Melissa Richeson is a children's-only agent at Storm Literary Agency who hunts for emotionally resonant picture books, humor-laced middle grade, and voice-driven YA across contemporary, historical, and fantasy registers.
In brief
Melissa Richeson works exclusively in children's and YA publishing — adult titles are a hard no, full stop.
Their wishlist prizes three things above almost everything else: fresh concept, memorable voice, and thoughtful theme — lead with all three in your query letter.
The touchstone titles Richeson names skew toward commercially successful, award-recognized work (Flora and Ulysses, An Ember in the Ashes, Salt to the Sea), signaling comfort with both literary prestige and broad commercial appeal.
Richeson explicitly flags paranormal, horror, and graphic violence as poor fits — these are not soft preferences but stated dealbreakers.
No confirmed deal record is available for independent analysis; the wishlist and stated favorites are the primary taste signal here.
Lately
Richeson describes a Peter Pan-inspired philosophy: growing up is overrated, and children's books are a lifelong commitment — not a stepping stone to adult publishing. This frames their entire list as intentional, not transitional.
What Melissa is looking for
Richeson wants picture books that hit hard emotionally — the kind that produce genuine tears — or that are funny enough to produce laugh-cry reactions. Illustrated or concept-driven work is welcome. Note: Richeson is not seeking picture book writers who are not also illustrators is NOT stated — this gate does not appear; all picture book writers may query.
This is where Richeson's enthusiasm is most visible. They want magic, humor, mystery, and a strong imaginative spark. Quick pacing and a compelling hook are non-negotiable. Well-researched settings and worlds earn extra credit. Literary MG and humor-forward MG both have a home here.
Richeson welcomes chapter books that move fast, open with a strong hook, and demonstrate genuine world-building research behind the premise. The bar is energetic pacing above all.
Contemporary YA is a stated top draw. Richeson gravitates toward relationship-centered stories and those with subtle wit and intelligent wordplay. Voice is paramount; a fresh angle on familiar emotional terrain is what sets a project apart.
Historical YA is an equal priority alongside contemporary. Richeson appreciates work that grounds readers in a specific time and place with care and accuracy. Emotionally resonant stories with high stakes tend to hit the mark.
Fantasy YA is welcomed but Richeson frames it as secondary to contemporary and historical. The qualifier is important: it needs to be compelling enough to pull them in — a strong, distinctive concept and voice are the price of admission. Paranormal is explicitly excluded from this category.
Richeson is open to nonfiction across all the age categories they cover — picture book through YA. This is stated as a genuine openness rather than a specialty, so the same voice-and-concept standards apply.
Not the right fit
Taste fingerprint
How to query Melissa
Submit a full synopsis AND the first 10 pages — both are required, not optional. Omitting either will likely disqualify the query before it's read.
Lead your query letter with the three things Richeson explicitly names as universal criteria: fresh concept, thoughtful theme, and distinctive voice. Address all three directly.
If you're pitching YA, flag the subgenre clearly (contemporary, historical, or fantasy) — Richeson treats these as meaningfully different categories with different enthusiasm levels.
Wit and wordplay are a genuine signal of fit. If your manuscript has intelligent humor woven through the prose, surface that in the query — don't save it for the pages.
Avoid framing your book as paranormal even if it has light supernatural elements; that word appears to be a dealbreaker. If the fantasy elements are secondary to character and emotion, lead with the emotional core instead.
Richeson's touchstone titles span classic (Charlotte Doyle, Harry Potter) and recent (An Ember in the Ashes, Salt to the Sea) — comp titles from roughly the last five to seven years will feel most current and relevant.
Verify that the submission form is currently open before querying — status could not be confirmed from available data.