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Pitch Wars Showcase

Please note: These are the entries for the Pitch Wars season beginning in 2021 and continuing through 2022. Please note that our Agent Showcase ends at 9:00 p.m. ET on Monday, February 14, 2022. Agents will not be able to leave comments requesting material after that time.
PW2020 MG #14: ALAN AND DANIEL VS THE AZTEC WORLDS (Portal Fantasy)
Mentee:
Peter Lopez
Mentored by:
Sofiya Pasternack
Book Title:
ALAN AND DANIEL VS THE AZTEC WORLDS
Category:
2020 Entries
Genre:
Portal Fantasy
Word Count:
52,300

Pitch:

PERCY JACKSON x COCO: When Alan and Daniel accidentally open portals with a magical map they got in an El Salvadoran bodega, they each get sent to a different realm of Aztec mythology. Now, they must find their way back to each other to save their family and stop the God of the Dead from spreading the wrath and suffering of the Underworld until it consumes everything.

 

Excerpt:

For as long as he could remember, Daniel Lainez always wanted to be invisible.

Not in a superpower way, because Daniel wasn’t interested in that sort of nonsense. He just didn’t want to be seen, heard, or even looked at. Especially not in his middle school cafeteria, and absolutely not with the El Salvadoran food that Mami packed for his lunch.

Daniel paced forward with his lunchbox, his black dress shoes clicking against the tiled floor. He sped past tables full of rowdy kids and of teachers eating quietly, then quadruple checked his navy tie to make sure his uniform was worn as properly as possible. The only way he’d be invisible was to blend in with everyone else—no matter how difficult it was to do that as a scholarship student in a school full of rich kids.

He arrived at the last cafeteria table where his twin brother, Alan, sat alone, with way too much food spread out. His brother set plates of pupusas, tacos, and fried plantains all around the table, and that was just his lunch—he also had sweet Salvadoran bread packed for dessert. Daniel whispered viciously, “Why are you like this?”

“Relax,” said Alan, crumbs of food falling over his uniform. “Is it illegal to eat good now?”

29 responses to “PW2020 MG #14: ALAN AND DANIEL VS THE AZTEC WORLDS (Portal Fantasy)”

  1. Tara Gilbert says:

    I’d love to see the full! Please use this link to send in the materials. QueryManager.com/TaraGilbert/PitchEvent

  2. Melanie Castillo says:

    Hi Peter, Congratulations on completing PitchWars! I’d love to continue reading. If you’d like to share the full MS, please send the query in the body of an email with the full manuscript and synopsis attached as a Word document. The subject of the email should be “Pitch Wars Request: YOUR TITLE for Root Literary” sent to submissions@rootliterary.com. Although not all of Root Literary is participating in Pitch Wars, please feel free to query whomever feels like the best fit! We’re happy to coordinate internally. Best, Melanie

  3. Amy Giuffrida says:

    The opening lines in your story tugged at my heart. Not only is this a unique premise, but I think the reader will feel this story with their souls. I would be honored to read the full of this. Please send me your query, synopsis, and full manuscript to me here: QueryManager.com/AmyGiuffrida/PitchWars

    I cannot wait to read! I also wish you the very best of luck!
    Amy

  4. Jennifer Herrington says:

    Hi Peter,

    You have a great pitch! I am intrigued. I would love to see more.

    I hope you’ll consider submitting to me. You can send query, synopsis, and the first three chapters to QueryManager.com/JenniferHerrington/PitchWars2021

    Thanks! I hope to see your submission!

    Jenn

  5. Rena Rossner says:

    I’d love to read this! Please send the full manuscript attached as a word document to: rena (at) dhliterary (dot) com

    Best,

    – Rena Rossner
    The Deborah Harris Agency

  6. Lauren Spieller says:

    Hi Peter, and congratulations on completing Pitch Wars! I’d love to see this again. Please send your query + full manuscript to Lauren@triadaus.com, and put “PW Request” in the subject line. I look forward to hearing from you again! ~Lauren

  7. Hi, Peter.

    Action-adventure mythology AND a story about brothers? Too good. I so enjoyed enjoyed reading this excerpt, and I would love to see more.

