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Melissa Richeson

The last time the agent had an active listing on Duotrope, the agent was affiliated with Storm Literary Agency (see other agents at this agency).

Permanently Closed: This agent is no longer accepting queries (August 2021). We provide the following information as an archive.

About

Like most people in publishing, Melissa grew up surrounded by stacks of library books and buried in notebooks full of stories and doodles. Taking a cue from Peter Pan, she’s never outgrown her love for children’s stories—and she never will! Melissa has been working as a writer for years, with publishing credits in The Washington Post, Florida Today, Space Coast Parent, Chicken Soup for the Soul, and many more. She had a children’s fiction serial run in WDW Magazine for over a year, and she is a current features writer at the same publication. In addition, previous backgrounds in both marketing and teaching give her a unique edge as an agent. When not reading or working, Melissa can be found swimming, paddle boarding, jogging, or biking. Her two favorite spots on earth are her own backyard, where dolphins and manatees come to play, and Walt Disney World, where magic never gets old. She lives in Florida with her husband and four school-aged sons (who are also growing up surrounded by stacks of library books and notebooks). Melissa comes to Storm with prior experience as an associate literary agent and a growing list of clients. To build her client list, Melissa is drawn to witty wording and whimsical design for picture books, humor and quick pacing for chapter books, charming mysteries or magic in middle grade, and fresh, character-driven stories in young adult. She’s not the best fit for horror, high fantasy, paranormal, or graphic violence of any kind. Some of Melissa's perennial favorites include: A Series of Unfortunate Events (Snicket), Junie B. Jones (Park), The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle (Avi), The Messenger (Lowry), and A Tale of Two Cities (Dickens). More recent titles that she’s loved include: Lovely War (Berry), Stay Sweet (Vivian), The Unexpected Everything (Matson), Salt to the Sea (Sepetys), An Ember in the Ashes (Tahir), and What to Say Next (Buxbaum).

Country & Year Established

United States
Agent since 2019

Collapse section Fiction Closed

In picture books, Melissa is looking for the heartfelt, the humorous, and everything in between. She’s especially drawn to thoughtful themes, and a well-done rhyme will always catch her eye. Melissa also loves chapter books with quick pacing, a great hook, and a well-researched world. In middle grade, she adores mystery, humor, adventure, and a sense of imagination. Relatable characters and a great voice are key! For young adult, Melissa typically looks for high concept contemporary or historical manuscripts, but a light sci-fi or a fantasy in a fresh world can draw her in too. Bring on all the sweet romances with authentic dialogue and page-turning stakes! Use subtle wit and intelligent wordplay, and she's all in.

Audience:

Children, Middle grades, Young adults.

Genres:

General Subgenre: Historical
Fantasy Open to all/most Subgenres
Mystery/Crime Open to all/most Subgenres
Romance Open to all/most Subgenres
Science Fiction Open to all/most Subgenres

Lengths:

Novel

Styles:

Open to all/most Styles, including: Humorous, Literary, Mainstream.

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics.

Submissions:

Method: Electronic submissions.
Simultaneous submissions: Simultaneous submissions are allowed.

Collapse section Nonfiction Closed

Audience:

Children, Middle grades, Young adults.

Lengths:

Book

Styles:

Open to all/most Styles, including: Humorous, Mainstream.

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics.

Submissions:

Method: Electronic submissions.
Simultaneous submissions: Simultaneous submissions are allowed.

Always check guidelines for details and restrictions. If you aren't familiar with these terms, see our glossary.

No recent cover image of a book represented by Melissa Richeson available.

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Melissa Richeson Submission Statistics

The statistics in this section are compiled from submission reports sent to us through our submission tracker. They are not provided by the agency or by Duotrope's admins. Information in this section is updated a few times per day. Learn more about the statistics.

This listing is inactive and does not have any submission reports for the past 12 months.

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Dates

Last Updated: 22 May 2026

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