Maggie Cooper is a Boston-based Aevitas agent with deep literary and MFA credentials who champions genre-bending fiction, queer narratives, and illustrated/graphic nonfiction — building a list where aesthetic ambition meets genuine representation.
In brief
Maggie Cooper's deal record is strikingly queer-forward: Lambda Award–winning titles, multiple trans-centered books, and a consistent pattern of placing queer literary fiction and nonfiction with major publishers — this is the defining throughline of their list, not just an aspiration.
The client roster reveals a strong illustrated/graphic nonfiction strand (graphic memoir, illustrated gift books, museum-themed humor) that goes well beyond what most agents in the literary-fiction space handle — if your project lives at the intersection of image and text, Cooper is a rare match.
Cooper has demonstrated repeat-client loyalty: Jedediah Berry, Jessica Martin, Jack Shoulder and Mark Small (Museum Bums), and Marisa Crane all appear with multiple titles, signaling that Cooper builds long-term author relationships rather than one-and-done deals.
Their wishlist titles — from Kelly Link to Freya Marske to Marie-Helene Bertino — map a clear taste for prose that is formally inventive, emotionally warm, and slightly off-center: 'weird and kind' is a genuine aesthetic marker, not marketing copy.
Cooper only opens the submission form during the first week of each month, making timing as important as craft — missing the window means waiting a full month.
Lately
In a public post, Cooper described seeking adult fiction and occasional nonfiction writers who bring wonder and keenness, imagination and care, and heart and humor to their work — a concise statement of the emotional and intellectual qualities they prioritize across all categories.
What Maggie is looking for
This is the heart of Cooper's list. They want fiction that centers queer and trans experiences with genuine literary craft — not as backdrop but as the animating force of the story. Formally inventive work, emotionally resonant, and willing to be strange. Think Kelly Link's mythic weirdness or the campus-novel interiority of IDLEWILD. Crossover appeal between literary and speculative modes is a plus.
Cooper is drawn to novels that resist easy shelving — books with historical sweep, campus settings, epistolary structures, or elements of magical realism grafted onto otherwise realist frames. The key quality is imaginative ambition paired with emotional intelligence. Work that would fit a book-club conversation AND a literary-prize longlist is squarely in their wheelhouse.
Cooper is actively building this corner of the list. They want romance with wit, feminist sensibility, and earned emotional payoffs — beach reads that reward close reading. Fantasy-romance crossovers with strong world-building and warm character dynamics are equally welcome. The touchstones lean toward lush, plot-driven, and fun without being shallow.
Cooper's nonfiction list is anchored in projects that challenge assumptions and center underrepresented voices — especially queer, trans, and non-binary experiences. Reported or hybrid essays, cultural criticism, and narratives about food, language, community, and the environment all fit. The work should have a critical or researched element; pure personal memoir without that dimension is a harder sell.
One of Cooper's most distinctive strengths: a genuine appetite for image-driven nonfiction, from full graphic memoirs to illustrated gift books with a sense of humor or grace. The roster includes multiple titles in this space, suggesting real publisher relationships for this format. Author-illustrators and collaborative illustrated projects are welcome here.
Cooper is open to essay collections and cultural criticism that probe assumptions and invite nuance — particularly around gender, queerness, food, technology, and the environment. The work should have intellectual ambition and a distinctive voice. Pure personal essay collections without a cultural-critical spine are a tougher pitch.
Not the right fit
On Maggie's list
Taste fingerprint
How to query Maggie
Time your submission carefully: the form opens only during the first week of each calendar month. Check the live form status immediately before submitting — missing the window means a full month's wait.
Cooper's taste is defined by the phrase 'weird, kinder, more joyful' — your query letter should demonstrate that your book has a specific emotional or intellectual quality, not just genre credentials. Spell out what makes the work strange or warm or funny.
The wishlist titles are highly specific: if your novel shares DNA with Kelly Link's fabulism, Freya Marske's fantasy romance, or Marie-Helene Bertino's speculative literary fiction, name one or two of those comparisons deliberately — Cooper listed them publicly as active wants.
For nonfiction, Cooper expects a researched, reported, or critical dimension. Pure personal memoir without that analytical layer is explicitly outside their scope — make clear in your query how your project probes assumptions or engages evidence beyond your own experience.
If you're submitting illustrated or graphic work, lead with the format: Cooper has a demonstrated track record placing image-driven books, and this is a genuine differentiator from most literary agents — make the visual component clear immediately.
Queer and trans projects should be explicit about centering those experiences, not just including them. Cooper's record shows deep investment in work where queerness is structural, not incidental.
Cooper does not represent YA or children's books; if your adult work has crossover potential, frame it as adult-primary and crossover-potential, not as YA with adult appeal.