Marissa Brown is an associate agent at Pippin Properties who champions underrepresented creators across children's and YA publishing, with a clear appetite for voice-driven ensemble stories, graphic novels of all ages, and grounded fantasy with heart.
In brief
Her wishlist is unusually broad for a children's-focused agent — she spans picture books through new adult and explicitly welcomes graphic novels at every age level, making her a strong option for illustrators and author-illustrators as well as prose writers.
Her stated touchstones (Six of Crows, Percy Jackson, Heartstopper, Gallagher Girls) signal consistent appetite for ensemble casts, high-stakes adventure, and queer-inclusive coming-of-age — these themes appear across every age category she works in.
She explicitly favors stories rooted in personal experience from marginalized and underrepresented creators, which means a distinctive authentic voice is likely the single biggest deciding factor in her yes/no on any submission.
Despite listing fantasy as a focus, she adds meaningful gates: no dragons, no aliens, real-world or near-real-world grounding required, and simple magic systems preferred — writers with secondary-world epic fantasy should look elsewhere.
Her TV taste (Ted Lasso, New Girl, Gilmore Girls, Only Murders in the Building) underscores a recurring fondness for warm ensemble dynamics, wit, and found-family chemistry — these tonal qualities likely matter as much as genre in her evaluations.
Lately
Her current wishlist emphasizes stories inspired by lived experience from marginalized and underrepresented creators, and singles out lyrical picture books, ensemble MG/YA, and graphic novels at all age levels as priorities. She draws a clear line around AI-generated content, naming it as an explicit exclusion.
What Marissa is looking for
She is drawn to lyrical, non-rhyming texts centered on friendship, family, big emotions, or expansive ideas. Stories grounded in genuine personal experience from underrepresented creators carry particular weight. Note: she is not currently seeking picture book writers who are not also illustrators as a blanket rule — author-illustrators and illustrators are explicitly welcomed; check her current guidelines for any prose-only distinctions.
Fast pacing, high stakes, and a distinctive narrator voice are the baseline requirements. She gravitates toward found-family or ensemble structures and poignant coming-of-age arcs. Contemporary is her primary interest, but she welcomes genre elements — mystery, light sci-fi, spooky adventure, magical realism — as long as the story stays anchored to a recognizable world. Commercial and literary MG are both on the table.
She wants voice-forward YA with emotional stakes and ensemble energy. Contemporary YA is a core interest, and she welcomes romantic subplots, rivals-to-lovers or enemies-to-lovers dynamics, and slow-burn chemistry. YA romantasy is listed as a favorite sub-genre, provided the fantasy elements are grounded rather than sprawling. Novels in verse and multiple-POV narratives are both explicitly welcomed. LGBTQ+ stories are a priority across the board.
One of her most distinctive areas of enthusiasm: she welcomes graphic novels across every age category and every genre. Her strongest affinities within the form are romance, slice-of-life, and stories with a touch of magic. Spooky, action-filled adventure graphic novels also appeal. Horror and thriller graphic novels are excluded, but almost everything else is in play. Illustrators and author-illustrators are explicitly sought.
She is selective but genuinely interested — the key requirements are real-world or near-real-world grounding, simple and clear magic systems, and morally complex protagonists who wrestle with what it means to be human. Cozy fantasy, urban fantasy, fabulism, magical realism, and modernized mythology all fit her sensibility. BIPOC fantasy and fairy-tale or folklore retellings with underrepresented characters are specifically named as favorites. No dragons, no aliens.
Character-driven stories with warmth and humor are what she is after at every age level — YA rom-coms, adult rom-coms, multicultural romance, and new adult romance all appear on her list. She enjoys classic romantic tropes (enemies-to-lovers, slow burn, rivals-to-lovers) when the emotional texture and character interiority are strong. The tone of films like The Proposal and Set It Up captures the light, witty register she responds to.
She explicitly seeks illustrators and author-illustrators as a distinct category, not just as a subset of picture books. This is a meaningful signal for creators who draw as well as write — she is building relationships across the visual side of children's publishing, not only with prose authors.
Not the right fit
On Marissa's list
Taste fingerprint
How to query Marissa
Her submission form was confirmed open as of early March 2026 — always check the live form before sending, as status can change without notice.
Lead your query letter with voice and emotional stakes, not plot mechanics. Her touchstones (Heartstopper, Six of Crows, Ted Lasso, Gilmore Girls) are all fundamentally about how characters feel about each other — your pitch should reflect that priority.
If you are a creator from a marginalized or underrepresented background, say so clearly and early. She explicitly names this as a central focus, and personal experience informing the story is a meaningful selling point for her.
For MG and YA, name the ensemble or found-family dynamic upfront if it's present — this is a recurring signal across her entire wishlist and personal favorites.
For fantasy projects, address your magic system's simplicity and real-world grounding directly in the query. Given her explicit guardrails (no dragons, no aliens, recognizable world), demonstrating you've read her wishlist carefully will matter.
If you are querying a graphic novel, specify the age category and genre clearly. Her GN interest spans all ages, so being precise about format and audience will help her immediately place your project in the right context.
Avoid comping books she has named as personal favorites as if they are obscure discoveries — she knows them intimately. Use them as directional references, not flattery.
Do not query with rhyming picture books, horror, historical fiction, or anything featuring substantial AI-generated content — these are hard exclusions, not stylistic preferences.