ok on it
media.tenor.com
January 24, 2026 at 12:21 AM
came across a job description that said "we are disruptors"
spent a lot of yesterday designing fake book covers on canva. i miss when i had access to adobe cc, but it's literally so expensive!!
it was fun working w the assets and limitations of canva tho! here's what i came up with (based on song titles/the artists who sing them)
it was fun working w the assets and limitations of canva tho! here's what i came up with (based on song titles/the artists who sing them)
January 22, 2026 at 7:15 PM
spent a lot of yesterday designing fake book covers on canva. i miss when i had access to adobe cc, but it's literally so expensive!!
it was fun working w the assets and limitations of canva tho! here's what i came up with (based on song titles/the artists who sing them)
it was fun working w the assets and limitations of canva tho! here's what i came up with (based on song titles/the artists who sing them)
was nauseous all last night and this morning and had to reschedule a client meeting TT__TT
gonna just chill today and maybe read (fulls). and if i can't do that then i'll read (manga).
gonna just chill today and maybe read (fulls). and if i can't do that then i'll read (manga).
January 21, 2026 at 5:03 PM
was nauseous all last night and this morning and had to reschedule a client meeting TT__TT
gonna just chill today and maybe read (fulls). and if i can't do that then i'll read (manga).
gonna just chill today and maybe read (fulls). and if i can't do that then i'll read (manga).
snuggles w my cat this morning felt so healing and beautiful
January 20, 2026 at 4:04 PM
snuggles w my cat this morning felt so healing and beautiful
queries update: what's left as of this moment is the fulls i requested and a pile of maybes i need to look at again when i am not tired
January 20, 2026 at 4:47 AM
queries update: what's left as of this moment is the fulls i requested and a pile of maybes i need to look at again when i am not tired
Reposted by lit agent tasneem motala
Congrats from the 𝑙𝑜𝑛𝑔 𝑐𝑜𝑛 team to CNF editor, art history maestro, and 13-time Best Dressed at an Editorial Meeting recipient Ellen Chang-Richardson on the recent publication of their poetry chapbook 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑀𝑜𝑙𝑒𝑠𝑘𝑖𝑛 𝐶𝑜𝑎𝑡 (above/ground press)!
Link to order 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑀𝑜𝑙𝑒𝑠𝑘𝑖𝑛 𝐶𝑜𝑎𝑡 at linktr.ee/longconmag
Link to order 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑀𝑜𝑙𝑒𝑠𝑘𝑖𝑛 𝐶𝑜𝑎𝑡 at linktr.ee/longconmag
January 16, 2026 at 11:51 PM
Congrats from the 𝑙𝑜𝑛𝑔 𝑐𝑜𝑛 team to CNF editor, art history maestro, and 13-time Best Dressed at an Editorial Meeting recipient Ellen Chang-Richardson on the recent publication of their poetry chapbook 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑀𝑜𝑙𝑒𝑠𝑘𝑖𝑛 𝐶𝑜𝑎𝑡 (above/ground press)!
Link to order 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑀𝑜𝑙𝑒𝑠𝑘𝑖𝑛 𝐶𝑜𝑎𝑡 at linktr.ee/longconmag
Link to order 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑀𝑜𝑙𝑒𝑠𝑘𝑖𝑛 𝐶𝑜𝑎𝑡 at linktr.ee/longconmag
Reposted by lit agent tasneem motala
disturbing how many white canadians crawl out the woodwork saying we should have ICE here too.
January 19, 2026 at 3:30 AM
disturbing how many white canadians crawl out the woodwork saying we should have ICE here too.
