Katie Gisondi
Laura Dail Literary Agency
My Manuscript Wish List®
In all genres I prioritize diversity and marginalized voices. Specifically I would love to see more Indigenous, Native American, and First Nations, as well as Latinx, disabled, chronically ill, and trans/nonbinary/queer stories and voices.
In general I am looking for commercial fiction and non-fiction with a clear, distinct voice and a unique hook.
- ADULT ROM-COM/ROMANCE:
- Flipping classic tropes on their heads (grumpy/sunshine, hate to love, forced proximity).
- Unique and diverse voices that stick with you and address real things like disability/mental health/race/class.
- Spice encouraged.
- High concept, high stakes, commercial (International settings, celebrities, family series, sports, fake dating, enemies-to-lovers).
- Unique jobs and imperfect characters.
- NO large age gap (10+ years), incest, or mafia. I am NOT a good fit for love triangles, miscommunication trope, pregnancy trope, or dark romance.
- ADULT COZY MYSTERY:
- Uncommon settings
- Found family
- Series potential preferred!
- YOUNG ADULT/ADULT FANTASY:
- Female friendships, swoony romance, found family.
- Intricate and clear world-building, character development, and unique magic systems. I really don’t like prophecies that spoil the whole plot or chosen one plots.
- Uncommon myth retellings or fantasy worlds inspired by underrepresented cultures.
- Series and standalone both welcome but I prefer series.
- More romantasy.
- Fresh takes on classic beasts and monsters (vampires, werewolves, witches), and new ones too!
- College and academic settings.
- Cozy, low-stakes fantasy. Think LEGENDS & LATTES.
- MIDDLE GRADE FANTASY:
- Adventurous, whimsical fantasy. I like to be transported to new worlds, so I’m not necessarily a good fit for urban fantasy.
- Stories that treat MG readers like the smart, capable kids they are.
- I am a fan of both upper and lower MG stories.
- GRAPHIC NOVELS:
- YA, MG, and adult
- Fantasy adventure, cozy mystery, crossovers of those two, lots of creatures!
- NO sci-fi or dystopian please.
- I am only interested in author/illustrators for GN, not just one or the other.
- ADULT NON-FICTION/NARRATIVE NF:
- Disability/chronic illness, sex and sexuality, modern dating, nature, pop science, and pop culture.
- Microhistories: anything from food to animals to cultural movements written by scholars or professionals in their fields. (I’d love to see books about the histories of pigeons, MSG, GMO, ADHD and/or dieting culture specifically.)
- Self-help/Advice: Humorous and hopeful.
- In general, I am a fan of NF that weaves political and social justice, intersectional feminism, and anti-racism throughout the text.
I am NOT a good fit for and do not represent magical realism, speculative, picture books, cookbooks, historical fiction, literary fiction, poetry, or sci-fi at the moment.
Fun facts about me:
I have a cat named Salami and she helps me go through my queries. She’s very severe.
I love hiking, re-watching the same movies over and over, and matcha lattes. I am proudly queer and have ADHD.
Submission Guidelines
Please submit only through the QueryManager link provided. I do not accept submissions through email, Twitter, Instagram, phone call, or snail mail. Thanks!
For graphic novels, please submit the following in your query: a summary, a sample script (10-50 pages), sample pages of fully laid out colored art (10 pages), a few pages of drafts for art, character descriptions and mock up for designs, author letter (optional).
Vital Info