Lisa Gouldy

Lisa Gouldy is a passionate writer and reader of stories that stretch the imagination and reveal important truths about the world around us. Trained as an attorney, Lisa moved from the legal world into the literary one nearly a decade ago in search of stories less constrained by reality. The literary community in Seattle welcomed her in, and Lisa connected with writers everywhere from coffee shops to Hugo House, from PNWA to SCBWI, from conferences to critique groups. Assisting others with their writing journeys, it turned out, was as much fun as creating her own. As an associate literary agent with the Corvisiero Literary Agency, Lisa guides writers through the publishing process the way she once helped clients access the courts.

Lisa loves stories with lyrical writing, memorable characters, and fast-paced plots that keep her guessing. In adult fiction, she devours upmarket and literary titles with complex protagonists, and has a special hunger for stories with speculative elements. Her sweet spot is a novel with a world much like ours, but with fantasy, sci-fi, or dystopian additions that illuminate real-life issues in a unique way. In children’s literature, Lisa particularly enjoys middle grade fantasy and young adult novels with a speculative bent, as well as picture books that make her laugh or cry.

Lisa is currently closed to queries. Email submissions will not be considered.
 
MSWL
 
Adult Fiction

• Upmarket and literary fiction with lyrical prose, memorable characters, and plots that move at a steady clip, especially stories about friendships, parents and children, or persons facing hardships due to their gender. If your book club would enjoy it, I want to see it! Think Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, The Great Alone, or Olive Kitteridge.
• Speculative fiction with literary or upmarket writing, especially stories set in our world (or one much like it) that use speculative elements to make incisive commentary on reality. Think Klara and the Sun, The School for Good Mothers, or Nightbitch.
• Cozy fantasy like A Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches.
• Sci-fi and fantasy set partly in our world with unique worldbuilding, propulsive plots, complex characters, and upmarket writing. Lisa is not the best fit for second-world science fiction or fantasy.
• Dystopias that are more exciting or moving than bleak and depressing.
• Books that defy or blend genres.
• LGBTQIA+ characters.
• Non-western and marginalized or underrepresented perspectives.
• At this time, Lisa is not looking to acquire romance, mysteries, horror, or nonfiction. Lisa is not the best fit for novels about parents coping with the death of a child.

 
Middle Grade & Young Adult

• Speculative titles (fantasy, sci-fi, dystopian, magical realism) set partly in our world (or a world like it) with fast-paced plots, complex characters, and innovative concepts.
• LGBTQIA+ characters.
• Non-western and marginalized or underrepresented perspectives.
• Lisa is not currently looking to acquire contemporary MG or YA titles. She is not the best fit for MG/YA romance, mysteries, horror, nonfiction, or early reader/chapter books.

 
Picture Books

• High-concept picture books that surprise me with a story or approach I haven’t seen before.
• Lyrical or voicey writing.
• Characters who deviate from the norm and have big personalities.
• Stories with the potential for lush, beautiful illustrations, or for fun art that interacts with the text of the story in unexpected ways.
• Stories that deliver big laughs or big emotions.
• Stories incorporating the perspective of children from underrepresented or marginalized groups.
• Or, ideally, all of the above!
• Lisa is not currently seeking rhyming picture books.

Lisa's Favorite Books

• Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
• The Magicians by Lev Grossman
• His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman
• The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah
• All The Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
• Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
• The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer
• The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker
• Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro

Query Guidelines

SUBMIT WORK HERE