Cara Lee Simpson

I am on the lookout for general fiction, immersive book club novels and literary fiction. I’m drawn to smart, clean prose or a lyrical voice, books with an interesting form or structure, and character-driven fiction with unusual and absorbing protagonists. I am editorially focused and looking for career writers who I can work with to develop their craft over multiple novels, so the quality of the writing itself is always key when taking on a new client.

I generally lean towards fiction that is accessible to a wide readership while remaining beautifully written, and I’m always interested in stories that explore gender, race, class, sexuality, and those which offer a profound look at relationship dynamics. I welcome submissions that are ambitious in what they set out to do – whether that’s defying genre, bringing a new perspective to stories we think we already know, or taking a deep dive into the mind of a particular character.

I work on a select number of narrative non-fiction titles and am interested in memoirs and real-life stories, nature writing, and social commentaries told through an interesting lens and with a strong sense of personal journey. Books I loved in this area include Wild by Cheryl Strayed or The Salt Path by Raynor Winn, The Outrun by Amy Liptrot, The Snow Geese by William Fiennes, and Educated by Tara Westover. I’d also like to find something as playfully clever as Priestdaddy by Patricia Lockwood.