Pitch:
When sixteen-year-old Gwen’s sister returns from the Delphi School for Girls an eldritch, hollow husk, Gwen is desperate to reverse whatever sapped her sister’s soul. She manipulates her way into the Antarctic subterranean school for “troubled” girls filled with books written in blood and classmates brimming with magic. As she uncovers the truth, ghosts haunting the halls violently lash out; Gwen must find the strength to solve her sister’s mystery and save her first-ever friends… before the ghosts kill them all. WILDER GIRLS + A DEADLY EDUCATION
Excerpt:
New York, 1893
The brass handle taunts me, gleaming gold inlaid with an elaborate ‘D’ like a handcuff. Father had them installed throughout our home, insisting if we moved from our spacious eastside townhouse to the fashionable condominium in the Dakota, which loomed over Central Park like a specter, he wanted to brand it with a D for Donovan.
His name. Mother’s name. My name. And Izzy’s name—at least, for another hour. Until she becomes Mrs. Astor Wallingford—the wife of a man, rather than her own, individual person. She will be someone entirely new.
Again.
Because when she returned from finishing school ten weeks ago, after four years without any word from her, she’d turned from Dizzy Izzy to Miss Isolde. Worse, she was a husk of her former self. She used to be mischief and late-night talks in the moonlight. Fierce and spirited, her moods were fire and ice. But something had poisoned her heart and left the rot to fester. What remained was tepid and irritable.
My desire to grab that brass handle where it twists at the D like an exotic snake’s rattle, yank open the gilded door, and run is strong. Time is running out. I must find Izzy, and keep her from making the biggest mistake of her life.
I’d love to read this! Please send query letter and first 50 pages to jessica@dhliterary.com.
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
Hi, Kristen,
Love this premise! It’s dark and delicious! I’m so intrigued!!! Can you send me 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
I would love to read more! Please follow submission guidelines here https://QueryManager.com/JordyAlbert
Congratulations on completing Pitch Wars, Kristen! I’d love to see this again. Please send your query + full manuscript + synopsis to Lauren@triadaus.com, and put “PW Request” in the subject line. I look forward to hearing from you! ~Lauren Spieller
Hello Kristen!
Thank you so much for sharing your pitch and pages here! I lovelovelove this concept and your sample and I would be SO delighted if you would send me the rest. If you would like to share it with me (hopefully!), please send the full ms as a word doc to ellen@hgliterary.com. Don’t worry, I’ll remember this one and who you are 🙂
I can’t wait to read!
warmly,
Ellen
This sounds flipping AMAZING! 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
This sounds intriguing! I’d love to take a look at the full manuscript. Please submit using QueryManager.com/CateHart/REQ
I do love a good sister story! I’d love to read more. Please copy/paste your pitch or query letter to the first page of your manuscript before using this link to submit: QueryManager.com/1350/PW2022
If you have any trouble with the link, please email query@nelsonagency.com and we will assist you.
I’d love to see more of this! If you’d like, can you send your query and full manuscript to penelope@gelfmanschneider.com, with #PitchWars in the subject line? Thanks so much!
All best,
Penelope
Hi Kristen,
Such a fabulous premise! I’d love to read more. 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.) Thank you!
Best,
Katelyn
Hi Kristen,
I loved your pitch and would love the opportunity to read more. If interested, please sent me the first three chapters and synopsis to shannon@cmalit.com. Please put “Pitch Request” in the subject line. Thank you and hope to hear from you!
Shannon Snow
CMA, Inc. Literary Agent
Hi Kristen! I absolutely love this new opening for the story and would be thrilled to read more! 🙂 If you feel we’d be a good match, please send the full manuscript and fill out my form with the following link: QueryManager.com/dorianmaffei/Request
I’m really intrigued by what I’ve seen so far and would love to read 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!
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.
Wow, I want to read more! You can send me a query, full synopsis and 50 pages. Thanks! Good luck! Alli (at) stimolaliterarystudio (dot) com.
Hi Kristen,
Wow! This sounds fabulous! 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 hope to see your submission!
Jenn
Jennifer Herrington
Associate Agent
Harvey Klinger Literary Agency
Hi Kristen! I remember you queried me with an earlier version of this, but I’d love to read the revision. If you’re interested, you can send the full manuscript, your query, and a complete synopsis to my Query Manager at this link: QueryManager.com/Chelseahensley/PitchWars2021
Dear Kristen,
I really love this concept (1893 plus mystery and magic!!!), and I absolutely love the voice here…I would love to read your full manuscript if you’d like to send it along. I am at andreasubmissions (at) writershouse.com. (We just ask that creators only submit to one Writers House agent at a time.) I hope to see THE LIBRARY OF LOST GIRLS!
Congrats on being at this point in the Pitch Wars process.
Very best,
Andrea Morrison
Dear Kristen,
I love this pitch! I’ve been looking for a magical YA fantasy and I really like the dark (in more ways than one!) academia vibes of this. If you’d like me to consider it, please send your full manuscript to my email, lydia@darleyanderson.com, along with a cover letter and a synopsis.
Thanks so much,
Lydia
Hi Kristen!! I’m Caitlin from Emerald City Literary Agency and I had the opportunity to read a portion of your manuscript when you submitted to my colleague (she thought I would like it! And she was right!). I was really enjoying when I heard you were accepted into PitchWars (congrats!!!). I’d LOVE the chance to take a look at your full, if you’re also interested. If so, you can submit to my special PW page here: https://querymanager.com/query/caitlinwhite/PitchWars
Thank you so much, and best of luck!!
Caitlin (@caitforestell)
I can’t resist anything set in Antarctica (I lived there one summer)! This sounds like such a fun mashup and I’d love to see more. Please send me the full manuscript and synopsis (as attachments) at laura@bradfordlit.com and put Pitch Wars in your subject line.
Thank you!
Laura Bradford
***If you receive a request from more than one agent at Bradford Literary Agency, you are welcome to send to all agents who made the request, but just let us know when you send the material***
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.
Dear Kristen,
Congrats on making it through the editing rounds with your mentor! I’ve been eagerly awaiting the opportunity to check out everyone’s showcase samples. Based on what I’ve read so far, I’d love to see more. Please query me at this link (QueryManager.com/QueryQuressa/PW2022) and follow the directions. If more than one Folio Lit agent requests work from you it is okay to query more than one of us, just give us a heads-up. Good luck!
Thanks!
Quressa
Hi Kristen!
As a HUGE horror fan, I was immediately hooked here! I’d love to read your story.
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