An omnivorous New York agent who buys on voice and emotional impact — chasing messy family drama, book-club tearjerkers, weird high-concept fiction, and expert-driven nonfiction, with a stated mission to lift LGBTQ+, BIPOC, and neurodivergent writers.
In brief
Goss reads broadly across adult fiction, children's, and nonfiction, but the throughline is craft: a sharp, concise hook gets attention, while the prose itself is what closes the deal.
The taste runs emotional and a little unhinged — book-club fiction that leaves you sobbing on the floor, 'rich people being bad' with real justice landing at the end, and premises so bonkers most agents would pass.
On the nonfiction side, Goss wants genuine experts and deep-dive niche obsessions: how our food system actually works, the capitalism-and-weddings throughline, drinking-culture shifts across generations, and self-help around family, boundaries, and finding your village.
Representation is central to the list — Goss explicitly invites work from LGBTQ+, BIPOC, and neurodivergent writers, and welcomes 'rage to page' projects.
The door is usually closed and opens only in short announced windows, so timing and a polished, beta-read, fully edited manuscript matter as much as fit.
Lately
Reminded writers that queries would open for a single week beginning August 1, and pointed to the full, current wishlist for what's wanted.
What Christine is looking for
The emotional center of the list. Goss wants stories that wreck you — book-club fiction, historical, and contemporary romance that earns real tears. A recurring hook: someone publicly celebrated for a heroic or admirable act who may not actually be a good person, interrogating how society lionizes people who do one good or cool thing. Bonus points if it carries suspense and the kind of buzz that makes you grab a friend and demand they read it.
Messy, high-friction family narratives — pitched in the register of a darkly comic prestige-drama-meets-bad-moms mashup. Closely related: wealthy characters behaving badly, but with a genuine sense of justice by the end where the bad behavior is punished (the billionaire's yacht goes down). Stakes high, concept clear, character arcs legible.
If the premise feels bonkers and you're not sure who would take it, Goss wants to see it. Dystopian is an enthusiastic yes. Marine-biologist romance is a specifically named want.
Horror across the full range, from camp to psychological. A specific, unusual ask: cannibalism horror romance. Dark romance is also welcome.
Queer joy and emotionally mature relationships built on real communication — genuine tensions and real problems, but not dark for darkness's sake.
Nonfiction from real experts in their field and oddly specific deep dives. Named appetites: how food is made and the food ecosystem (growing, storage, manufacturing); the capitalism-and-weddings history (how it shifted in the Victorian era onward); the metamorphosis of drinking culture across millennials and Gen Z; cultural-moment nonfiction (the fashion and lore of a certain beloved grocery chain); and unexplored lore explored in depth.
Self-help centered on family, boundaries, communication, and building your own community. A standalone interest: the psychology of being an eldest daughter and the outsized impact that role has in the world.
Commercial suspense and thriller where the twist is earned, not cheap — the clues meticulously planted so the signs were there all along and the reader never saw the arrows pointing.
Graphic novels for middle-grade and young readers — Goss named a want in the vein of a popular ninja-themed adventure franchise.
Open to previously published authors looking to publish via a hybrid model — a narrow, conditional door rather than a general invitation.
Not the right fit
Threads through Christine's deals
A title associated with the list — a sweeping World-War-I-era historical novel laced with mystery and romance, following a young heiress navigating family secrets, societal expectations, and her own awakening — lines up closely with Goss's stated hunger for book-club and historical fiction that wrecks you emotionally. Treat this as a taste signal, not evidence of a specific sale.
On Christine's list
Taste fingerprint
How to query Christine
Watch for the next announced query window; the door opens only briefly, so have your materials ready in advance.
Open with a clear, concise concept that telegraphs the story's progression and character arcs — then let the prose carry it, since that's what Goss values most.
Lead with emotional stakes. If your book-club, historical, or romance manuscript is built to make a reader cry, say so plainly.
Respect the wishlist's stated content triggers, and only query in categories Goss actually represents.
Polish first: confirm the manuscript has been beta-read, taken through multiple edit rounds, and given a dedicated show-don't-tell pass.
For nonfiction, foreground your expertise or the specific deep-dive angle that makes the niche irresistible.