Publishers Marketplace: Melanie Figueroa

I’m actively seeking to add high-concept commercial and general fiction, young adult novels with a strong voice and propulsive pacing, and heartfelt and humorous middle grade novels across genres to my list. At the moment, my list is about 50% kid lit with an emphasis on middle grade projects and 50% adult fiction.

I often fall for books that sit at the intersection of a variety of genres (genre eclectic, if you will). I love mysteries, found families, sibling stories, haunted houses, buried secrets, disability and mental health rep, coming-of-age narratives, non-western cultures and mythologies, animal/spirit companions, strong (and potentially unlikable) women, toxic relationships (especially friendships), high stakes adventures, family sagas, smart horror, and anything that makes me laugh and/or cry (preferably a balance of both). I’m not the best fit for adult romance, though I love romance in b-plots, and am open to romance authors interested in establishing other lines of business, too.

I was born and raised in Southern California in a multicultural, blended family, so I have a soft spot for books that shine a spotlight on the nuances of family relationships and identity. And I’m especially looking for books that are inclusive and accurately reflect our world—I like characters who aren’t your typical lead and to be surprised by the unexpected.

WISHLIST

Middle Grade

Heartwarming and adventurous SFF, historical, and contemporary realistic fiction that doesn't shy away from difficult subjects (the reality of readers’ lived experiences are to be respected always—something that’s important to me across age categories)

I especially love stories that manage to touch on timely topics without being didactic

Anything in the vein of Jim Henson's THE DARK CRYSTAL or literally any of Hayao Miyazaki's Studio Ghibli films (seriously, I love them all and have watched them more times than I care to admit)

Think: Tae Keller’s WHEN YOU TRAP A TIGER and JENNIFER CHAN IS NOT ALONE, B.B. Alston’s AMARI AND THE NIGHT BROTHERS, Kelly Yang’s FRONT DESK, Lynne Kelly’s SONG FOR A WHALE, Veera Hiranandani's THE NIGHT DIARY, Robert Beatty's SERAFINA AND THE BLACK CLOAK, Kelly Barnhill's THE GIRL WHO DRANK THE MOON, and Alan Gratz's REFUGEE.

Young Adult

Stealing a phrase jointly coined by my colleagues Holly Root and Molly O'Neill—I want YA SFF or historical fiction that can be summed up as "feelings while running"

Horror and thrillers that are a little twisty and dark (but full of hope, humor, and heart), with a strong structural hook and beautiful writing

Voicey and feminist intersectional rom-coms and contemporary romances—some tropes I like are fake dating, lovers to enemies (I know, I’m the worst), forbidden love, love triangles, second chance, and oh no there’s only one bed!

Emotionally resonant and high-concept contemporary realistic, like Jenni Hendrik’s and Ted Caplan’s UNPREGNANT and Camryn Garrett's FULL DISCLOSURE

Anything speculative (ghosts, witches, monsters, you name it!), especially if it includes a time loop element, à la Groundhog Day or Hulu’s Palm Springs

Think: Xiran Jay Zhao's IRON WIDOW, Meg Long's COLD THE NIGHT, FAST THE WOLVES, Tiffany Jackson’s GROWN, Courtney Summers’ SADIE, Megan Bannen's THE BIRD AND THE BLADE, Natasha Ngan's GIRLS OF PAPER AND FIRE, S.J. Kincaid's THE DIABOLIC, Jessica Lewis's BAD WITCH BURNING, Cameron Lund's THE BEST LAID PLANS, Yamile Saied Méndez’s FURIA, and Elise Bryant's HAPPILY EVER AFTERS.

Adult

Upmarket and general fiction with a mystery and/or an interesting structural hook

Voicey literary fiction in the vein of Kevin Wilson's NOTHING TO SEE HERE or Raven Leilani's LUSTER

High concept thrillers and suspense (especially if they're darkly comedic)

Basically any commercial fiction that could sit on a shelf next to Blake Crouch or Michael Crichton—something that plays with horror, speculative, or STEAM elements to start a conversation

A coming-of-age story in the vein of Curtis Sittenfeld's PREP, which I read so many times my copy started falling apart

Give me something beautifully-written, well-researched, and expansive, something that straddles the line between commercial and literary

Think: Celeste Ng’s EVERYTHING I NEVER TOLD YOU, Emily St. John Mandel's STATION ELEVEN, Angie Kim’s MIRACLE CREEK, Riley Sager’s HOME BEFORE DARK, Brit Bennett’s THE VANISHING HALF, Grady Hendrix's THE SOUTHERN BOOK CLUB'S GUIDE TO SLAYING VAMPIRES, Ashley Audrain's THE PUSH, Madeline Miller’s CIRCE, Alex Michaelides' THE SILENT PATIENT, Kate Atkinson's LIFE AFTER LIFE, and Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s MEXICAN GOTHIC. The films ARRIVAL and READY OR NOT; anything with the humor of FLEABAG. Some tried-and-true favorites are Barbara Kingsolver’s THE POISONWOOD BIBLE and Steinbeck's EAST OF EDEN.

Keep in mind that this wishlist is not meant to be prescriptive. If you think we'd be a good fit but your project isn't an exact match, please give me a try! Part of what makes this job so magical is that you often don’t know what you want until you find it.

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