Michelle Richter

About Michelle Richter

Michelle is a senior agent at Fuse Literary representing leaders in the crime fiction community, award-winners, and debut authors. She joined the agency after eight years in editorial at St. Martin’s Press, where she worked on fiction and nonfiction with high-profile personalities, New York Times bestsellers, and debuts. She has built her career finding underserved clients with major talent and helping them jump their careers to the next level. She wants to boost underrepresented voices in her favorite genres to break through and create lasting change in both their writing careers and the publishing industry. Her years of experience as an agent, at a Big 5 publisher, and as an educator inform her relationships with her clients and help her guide them through the complex stages of their careers. She was an adjunct lecturer for five years in the Master’s in Publishing program at Pace University, of which she is an alumna. She also frequently attends conferences throughout the United States.

Michelle’s clients have won or been shortlisted for such awards as the Edgar, Mary Higgins Clark, Strand Critics, Anthony, Agatha, Lefty, ITW Thriller, Macavity, Barry, Derringer, Silver Falchion, IPPY, and International Book Award. She is a member of Sisters in Crime.

Adult Fiction

Michelle is especially eager to find high-concept crime fiction with catchy hooks, twisty plots, and complex lead characters. She’s a sucker for fiction that taps into her emotions, with the kind of voice that instantly identifies a book as that author’s. BIPOC, LGBTQ, and disabled voices in fiction are welcome. Michelle loves lots of twists, unreliable narrators, stories of family secrets, friendships, and sibling relationships.

Her favorite writers include Colson Whitehead, Celeste Ng, Ruth Ware, Laura Lippman, Megan Miranda, Lori Rader-Day, Jennifer Hillier, Jesse Q. Sutanto, and Emily Henry. She’d love to find the next BATH HAUS, SUCH A FUN AGE, WHEN NO ONE IS WATCHING, LONG BRIGHT RIVER, DIAL A FOR AUNTIES, EVERYTHING I NEVER TOLD YOU, WINTER COUNTS, THE THURSDAY MURDER CLUB, or BLUEBIRD, BLUEBIRD.

Genres Represented

  • Mystery
  • High-Concept Suspense
  • Domestic Suspense
  • Psychological Thriller
  • Police Procedural
  • Book Club Women’s Fiction
  • Commercial Fiction
  • Romantic Comedy

Children’s Fiction

Michelle is not taking on any children’s fiction at this time

Michelle Does Not Represent

  • Genre Fiction (Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Western, Erotica)
  • Satire
  • Political, Medical, or Espionage Thrillers
  • Memoir
  • Children’s Picture, Chapter, or Middle-Grade Books
  • Faith-based Fiction or Nonfiction

Submission Guidelines

If you haven’t received a response on your requested full manuscript after 4 months, feel free to send Michelle a message on QueryManager.

Meet Michelle Richter

August 13-16, 2024
Writer’s Digest University Boot Camp
Online

August 29-September 1
Bouchercon
Nashville, TN

September 10, 2024
October 17, 2024
November 15, 2024
Jericho Writers
Online

June 19, 2025
Thrillerfest
New York, NY

 

 

 

Contact

For conference, press, or rights inquires, email michelle@fuseliterary.com. Unsolicited submissions via this address or social media will be deleted unread.