Melli champions diverse books, both in her day job at a Big Five publishing house and as a freelance sensitivity reader. It is powerful when representation is done well, and Melli is committed to helping authors portray characters, settings, and lived experiences authentically so that readers can see themselves reflected in stories.
Melli edits copy, proofreads, and fact-checks on a daily basis, so she will gladly pore over manuscripts with a discerning eye. And, yes, she is a fervent proponent of the serial comma.
When she’s not making a dent in her ever-expanding TBR pile, Melli likes to veg out with a TV marathon and a pint of ice cream (current obsessions: Only Murders in the Building and Noona’s Toasted Rice ice cream).
Sensitivity / Expert
- Korean American
- Christian
- Third culture kid (immigrant culture, code-switching)
- Racism (microagressions, macroagressions, stereotypes, colorism, Eastern vs. Western beauty standards, etc.)
- Ageism
- Tokenism
- Special needs education (ABA in home, school, and community settings; family support)
Preferred Genres
Fiction YA Middle Grade Romcom
Avoided Genres
Horror
What Clients Say
Our sensitivity edit with Melli was phenomenal. We had some questions about a middle-grade novel that we wanted to get some cultural details right. Not only did Melli do an excellent job with her area of expertise, we also received some good feedback about some problematic things in other areas.
I highly recommend Salt & Sage and Melli! Her feedback was speedy but detailed, and she even spent time researching an issue outside the review’s original parameters, which I greatly appreciate. A great experience all around!