About Me

“Melissa is a creative and thorough editor. Her feedback is invaluable, always allowing me to take a step back and look at the novel with fresh eyes and perspective. I trust my novels in her hands.”

— Jennifer L. Armentrout, #1 New York Times and internationally bestselling author

Award-winning editor of commercial fiction

I am a voracious reader and lover of books with more than fifteen years of experience editing, including many years as a senior editor at one of New York’s biggest publishers, Macmillan. I have taught writing at a variety of universities and writers’ conferences, including the Highlights Foundation, SCBWI, and San Diego State University, currently serve as a mentor for We Need Diverse Books and New York’s Center for Fiction, and have been a speaker at many conferences and conventions, including New York Comic Con, the American Library Association Annual Conference, Romance Writers of America Annual Conference, and the World Fantasy Convention.

For over a decade I worked at Macmillan for Tor Books, the world’s leading publisher of science fiction and fantasy. As a senior editor I partnered in spearheading the Tor Teen line, which grew to include many New York Times bestsellers and award winners. I am also a trained copyeditor and proofreader (NYU) with a portfolio of well over 100 novels, including as a final line editor of romance at Samhain Publishing. 

As an independent editor, I now edit on a per-project basis for most of the largest publishers and directly with authors of all experience levels. Among the many talented authors I’ve worked with are Jennifer L. Armentrout, Kendare Blake, Rachel Caine, Cora Carmack, Sylvia Day, Gregg Hurwitz, Lorelei James, Danielle L. Jensen, Elise Kova, Veronica Rossi, and Kristen Simmons. 

I have extensive editorial experience in a variety of genres, but am best known for my work in romance, fantasy, and young adult. I love commercial fiction of all kinds. Books I've edited have been:

  • #1 New York Times, USA Today, Sunday Times, indie, and international bestsellers;

  • featured on NPR, Cosmopolitan, Buzzfeed, Huffington Post, and Entertainment Weekly;

  • winners of major awards including RWA’s RITA Award, the National Readers’ Choice Award, the Bram Stoker Award, and the ITW Thriller Award;

  • finalists for the Andre Norton Award, the Edgar Award, the Nebula Award, the Hugo Award, the Anthony Award, and others;

  • Indie Next and Best of the Year selections in a variety of venues, including Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Apple Books, Goodreads, NPR, Kirkus Reviews, Publishers Weekly, New York Public Library, and others;

  • selected for major reading lists (ALA’s Best Books for Young Adults, Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers, statewide school and library systems, etc).

I bring to the table a sense of humor, an eye for detail, in-depth knowledge of the marketplace, plenty of experience, and genuine love for the job. Take a look at the services I offer and get in touch for a quote!

“With tons of experience and a fun, compassionate personality, Melissa is a perfect editor for authors in any stage of their career.”

— Cora Carmack, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Losing It series and the Stormheart series

Recent and Coming Soon

Publishers I work with

Credit: Erin Summerill

Credit: Erin Summerill

bio

Travel-obsessed, book-crazy, and at least a little bit basic. Runner. Lover of hot chocolate, high fives, and old bookstores. Proud nerd. Less proud Philly sports fan.

I live in Pennsylvania with my darling, very mean cat in a cute house that I'm constantly trying to make cuter, and for thirteen years I worked in New York for a Big Five book publisher.

I think Grease 2 is better than Grease.

And the Misfits’ songs ARE better.