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Gemma Paynter

Open
P.S. Literary Agency·US

Agent profile summary

Represents
pop culturepop sciencefashiondesignliterary commentaryhistory
+6 morefolktale-inspired horrorfantasygothic mysteryromancepuzzle-driven mysteriesliterary fiction
Looking for
Query Letter, First 10 Pages
How to submit
Email
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Recently verified·Last verified: 13 May 2026
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Gemma Paynter is a literary agent at P.S. Literary Agency based in US. Their list focuses on genres including pop culture, pop science, and fashion. Currently open to submissions, with responses usually within 4-6 weeks. Submissions via Email. For current guidelines, check the agent's own submission page linked below.

Age Categories

Adult

Response Time

Usually responds within 4-6 weeks

Notes

Actively acquiring adult fiction and non-fiction that subvert expectations. Has a soft spot for 'weird girl' literary fiction, unreliable narrators, and true rom-coms. Encourages submissions from underrepresented voices, especially those centering characters who don't often get to be the protagonist.

Other agents at P.S. Literary Agency

Rose Ferrao

P.S. Literary Agency

Open
RepresentsCommercial romance, fantasy, science fiction, horror, upmarket thrillers, contemporary fiction, young adult fiction, cookbooks, food writing, sports, pop culture, music, psychology, lifestyle, wellness
Looking forIn fiction, she is looking for commercial romance, adult and crossover fantasy, science fiction, horror, upmarket thrillers, contemporary fiction and select young adult fiction. She is drawn to stories that embrace genre conventions from a fun, fresh angle. In non-fiction, she is looking for cookbooks and food writing, sports, pop culture, music, psychology, lifestyle, and wellness, especially when approached from a specific, unique perspective.
How to submitInclude the first ten pages of text only within the body of your email for adult fiction, adult memoir, adult non-fiction essay collection, or children's fiction and non-fiction.
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Marina Green

P.S. Literary Agency

Open
RepresentsSpeculative fiction, horror, romance, mystery, thriller, literary fiction, fantasy, young adult, self-help, spiritual, occult, nature memoir, nature non-fiction
Looking forIn fiction, she is particularly drawn to speculative, atmospheric, and voice-driven narratives for both adult and young adult audiences. She has a soft spot for hybrid genres, such as horror-romance or speculative thrillers, and books with big hooks. On the non-fiction side, she is interested in self-help, spiritual (Marina loves the woo woo!), and the occult. She's also very keen to find poignant nature memoirs and other nature-based non-fiction.
How to submitPlease use this format in the subject field of your email: 'Marina or BOOK TITLE or CREATOR NAME or GENRE'
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Elizabeth Guthrie

P.S. Literary Agency

Open
RepresentsFantasy, historical fiction, romance, speculative fiction, psychological thriller, true crime, music, religion, history, wellness, psychology, science
Looking forIn non-fiction, she is particularly drawn to true crime, music (almost any genre, but especially blues and classic rock), religion, and history (especially ancient civilizations or intellectual history). She also likes expert-driven wellness, popular psychology, and other science-related ideas (especially in biology or physics). In fiction, she is interested in fantasy, historical, romance (especially fantasy, historical, or LGBTQ), speculative, and psychological thrillers.
How to submitInclude the first ten pages of text only within the body of your email for adult fiction, adult memoir, adult non-fiction essay collection, or children's fiction and non-fiction.
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Carly Watters

P.S. Literary Agency

Open
RepresentsWomen's fiction, upmarket adult, commercial adult, domestic suspense, literary mystery, thrillers, historical, contemporary romance, book club fiction, pop science, business, psychology, cookbooks, memoirs, lifestyle, narrative non-fiction
Looking forIn terms of fiction, she is seeking women's fiction, upmarket adult, commercial adult, domestic suspense, literary mystery and thrillers, historical, contemporary romance, and smart book club fiction. In terms of non-fiction, she is looking for pop science, business, psychology, cookbooks, unique memoirs, lifestyle (health, wellness, relationships, parenting), narrative, and platform based non-fiction
How to submitFor fiction queries, please format email subjects as 'Fiction: TITLE or GENRE or CREATOR NAME' and non-fiction queries as 'Non-Fiction: TOPIC or TITLE or CREATOR NAME'
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Maria Vicente

P.S. Literary Agency

Open
RepresentsLiterary fiction, upmarket fiction, contemporary novels, fantasy, science fiction, magical realism, horror, mysteries, middle grade fantasy, picture books, graphic novels, arts, pop culture, nature, psychology, cultural history, science, wellness, occult
Looking forLiterary and upmarket fiction, non-fiction book proposals, select children's books, and graphic novels. In fiction, she's looking for contemporary novels (with or without speculative elements), fantasy, grounded science fiction, magical realism, horror, and mysteries. In non-fiction, she's interested in projects that explore the arts, pop culture, nature, psychology, cultural history, science, wellness, and the occult
How to submitInclude the first ten pages of text only within the body of your email for adult fiction, adult memoir, adult non-fiction essay collection, or children's fiction and non-fiction. For graphic novels, Maria is only considering projects by a single creator both writing and illustrating the book.
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Agents with overlapping taste

