About Us
Gemma Cooper Literary (GLC) was founded in 2024 by Gemma Cooper. We represent authors of children’s books, young adult books, and certain adult genres. Please see our agents’ wishlists below and read our submission information for more details on how to submit.
GCL is a member of the Association of Authors’ Agents
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Gemma Cooper
(she/her)
I’ve been a literary agent since 2011, including as a director at The Bent Agency, and set up my own agency, Gemma Cooper Literary, in 2024. I represent #1 New York Times and Sunday Times bestsellers, Barnes & Noble Children’s Book Award winners, Waterstones Children’s Book Prize winners, the Australian Book Industry Overall Children’s Book of the Year, and books that have been shortlisted for the Edgar Award, the Carnegie Medal, and many more.
My list is typified by big-concept, commercial series fiction. My current clients are a great snapshot of my taste. The best part of my job is getting to be the first fan of an unpublished book and then its champion – nothing beats talking about your favourite stories with other book lovers.
I’m lucky to have lived and worked in New York, Chicago and London, experience that has given me a global approach to representation. I work with authors all over the world and sell directly to publishers in the US, the UK, Canada, and Australia.
What I’m looking for
Children’s and YA
If you can describe your children’s book in one line, or in an ‘X meets Y’ elevator pitch, I want to read it. I like books that have obvious potential for dramatic adaptation, whether that be a funny pre-school TV series or a big-budget feature film. I’m very keen to see submissions from writers from underrepresented communities, particularly those who write chapter books and middle-grade fiction.
I adore middle-grade fiction and have the widest taste in this readership: anything from mystery to fantasy, historical to funny, adventure stories to serious topics, verse, illustrated, animal perspectives and everything in between. Really, any middle-grade novel with a strong voice and/or a big hook will get my attention. Bonus points if it’s also funny.
In young adult fiction, I want contemporary novels – I’d love a rom-com with a hook, or something high-concept with strong friendships or sibling relationships, or a mystery or thriller. I will consider historical novels if they have action or a good murder. I’m not the agent for YA fantasy, but will consider light speculative fiction with a twist.
I enjoy high-concept funny chapter books with series potential aimed at ages 7+. I’m also looking for graphic novels across all ages of children’s and YA. I am not currently taking on picture books clients and will not reply to these submissions.
Adult
Right now, I’m only open to the following adult genres: cosy crime, smart contemporary crime with humour like Everyone On this Train is a Suspect, crime with a fantasy twist like Rivers of London or Thursday Next series and crime with a sci-fi spin like murder on a spaceship. I’m looking for something on the lighthearted side – a clever story with an unusual or interesting hook – and not dark thrillers or anything gritty. Please don’t send me anything with child death or gratuitous violence.
I’m not open to contemporary adult fiction, adult non-fiction, literary novels, romance, nor poetry.
A few final things about me: I love Christmas, travel, choosing the perfect present, ‘90s movies, Murder She Wrote, Red Dwarf, cinematic world-building, being a bit extra, theme parks (especially impeccable attention to detail in theming), and a good twist I didn’t see coming.
