Jemiscoe
Chambers-Black
Founder + Agent
Jemiscoe Chambers-Black is a co-founder of Starling Literary + Media and a literary agent who loves championing storytellers across age categories. Her love of reading started in a very on-brand way: with pizza. At seven, her school handed out personal pan pizza coupons for every book read, and Jem was instantly hooked. Pretty soon, she wanted the stories more than the slices.
Before becoming an agent, Jem spent over a decade as an Assistant Director in film and television, where she learned how character, tension, and timing make a story work, skills she brings to her work with creators every day. She later shifted her focus to publishing, joining the Andrea Brown Literary Agency and ultimately co-founding Starling Literary + Media in 2025 with her colleagues and friends, Paige Terlip and Jennifer March Soloway. A true generalist, she represents authors and illustrators creating picture books, chapter books, middle grade, YA, adult fiction, and graphic novels.
WISH LIST:
Please note: Jem does NOT accept queries through email. All queries sent via email will be deleted without a response.
What Jem's looking for:
"At heart, I’m drawn to stories that grip me—whether with laughter, tension, or high emotion. I love fiction that moves fast but leaves a lasting ache that's unsettling or deeply human. Across genres, I’m most interested in stories that explore identity and connection, and refuse to play it safe."
ADULT:
THRILLER | HORROR
Looking for twisty, high-stakes stories that don’t just shock, they reveal something about us. She's drawn to psychological thrillers, social horror, and stories that weaponize truth and perception. Think GET OUT, SINNERS, WHEN NO ONE IS WATCHING, THE OTHER BLACK GIRL, or something super disturbed like JULIE CHAN IS DEAD. She loves morally complex characters, explorations into the spectrum of evil, and tension that crackles off the page.
ROMANCE
Heart, humor, and heat! She's here for it!!!
Rom com | Contemporary - Something with depth, where charm meets emotional honesty, and something I haven't quite seen explored before.
Paranormal romance or Romantasy - Something lush, fast-paced, and extremely cinematic.
Action-Adventure - Something where danger and desire collide. Again, something cinematic, and where the chemistry burns.
UPMARKET | BOOK CLUB FICTION
Emotionally resonant narratives that explore the messiness of being human—family, aging, identity, love, and...REGRET!!! Stories that make readers laugh, cry, and reflect in equal measure (Think MY OLD ASS). If your book could make a book club cry and debate morality, all while drinking wine, Jem will be your best friend!
MYSTERY | COZY MYSTERY
Open to mysteries with strong voice, clever plotting, and found-family energy—something that balances humor with heart. Think FINLAY DONOVAN IS KILLING IT or VERA WONG'S UNSOLICITED ADVICE FOR MURDERS.
YOUNG ADULT:
ROMANCE
Something that sparkles with humor and heart while exploring identity and belonging. Jem is especially looking for something with a speculative or light fantastical twists that elevates the emotion and urgency.
THRILLER | HORROR
Looking for fast-paced, voicey, and cinematic YA thrillers or horror that explore power, fear, or social tension through a teen lens.
GRAPHIC NOVELS:
Open to author-illustrators (ONLY) across all age groups, especially Adult. Looking for work that blends striking, dynamic art with storytelling that’s emotional, bold, or eerie.
Contemporary or speculative stories
Psychological horror or thrillers
Character-driven fiction where color, movement, and linework amplify feeling and theme.
MIDDLE GRADE:
Not open to MG at this time (unless author-illustrated GN).
PICTURE BOOKS:
Not open to PB at this.
ILLUSTRATORS:
Open to artists who want to work in any age category