Have questions about submitting to Pitch Wars or just want to know what it is? Start here!

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 #02: THE SUPERNATURAL FILES OF CJ DELANEY (Mystery Adventure with Magical Elements)
Mentee:
Carol Williams
Mentored by:
Graci Kim and Karah Sutton
Book Title:
THE SUPERNATURAL FILES OF CJ DELANEY
Category:
2019 Entries
Genre:
Mystery Adventure with Magical Elements
Word Count:
40,000

Pitch:

#OwnVoices LOIS LANE meets BUFFY.  The pets of Galahad, Ohio are going missing, and eleven-year-old ace reporter CJ just has to get the big scoop before her archrival Bix Jr.  But hard-hitting news isn’t for softies: to save the pets and get her byline, CJ takes on a bloodthirsty goddess, a spellbound henchman, and a wily witch who isn’t what she seems.  Still, that’s easy peasy compared to getting her exclusive without tipping off Galahad’s police chief: her Dad.

 

Excerpt:

Rival gangs turn new skatepark into battlefield

That’s the headline I wanted to write.

I sighed, pecked at my keyboard and wrote the truth instead:

New skatepark opens this Saturday

Blah. Blah. Blah.

“CJ, when you’ve finished writing your article, step into my office.” My grandmother stood in her doorway holding a couple of sheets of notebook paper. Even though it was almost the end of the day, she looked as cool and crisp as ever. With her curly silver hair, glowing caramel skin and slim figure in slacks and a pretty blue blouse, I could picture the top journalist she’d been 30 years ago.

“Right!” I said, perking up. I recognized the papers in her hand. They were mine, and full of some of the best ideas I’d had yet for helping my grandmother turn the Galahad Guardian into a newspaper that would get noticed. Maybe even win it a Pulitzer Prize, like the Daily Breeze in California. After all, that was a small paper too, with only seven reporters and a circulation of 63,000.

Of course, the Guardian was even tinier than that, but the California paper didn’t have my grandmother, Countess Jewel “Conti” Delaney, running the show. And it also didn’t have Conti’s secret weapon: her granddaughter, Countess Jewel Delaney II.

That is, yours truly.

11 responses to “PW2019 MG #02: THE SUPERNATURAL FILES OF CJ DELANEY (Mystery Adventure with Magical Elements)”

  1. Peter Knapp says:

    Hi Carol,

    This sounds wonderful – 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

  2. Penny Moore says:

    Hi Carol,

    This sounds so intriguing and fun! I’d love to read more. Please follow the directions on my query form and submit your MS here: QueryMe.online/LiteraryPenny/PitchWars2020. Thanks!

    All the Best,
    Penny Moore

  3. Alexandra Weiss says:

    Hi Carol! This sounds so fun and I really enjoy CJ’s voice. I’d love to read more. Please send the first 50 pages of the manuscript to me at http://queryme.online/AlexandraWeiss/PitchWars2019.

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

  4. John Cusick says:

    I’m so intrigued! I’d love to see your query and first ten pages. You can reach me at john [@] foliolit.com. Looking forward to connecting!

  5. Adriann Ranta Zurhellen says:

    Hi Carol,

    Am loving what I’ve read so far! Please submit the first 50 pages and a 1-2 page synopsis to arsubmissions@foundrymedia.com, cc’ing in flmasst@foundrymedia.com, with the subject line “Pitch Wars: The Supernatural Files of CJ Delaney.” Thanks so much, and looking forward to diving in further!

    Adriann

  6. Quressa Robinson says:

    This sounds super cute and I’d love to see more. Please query me at this link (QueryMe.online/QueryQuressa/PW20192020) and follow the directions. If more than one NLA agent requests work from you it is okay to query more than one of us, just give us a heads-up. Good luck!

  7. Jennifer Unter says:

    This sounds great – I’d 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!

  8. Shannon Hassan says:

    Hi Carol, this sounds darling and I would love to read more! Please send a query + 50 pages to shannon@marsallyonliteraryagency.com (with PitchWars in the subject) Thanks, Shannon

  9. Tara Gonzalez says:

    Hi Carol,

    I would absolutely love to read this – will you send me your query and first 20 pages to tara@emliterary.com at your convenience, and mention Pitch Wars in the subject? There’s no timeline on my end, just whenever you feel ready!

    Thanks so much!

    Tara Gonzalez
    Associate Agent
    Erin Murphy Literary Agency
    http://emliterary.com/

  10. Heather Cashman says:

    Hi, Carol,

    What a great character!

    If you think we might be a good fit, please query me (with ‘Pitch Wars’ in the referral line) at http://QueryMe.Online/HeatherCashman and I’ll request the full asap so you can upload it.

    All the Best,
    Heather

  11. Whitney Ross says:

    I’m intrigued, Carol! Please do send me the full manuscript and a detailed synopsis. Our submission guidelines can be found here: https://www.irenegoodman.com/submissions