Pitch:
Eleanor Oliphant X The Office
Office misfit Jolene manages her petty grievances with her colleagues via passive aggressive stunts. When she accidentally gains access to everyone’s emails, she realizes they’ve all got something to hide—and she might actually like them. But as Jolene uses her newfound knowledge to help them, her own carefully constructed lies are at risk of being exposed.
Excerpt:
There will be questions. Ones I don’t have socially acceptable answers for. I know this because today is my birthday, and I was summoned for a last-minute meeting. A poorly disguised office cake party is the worst thing to happen to me since I turned thirty-three, six and half hours ago. We’ll all be there against our will to eat dry sheet cake and force polite smiles. Also, the questions will be about my life and how I plan to celebrate. Answers: I don’t have a life and will likely celebrate by drinking alone and going down Reddit rabbit holes researching random and upsetting things like fecal-matter transplants, or the Golden State Killer, while making myself regret everything. I’m not sure that’s relatable, so I’ll say I’m having dinner with friends. They force me to lie just to fit into the Western Regional Office of Supershops Incorporated.
The meeting reminder flashes on my screen again, like a pesky cold sore. And I consider just walking away from it all. I look from my name-card that still faintly reads: Jolene Smith after years of violently fluorescent lighting, to the three pushpins that pierce the industrial fabric of my cubicle wall. They’ve always been there, even though I never got the urge to pin anything up.
And I don’t think that I could ever leave them.
Hi Natalie,
Congrats on completing Pitch Wars! I’d love to take a look at I HOPE THIS FINDS YOU WELL. You can query me directly using this link: QueryManager.com/melaniefigueroa/pitchwars
Best,
Melanie
Natalie,
I would love the opportunity to check this out!!
If you would like to submit to me email me your first three chapters and synopsis in Word format to Shannon@cmalit.com. Please put “Pitch Request” in the subject line.
I definitely hope to hear from you!
Shannon Snow
CMA, Inc. Literary Agent
What a great premise! I’m a sucker for character-driven fiction and an evangelist for Elinor Oliphant, so I’d love to read the full and get to know Jolene better. Thank you! please send as an attachment to andrea@transatlanticagency.com with the subject “pitch wars adult request” and the title in the subject line. I’ll look forward to more Jolene!
Andrea
Hi Natalie,
I love office dramas, and would be delighted to read more: mdquery@skagency.com if you think we might be a good fit.
Melissa
Your excerpt really grabbed me! Your voice is so sharp, and makes me really want to get to know this character. I’d love to see the full manuscript.
You can upload it here: QueryManager.com/klionetti/PitchWars
I hope to see it in my inbox!
** If more than one BookEnds agent requests, please just send to the one you think would be the best fit.
Hi Natalie!
Congratulations on completing Pitch Wars! I absolutely want to see what Jolene gets up to next. I hope you’ll send me your project! If you choose to do so, please send your query letter and the first 75 pages as a PDF to reskildsen@writershouse.com. I look forward to reading further!
Best,
Rebecca Eskildsen
I’m game! I’d be happy to take a look if you’d like to share. You can send the manuscript to me at jmccarthy@dystel.com. If any other DGB agents request, please feel free to choose whichever of us feels like the best match and let us know who else asked, and we’ll work it out in house! Thanks!
This sounds amazing. I’d love to take a look at more of your work. Please email me the synopsis and first 100 pages to me at paige@cmalit.com. Please write “Pitch Wars Requested Material” in the subject heading. Thanks so much!
Hi! Can you please send me your manuscript in a word doc? You can send it directly to me at querybonnies@gmail.com. Thanks!
I adore both comps and this sounds fantastic. Could you send me the full manuscript in an attached Word doc, the query pitch in the body of the email, subj line containing “Pitch Wars,” to laura(at)triadaus(dot)com? I look forward to reading. –Laura Crockett
I’d be excited to read your novel! Can you please email me your query + the full manuscript as a Word doc attachment to ebewley@sll.com? Please mention pitch wars in your subject line. Thanks! Elizabeth
Hello Natalie!
I’ve been eagerly looking for a 30-something women’s fiction novel that is relatable, and I think I HOPE THIS FINDS YOU WELL could be it! I’d love to see the entire manuscript.
Please use this link below to upload your full manuscript. This link will expire on 3/20/22, so please be sure to upload it before then.
QueryManager.com/TaraGilbert/PitchWars
I look forward to reading it!
Warmly,
Tara
Hi Natalie,
I adored ELEANOR OLIPHANT, and I’m really intrigued by the twist that learning people’s secrets makes Jolene like them more, not less. I’d love to see more of this project. If you’re interested in submitting, visit my Pitch Wars event QueryManager page (QueryManager.com/SavannahBrooks/Pitch_Wars_2022). It’ll ask for your first 20 pages.
I look forward to reading more!