i will take this feeling and run as long as i can with it
January 16, 2026 at 12:03 AM
i will take this feeling and run as long as i can with it
this is peak humour on multiple levels as a ffx fan and agent im dyingggg 😂😂🤣🤣🤣
January 13, 2026 at 7:18 PM
this is peak humour on multiple levels as a ffx fan and agent im dyingggg 😂😂🤣🤣🤣
I haven't been posting a whole lot recently and tbh it's just hard to when there's such a dissonance between what's happening in the world and what's happening in my life
it feels insane to carry on like tragedy isn't happening on a daily basis all over the world
i hope everyone is staying well 💜
it feels insane to carry on like tragedy isn't happening on a daily basis all over the world
i hope everyone is staying well 💜
January 11, 2026 at 6:25 PM
I haven't been posting a whole lot recently and tbh it's just hard to when there's such a dissonance between what's happening in the world and what's happening in my life
it feels insane to carry on like tragedy isn't happening on a daily basis all over the world
i hope everyone is staying well 💜
it feels insane to carry on like tragedy isn't happening on a daily basis all over the world
i hope everyone is staying well 💜
my cat woke me up cuz she knocked smth (harmless and fine) from my desk
tsuki?
plz.
😭
tsuki?
plz.
😭
January 8, 2026 at 10:03 AM
my cat woke me up cuz she knocked smth (harmless and fine) from my desk
tsuki?
plz.
😭
tsuki?
plz.
😭
ᴊᴀɴᴜᴀʀʏ ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇs 𖹭
⭒ client "catch up" meetings
⭒ sending responses to full requests
⭒ editor nudges and more submissions
⭒ client reading and editorial
⭒ general queries are staying closed
⭒ bipoc queries forever open
𖹭
⭒ client "catch up" meetings
⭒ sending responses to full requests
⭒ editor nudges and more submissions
⭒ client reading and editorial
⭒ general queries are staying closed
⭒ bipoc queries forever open
𖹭
January 6, 2026 at 6:07 PM
ᴊᴀɴᴜᴀʀʏ ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇs 𖹭
⭒ client "catch up" meetings
⭒ sending responses to full requests
⭒ editor nudges and more submissions
⭒ client reading and editorial
⭒ general queries are staying closed
⭒ bipoc queries forever open
𖹭
⭒ client "catch up" meetings
⭒ sending responses to full requests
⭒ editor nudges and more submissions
⭒ client reading and editorial
⭒ general queries are staying closed
⭒ bipoc queries forever open
𖹭
started sending out responses to the full requests i have in my query inbox last night!
some of those will be feedback-filled rejections. you're welcome to take it or leave it!
if there's no feedback, it's because i don't have a vision for it, and am probably just not the right agent for it.
some of those will be feedback-filled rejections. you're welcome to take it or leave it!
if there's no feedback, it's because i don't have a vision for it, and am probably just not the right agent for it.
January 6, 2026 at 5:30 PM
started sending out responses to the full requests i have in my query inbox last night!
some of those will be feedback-filled rejections. you're welcome to take it or leave it!
if there's no feedback, it's because i don't have a vision for it, and am probably just not the right agent for it.
some of those will be feedback-filled rejections. you're welcome to take it or leave it!
if there's no feedback, it's because i don't have a vision for it, and am probably just not the right agent for it.
well ACKTSHUALLY I'm 33, which means it circled back to being adorable dammit!!
January 6, 2026 at 5:23 AM
well ACKTSHUALLY I'm 33, which means it circled back to being adorable dammit!!
just heard on the news "all are now doing cyberbullying awareness classes" about... politicians??
January 5, 2026 at 11:46 PM
just heard on the news "all are now doing cyberbullying awareness classes" about... politicians??
/cracks knuckles alright y'all, the publishing industry is BACK TO WORK!! about to schedule some meetings, write some emails, and do some check-ins!
January 5, 2026 at 5:52 PM
/cracks knuckles alright y'all, the publishing industry is BACK TO WORK!! about to schedule some meetings, write some emails, and do some check-ins!
Reposted by lit agent tasneem motala
Authors: as a reminder if an agent requests a synopsis (not a query but a synopsis) that they expect spoilers. Not giving all the details doesn’t help you. It makes us question how the pieces come together and if they can even come together.
Spoilers are expected!
Spoilers are expected!
January 5, 2026 at 4:45 PM
Authors: as a reminder if an agent requests a synopsis (not a query but a synopsis) that they expect spoilers. Not giving all the details doesn’t help you. It makes us question how the pieces come together and if they can even come together.
Spoilers are expected!
Spoilers are expected!
born to read books, forced to read emails
January 5, 2026 at 5:22 PM
born to read books, forced to read emails