A former Big Five and Amazon Publishing editor with 20 years of industry experience, Lindsay Guzzardo brings deep editorial instinct and strong imprint relationships to commercial adult fiction and narrative nonfiction, with a particular appetite for high-concept hooks, historical fiction, and cozy/clean romance.
In brief
Her sales record reveals a consistent throughline: emotionally resonant historical fiction and commercial women's fiction dominate her actual deals, even as her stated wishlist spans a wider range — writers in those lanes are in her wheelhouse.
Symbiote (Michael Nayak, 2025) — a sci-fi bioterrorism thriller that earned a Library Journal starred review and PW Deal of the Week — signals she can and does sell outside the cozy/women's fiction lane when the concept is muscular enough.
Her editorial background is unusually elite: she helped launch Amazon Publishing's Montlake Romance and Lake Union imprints and edited Guideposts Books' first NYT bestseller, meaning she knows exactly how genre imprints acquire and what makes a book commercially viable there.
The Memory Keeper of Kyiv (Erin Litteken) — 135,000+ English copies sold, 16 translation territories, UN recognition, and a SheReads Award — is her signature breakout and sets the bar for what 'successful historical fiction' looks like on her list.
She accepts submissions only during the first week of each month — a meaningful window writers must plan around.
Lately
Her agency profile notes she accepts submissions only during the first week of each calendar month — a firm, recurring window rather than a general open/closed toggle.
What Lindsay is looking for
This is arguably her strongest lane by track record. She wants writing that is rich, atmospheric, and meticulously researched, whether set in one specific era or spanning multiple timelines. She is particularly drawn to European settings (any period, any tone) and to narratives that center historical figures or give fresh perspective to overlooked people from the past. Arthurian retellings, WWII-era stories, and dual-timeline family sagas all fit the pattern of her recent sales.
She is actively seeking fun, voice-driven, emotionally engaging fiction aimed at women — including what she describes as 'beach reads' and stories that explore family dynamics, particularly mother-daughter and sister relationships. Witty, warm, and commercially polished is the sweet spot. Think female friendship, life transitions, and the kind of novel that earns the 'mom-com' label without being dismissive of it.
Her editorial history at Amazon's Montlake Romance imprint and her stated preferences converge here. She wants wholesome, charming romance — cozy small-town settings, Amish romance, and clean fiction where the emotional journey and relationship are front and center. Given her background adapting work for Hallmark-adjacent audiences, projects with that warm, feel-good sensibility are especially welcome.
She explicitly calls out retellings — modern versions of classic stories or familiar narratives retold from a secondary character's point of view. Her forthcoming An Austen in Boston suggests Jane Austen retellings are squarely in scope. The key is a fresh angle and a strong hook that makes the premise feel necessary rather than derivative.
She welcomes psychological and domestic suspense with a dark, twisty interior — think family secrets, unreliable relationships, and plots that turn on betrayal or hidden identity. This is adjacent to her broader interest in family dynamics but with more menace. A Kidnapping in New York demonstrates she can place suspense with psychological depth.
Her pipeline includes cozy mystery (A Murder Most Fowl, Ghost Orchid), suggesting genuine appetite here even if it isn't trumpeted in her bio. Charming, character-driven amateur sleuth stories — especially those with a distinctive setting or hook in the title — fit what she is placing.
She does not foreground this category in her wishlist, but Symbiote — a cli-fi bioterrorism thriller that earned starred reviews and a PW Deal of the Week — proves she will take on a sci-fi or speculative thriller when the concept is airtight and the execution is propulsive. The bar is high: think Michael Crichton-level premise with Tom Clancy-grade pacing. Do not query standard genre SF; this needs to be a commercial, high-stakes concept with mainstream crossover appeal.
She welcomes nonfiction proposals, but exclusively from working journalists and recognized subject-matter experts. Eligible areas include history, biography, science, sports, and narrative nonfiction. Memoir is on the table only if the author brings a substantial, verifiable platform — she states this condition explicitly. A compelling hook and clear market positioning are non-negotiable for any nonfiction submission.
Not the right fit
On Lindsay's list
Taste fingerprint
How to query Lindsay
Her submission window is only the first week of each month — check the exact dates and submit within that window or your query may not be seen.
Lead with your hook: she explicitly values high-concept, marketable premises. Your query letter should nail the 'what makes this book essential and sellable' question in the opening paragraph.
Her editorial background means she reads for craft, not just concept. A polished first page will carry real weight — do not query with an unrevised draft.
If you're writing historical fiction, foreground setting, era, and the emotional or thematic resonance of the period. Her biggest breakout was built on research depth and emotional pull in equal measure.
For nonfiction: state your credentials and platform explicitly in your query. She will not consider memoir without a demonstrated platform, and all nonfiction proposals should come from journalists or recognized experts in their field.
If your project is a retelling, make the fresh angle obvious in the query — name the source text and your specific spin upfront rather than letting the reader guess.
Avoid pitching standard genre SF or literary fiction without commercial hooks; her list skews toward books with identifiable, mainstream genre homes.