Gemma Paynter

After over a decade working in marketing and strategy, Gemma moved into the publishing world with Harlequin, working across both trade and category romance, before making the switch to agenting. She brings an instinct for audience development, emerging trends, and the cultural undercurrents that shape what resonates, often before it fully breaks through.
In non-fiction, she is drawn to narrative projects that bring niche subjects to a wide readership, particularly those that blend memoir with expertise. Her interests include pop culture, pop science, fashion, design, literary commentary, and the history of subcultures and counterculture.
In fiction, she loves immersive atmosphere, sharp observation, twisty storytelling, and offbeat wit. She loves a genre blend(!) and is especially interested in folktale-inspired horror and/or fantasy, gothic mystery and/or romance, quiet fantasies featuring mundane magic, puzzle-driven mysteries, and cozy stories that feel hopeful yet grounded, like a Studio Ghibli movie. She has a soft spot for “weird girl” literary fiction, unreliable narrators, and true rom-coms — make her laugh! She is drawn to work that takes an irreverent, witty approach to the macabre and is always on the lookout for projects that capture the familiar yet strange magic of Twin Peaks. She encourages submissions from underrepresented voices, especially those centering characters who don’t often get to be the protagonist.

Submission Guidelines

Submissions should be emailed to query@psliterary.com

• Paragraph One – Introduction: Include the title and category of your work (i.e. fiction or nonfiction and topic), an estimated word count and a brief, general introduction.
• Paragraph Two – Brief overview: What’s the hook? This should read similar to back-cover copy.
• Paragraph Three – Writer’s bio: Tell me a little bit about yourself and your background.

We only accept submissions via e-mail. Queries should be directed to qu***@********ry.com.
We do not accept or respond to phone, paper or social media queries.
To learn more about our agents and to meet the rest of our team, please check our Who We Are page.

Please Note: If we are interested in seeing material we normally respond within 4-6 weeks. However, the process may take longer depending on the volume of submissions we may be reviewing at a particular time. Please do not call to check on the status of your submission – if you have a question or concern with regard to your submission, e-mail is the best way to inquire.

Guidelines & Details