Carolina Mancheno Ortiz

Carolina Mancheno Ortiz is a senior editor at HarperCollins Children’s. She acquires middle grade, young adult, and graphic novels, across a variety of genres. Before her time at HarperCollins, she worked as a marketing and publicity associate at an independent press.

With a special place in her heart for Latinx and queer stories, Carolina’s list reflects the diverse world around us, ensuring young readers feel seen—a feeling that she rarely experienced in her childhood. She’s drawn to contemporary stories that spotlight underrepresented experiences; hooky, accessible fantasy rooted in folklore and tradition; joyful and affirming BIPOC romances; and elevated horror, thriller, and dystopian that confront the urgent questions and fears shaping our world today.

Her list includes bestselling and award-winning author Sonido Reyes, New York Times bestselling author Axie Oh, New York Times bestselling author Ryan Douglass, Stonewall Award-winning authors Jes and Cin Wibowo, Lambda Literary Award finalist Keith F. Miller Jr., and Texas Bluebonnet Award nominated author Tamika Burgess.

Previously, she was a Mentorship and Retention Committee Co-Director at People of Color in Publishing, Mentorship Co-Director at Latinx in Publishing, and Co-Chair of the Harpercollins' Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (DEI)-Focused Employee Resource Group.