High-concept narratives that combine or draw from existing stories and tropes, featuring The Donner Party, with complex conflicts and a fast-paced plot.
Chelsey Emmelhainz is an editorial agent at Copps Literary Services with a decade of experience as an editor of upmarket fiction and nonfiction at major NYC publishing houses, including HarperCollins (William Morrow and Avon Books) and Crooked Lane Books, where she served as senior editor. She leverages her editorial expertise to help authors elevate their projects through collaborative feedback and thoughtful guidance. She is building a highly selective client list focused on adult fiction and nonfiction with authentic storytelling and diverse voices.
Fiction: Submit only finished, polished novels. Include an attention-grabbing query letter that includes word count, genre, comparative titles, and writing credentials. Non-Fiction: Submit a complete non-fiction proposal including a chapter outline, author credentials, positioning and market considerations, comparative titles, and 2-4 sample chapters. For All Submissions: - Remember: first impressions matter! Take the time to proofread your work and make sure your submission materials are properly formatted (Times New Roman, 12pt, double-spaced). - Please only submit one project at a time. - Please only submit to one agent at a time. If we love your work but don't feel it is a fit for us, we'll share it with colleagues. Fiction genres of interest: - Horror, especially creeping dread, unusual haunted places and families, cults, supernatural suspense, and all manner of psychological horror. Horror that unites a well-known era or event with a supernatural twist (a la Alma Katsu's The Fervor or The Deep) is of special interest. Additionally, contemporary horror set in the non-Western world. - Cozy mysteries with series potential, especially those featuring diverse protagonists. Give me your queer millennials solving mysteries alongside a cute cat! - Fresh, upmarket and high-concept psychological suspense/thrillers, exploring themes and twists we haven't yet seen in the market (i.e. Just Like Mother by Anne Hetzel) - Magical realism (not fantasy) brought into our world, elevated through family drama or strained relationships (i.e. Zoje Stage's Wonderland). - Dark, upmarket crime and mystery with series potential, especially those featuring traditionally underrepresented protagonists (no noir, political thrillers, or spy novels, please). - Commercial fiction and romance projects featuring fresh, high-concept hooks and multifaceted, layered conflicts, strong female characters, and unique takes on modern relationships—be they romantic, platonic, or familial. Nonfiction genres of interest: - Narrative nonfiction that brings American history to life through an engaging narrative (a la The Indifferent Stars Above by Daniel James Brown, Under the Banner of Heaven by Jon Krakauer, or The Worst Hard Time by Timothy Egan). - Platform-driven nonfiction in the social sciences, especially concerning topics under the umbrellas of politics, feminism, and social justice. - Voice-driven memoirs with a platform. - True crime, especially those with a personal twist (such as I'll Be Gone in the Dark by Michelle McNamara or If You Tell by Gregg Olsen) - Hidden history, especially stories about unique or relatively unknown figures the world should know about (think: The Radium Girls, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, or Hidden Figures) - Deep dives into specific subjects with a prescriptive approach, aiming to help the reader live a better life, such as Johann Hari's Stolen Focus. Themes of interest in both fiction and nonfiction: complex family dynamics, being child-free (this does not refer to a lack of children in the narrative, but rather choices and complications related to the decision to forgo becoming a parent, especially as it pertains to women, i.e. financial implications), sexuality across the spectrum with special interest in ace/asexual experiences.
Last verified: March 28, 2026
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