    If you head to my agent page (jdlit.com/savannah-brooks), you’ll find my submission guidelines and link to QueryManager. Please be sure to include that this was a Pitch Wars request somewhere in the query.

    I look forward to reading more!

  8. Paige Wheeler says:

    Thank you for your participation in Pitch Wars. I found your project intriguing and would very much like to see the first two chapters of the manuscript. Please email me at paige@cmalit.com the following attachments in Microsoft Word format (not PDF):
     
    1. the first two chapters,
    2. a synopsis of your project,
    3. a short bio including any previous publications.
     
    To expedite the review process, please use “requested material-pitch wars” as the subject heading of your email.
     
    As a professional courtesy, please let me know if any other agents are considering your work. Also, if you do get an offer, please contact me so that I may be able to review and respond accordingly.

    I look forward to reading your work!
     
    Kind regards,
     
    Paige Wheeler 
    paige@cmalit.com

  9. Hannah VanVels says:

    Peter, I have been dying for a fantasy feature the Aztec world, and this sounds amazing! I’d love to take a look when you’re ready! Please submit your query, synopsis, and full manuscript at the link below. If more than one agent from Belcastro Agency likes your pitch, please submit to the one who you feel is the best fit.

    QueryManager.com/HannahVanVels/PitchWars

    Good luck!
    Hannah VanVels

  10. Megan Manzano says:

    I have been so excited for this submission and absolutely love the opening!!!

    If you’d like, please send your query, synopsis, and first 50 pages to the following: QueryManager.com/MeganManzano/PitchWars

    If more than one agent from D4EO requests your work, please choose the best fit for you.

  11. Karly Caserza says:

    Thank you for sharing your work. I’d love to see the first 20 pages. Please send them to QueryMe.online/Karly/ and add “PitchWars” before your title.

    If another Fuse agent requests your work, please query us one at a time.

  12. Em Lysaght says:

    Hi Peter, I would love to see more material for this project! I’ve actually been keeping an eye on this since you pitched DVPit. If you would like to submit to me, please send me your query letter, synopsis, and first 3 chapters/50 pages (whichever is longer) at the following link: QueryManager.com/emlysaght/Pitchwars2020

  13. Emily Forney says:

    Hi Peter! So, I am absolutely in LOVE with this concept. Middle grade that explores non-western mythologies is my sweet spot. I would love the opportunity to read your manuscript if you are willing. If so, please send the full manuscript to my email, eforney@bookendsliterary.com, with the subject line PitchWars and your manuscript title. I hope to see it!

  14. Ameerah Holliday says:

    Percy Jackson meets Coco has me hooked. I’d love to see more! Please send your query letter, bio and first 50 pages to Ameerah@serendipitylit.com

  15. Laurel Symonds says:

    I’m really intrigued by what I’ve seen so far and would love to read more! Please send the first 25 pages to symondsqueries@thebentagency.com and include “Pitch Wars” in the subject line. If more than one agent from The Bent Agency requests, you’re invited to send to all of us. Just let us know—thanks!

  16. Laura Bradford says:

    Great voice! That last exchange in the sample is promising some definite fun between these two. Please email me the full manuscript + synopsis at laura@bradfordlit.com. Please put Pitch Wars in the subject line and paste the pitch into your email. Thank you!

    Laura Bradford

    *If more than one agent from the Bradford Literary Agency has requested this, go ahead and send it to those agents and just let us know

  17. Haley Casey says:

    Dear Peter,

    This description of your work immediately had me hooked. I would love to read more!

    Would you please send your full manuscript, a synopsis of the project, and a short bio about what you do and any of your previous publications to Haley@CMALit.com? Each should be a separate attachment in Microsoft Word or PDF format. To ensure your email doesn’t get lost in the shuffle, please include “Pitch Wars” in your subject line.

    The two other agents at Creative Media Agency, Paige Wheeler and Shannon Snow, are participating in Pitch Wars with me. Should one of them also request your manuscript, we would appreciate it if you would choose the agent you’d most prefer to work with and only send them the requested materials. Should they pass on the project for any reason, and you find yourself still seeking an agent, then you are of course free to resubmit to another member of CMA.

    Thank you for taking the time to send me more of what you’ve written!

