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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.
PW2021 MG #13: BEA MULLINS TAKES A SHOT (LGBTQ Contemporary #OwnVoices)
Mentee:
Emily Deibert
Mentored by:
Rebecca Petruck
Book Title:
BEA MULLINS TAKES A SHOT
Category:
Middle Grade
Genre:
LGBTQ Contemporary #OwnVoices
Word Count:
49,500

Pitch:

12-yo Bea thought the hardest part of girls’ hockey was falling down. Turns out that’s nothing compared to falling for her teammate. When a lack of funding threatens the team’s future, she’ll have to face her insecurities to keep her friends—and her crush—on the ice. SIDETRACKED x ALMOST FLYING

 

Excerpt:

There’s no way I’m joining the girls’ hockey team.

It’s the first table I see when I walk into the cafeteria with my best friend, Celia Chan, for the Glenview Middle sports fair. They’re way off in the corner, but their bright red banner’s hard to miss. Especially since they look like the only team that actually prepared for this.

And, I mean, fine. Hockey may be one of the few sports I know anything about (a side-effect of having an NHL nut for a dad). But it’s also one of the sweatiest sports in existence—and if I’m going to have to stink at something, I’d prefer not to do it literally.

“I can’t believe you’re finally joining a team with me again!” Celia loops her arm through mine and grins.

I flinch at the reminder of the last team we joined together. It’s not like Celia’s bringing it up on purpose, but the memory still stings.

“I don’t think joining’s the right word,” I point out, “considering Coach Armstrong’s not giving us much choice in the matter.”

When the gym flooded last week, it should’ve been the greatest day in the history of middle school. I mean, if I was a gym teacher, class would’ve been #Cancelled: everyone’s ticket out of the cruelest part of seventh grade. But Coach “suggested” to our parents that we be “encouraged” to join an extracurricular instead.

And my parents took that seriously.

21 responses to “PW2021 MG #13: BEA MULLINS TAKES A SHOT (LGBTQ Contemporary #OwnVoices)”

  1. Amanda Rutter says:

    I would love you to submit your Pitch Wars entry to me, using my Query Manager form: QueryManager.com/Amanda_Rutter/PitchWars Please send through the query letter and the full manuscript. If more than one Azantian agent requests materials, please pick the one you feel would fit you best.

  2. Andrea Morrison says:

    Dear Emily,
    I think this is such a great pitch! I love the concept and the voice in these sample pages. I also really enjoyed reading your Pitch Wars interview. If you’re open to sending, I’d love to read the full manuscript. I’m at andreasubmissions (at) writershouse.com. (We ask that creators only submit to one Writers House agent at a time.) I hope to see your work! Congrats on being at this point in the Pitch Wars process.
    Very best,
    Andrea Morrison

  3. Kurestin Armada says:

    Hello, and congrats on completing Pitch Wars! I absolutely love the voice here 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

  4. Mollie Glick says:

    Hi Emily,
    I’d love to take a look at this! Please upload your material to booksubmissions.caa.com with “Pitch Wars Request” in the subject line.
    Best wishes,
    Mollie

  5. Alexandra Weiss says:

    Hi Emily! I adore this concept and am loving the voice so far. I’d love to request the full manuscript!

    If you’d like to send it my way, please upload it here: QueryManager.com/AlexandraWeiss/PitchWars2021

    ​Alexandra Weiss (she/her)
    Azantian Literary Agency
    http://www.azantianlitagency.com

  6. Samantha Wekstein says:

    Hi Emily,

    I love the voice here, and I’ve been hunting for projects that feature sports teams! I’d love to see your query and first 50 pages. If you’re interested, please send them to QueryManager.com/SamanthaWekstein/PitchWars. Thank you!

    All the best,

    Samantha Wekstein

  7. Jennifer Herrington says:

    Hi Emily,

    Wow! This sounds fabulous! What a fantastic premise. I would love to see more if you were comfortable sharing. Please submit your query, synopsis, and the full manuscript to: QueryManager.com/JenniferHerrington/PitchWars2022.

    I really hope to see your submission!

    Jenn
    Jennifer Herrington
    Associate Agent
    Harvey Klinger Literary Agency

  8. Penelope Burns says:

    I’d love to see this! If you’d like, can you send the query letter and full manuscript to penelope@gelfmanschneider.com, with #PitchWars in the subject line? Thanks so much!

