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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.
PW2019 MG #05: THE DISAPPEARANCE OF DYLAN DEARBORN (Contemporary)
Mentee:
Brendan Maghran
Mentored by:
Amanda Panitch
Book Title:
THE DISAPPEARANCE OF DYLAN DEARBORN
Category:
2019 Entries
Genre:
Contemporary
Word Count:
55,000

Pitch:

THE REMARKABLE JOURNEY OF COYOTE SUNRISE x ALL THE GREYS ON GREENE STREET. 12-year-old Will and his older brother are best friends until Dylan relapses into drug use and disappears for the zillionth time. When their parents say Dylan is dangerous, and that they finally have to cut him off, Will is determined. In order to prove his brother is the gentle soul he knows him to be, he must do what the cops couldn't: find Dylan.

 

Excerpt:

Will couldn’t cut the frog.

He stared at the glistening creature splayed on its spotted green and yellow back. It was his job to make the incision before he and his science partners sorted the organs and labeled them on the paper diagram, and he certainly didn’t want it to seem like he was afraid to cut a dead frog. That type of information would blaze through the seventh grade like wildfire. And if Will knew anything about seventh grade, it was this: D.B.S.

Don’t Be Soft.

Will gripped the medical scissors. Sweat dampened the skin beneath his pale blue gloves. He tried to force his arm toward the frog, but his hand trembled each time he lifted it from the desk. He blinked, eyes stinging from the sick-smelling formaldehyde coating the frog’s skin. Will poked a finger beneath his safety glasses and wiped his eye.

“Are you seriously crying?” said one of his science partners. “It’s just a frog.”

Will bit the inside of his cheek. Not hard, but in the thoughtful way he did when working something out in his head. It wasn’t just a frog. It had once been a living, breathing creature. He wondered if it’d come from a swamp, or pond, and if it had simply died of old age and been found floating on a lily pad.

29 responses to “PW2019 MG #05: THE DISAPPEARANCE OF DYLAN DEARBORN (Contemporary)”

  1. Tara Gilbert says:

    This sounds great! I love your voice and would like to see more.

    Please use the link below to submit the full along with a synopsis and query letter.

    Thank you for considering me! If more than one Corvisiero agent shows interest, please choose one of us submit to and let them know who else liked the pitch, so that we can share it with each other.

    QueryMe.online/TaraGilbert/Requested

  2. Saba Sulaiman says:

    Hi Brendan,
    This is wonderful and I’d love to read more! Please send a query, synopsis, and the first fifty pages (Word documents will suffice) to ssulaiman@talcottnotch.net — and don’t forget to mention #PitchWars in your subject line. Thanks—looking forward to my read!
    Good luck,
    –Saba

  3. Rena Rossner says:

    Hi there! I’d love to take a look at the first 50 pages. Please send them attached as a word document to rena@thedeborahharrisagency.com

    Thanks!

    – Rena Rossner

  4. I love this opening. It reveals so much about Will, and coupled with your compelling premise I just have to read more. If you could please send your query, full manuscript and a complete, detailed synopsis to hilaryquery@ktliterary.com with “Pitchwars: Your Title” in the subject field. Can’t wait to dive in!

  5. Megan Manzano says:

    This definitely sounds like it’ll make me cry which means I want to see more!

    Please send your query, synopsis, and first 30 pages to the following link: https://querymanager.com/query/MeganManzano/PitchWars

  6. Andrea Cascardi says:

    Wow this is a very powerful opening! I love the premise and the comps, and I really appreciate sibling stories. I’d be thrilled to see the full in my inbox: andrea@transatlanticagency.com

  7. Ann Leslie Tuttle says:

    Dear Mr. Maghran,

    I was captivated by your excerpt for The Disappearance of Dylan Dearborn and would welcome the chance to read further. Please do send the full manuscript to me at atuttle@dystel.com. I look forward to hearing from you.

    Best,

    Ann Leslie Tuttle

  8. Marlo Berliner says:

    This is off to a great start and I’d love to read more! Please send the full with Pitchwars Adult in the subject line to marlo.jdlit@gmail.com. Looking forward to reading!

  9. Alexandra Weiss says:

    Hi Brendan! This sounds like such an important, heartbreaking story and your opening is so strong. I’d love to read more. Please send the full manuscript to me at http://queryme.online/AlexandraWeiss/PitchWars2019.

    Thanks so much!
    Alexandra Weiss
    The Jennifer De Chiara Literary Agency

  10. Peter Knapp says:

    Hi Brendan,

    This sounds great – I’d love to keep reading! Can you please send the full manuscript to queries@parkfine.com attached as a Word document, along with a 1-3 (or so) page synopsis if available (in the same document as the MS or attached as a separate doc is fine)? Please include a query letter in the body of the email and put “PitchWars Submission – Pete Knapp” in the subject of the email. Thanks so much for the opportunity, and I look forward to reading!