Warmly,
Savannah
Hi Natalie. Congrats on PitchWars. I really love the voice and the hook here. I can’t wait to see how things unfold for Jolene! Please use this link to upload your full manuscript: QueryManager.com/1353/PW2022
Talk soon,
Joanna
Hi Natalie,
This sounds right up my alley! I’d love to take a look. Please upload your material to booksubmissions.caa.com with “Pitch Wars Request” in the subject line.
Best wishes,
Mollie
Hello! I love the voice in the sample here–I would love to see more! Please send the query (in the body of the email) synopsis (an attachment) and the first fifty pages (an attachment) to zrellor.books @ gmail.com (remove spaces.) Please include “PitchWars Request” in the subject line, and please only query one JDLA agent at a time!
Dear Natalie,
Thank you for sharing your work. I would love to see the full. Could you please send to lgalvin@aevitascreative.com with Pitchwars in the subject line. Please feel free to submit to other ACM agents who request. Thank you so much.
Sincerely,
Lori
Hi Natalie! I’m very intrigued to see what Jolene gets up to. I’d love to see your full synopsis and the first 50 pages (as an attached word document). You can send them to me at: 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]
I’d love to consider this! If you think we’d be a good fit, could you please send me the full manuscript at Jessica@inkwellmanagement.com?
Fun title, fresh concept and I love your voice! I’m completely sucked in and can’t wait to read.
Please send the full manuscript in Word (with the subject YOUR TITLE: #PW2021 Showcase) to jill@dijkstraagency.com.
I’m looking forward to reading more!
Jill
Dear Natalie, I’m really excited by your premise and would love to see more. Please send your synopsis and first three chapters (if you have a query letter, also welcome) to jerrera(at)janerotrosen(dot)com at your convenience. Pitch Wars in the subject line would be appreciated!
Hi Natalie, I’d love to read more! Can you please send the manuscript and pitch to shannon@marsallyonliteraryagency.com. Thanks, Shannon
Hi Natalie!
What a voice! I’d love to read more of I HOPE THIS FINDS YOU WELL. If you’re interested in sharing it with me, please do send the full ms to: rebecca@defliterary.com. Please label the subject: PITCH WARS REQUESTED.
Thanks so much! And, good luck in this process!
Cheers,
Rebecca Strauss
DeFiore and Company
I’m really enjoying what I’m reading so far—this is absolutely up my alley! I’d love to see more, so if you’d like, please feel free to send me the first 50 pages at larissa@jillgrinbergliterary.com, with “Pitch Wars” in the subject line.
Really great pitch and sample here! I’d love to take a look! You can e-mail a query, a full synopsis, and the first 50 pages to alli@sls-submissions.com. Thanks, and good luck!
Dear Natalie,
I really love this pitch. I’m an agent at Stimola Literary Studio, and I would be thrilled to read your manuscript. Please feel free to send it to me at:
allison@sls-submissions.com
Please put PITCHWARS in the subject line, and include a query, as well as your full manuscript.
I’m looking forward to it.
Best wishes,
Allison
Would love to see this manuscript in my inbox! Please send over the full manuscript and a synopsis to me at alex.rice@caa.com, using the subject line of “Pitch Wars Query // TITLE.” If another agent at CAA also requests, please include their name in the query as well. Looking forward to reading! All my best, Alex Rice
I’d like to see this manuscript! Please submit it along with a query letter here: QueryManager.com/Carlisle/PitchWars2022.
If more than one agent from Fuse Literary requests your work, please choose one of us to submit to.
Good luck, and I look forward to reading your work.
I would love to read! Please send your query and first 50 pages to dani@carolmannagency.com.
Hi Natalie,
This sounds so fun! Could you please send your query and full manuscript to me at katelyn@jillgrinbergliterary.com with “Pitch Wars” in the subject line? (Please note, if multiple agents from Jill Grinberg Literary Management request your ms, we ask that you only share with one.) Thanks so much!
Best,
Katelyn
“I’d like to see more— please send query letter, full manuscript, author bio, and synopsis to EWRquery@mcintoshandotis.com. Please attach all materials as Word documents, and include “Pitch Wars” in subject line. Thanks!”
Dear Natalie,
I HOPE THIS FINDS YOU WELL sounds really good (the title alone!) and I’d love to keep reading.
If you’re interested in sending, could you please email the full manuscript to tamara.kawar@icmpartners.com and make sure to include “PW2021” in your subject line?
Thank you!
Best,
Tamara
Hi there!
I’d love to read the first 50 pages of this. Please send them attached as a word document along with your query pasted into the email to: rena@dhliterary.com
Best,
Rena Rossner
The Deborah Harris Agency
This sounds great! I would love to read more. Can you please send the full manuscript attached as a Word document to queries@parkfine.com with “Pete Knapp – Pitch Wars – Adult” in the subject of your email? Please include the query letter at the start of your Word document, and if available please also send a short synopsis (but no worries if not readily available). Thanks! I look forward to reading. Pete Knapp / Park & Fine Literary and Media
I would love to read more! Would you please send the full manuscript to my attention at submissions@janklow.com? Please include as your subject line “For Stefanie Lieberman — Pitch Wars.” Thank you.