    All best,
    Penelope

  9. Allison Hellegers says:

    This sounds up my alley! 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!

  10. Eva Scalzo says:

    Hi Emily,

    This sounds super adorable and right up my alley. I’d love to see the full manuscript, if you are interested in sending it my way. You can submit the full here: QueryManager.com/evascalzo/PitchWars2022

    And if you want to know more about me, here’s a link to my website: http://www.evascalzo.com and my twitter handle is @evascalzo.

    Best of luck to you!
    Eva

  11. Hi, Emily,

    Love this premise and your voice! Please send more!!! I’d love the full and a synopsis (2-4 pages)? Please use Times New Roman, size 12, black, double-spaced text, 1” margins all around, and ½” paragraph indents. Paste your pitch in the body of the email and attach the manuscript and synopsis as two separate Word documents (docx). Send to: lynnette (at) theseymouragency (dot) com and add “Pitch Wars Request” along with your title in the subject line. Thanks.

    If more than one agent from The Seymour Agency likes your entry, please send requested material to the agent you feel will be the best fit. #OneAgentAtATime

    Looking forward to reading more.

    Best,

    Lynnette

  12. Saritza Hernandez says:

    This sounds so cool! I’d love to read the full! If you think we could be a good fit, please submit the materials via my QueryManager form here: QueryManager.com/Saritza/PitchWars

    If more than one ABLA agent has requested the pages, please let us know via the form and we’ll make sure to share.

    Looking forward to reading this one.

    ~Saritza

  13. Carlisle Webber says:

    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.

  14. Ronald Gerber says:

    Hi Emily, this sounds so cool! I love the mix of girls’ sports and queer rep. Would you please send your query and the first 50 pages to ronald@bookhaven.com, with “Pitch Wars” in the subject line?

  15. Kaitlyn Johnson says:

    Gotta love me some girls in sports. I would love to see the full manuscript. If you find us a match, please send query, synopsis, and pages to QueryManager.com/KaitlynJohnson/Contests

    Best,
    Kaitlyn Johnson
    Belcastro Literary Agency

  16. Laurel Symonds says:

    Hello! This sounds so cute! I’d like to see more. If you’re interested, please send me your query + first 25 pages with “Pitch Wars” in the subject line to symondsqueries@thebentagency.com. (If more than one agent from The Bent Agency requests materials, feel free to send to all of us–just let us know. Thank you!) Looking forward to reading more!

  17. Michaela Whatnall says:

    It’s wonderful to see a queer sports story for middle grade readers! I would love the opportunity to consider this project. Please send a query and the first 50 pages as a Word document to me via Query Manager at this link: QueryManager.com/michaelawhatnall/PitchWars2021 If you have any trouble using the link, you’re welcome to email me instead at mwhatnall@dystel.com.

    If you’ve received a request from more than one Dystel, Goderich & Bourret agent, please only submit to the agent here that you feel would be the best fit, and let that agent know about any other requests you received from our agency. Thank you!

  18. Patrice Caldwell says:

    Love this, please send the first 50 pages to query@newleafliterary.com with this in the subject: Query, Patrice Caldwell, Pitch Wars

    Thanks!

  19. Kari Sutherland says:

    Bea’s voice is really catchy (I, too, hated gym class), and I’d love to read more. If you think we’d be a good match, please send the full to me using the submission form: QueryManager.com/Kari_Sutherland_Query_Form/PitchWars.

    Warm wishes,
    Kari

  20. Christa Heschke says:

    Hi Emily!

    My assistant Daniele and I would love to read this! What a great premise, and we already love Bea’s voice. 🙂

    Please send your query, synopsis, and full manuscript via Query Manager at this link: QueryManager.com/christa_heschke/PitchWars2122

    Thank you!
    -Christa Heschke, McIntosh & Otis

  21. Lee OBrien says:

    Hi Emily,

    I would love to read this! Could you send the query and full MS to lee.queries@irenegoodman.com, with Pitch Wars in the subject line?

    If more than one IGLA agent requests your work, please only send to one of us at a time—if they pass, you’re welcome to reach out to another!

    Best,
    Lee