Gemma Cooper is the founder of Gemma Cooper Literary and a champion of big-concept, commercial series fiction for children, middle-grade, and YA — with a selective but genuine appetite for lighthearted adult crime.
In brief
Her self-description as a 'commercial series fiction' agent is borne out by her award track record: #1 NYT and Sunday Times bestsellers, Barnes & Noble Children's Book Award winners, Waterstones Children's Book Prize winners, and Carnegie Medal shortlistees — this is a high-performing list, not an aspirational one.
Middle-grade is clearly her deepest passion and widest category; she states the broadest possible taste there (any subgenre, any format) and explicitly flags it as a priority for underrepresented writers — if you write MG, she is a top-tier target.
Her adult wishlist is narrow and deliberate: cosy or humorous crime only, with special interest in crime-plus-fantasy or crime-plus-sci-fi hybrids — no dark thrillers, no literary fiction, no romance, no non-fiction. Writers outside that lane should not query her for adult work.
She founded Gemma Cooper Literary in 2024 after years as a director at The Bent Agency, bringing an established, globally connected list to a boutique agency — she sells directly to publishers in the US, UK, Canada, and Australia.
Her current agency page has updated and expanded the YA section relative to older wishlist posts: she now explicitly welcomes YA mystery/thriller and will consider action-driven YA historical fiction — writers who ruled her out on those grounds should reconsider.
Lately
Her current agency page now explicitly includes YA mystery/thriller and action-driven YA historical fiction as welcome categories — an expansion beyond the version of her wishlist that circulated before her agency launched. Writers who previously assumed she was closed to YA historical or thriller should revisit this.
What Gemma is looking for
This is her broadest and most enthusiastic category. She welcomes essentially every MG subgenre: mystery, fantasy, historical, humour, adventure, serious topics, verse novels, illustrated formats, and animal perspectives. The non-negotiable is a strong voice or a big, pitchable hook — ideally both. Funny books earn bonus consideration. She is especially eager to hear from writers from underrepresented communities. Concept-first thinking is essential: if you can deliver a clean one-line pitch or a crisp X-meets-Y, you're speaking her language.
High-concept, funny chapter books with clear series potential for the 7+ age range. She has a specific sensibility here — energetic, inventive, with the kind of wit and structured silliness that recalls animated TV. Think big ideas, fast pacing, and humour that doesn't talk down to young readers.
Her YA appetite is firmly anchored in contemporary fiction. She's actively seeking YA rom-coms with a distinctive hook, high-concept stories built around strong friendships or sibling dynamics, and mysteries or thrillers. She will also consider YA historical fiction if it has real momentum — action or a compelling central crime. Light speculative fiction with a clear twist is on the table, but she is emphatically not the agent for YA fantasy or romantasy. Concept and emotional hook matter as much as voice here.
She is actively looking for graphic novels across the full children's and YA age range. No single subgenre is flagged as preferred — the same commercial, high-concept standard applies as elsewhere on her list.
Her adult appetite is deliberately narrow. She wants cosy crime, witty contemporary crime, and — notably — crime fused with fantasy or sci-fi elements (think a murder mystery set in a magical world, or a killing aboard a spaceship). The through-line is lightness and cleverness: an unusual hook, a fresh setup, and a story that doesn't take itself too grimly. She will not consider dark thrillers, gritty crime, anything with child death or gratuitous violence, or any adult fiction outside the crime umbrella.
Not the right fit
On Gemma's list
Taste fingerprint
How to query Gemma
Lead with your one-line pitch or X-meets-Y comp — she explicitly says this is what makes her want to read a children's book, so put it in your first sentence, not buried in a synopsis.
For MG and chapter books, signal series potential early; her entire list is built around commercial series fiction, and standalone-only projects are a harder sell.
For adult crime, name the specific lane your book sits in (cosy, humorous, fantasy-crime hybrid, sci-fi-crime hybrid) and flag your hook upfront — she is looking for an unusual or interesting setup, so don't bury the concept.
If your book matches one of her named specific desires (time travel, meta/fourth-wall structure, sliding-doors premise, last-human-on-earth, paranormal parody, podcast-driven YA), call that out explicitly in your query — she has stated these by name, so a direct flag shows you've done your research.
Do not query her about picture books under any circumstances — she has stated she will not respond to these submissions.
If you write from an underrepresented community and your project is chapter book or MG, say so; she has explicitly flagged this as a priority.
She has a global list and sells into four major English-language markets — if your book has international resonance or is set outside the US/UK, that's worth noting briefly.
Confirm the submission form is still open immediately before querying; her agency is new and submission windows may shift as her list develops.