Jennie Goloboy is a Donald Maass Literary Agency agent who specializes in progressive, character-driven adult science fiction and fantasy — with a sharp secondary focus on popular history — and is currently closed to queries but watching for SFF built around transformative friendships when they reopen.
In brief
Goloboy's stated priorities are adult SFF and popular history (especially early America and histories of an idea) — no historical fiction, no memoir.
Their wishlist skews toward optimistic, socially progressive SF/F: they want futures worth inhabiting, oddball premises paired with irresistible protagonists, and more hard science fiction than they typically receive.
The April 2026 social post is the clearest forward-looking signal available: when Goloboy reopens, transformative friendships in SFF will be a top interest — romance can be present but should not be the engine of the story.
Goloboy is at Donald Maass Literary Agency, one of the industry's most respected genre-focused shops, which signals serious commercial and editorial muscle in SFF.
Query status: closed as of July 2025 and still closed as of April 2026 — confirm the live form before submitting; Goloboy indicated reopening was a few months away from April 2026.
Lately
I'm still closed to queries, but I hope to reopen in a few months. When I do, I'll be especially interested in seeing sff novels about transformative friendships. (Romantic elements okay but non-critical here.) Fire up "For Good," write me something! #mswl
Goloboy confirmed they remain closed to queries but expressed intent to reopen within a few months. When that window arrives, they will be especially eager to see SFF novels centered on transformative friendships — romantic threads are acceptable but the friendship itself must be the story's core. They paired this announcement with a reference to the song 'For Good,' signaling an emotional register of profound, life-altering connection.
What Jennie is looking for
Goloboy wants SFF that is fun, innovative, diverse, and politically progressive — stories that imagine futures genuinely worth living in. Character is paramount: they need to feel urgently invested in the protagonist's fate before the writing sample ends. Romance and humor raise the odds considerably. Hard SF is a persistent gap in what Goloboy receives, making technically grounded speculative fiction a real opportunity. Oddball premises matched with deeply compelling leads are a hallmark ask.
Fantasy shares the same character-first, progressive-lens brief as Goloboy's SF wish. LGBTQ perspectives are explicitly welcomed across their fiction list. The forthcoming focus on transformative friendships (announced April 2026) applies here as well — stories where a central friendship reshapes characters or worlds, with romantic elements acceptable as a secondary layer but not the main plot driver.
Goloboy has an academic background and a genuine enthusiasm for history written for broad adult audiences — not textbooks, not academic monographs. Two flavors stand out: intellectual histories that trace a single idea across time, and narrative histories of early America. This is a selective niche; the writing must be engaging and accessible, not scholarly in register.
LGBTQ content is listed as a distinct category across both fiction and nonfiction, suggesting Goloboy actively welcomes queer-centered stories that also fit their genre or nonfiction criteria — not a side note but a genuine interest woven through the list.
As of April 2026, Goloboy publicly flagged this as a top interest for when they reopen: SFF novels in which a transformative friendship sits at the emotional and narrative center. Romantic subplots are fine, but the friendship — not the romance — must be the beating heart of the story. Writers preparing queries for Goloboy's reopening window should position their work through this lens if it fits.
Not the right fit
On Jennie's list
Taste fingerprint
How to query Jennie
Do not query now — Goloboy's form is closed as of mid-2025 and remained closed in April 2026. Watch their public social posts (handle: @JennieGoloboy) for the reopening announcement; they indicated it was a few months away from April 2026.
When the form reopens, frame your SFF query around the transformative friendship at its core — Goloboy telegraphed this as the priority pitch hook for the next open window.
Lead with character urgency: Goloboy has said they must desperately want to know what happens to the protagonist by the end of the writing sample. Your first pages need to establish that emotional investment, not just the premise.
If your SFF is hard SF with scientifically grounded speculation, flag that clearly — Goloboy explicitly notes they never see enough of it, making it a genuine gap to fill.
Humor and romance as secondary flavors genuinely help, but do not oversell a romance-primary story as SFF — Goloboy wants these as seasoning, not the main course.
For popular history submissions: be explicit about the book's audience accessibility and your narrative approach. 'Histories of an idea' and early American history are the sweet spots; make clear you are writing for curious general readers, not scholars.
Do NOT pitch: historical novels, memoir, YA, or middle grade — these are outside Goloboy's list entirely.
Goloboy uses a dedicated submission system (not a generic email address) — follow whatever instructions appear on the live form at the time of reopening, as they noted having changed systems.