Penny Moore is a Senior Agent at Aevitas Creative Management who champions children's literature — especially middle grade and young adult — with a strong preference for diverse, culturally specific voices and stories that make young readers feel genuinely seen.
In brief
Moore's submission form was confirmed closed as of April 23, 2025 — verify current status before querying.
Her client roster skews heavily toward Asian and Asian-American authors (Akemi Dawn Bowman, Katie Zhao, Lyla Lee, Jenna Yoon, Waka Brown, Sangu Mandanna, and others), suggesting a clear and consistent taste for culturally specific storytelling — especially East and South Asian settings and protagonists — even when her stated wishlist is broader.
Katie Zhao appears to be one of her deepest partnerships, with six confirmed titles across middle grade and YA — a rare degree of repeat collaboration that signals Moore invests in long author careers rather than single-book deals.
Although she lists romance and fantasy as adult interests, her confirmed sales record is almost entirely children's and YA; writers pitching adult projects should calibrate expectations accordingly.
Her academic background in Linguistics and Japanese and Korean literature is not incidental — it visibly shapes her list, and pitches that demonstrate linguistic or cultural specificity are likely to resonate.
Lately
Moore issued a firm public warning to querying writers: attempts to circumvent the normal submission process — including contacting her at home, using personal email addresses, or leveraging mutual colleagues to jump the queue — will result in an automatic rejection. She described such outreach as frightening and invasive.
What Penny is looking for
This is the core of Moore's list and her clearest priority. She wants MG novels with breakout voices — protagonists who feel fresh and culturally specific rather than default. Stories rooted in non-Western mythologies, immigrant family dynamics, or underrepresented cultural settings have found a home here repeatedly. Strong plot architecture is non-negotiable; lyrical voice alone won't close the deal.
YA is equally central to her practice. She gravitates toward YA that blends emotional depth with propulsive plotting — romantic threads, identity-driven journeys, and high-concept fantasy all appear in her sales record. She is especially drawn to stories where the cultural or personal identity of the protagonist is woven into the mechanics of the plot rather than treated as backdrop.
Moore actively represents chapter book series — her work with Lyla Lee on the Mindy Kim series and with Shawn Amos on multiple titles confirms she builds this category with care. Series potential and warm, character-driven humor tend to define the titles on her list.
Moore takes select picture books, but this is not a core focus. Her current agency page notes she represents 'select picture books' without elaboration. Writers should approach this category with awareness that the bar is high and her attention is primarily elsewhere in children's publishing.
Moore mentions adult romance and fantasy as interests, but her confirmed sales record contains no adult titles. Writers pitching adult work should treat this as an exploratory, not proven, category for her — the wishlist signals curiosity, but the track record is entirely in children's literature. Only pitch adult projects if they are exceptionally strong fits.
Not the right fit
On Penny's list
Taste fingerprint
How to query Penny
Confirm the form is open before attempting to submit — it was closed as of April 23, 2025, and there is no public timeline for reopening.
Submit only through her official online form. Any other approach — personal email, social media DMs, home address, or contacts through mutual colleagues — will result in automatic rejection, a boundary she has explicitly and publicly stated.
Lead your query with the cultural specificity of your protagonist and world. Moore's entire list signals she responds to stories rooted in a particular cultural identity, not generic diverse casting.
If you are writing MG or YA with East or South Asian settings, mythology, or protagonists, name that clearly and early — this is her demonstrable sweet spot based on who she actually represents.
Match your comps to books on her list or her stated touchstones rather than general bestsellers. Showing you know her taste is more persuasive than showing you know the market.
If pitching adult romance or fantasy, acknowledge that it is adult — and make the case for why it shares DNA with her existing children's work or her stated interests. Her adult track record is minimal, so the pitch needs to be exceptional.
Do not query chapter books or picture books unless you have a series concept and strong character hook — the examples on her list all have series potential or a distinctive cultural angle.
Her linguistics and Japanese/Korean literature background is genuine context: if your book involves code-switching, multilingual characters, or non-Western narrative structures, that connection is worth a sentence in your query.