Pitch:
WINTER'S ORBIT meets The Expanse
Mage pilot Nikita has a problem: she's not a real mage, and her magic-generating augmentations are killing her. So when her ex appears with a dangerous job in exchange for a cure, she can't refuse. All she needs to do is hoodwink a legendary captain, avoid falling for the ship's spy, and steal a human soul without losing her own. No pressure.
Excerpt:
Every proximity klaxon in the Unbiased Sycophant blared in Nikita’s ears, and data poured onto her display in red and green rivulets.
Her adrenal augments pounded her body with alacrity. She whipped her head around, a hundred tiny cameras on the hull transferring a seamless feed of the outside universe to the bulbous rig covering her head.
Above, the total blackness of infinite distance and hard vacuum. Below, the orangish-red clouds of the gas giant Athena. A constant gyre of lightning strikes and winds fast enough to tear the ill-maintained Sycophant to shreds.
And at the horizon, twin exhaust plumes showed through the glare.
Torpedoes.
“How many?” Captain Regran demanded over comms.
“Two incoming,” Nikita said.
“Where the fuck’s ErSec?”
A pause, then the first mate cursed. “No response!”
Typical. You couldn’t trust Eriadanus Securities at the best of times, and this wasn’t the best of times.
Regran growled. “Why do we even pay taxes? Pilot, get us out of here.”
Nikita rolled her eyes. Always the best ideas.
She breathed deep, pulled magic into the augs implanted throughout her body, and drove the molten energy into the control arm in her hands. The magic scalded all the way, a familiar pain.
The control arm absorbed the raw power and transferred it to the ship’s reactors to combine with the primary fuel. The freighter lurched, shimmied, rocketed forward.
But it wasn’t enough.
Hello, and congrats on completing Pitch Wars! Absolutely love this concept already–please do send the full manuscript + a synopsis attached as word docs to my attention at submissions (at) rootliterary (dot) com, with Pitch Wars in the subject line. If any of my colleagues also request, feel free to pick one of us or just mention us all and we’ll sort it on our end. Cheers, Kurestin Armada @ Root Literary
Hi TB! I love the tone of this pitch and I’d like to take a look at more. Please send a full synopsis and the first 50 pages (as an attached word document) to jessica@jenniferlyonsliteraryagency.com, and please write “PitchWars” in the subject line so I’m sure to see it quick. Thank you and looking forward to reading! – Jessica Felleman[she/her]
Dear TB,
Congrats on making it through the editing rounds with your mentor! I’ve been eagerly awaiting the opportunity to check out everyone’s showcase samples. Based on what I’ve read so far, I’d love to see more. Please query me at this link (QueryManager.com/QueryQuressa/PW2022) and follow the directions. If more than one Folio Lit agent requests work from you it is okay to query more than one of us, just give us a heads-up. Good luck!
Thanks!
Quressa
Hi TB! This is a great pitch and I’d love to see more of your work! Would you please send me your first 25 pages via my Query Manager form: QueryManager.com/MWBelford/PitchWars?
Thank you!
-Matt
This sounds great, and I’d love to take a look! Please send me your query and first 50 pages at QueryManager.com/BridgetSmith/PitchWars2022. Can’t wait to read!