    With warm regards,

    Pete Knapp
    Park & Fine Literary and Media

  11. Caitlen Rubino-Bradway says:

    I’d love to see more of this! Please send the full ms and a synopsis to crubinobradway AT lkgagency DOT com.

  12. Claire Friedman says:

    Hi Brendan! Wow, what a powerful, timely concept — I’d love to consider this. Please do send through your query letter + first 50 pages to claire@inkwellmanagement.com — CF

  13. Jennifer Unter says:

    I like the sound of this and your opening – would love to read more! Please forward the first 50 pages as a Word attachment to jen.nadol (at) theunteragency (dot) com with PW Request in the subject line. Thanks!

  14. Mary Cummings says:

    I’d be happy to read more. Please send the first approx 25 pp and final approx 25 pp as a Word doc, with a synopsis, to b.amster.kidsbooks@gmail.com. Be sure to mark header “REQUESTED MATERIAL/PWMG” as we delete emails with attachments without this note. Thanks much.
    MARY
    Mary Cummings
    Agent, Books for Kids and Teens – Betsy Amster Literary Enterprises
    amsterlit.com cummingskidlit.com

  15. Jessica Errera says:

    Hi Brendan,

    Would love to see the full ms of this–please send as an attachment to jerrera@janerotrosen.com (and a synopsis if you have!). I look forward to reading more

  16. Kristin Nelson says:

    What a lovely opening! I’d be delighted to take a look at your full manuscript. I’ve created a special Pitch Wars link so you can send the manuscript my way.

    Query Manager Event Link
    QueryMe.online/1350/PW20192020

    Pls also include your query letter as the first page of your full manuscript to help orient me when I dive in for the longer read starting on the 11th.

    It’s also okay to send to more than one agent at NLA if you have received multiple requests. We’ll coordinate on our end.

    Congrats on being a part of Pitch Wars. I can’t wait to read.
    Kristin

  17. Carlisle Webber says:

    I’d like to see this! Please send a query letter and 10 pages to carlisle @ fuseliterary .com with the subject PitchWars: TITLE. Thanks!

  18. Penelope Burns says:

    Hi Brendan,

    I would love to see this! Can you send the query and full manuscript to penelope@gelfmanschneider.com, with #PitchWars in the subject? Thank you!

    All best,
    Penelope

  19. Adria Goetz says:

    I already love Will! Would love to read more. Will you send the first chapter my way? adria@martinlit.com

  20. Wendi Gu says:

    Hi Brendan!

    I love this opening salvo and would be very interested in reading the rest. Please send the full manuscript + query letter to wgu@sjga.com. I look forward to hearing from you, at your convenience!

    All my best,
    Wendi

  21. Mollie Glick says:

    Hi Brendan,

    This sounds right up my alley! Please send over the full manuscript to mollie.glickasst@caa.com.

    Best,
    Mollie Glick

  22. Ginger Clark says:

    I would love to take a look at this. Can you email me the first fifty pages as either a PDF or DOCX or RTF? Put the words “Pitchwars 2020 request” in your subject line. Thank you so much!

  23. Clelia Gore says:

    Hi, Brendan! I’m intrigued by this! I love stories about siblings’ strong bond. Please send the full manuscript (Microsoft Word doc format) along with a query letter to my email at clelia@martinlit.com. Please put “Pitch Wars” in the subject line. I look forward to taking a closer look!

  24. Sara Crowe says:

    I would love to keep reading, please send the full! Sara

  25. Kari Sutherland says:

    I’d like to read more–Will’s voice is so relatable. Can you please query me here with “Pitch Wars” in the Title line too? https://querymanager.com/query/Kari_Sutherland_Query_Form Looking forward to seeing it!

  26. Melissa Nasson says:

    I would love to see more of this. Please send the full manuscript as a Word doc or PDF attachment to melissa@rpcontent.com with Pitch Wars in the subject line. Thank you!

    -Melissa Nasson, Rubin Pfeffer Content

  27. Sabrina Taitz says:

    Would love to see more – please send the full manuscript in PDF format to staitz@wmeagency.com. Thank you! — Sabrina Taitz @ WME

  28. Laurel Symonds says:

    Hi! I’d love to see this. Please send a query and 25 pages to symondsqueries@thebentagency.com with “Pitch Wars” in the subject line. I’m looking forward to reading more!

  29. Elizabeth Bewley says:

    Dear Brendan,
    I’d be excited to read your full manuscript! Can you please email it to me at ebewley@sll.com.
    Thanks,
    Elizabeth Bewley
    Sterling Lord Lit