Adria Goetz

I’m looking for…

PICTURE BOOKS: I am primarily focusing on signing author-illustrators at this point but I am open to queries by picture book authors as well. Some of my favorite illustrators include Juana Martinez-Neal, Vashti Harrison, the Fan Brothers, David Litchfield, Anne Lambelet, Brian Selznick, Carson Ellis, Frank Morrison, Maxine Vee, Cherry Mo, X. Fang, Briony May Smith, and Emily Winfield Martin. I want the next hilarious, commercial-feeling, NYT Bestseller/blockbuster hit a la We Don’t Eat Our Classmates, Dragons Love Tacos, The Bad Seed, The Day the Crayons Quit. I also love stories that are brimming with magic and whimsy, such as The Night Gardener, The Bear and the Piano, Millie Fleur’s Poison Garden, The Cafe at the Edge of the Woods, The Grumpy Ghost Upstairs, Margaret’s Unicorn, The Mermaid Moon, and The Woman Who Turned Children Into Birds.

MIDDLE GRADE: 

• Fantasy/Magical Realism—I love any whimsical stories with light touches of magic or fantasy. I tend to prefer fantasy that is grounded in the real world, but I’m open to taking a look at second world fantasy especially if it has a cozier feel to it, or has a fairytale vibe like The Girl Who Drank the Moon or A Dreadful Fairy Book. Some of my favorite magical MG tales include Tuck Everlasting, Circus Mirandus, No Ordinary Thing, The Elephant’s Girl, The Library of Curiosities, and Vanya’s Wild Hunt. I’d also love to see anything that is set at a magical boarding school or academy. And if you have anything inspired by folklore, particularly folklore/fairytales that haven’t been featured as prominently as the “classic” ones, please send it my way!
• Mystery—I’m hungry for a good mystery! I will never forget reading The Dollhouse Murderswhen I was in fifth grade and having to close the book for a moment because I was so scared. (But I loved it.) I want to work on books that inspire that same level of book-induced fright! I especially love mysteries that have a little cheekiness to them, so I’d love to work on an Agatha Christie-esque whodunit for kids like Midnight at the Barclay Hotel.
• Dual Timeline—I’m a sucker for a dual timeline. If you have something like Holes, PLEASE send it to me!
• Graphic Novels—I am open to taking a look at anything here, especially contemporary realistic, magical realism, fantasy, mystery, and historical fiction. I’d love something set at a boarding school or camp. I’d also be curious to see nonfiction. Some of my favorite MG graphic novels: Pashmina, The Witch Boy, Measuring Up and The Other Side of Tomorrow, and How to Talk To Your Succulent. I’d also like to put out into the universe: I would love to find the next Brian Selznick type of creator that doesn’t shy away from hybrid, unconventional formats.

YOUNG ADULT:

• Graphic Novels—In the YA space, I exclusively accept submissions for graphic novels. (I do represent YA novels if preexisting clients write them, however.) I’m open to a wide range of genres and art styles here. I’d especially love to find something very atmospheric where the setting is a crucial element to the story. Some of my favorite YA graphic novels include Pumpkinheads, Batter Royale, The Prince and the Dressmaker, The Faint of Heart, Isla to Island, Basil and Oregano, and The Princess and the Grilled Cheese Sandwich.

ADULT:

• Lightly Speculative/Magical Realism—I love stories with light touches of magic/speculative elements such as magical realism, grounded fantasy, low stakes cozy fantasy, and magic-tinged rom coms. Think “a little bit of magic and a whole lot of heart.” I also love things that feel a little bit “weird.” I am on my knees begging you to send me anything that feels adjacent to Sarah Addison Allen. Some of my favorites: The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina, Garden Spells, The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches, A Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping, Witches of Honeysuckle House, The House in the Cerulean Sea, The Crescent Moon Tearoom, and The Witching Moon Manor. If you have The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender for the adult market, please send it my way.
• Upmarket/”Book Club” Fiction—When I think of upmarket/book club fiction, I think of stories that live at the intersection of commercial and literary: they are engaging and accessible reads, have wide appeal, and lots of jumping off points for lively book club discussion. I love interesting voices/POVs, rhythmic language, humor and heart, and I’m a sucker for a dual timeline and a strong sense of place. The biggest thing I’m looking for is an interesting premise and sentence level writing that’s smooth as butter. Some of my other favorite upmarket books include Lessons in Chemistry, The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, Violeta, All the Lonely People, Remarkably Bright Creatures, A Man Called Ove, and The Love Elixir of Augusta Stern. I also love stories that are told in unique formats, whether that be epistolary (Love & Saffron), e-epistolary/mixed media (Where’d You Go Bernadette), transcripts (Daisy Jones & The Six), a unique POV (Room), or a mix of things (Acts of Violet.) If it’s slightly outside a straightforward/traditional novel format or voice, send it my way! I’d love to work on a Hollywood film set drama that feels like Daisy Jones & The Six meets the drama surrounding It Ends With Us.
• Thrillers/Mystery—I’m looking for a fast-paced writing style, masterful plotting, a strong hook, and a compelling main character. I love Lisa Jewell, Gillian Flynn, Jessica Knoll. I would love to see a fresh take on the genre from a POV we haven’t seen featured as prominently. Some of my favorites include We Don’t Talk About Carol, Luckiest Girl Alive, The Woman in Cabin 10, Final Girls, None of This is True, Verity, Sharp Objects, Dark Places, Rock Paper Scissors, and Then She Was Gone. I would also love to see something more in the mystery/cozy mystery category that is cheeky and smart like The Maid or Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murder. Please send me something as atmospheric as Lavender House and The Only One Left!
• Romance/Romantic Comedies—I’m looking for a strong hook, engaging voice, and something unique that will stand out in the very crowded romance market. I welcome tropes of all stripes, especially enemies to lovers, grumpy/sunshine, forced proximity, and so on. Some of my favorites: Beach Read, Raiders of the Lost Heart, The Unhoneymooners, Red, White & Royal Blue, Real Men Knit, It’s Different This Time, and The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year. I’m very much looking for speculative rom coms too, like The Ex Hex, The Dead Romantics, and The Baby Dragon Cafe. I’d also be down for doing something a bit unhinged and outrageous like Butcher & Blackbird.

NOT QUITE MY CUP OF TEA:

1. Memoirs/Nonfiction
2. Sports stories (I quit tee-ball when I was four years old so I’m afraid I am just not your gal.)
3. Space operas
4. Eco thrillers
5. Amish fiction
6. Angels/Demons
7. Ancient historical fiction
8. Shakespeare
9. Greek mythology
10. Arthurian legend
11. High/Epic SFF (Several of my fantastic colleagues at kt literary work in this space—check them out!)
12. Military thrillers
13. FBI/CIA/espionage thrillers
14. When the girl falls in love with her sister or best friend’s boyfriend (yeesh!!)
15. Anything that was created with generative AI

Submission Guidelines

I exclusively accept submissions via QueryManager on the first day of each month. Queries sent via email will not be reviewed. You can query me here: https://querymanager.com/query/AdriasTreasureTrove.

Guidelines & Details