Pitch:
12-year-old Peony is keeping a big secret from her best friends: her parents lost their jobs, and the house is next. When she’s given a magical book that could hold the key to her family’s happiness, she’ll need to read between its lines or risk losing not only her home, but her friendships, too.
Excerpt:
Hollyfield Middle School’s morning announcements crackled to life on the TV in homeroom, but I barely looked up from my book, Lois Lowry’s The Giver.
I’d been reading even more than usual these days. Anything to block out the tendrils of worry and sighs and hushed whispers rising to my bedroom from the kitchen below.
“Listen up,” sang Ms. Delaney, my homeroom teacher, tapping her coffee cup with a red acrylic nail. “Time for the announcements.” She lifted the steaming mug to her ruby lips and peered over the rim, her eyes scanning homeroom. She paused on me.
“Even you, Miss Peony,” she said after taking a sip, winking.
I nodded, closed my book and tightened my ponytail, then made a bridge with my hands and rested my chin on it, turning my gaze forward.
It’d been six months since my twelfth birthday, six months since Mom and Dad interrupted our Afternoon Reading, a daily ritual for the three of us, books open, tea steaming, blankets unfolded. Dad had stopped our reading to have a Talk, which is not part of the ritual.
But I kind of knew something was coming, because I know Mom and Dad like stars know planets.
Dad is my sun and Mom is my moon, and the tides in my heart have always swelled by them. But last year, gradually, like waves fading into the distant sea without being noticed, something in Mom and Dad faded, too.
I’d love to read the full manuscript! Could you email it to me at slandis@sll.com? Looking forward to reading more! Thanks!
This sounds wonderful and I’d love to read more! Please send your query, synopsis, and first 30 pages to the following link: https://querymanager.com/query/MeganManzano/PitchWars
Hi Robyn!
I love this premise and the lyrical style of your writing! I’d be thrilled to read more!
Could you send your query, synopsis, and full manuscript to Kelly@reesagency.com? You can simply attach the manuscript as a Word document and make sure to put “Pitch Wars Requested Submission” in the subject title! =)
Looking forward to reading more, and wishing you all the best of luck!
-Kelly Peterson
Hi Robyn! This sample is so beautifully written and is already pulling at my heart. 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
Hi Robyn,
I’d love to read! Please send the ms. as a doc to medwards at stonesong dot com. Thanks!
All best,
Melissa
I’m so intrigued by your pitch and excerpt, and I’d love to see your full manuscript! If you’d like to submit to me, you can do so through this link: QueryMe.online/ErinClyburn/PitchWars.
Hi Robyn,
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
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
I’d like to see this! Please send a query letter and 10 pages to carlisle @ fuseliterary .com with the subject PitchWars: TITLE. Thanks!
Hi Robyn,
This sounds wonderful–right up my alley! I’d love to see more. If you’d like, please send the first 25-30 pages to QueryMe.online/1325/PitchWars. Thanks and I hope to hear from you!
Karyn Fischer
I would love to keep reading this story. Please send the full! Sara