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Lee Melillo
Speilburg Literary Agency
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Currently Looking For
Note: I will be closed to queries until October 2026 while I catch up on outstanding submissions. Thank you for your patience! I represent young adult and adult fiction across genres, as well as select pop culture nonfiction/cultural criticism. I strongly prioritize marginalized writers, including writers of color, queer writers, disabled writers, neurodivergent writers, etc. I especially invite Muslim and Arab authors, trans authors of color, and Polynesian, Micronesian, and Melanesian authors to reach out. For my next open query period, I’m focusing on my adult fiction list, though I’ll still be open to YA and nonfiction. I’m looking for upmarket and book club fiction. You’re welcome to try me with more literary projects, but I am very selective given my list is already quite strong in that department. Otherwise, while I’m open to most genres, I’m a harder sell on high fantasy, hard sci-fi, and space operas (I prefer speculative fiction on the lighter side!). I’m unlikely to be interested in genre romance, crime fiction, or commercial thrillers unless there’s some sort of genre blend. Adult Fiction Young Adult Fiction A few hyper-specific fiction wants include (across genres): Pop Culture Nonfiction / Cultural Criticism I’m quite selective with nonfiction; I am only interested in receiving proposals from qualified figures within the entertainment and/or theatre industries, as well as platformed experts on fandom/pop culture topics. I’d love anything in the vein of Everything I Need I Get From You, explorations of the evolution of fanfiction in fandom spaces, the history of tumblr, and/or the Golden Age of YouTube Vloggers in the mid-2010s. I’m also interested in receiving proposals about the creation of popular TV shows or film phenomenons. Particularly of interest would be Succession, Heated Rivalry, Girls, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, or 30 Rock. I’d also love something that delves into the international rise of K-dramas and/or K-pop. I do NOT represent memoirs, picture books, middle grade, or graphic novels of ANY KIND! Also, no erotica; high fantasy or space operas; stories about AI; manic pixie dream girls; detective/private investigator protagonists; very experimental or structureless stories; anything US military/police/modern politics; WW1 or WW2; Greek/Roman mythology; British historicals (especially Regency Era); sports romcoms; stories romanticizing gang life or the mafia; explicit depictions or descriptions of sexual assault, graphic self-harm/suicide attempts, or violent cruelty towards people or animals; or anything where a pet dies. Fun facts about me: Unapologetic former Warrior Cats stan and repentant current theatre kid. Italian and Polish American equally big on New Haven pizza and my mom’s kielbasa and sauerkraut. Once met Ron Wilson, Bus Driver, of the cult-classic film Sky High (2005) in an Italian restaurant when I was fifteen and cried about it the entire drive home.
Submission Guidelines
Please go to dunhamlit.com/how-to-submit for a detailed list of subscription guidelines. Guidelines & Details Vital Info @https://bsky.app/profile/leemelillobooks.bsky.social Website
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