Katelyn Dougherty is a long-tenured Paradigm Agency generalist with a pop-culture-saturated sensibility, a deep passion for female and LGBTQ voices, and a taste that runs from sharp literary fiction to propulsive commercial thrillers — always with wit, emotional bite, and cultural self-awareness.
In brief
Katelyn Dougherty has been at Paradigm since 2011 — an unusually long tenure at one house, suggesting deep editorial relationships and institutional stability.
Their stated favorites lean heavily toward dark, female-driven literary fiction (Flynn, Tartt, Cline, Rooney) — query with psychological depth and a strong female perspective before anything else.
The film and TV touchstones (Fleabag, Broad City, Juno, Empire Records) signal a real appetite for sardonic, self-aware humor and coming-of-age energy — voice-driven comedy with a feminist edge is likely a sweet spot.
Dougherty accepts picture books as a category only from author-illustrators; they explicitly do not want picture books from writers-only.
Query status was confirmed open as of April 16, 2026 — but always verify the live submission form before sending, as status can change without notice.
Lately
Dougherty identifies as a pop culture enthusiast seeking books that both entertain and inspire, with a particular focus on amplifying female and LGBTQ voices across all genres they represent.
What Katelyn is looking for
This is clearly Dougherty's core passion. Their personal reading list is a masterclass in psychologically intense, voice-forward fiction centered on women and queer characters — think dark female interiority, complex friendships, and unsparing social observation. Work that lives in this lane should be the first thing a writer considers pitching.
Dougherty spans the commercial-literary spectrum and lists action/adventure, crime, and thriller as active categories. Given the DNA of their favorite books — Megan Abbott's cheerleader noir, Gillian Flynn's domestic menace — the sweet spot is commercial fiction with literary texture rather than pure plot-machine thrillers.
Both YA and MG are listed as active categories. The pop-culture, coming-of-age energy in Dougherty's taste (Juno, Empire Records, Romy & Michele) suggests YA with a strong voice and cultural specificity will resonate more than plot-first genre fare.
The TV/film touchstones — Fleabag, Broad City, 30 Rock, Bossypants — make this one of the most revealing signals in the profile. Dougherty is actively drawn to sharp, self-deprecating, feminist comedy. Voice-driven women's fiction and humor memoirs should reference this lane explicitly.
Dougherty lists memoir, pop culture, journalism, and illustrated nonfiction as active nonfiction categories. The presence of Carrie Brownstein's music memoir and Tina Fey's comedy memoir on their personal list suggests particular warmth for culture-adjacent, voice-rich memoirs from women and LGBTQ writers.
These genres are listed as active but are not foregrounded in Dougherty's personal taste signals. Speculative or horror submissions are most likely to land if they center female or LGBTQ characters and carry strong literary voice — not pure genre exercises.
Graphic novels are listed as a fiction category Dougherty actively considers. Given the illustrated nonfiction interest as well, this appears to be a genuine area of openness — particularly for work with strong visual storytelling and culturally resonant subject matter.
Poetry is listed among the fiction categories, but no taste signals or sales records illuminate what Dougherty specifically wants here. Treat this as a narrow, conditional interest and query only with a compelling hook and strong prior publication history.
Not the right fit
On Katelyn's list
Taste fingerprint
How to query Katelyn
Paste your query letter and the first 10 pages of your manuscript directly into the body of the email — no attachments; this is an explicit requirement.
Lead with your female or LGBTQ protagonist and what makes their interiority distinctive — Dougherty's entire taste profile points toward character-first, voice-forward work.
If your book lives in the literary-commercial overlap (think psychological suspense, dark coming-of-age, or campus fiction), name those genre coordinates clearly and briefly in the query.
Reference a specific title from Dougherty's stated favorites ONLY if the comparison is precise and earned — lazy comps to Flynn or Tartt will read as generic; a sharp, specific parallel will stand out.
For humor or voice-driven projects (memoir, women's fiction, comedy), invoke the Fleabag/Broad City/Bossypants lane explicitly if it genuinely fits — Dougherty's pop-culture sensibility is a real entry point.
Keep the subject line professional and genre-specific; Dougherty has been in the industry since 2011 and will respond to clarity and craft over gimmicks.
Confirm the live submission guidelines on the agency website immediately before querying — email addresses and requirements can change, and the address above should be verified against the current agency page.
If querying a graphic novel or illustrated nonfiction, mention the visual component and the creative team (writer, illustrator, or author-illustrator) in the first paragraph.