    Sincerely,
    Haley Casey

  18. Jennifer Azantian says:

    Hi Peter,

    I’d love to take a look at the full. If you’d like to query, please send your query letter, 1-2 page synopsis, and attached full manuscript here: QueryManager.com/AzantianLiterary/PW. If more than one ALA agent requests your work, please choose one of us to share with at a time.

    Thank you! I’m looking forward to reading!

    Warmest,
    Jennifer Azantian

  19. Alexandra Weiss says:

    Hi Peter! Everything about this sounds incredible! I would love to request the full manuscript, which you cans submit here: https://querymanager.com/query/AlexandraWeiss/PitchWars2021

    Looking forward to reading more!

    Alex Weiss
    Azantian Literary Agency

  20. Penelope Burns says:

    Hi Peter,

    I’d love to see this! If you’re interested, can you send your query and full manuscript to penelope@gelfmanschneider.com, with PitchWars in the subject line? Thank you!

    All best,
    Penelope

  21. Hi Peter,

    I was drooling over this one just from the PitchWars Twitter teasers I saw earlier…

    And so far, it doesn’t disappoint! I’d love to see the full. Could you please submit it via QueryManager.com/JenniferWills/PitchWars2020? I’d also love to see your query letter and a synopsis if you have one.

    Thanks so much!
    Jennifer Wills
    The Seymour Agency

  22. Peter Knapp says:

    Meant to say: Peter! I’d love to read more again. Please send a query in the body of the email to queries@parkfine.com with = “Pete Knapp – Pitch Wars: ALAN AND DANIEL VS THE AZTEC WORLDS (MG)” in the subject line. Please attach the manuscript as a Word document, and include a short synopsis (either in the beginning of the same document as the manuscript or as a separate attachment). Thank you, and I’m looking forward to considering. Warmly, Pete

  23. Kari Sutherland says:

    Hi Peter,
    I have been eagerly awaiting the chance to request this! Please send the full manuscript to me using the Pitch Wars event form I’ve set up: QueryManager.com/Kari_Sutherland_Query_Form/PitchWars. If more than one Bradford Agent requests, you can send to all of us, just let us know so we can coordinate. Warm wishes, Kari

  24. Amanda Rutter says:

    I really enjoyed your pitch and extract. Can you send the full through to Amanda Rutter from Azantian Literary Agency? Please also include the query, but no synopsis. The email should have Pitch Wars and the novel title in the subject line. The email address to use is amanda@azantianlitagency.com. If two agents from Azantian have requested, then please pick your preferred – we will share amongst ourselves if we think another agent would be a better fit. Thank you, and I look forward to reading!

  25. Renae Moore says:

    Please send your query, synopsis, and first two chapters of your book using the following link: QueryManager.com/renae/PitchWars
    Please feel free to apply to more than one agent at Tobias simultaneously. We will handle multiple submissions on our end.

  26. Jemiscoe Chambers-Black says:

    Hi Peter! I’m Jem, and I’m an agent at Andrea Brown Literary Agency. I love the voice here and would love to see what’s next up for Daniel and Alan. If you’re open to me considering your novel, please send me a query, a one to two-page synopsis, and the full manuscript to https://querymanager.com/query/Jemiscoe/PitchWars.

  27. Cindy Uh says:

    Peter,
    I’m already captivated by Daniel and Alan. Please send the first 100 pages as an attachment to cindy.uh@caa.com with “Pitch Wars” in the subject line. If you are submitting to more than one agent at CAA, if you could just make note of it, that would be great.
    Looking forward to reading!
    Warmly,
    Cindy Uh

  28. Chelsea Eberly says:

    Hi Peter,

    I love this new opening and am intrigued to see where the story goes from here! I’d love to read your full manuscript if you’d be open to sending it my way. I’m using Query Manager to keep things organized, here’s the link:

    https://querymanager.com/query/ChelseaEberly/PitchWars

    I hope to have the opportunity to read it. Good luck with Pitch Wars!

    Thanks,
    Chelsea Eberly

  29. Roseanne Wells says:

    Hi Peter, There is so much I love here–twins, mythology, and a great voice to start! I’d love to take a look. Please send the full manuscript and a synopsis as doc or docx attachments to queryroseanne@gmail.com with Query: #Pitchwars and the title in the subject line. Excited to read!

    Best,

    Roseanne