Pitch:
Eighteen-year-old Carmen might play Belle at children’s birthday parties, but she feels more like the Beast, especially after falling a few credits short of her high school diploma. When she’s trusted to perform at her spoiled cousin’s quinceañera, she must prove to her family she isn’t the screw-up they think she is — without getting distracted by her new dance partner, who happens to be her ex. Jane the Virgin meets Jenny Han.
Excerpt:
Once upon a time, there was a sign. Three, actually. Too bad Mami missed them all.
“That was your left,” I said as we passed our turn. The humid, flowered streets of Miami slid by. The wrong streets.
“Coño, this street has three different names, Carmen!” Mami glared at me in her rearview mirror. My fault. As usual.
Through six layers of sky blue satin, my best friend Waverly muttered something about being late.
“Maybe we’ll turn into pumpkins and I won’t have to dance with a guy wearing an animal head,” I said.
“Maybe start taking this seriously?”
Waverly and I worked as party princesses for a company called Dreams Come True. She usually played Cinderella, but since this was my first party, I didn’t have a “usually” yet.
My buttercup yellow Belle dress lay on my lap, as heavy as a baby, still smelling like dry cleaner fluid. As soon as Waves finished putting herself together, she had to help me. I had no idea what to do with this monstrosity. This was the most formal dress I’d worn since my baptism gown, because I didn’t go to prom or even have a quinceañera.
I’m not exactly the buttercup satin, bluebirds-singing-around-her type. Satin means sweat stains. And if there are birds around me, it’s because they’re in an arroz con pollo and I’m eating them.
This sounds so right up my alley! Please send me the full manuscript (Microsoft Word form is best) at clelia@martinlit.com, along with a query. Please include “Pitch Wars” in the subject line. Thanks for sharing! Nice job!
Hi Monica,
I would love to read more of this! Could you please send your query, along with the full manuscript as a Word doc attachment, to patricia@marsallyonliteraryagency.com? Please make the subject line “PitchWars YA Request: Once Upon a Quinceañera.”
Thanks so much!
Patricia
I’d love the chance to read this full manuscript. You can send to me at jmccarthy@dystel.com. Thanks so much.
Happy Pitch Wars!
Jim
Congratulations on completing Pitch Wars! I really enjoyed this and I’d love to see more. Please send your query in the body of an email, plus your full manuscript and a synopsis (attached). I look forward to reading!
Lauren Spieller
TriadaUS Literary Agency
lauren@triadaus.com
“Jane the Virgin meets Jenny Han” sounds like the book of my dreams. Please send the full manuscript (as a Word doc) to me at brent(at)triadaus(dot)com.
Dear Ms. Gomez-Hira,
Everything about this sample–the pitch, the voice, the writing–have me extremely excited to read the full manuscript. You’ve made the characters live vividly in such a short excerpt, I can’t wait to see the rest and hope you’ll share it with me. Please send it to andrea@transatlanticagency.com with PitchWars Mentee and the title in the subject line. (send either Word or pdf attachment).
I’m very much looking forward to reading this!
Thank you,
Andrea
Love this! I’d love to take a look. Please upload the synopsis and full manuscript here: QueryMe.online/KimLionetti/PitchWars
Hi! I’d love to take a look. Please email the ms. as a double-spaced .doc to medwards@stonesong.com. Thank you!
I’d love to see more of this! Please send the full ms and a synopsis to crubinobradway AT lkgagency DOT com.
Hi there!
I’d love to take a look at this full manuscript. Can you please send it attached as a word document to: rena@thedeborahharrisagency.com
Thanks! I can’t wait to read!
Best,
Rena Rossner
The Deborah Harris Agency
Hi Monica,
I’d love to read more! Will you please submit your full manuscript here: https://querymanager.com/query/LiteraryPenny/PitchWars ? Thanks!
Penny
Hi! I’d love to read this! Please email it to slandis@sll.com. Thanks!
Monica,
Great pitch! You hooked me!!! Can you send me the pitch, 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. Attach the manuscript and synopsis as two separate Word documents (docx). Sent 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
Hi Monica,
I’d be happy to read more! Can you please email me the first 50 pages to ebewley@sll.com?
Thanks!
