Bio

Hi, I’m Michelle Mitchell! I was a member of the SmoochPit 2024 class and am now represented by Jessica Mileo at InkWell Management. My book, BEST BY DATE, is a forced-proximity adult contemporary romance novel following a woman who shows up to a 12-month contract job at the South Pole, Antarctica only to discover she’ll be living alongside the man she had a one-night stand with days prior. I write escapist, spicy romances, always aiming to weave in humor and heart to the storylines. 

​

I grew up in the US, but now live in London with my husband and our highly food-motivated black cat, Tofu. I received a BA in Editing, Writing, and Media from Florida State University prior to becoming an Assistant Editor at Woman’s World Magazine. I wrote on varying lifestyle topics before pivoting hard into the world of tech startups. When I’m not working or writing, I’m making good use of my passport.

Manuscript
Wishlist
(MSWL)

Send me your contemporary romance or rom coms, especially something high-concept and fresh! I’m also open to romance novels that are slightly speculative, or have a magical realism aspect included. I’m especially drawn to a fun, sharp voice, and stakes are super important for my feeling invested in your character’s love stories.

​

Below are some ideas of story aspects I love, but my taste varies greatly, so if you don’t see your concept here, please know this is merely just a jumping off point. A good story is a good story!

​

• Isolated settings/forced proximity - your story doesn’t have to be set somewhere as remote as Antarctica, but I love the pining vibes that comes along with two characters being trapped together 

• Celebrity/normal person - I absolutely EAT these up!!!! I *will* write one, one day. (Some favorites include REEL by Kennedy Ryan, SEVEN DAYS IN JUNE by Tia Williams, and SCANDALIZED by Lauren Billings/Ivy Owens) 

• Secret societies 

• Witty banter - I want to be kicking my feet/blushing at the pages (Authors who stand out to me here are Emily Henry, Ali Hazelwood, and B.K Borison) 

• All the pining and yearning!! (Tarah DeWitt and Jessica Joyce are the queens of this, imo) 

• Sister stories (bonus points if your FMC is an eldest daughter) 

• If you can comp to Taylor Swift, Chappell Roan, Sabrina Carpenter, or Gracie Abrams - I love my pop girlies 

• Hidden identity is delicious 

• Interesting careers (Nikki Payne has a private investigator romance coming up and I’m hype) 

• Armchair travel - Let me explore somewhere fun through the eyes of your words (I loved WEDDING DASHERS by Heather McBreen and PASSION PROJECT by London Sperry) 

• Reality tv (whether it be a dating show or competition, I’ve basically watched it all and would love to read a romance set against one)

• One night stand stories (Which is why I wrote one! Some favorites include MISTAKES WERE MADE by Meryl Wilsner, UNROMANCE by Erin Connor, BUSINESS OR PLEASURE by Rachel Lynn Solomon) 

• Sex positivity

• Immigrant stories 

• Unexpected twists/revealed secrets

• Only one bed/room/sleeping bag/whatever (This scene in HOW TO FAKE IT IN HOLLYWOOD by Ava Wilder will forever be ingrained in my head)

• Magical realism (Think THE SEVEN YEAR SLIP by Ashley Poston or THE LOVE OF MY AFTERLIFE by Kirsty Greenwood) 

• Stories set in my hometown, Central Florida (Hello, LET’S CALL A TRUCE by Amy Buchanan!) 

I'm not a good fit for dark romance, fantasy/romantasy, historical romance, surprise baby/pregnancy, stories heavily including military or police, or anything involving serious danger to children or animals.

Mentoring Style

I'm so excited to work with you on your manuscript and query materials! I’m very much the type of person who will scream/live react within in-line comments, providing plenty of cheerleading, while also providing notes on what isn’t landing or doing the heavy lifting the story may need (from a place of sheer love for your book!) This is the type of feedback I like to receive (and in turn, give!), because as Taylor Swift so eloquently said, I’m just too soft for all of it. 

​

I’m open to communicating however works best for you, whether this be via email, discord, text, chaotic voice notes, etc. I’d recommend we have an initial Zoom call to introduce ourselves, where I’ll rave about your book and understand more how it came to be. Soon after, I’ll share an edit letter, where I formalize all those things I loved/think are working, and where I think the biggest areas of impact could be in the form of developmental edits and beyond. 

​

I’d love to continue to be a resource as you put a list together for your querying experience and throughout, if you’d like that! I know it can be an overwhelming time, so here to be a reassuring resource and help you make sense of the process! 

Applications
from Connections

Please do not apply to me if we've ever beta read for each other or have had extensive conversations online. If we're in the same discord(s), or are mutuals on social media but haven't talked more than a comment/DM here or there, feel free to apply!