Gabriella Melendez is a story-obsessed agent at Great Dog Literary hunting for emotionally propulsive YA and adult/new adult fiction—especially fantasy retellings, Latinx-centered narratives, and enemies-to-lovers romance with real heat.
In brief
Melendez's wishlist skews heavily toward new adult and YA crossover — a niche still underserved by many agencies — signaling genuine market positioning rather than a generic 'YA agent' pitch.
The emphasis on Latinx/Hispanic/Indigenous voices and magical realism rooted in its Hispanic origins is consistent and specific; this is not a token diversity note but a recurring, foregrounded priority.
Melendez draws sharp distinctions within their wish list that many agents leave vague: they explicitly separate true enemies-to-lovers from one-sided-pining misunderstanding plots, and they carefully distinguish magical realism from light fantasy — writers who mislabel will likely be rejected on principle.
The wishlist references a notably eclectic range of comps spanning graphic novels (Lore Olympus), prestige literary fiction (The House of the Spirits), streaming TV (Outer Banks), and film (The Lost City), suggesting Melendez thinks in transmedia terms and values high concept.
Submissions are currently closed as of May 2026 — verify the live form before querying, as this agent also uses a secondary submission channel.
Lately
Melendez has publicly identified a clear gap they want to fill: new adult fiction for readers in that post-college, early-career phase of life — characters who are technically adults but still improvising their way through grown-up situations for the first time. This framing recurs consistently across their public communications.
What Gabriella is looking for
Melendez wants immersive world-building anchored by a clear, well-defined magic system. Romance is welcome and can be a central pillar — not just a subplot. A strong appetite for retellings of fairy tales, myths, Shakespearean plays, and pantheon stories that fuse existing source material with fresh, dynamic angles. Especially enthusiastic about Hades-and-Persephone and Beauty-and-the-Beast retellings specifically.
Melendez wants plot-driven YA realistic fiction populated by cunning, morally ambiguous characters — the kind of cast where the reader can't fully trust anyone. A niche request crystalizes this: think a small-town young-cast mystery with the sun-soaked energy of Outer Banks crossed with the puzzle-box wit of Glass Onion.
Melendez is specifically targeting the younger end of adult fiction — post-grads, early-career characters, people navigating adult life for the first time. This is a deliberate new adult positioning. The adult fantasy they seek must carry genuine YA crossover potential rather than sitting in purely epic or grimdark territory.
Melendez wants nerdy protagonists and love interests who break from the muscled-morally-grey archetype. Enemies-to-lovers is a top trope request, but with a firm caveat: it must be genuinely mutual antagonism, not one-sided pining dressed up as enemies-to-lovers. Explicit content is welcome and expected in this lane. A specific niche: a gamer-guy/reader-girl enemies-to-lovers story that culminates through a shared game, competition, or TTRPG.
Melendez has unusually specific requirements here: magic must be subtle, fully integrated into the world, and never explained or questioned by characters. This must be properly labeled as magical realism — not light fantasy. Melendez is particularly drawn to the genre's Hispanic literary roots and wants stories that honor that tradition. Mislabeling this category is an explicit concern.
Female-driven, multi-generational stories with complex family dynamics and multiple POVs. Latinx, Hispanic, and Indigenous voices are a particular priority — but the protagonist's heritage does not have to be the thematic focus. Melendez wants fully realized characters navigating intersectional challenges, not identity-as-plot-device.
Speculative premises grounded in concrete, recognizable real-world settings — the kind of story where the speculative element illuminates something true about how we live now.
Two distinct niche requests that share a breezy, high-energy register: travel adventures packed with witty banter, and feel-good stories that recapture the warm, fizzy charm of early-2000s teen movies. Both should be fun-first, plot-propulsive, and emotionally satisfying without demanding grit.
Not the right fit
Taste fingerprint
How to query Gabriella
Confirm the submission form is open before attempting to query — it was directly observed as closed in May 2026 and may reopen without broad announcement.
Do not email queries directly to Melendez; unsolicited email submissions are explicitly discarded.
Label your genre with precision. Melendez is unusually alert to the distinction between magical realism and light fantasy — if your book has subtle, unexplained magic woven into everyday life, say 'magical realism'; if the magic has rules and systems, call it fantasy.
If querying enemies-to-lovers romance, demonstrate in your pitch that the antagonism is genuinely mutual and plot-driven — not a misunderstanding that one character is secretly nursing. Melendez has called this out explicitly.
For new adult pitches, anchor your query in the character's life stage: post-grad limbo, first job, early adulthood firsts. This is the emotional core Melendez is seeking, not just an age range.
If your protagonist or author identity is Latinx, Hispanic, or Indigenous, say so early and clearly — this is a prioritized interest, and Melendez has noted that a character's heritage does not need to be the story's central theme.
Niche-concept pitches (gamer enemies-to-lovers via TTRPG; Outer Banks–style small-town mystery with a puzzle-box structure; early-2000s teen-movie warmth) appear to reflect genuine gaps Melendez is actively trying to fill — if your book fits one of these, name it explicitly in the opening of your query.
For YA fantasy retellings — especially Hades/Persephone or Beauty and the Beast — Melendez has signaled above-average enthusiasm; lean into the specific mythological or fairy tale source material in your pitch rather than describing the vibe generically.
Melendez is plot-forward across all categories; query letters should lead with what happens, not with atmosphere or theme alone.