A Denver-based agent with 16 years of publishing experience who specializes in lush, boundary-pushing upmarket and commercial fiction—particularly horror, speculative fiction, dark folklore retellings, and unexpected romance—for adult, YA, and middle grade audiences.
In brief
Copps is CLOSED to new submissions as of January 6, 2026 — confirm before querying.
She co-founded Confluence Literary Agency in 2026 after a decade at Maria Carvainis Agency and a solo stint as Copps Literary Services; her deal-making muscle was built at a respected mid-size shop, and her client testimonials span MCD x FSG Originals, Farrar Straus & Giroux Children's, Catapult, and Skyhorse — suggesting strong relationships at both commercial and literary imprints.
Her stated priorities cluster tightly around horror, gothic/speculative fiction, and dark folklore retellings; the client roster and endorsements reinforce this, with multiple horror-adjacent authors calling her editorial instincts transformative.
She draws a firm line against hard sci-fi, epic fantasy, cozies, poetry, and political thrillers — writers working in those veins should look elsewhere without exception.
Middle grade with ghostly or magical elements is an active, named interest that many horror/speculative writers may overlook — if your MG has a dark, witchy, or supernatural thread, she explicitly wants to see it.
Lately
In early 2026, Copps co-founded Confluence Literary Agency alongside partners Sandra Bond and Becky LeJeune, both formerly of Bond Literary Agency — a significant structural move that signals she is actively building a new list and shaping a fresh roster at the new agency.
What Elizabeth is looking for
This is her clearest passion. She wants voice-driven horror that approaches fear in inventive ways — macabre humor, gothic atmosphere, psychological dread, cosmic horror, apocalyptic narratives, and stories channeling female rage or the terrors of parenthood. Speculative work that carries literary weight is equally welcome. Genre blends are a plus: think horror crossed with satire, gothic crossed with historical, or speculative crossed with literary fiction. Socio-political anxiety baked into the horror is a recurring theme she names.
She has a stated soft spot for myth and folklore retellings — and the spookier, the better. She is drawn to retellings that subvert familiar material rather than simply retell it, and she names both adult and YA examples. This overlaps heavily with her horror interests; writers blending folklore with dread or gothic atmosphere are in her wheelhouse.
She actively seeks adult and YA stories that engage honestly with social justice themes and/or mental health — particularly when the narrative is emotionally truthful rather than didactic. These projects should still reflect her broader taste for literary quality and complex characters; a contemporary realistic YA with no genre element can still land here if the social stakes are sharp.
She gravitates toward romance that surprises — quirky characters, offbeat settings, and genuine wit. Paranormal rom-com sits right at her horror-romance intersection and is particularly welcome. She is not looking for standard category romance; the emotional register should lean upmarket or have an unusual hook.
She is actively building her middle grade list with a focus on stories that don't shy away from real emotional weight while remaining age-appropriate. The key gate: the project should have a ghostly, witchy, or magical thread. She is interested in both historical and contemporary settings.
She represents literary fiction with a mystery or thriller undercurrent, but is explicit that she does not want political thrillers or cozies. The work should prioritize prose and character over plot mechanics — the mystery is a lens, not the engine.
Not the right fit
On Elizabeth's list
Taste fingerprint
How to query Elizabeth
Her form is CLOSED as of January 6, 2026 — do not attempt to query by email or any other channel; wait for the form to reopen and check her agency website directly.
When she does reopen, lead your query letter with the specific genre blend of your book; she responds to precise category framing (e.g., 'gothic horror with folklore retelling elements') over broad labels.
Her sales record shows she works successfully with debut and developing authors on challenging, literary material — you do not need a prior publication history, but your prose must be demonstrably polished.
Include comps that reflect the tonal intersection of your book rather than a single genre touchstone; she names multi-genre pairings in her own wishlist and clearly values writers who think the same way.
Middle grade writers with supernatural or ghostly elements should query her confidently — this is a named priority that often goes overlooked by writers who associate her primarily with adult horror.
Avoid describing your project as a cozy, epic fantasy, hard sci-fi, or political thriller even tangentially — these are firm exclusions and flagging them will end a query quickly.
She has stated a preference for lush prose and complex characters over high-concept plot hooks — if your sample pages don't reflect that, wait until they do.