Melanie Castillo

I spent some time this weekend revamping my Publishers Marketplace page and manuscript wishlist (linked on PM). If you're an author getting ready to query your work, check it out! I'd love to hear from you. #MSWL #amagenting #WritingCommunity bit.ly/melaniefigueroa

I love a book that makes me cringe (but like, in a fun way). #MSWL

I too enjoy chaos. #MSWL

Something I'd really love to see in my queries is a story involving polyamory (I'm not looking for a straightforward romance though!). So I'm just going to throw that out there and hope the world throws me a bone—I've been wanting this for years and haven't found it yet. #MSWL

While I won’t be participating in #PitMad, please know that I’m always open to queries and you can check out the link in my bio for more info on my #MSWL and submission guidelines!

If you like kick ass women and zombies and high stakes and an ending that makes you want to both cry and eat the world then I highly suggest it! Also anything with these vibes is an auto request for me! #MSWL 🧟‍♀️

A darker fantasy (upper MG/YA and standalone or series) that feels reminiscent of Philip Pullman’s HIS DARK MATERIALS or Jim Henson’s THE DARK CRYSTAL. #MSWL

I am literally copying and pasting this from my Pub Marketplace profile BUT I was born and raised in Southern California in a multi-cultural, blended family, so I have a soft spot for books that shine a spotlight on the nuances of family relationships and identity. #MSWL

Just putting this out there: Beautifully-written, well-researched, and expansive adult fiction that straddles the line between commercial and literary. A recent example is Madeline Miller’s CIRCE, but Barbara Kingsolver’s THE POISONWOOD BIBLE is a tried-and-true favorite. #MSWL

I may have tackled @LynneKelly the first time I met her because I'm obsessed with her middle grade book SONG FOR A WHALE (Lynne is also just an A+ human so there's that too). If you have a book that feels reminiscent please send it my way! #MSWL

I’m constantly on the lookout for anything that reads like a Studio Ghibli film in both MG and YA (I love them all—especially Porco Rosso, Princess Mononoke, Kiki’s Delivery Service, and Howl’s Moving Castle). #MSWL

Also on the adult side! I'd love to see upmarket fiction with elements of mystery/suspense in the vein of Celeste Ng’s EVERYTHING I NEVER TOLD YOU and Angie Kim’s MIRACLE CREEK. #MSWL

If you can comp your book to pretty much anything written by Blake Crouch or Michael Crichton, then I want to see you in the @RootLiterary submission inbox! #MSWL

I might just scream and never stop if this appeared in the @RootLiterary submission inbox. #MSWL

I want this to be a MG book. #MSWL