Olivia Emerick is an editorially-focused assistant literary agent at Metamorphosis Literary Agency who specializes in genre-blending commercial fiction for YA and adult readers, with a particular passion for mythology, dark academia, romantasy, and horror that carries the atmosphere of an A24 film.
In brief
Emerick is still early in her agenting career, which means she is actively building her list — writers with strong genre-blend manuscripts have a real shot at her attention.
Her academic background in English and Classics is not decorative: she explicitly prizes manuscripts rooted in classicism, ancient mythology (especially Celtic and Eastern European), and literary allusion, even in commercial genre work.
No confirmed deal record is publicly available yet, so her stated wishlist is the primary signal — but the breadth and specificity of that wishlist (nine genres, detailed sub-genre breakdowns, named aesthetic touchstones like Arcane and Yellowjackets) suggests a reader with sharply defined taste rather than a wide-net approach.
She has a stated commitment to representing neurodivergent and disabled authors — writers with these identities should name that in their query letter.
She is an active writer herself (poetry, theatre) and an editorially hands-on agent; expect substantive developmental engagement, not a light-touch sale-and-submit relationship.
Lately
A few tips on writing an effective synopsis! Whenever I come across a well-written synopsis, I just get that much more excited to keep reading more of a manuscript!
I am so excited to be participating in Philadelphia Stories' June 2026 Pitch Fest! There are a couple of spots left to pitch me, so if you're interested, click the link!
I thought I would share some information on what agents want to know about your manuscript from your query letter!
My MSWL is officially up on manuscriptwishlist.com/mswl-post/ol...! Here you can find a lot of what I’ve posted about before, including the genres, subgenres, and audiences I represent, along with additional information about my favorite tropes, niches, books, movies, & tv shows!
Since some of you have been asking about comp titles, I thought I’d share a quick guide on how to best use them and the best places to look for them!
Emerick shared practical guidance on crafting an effective synopsis, noting that a well-written synopsis meaningfully increases her enthusiasm for continuing to read a manuscript — a strong signal that she views the synopsis as a genuine creative document, not a formality.
What Olivia is looking for
One of her self-described top priorities. She welcomes contemporary, gothic, historical, sports, cozy, fantasy romance, and romcom — and is open to all spice levels. What she is really hunting for is emotional texture: tenderness offset by angst, longing, witty banter, and characters who have a full identity beyond the central relationship. She is NOT seeking dark romance or western romance.
Also a top-three priority. Her sweet spots are contemporary, paranormal, gothic, historical, romantasy, gaslamp, cozy, and dark fantasy — notably she is NOT seeking high or epic fantasy. She gravitates toward female protagonists, found-family ensemble casts, morally gray characters, enemies-to-lovers arcs, and villain-to-ally transformations. Unique, well-constructed magic systems and high stakes are non-negotiable for her.
Given her Classics degree, this category feels close to her core identity. She wants retellings, reimaginings, and stories that transplant myth or folklore into historical or contemporary settings. She is especially drawn to ancient empire mythologies, Celtic traditions, and Eastern European folklore. Original worlds with their own internally consistent mythology are also welcome.
She actively watches for dark academia manuscripts with lush, atmospheric prose and genre-blending elements — particularly anything that weaves in classicism, poetry, theatre, or fine art. She loves when dark academia intersects with magical libraries or museums, secret societies or cults, and enigmatic friend groups. Subgenres: contemporary, gothic, historical, paranormal, and romantic.
She is drawn to horror across a broad range of subgenres: contemporary, fantasy, folklore, gothic, historical, horrormance, paranormal, psychological, and survival. Her aesthetic benchmark is a slow-dread, cinematic quality — think sentient settings, descents into madness, and religious horror. She has publicly cited the atmosphere of prestige A24 films and the television series Yellowjackets as the tonal register she is chasing.
Psychological and gothic thrillers are her favorites within the category, though she also considers legal, paranormal, survival, gaslamp, historical, and contemporary thrillers. Fast pacing is a hard requirement. She loves unreliable narrators, antagonist POVs, layered foreshadowing, and a plot that keeps every character under suspicion. She explicitly does NOT want domestic thrillers.
She is drawn to apocalyptic, Orwellian, Huxleyan, post-apocalyptic, cyberpunk, and steampunk dystopias. Manuscripts that layer in romance or thriller elements and explore themes of propaganda and historical revisionism are especially interesting to her. Her named tonal touchstone is the animated series Arcane.
She represents both adult and YA fiction across her genre interests. YA manuscripts are welcome as long as they fall within her active genre list. She is explicitly not the right fit for middle grade fiction.
Not the right fit
Taste fingerprint
How to query Olivia
Invest real effort in your synopsis — Emerick has publicly stated that a well-crafted synopsis boosts her excitement to read more. Treat it as a second pitch document, not a plot summary.
Lead your query with the genre blend: if your manuscript crosses two or more of her categories (e.g., gothic romantasy with dark academia elements), name that upfront — she has explicitly called out a 'special interest in genre-blending manuscripts.'
If you are a neurodivergent or disabled author, say so clearly and early in your query letter. Emerick has specifically named representing authors with these identities as a priority.
Match her aesthetic language when describing your book's tone. Her touchstones (Yellowjackets, A24 films, Arcane) point toward atmospheric dread, prestige visual storytelling, and emotionally complex genre work — use that register to signal alignment.
Anchor mythology or folklore manuscripts in a specific tradition. She is most energized by ancient empire myths, Celtic lore, and Eastern European folklore — vague 'inspired by mythology' pitches will land less well than a specific cultural frame.
Emphasize character depth alongside plot in your query. She consistently lists complex, layered characters, strong arcs, and nuanced relationships as requirements across every genre she works in — weak characterization is a fast pass.
Do not pitch dark romance, domestic thriller, literary fiction, high/epic fantasy, middle grade, non-fiction, or western romance under any circumstances.
Confirm query status via her live submission form before sending — status was last verified in April 2026.