Laura Rennert

Andrea Brown Literary Agency

Open
RepresentsLiterary fiction, commercial fiction, thriller, horror, science fiction, fantasy, speculative fiction, historical fiction, picture books, middle grade, young adult, romance, mystery
Looking forLaura would love to find fantasy, spec fiction, alternate history, and horror with fresh, original, unexpected reimaginings. She seeks retellings that reinvent underlying traditions, gothic suspense or thrillers, romantasy that is more romantic fantasy than fantasy romance, high concept rom-coms, and sexy historical romance. She also wants thrillers and mysteries with dynamic, unexpected characters and rich psychological insights.
How to submitClick on the QueryManager link in the agent's bio, follow the prompts, and complete all required fields including a short query letter with a description of your work, previous publishing credentials, a short author bio, contact information, and for novels: first 10 pages of text.
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Andrea Somberg

Harvey Klinger Literary Agency

Open
RepresentsLiterary fiction, commercial fiction, upmarket women's fiction, romance, thriller, mystery, fantasy, science fiction, historical fiction, young adult fiction, middle grade fiction, memoir, narrative non-fiction, popular science, parenting, pop culture, humor, how-to, self-help, lifestyle, travel, interior design, crafts, business
Looking forAndrea represents a wide range of fiction and nonfiction, including projects for adult, young adult and middle grade audiences. She actively seeks literary and commercial fiction, upmarket women's fiction, romance, thrillers, mystery, fantasy, science fiction, and historical fiction. In nonfiction, she seeks memoir, narrative nonfiction, popular science, parenting, pop culture, humor, how-to, self-help, lifestyle, travel, interior design, crafts, and business.
How to submitSubmit via email with a short synopsis of your work, author bio, and the first five pages of your manuscript pasted into the body of the email. No attachments.
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Anne Tibbets

Donald Maass Literary Agency

Open
RepresentsAdult fiction, science fiction, fantasy, horror, thriller, mystery, historical fiction, romance, commercial fiction, literary fiction
Looking forAnne represents adult fiction, with public listings and author-facing materials emphasizing genre and commercial fiction including science fiction, fantasy, horror, thriller, mystery, historical, romance, commercial, and literary fiction.
How to submitSubmit through Anne Tibbets' QueryTracker or QueryManager form. Do not query Anne at the same time as another Donald Maass Literary Agency agent.
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Laura Zats

Headwater Literary Management

Open
RepresentsYoung adult, science fiction, fantasy, horror, romance, mystery, thriller, literary fiction, historical fiction, contemporary fiction
Looking forLaura represents YA, science fiction, fantasy, horror, romance, mystery, thriller, literary fiction with speculative elements, and select contemporary and historical fiction. She is aggressively looking in adult horror, mystery, and thriller, and is interested in genre-crossing work.
How to submitSubmit through QueryManager. Follow standard query-letter format, query one Headwater agent at a time, and do not email queries.
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Brent Taylor

Triada US Literary Agency

Open
RepresentsChick lit, commercial, contemporary, cozy fantasy, cozy romantasy, crime, detective, police, family saga, fantasy, fantasy: magical realism, fantasy: urban, graphic novel, historical, horror, LGBTQ+, literary, middle grade, military, espionage, multicultural, mystery, new adult, offbeat, quirky, romance, romantasy, suspense, thriller, upmarket, women's fiction, young adult
Looking forQuery Letter, Synopsis, One Paragraph Pitch, Comparable Books, First 10 Pages
How to submitSubmit through Query Manager. Unsolicited queries sent to his email address will be deleted unread.
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Jim McCarthy

Dystel, Goderich & Bourret LLC

Closed
RepresentsLiterary fiction, commercial fiction, fantasy, mystery, romance, narrative non-fiction, memoir, history, pop culture, children's non-fiction
Looking forJim is particularly interested in literary fiction, underrepresented voices, fantasy, mysteries, romance, anything unusual or unexpected, and any book that makes him cry or laugh out loud. He wants to see more children's nonfiction.
How to submitSubmit to Jim McCarthy only via Query Manager at https:// queryManager.com or JimMcCarthy. Include query letter in body with first 25 pages of manuscript for fiction or proposal with sample chapter for nonfiction.
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This profile was last verified on 13 May 2026. PairPi tracks UK literary agents' submission guidelines against their own websites. If you spot something wrong, please email hello@pairpi.com.