Elizabeth Bewley
Sterling Lord Lit
This is so fun! I would really like to take a look. Please follow this link for submission guidelines: http://queryme.online/1352/PitchWars2019
This sounds amazing and the opening already had me laughing – I would love an opportunity to consider! Can you please send the query letter (in the body of an email) and manuscript (attached as a Word doc) to queries@parkfine.com with “Pitch Wars submission – Pete Knapp” in the subject? Thank you!
– Pete Knapp / Park & Fine Literary and Media
Hi Monica,
I absolutely love this! I really want to read more and would love to see the full manuscript. If you wouldn’t mind uploading, please follow the link QueryMe.online/1067/PitchWars2019. I can’t wait to read!
Thank you!
Best,
Natascha Morris
BookEnds Literary
Hi Monica,
I would love to read the full manuscript for this! Would you please send it to my email ahenkin@tridentmediagroup.com and copy my assistant henkin.assistant@tridentmediagroup.com. I look forward to reading!
Best,
Alyssa
Hi Monica!
I really love what you have here. Will you please send me the full manuscript as a word doc attachment to channigan@hsgagency.com ?
I can’t wait to keep reading.
Best wishes,
Carrie
I love your writing – and this pitch! I’d be more than happy to take a look at your work if you’d like to share with me. If so, please send the first 50 pages attached as a word doc to tc@cbltd.com. Thank you!
I would love to read the first five chapters of your manuscript. Please e-mail them to me at jhanson (at) metamorphosisliteraryagency (dot) com.
Thank you, and best of luck in Pitch Wars!
Jana Hanson
This sounds wonderful! I can’t wait to read more!
Please send the query and full manuscript to me at suzie (at) newleafliterary (dot) com.
Hi Monica,
I’d love to see this! 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 Monica! This sounds amazing and I adore Carmen’s voice! I’d love to read more. Please send a query letter and attach the full manuscript as a Word doc with “Pitch Wars” in the subject line to alexweiss.jdlit@gmail.com.
If more than one JDLA agent requests this, please feel free to submit to the best fit. Thank you!
Hi Monica! I would love to read the first three chapters/synopsis of ONCE UPON A QUINCEAÑERA if you would send them (in the body of an email is fine) to jerrera(at)janerotrosen(dot)com at your convenience. And please mention PitchWars in the subject line–looking forward to reading more!
Dear Monica Gomez-Hira,
I’m most intrigued by the description of your novel, ONCE UPON A QUINCEAÑERA. Could you please send me the full manuscript as an e-mail attachment? I can be reached at queries@pandeliterary.com.
Thank you so much, and I look forward to reading your work.
All the best,
Serene Hakim
Hi! I’d love to read more! Please email me at eparker [at] ldlainc [dot] com:
* Subject line: PitchWars Submission: YOUR BOOK TITLE
* Your query letter in the body of the email
* The full manuscript attached as a Word document
Thanks!
Elana Roth Parker
Laura Dail Literary Agency
http://www.ldlainc.com
I would love to see this. Can you please send the full ms to me at info@thebentagency.com. Please put the query in the body of your email and #pitchwars in the subject line. Thanks!
Dear Monica,
Erin Harris of Folio here. I LOVED this! That last line is such perfection. Please send the entire manuscript to eharris@foliolit.com with “Pitch Wars Submission” in the subject line.
Can’t wait to read!
All best,
Erin
Hi Monica- I’d love to read the full manuscript. Please send it to dross@newleafliterary.com with “pitch wars request” in the subject line. Excited to read!
Dear Monica,
I’m definitely interested in this–boy, was I ever jealous of the quinceañera dresses in the windows of the dress shops in my central California hometown. I’d love to see the first three chapters, sent to jmatt@andreabrownlit.com via email attachment, with subject line Pitch Wars 2019 Requested Material.
Note, if my colleague Kelly happens also to request this, please send to just one of us (your choice!) but also let that person know that the other expressed interest. Thanks!
—Jennifer Mattson, Agent, Andrea Brown Literary
I’d love to read more. Please send the first 50 pages as a Word attachment to assistant@theunteragency.com. Thanks!
Love your voice! I’m excited to read more…Please send me query + 50 pages to shannon@marsallyonliteraryagency.com. Thanks, Shannon
I’d love to see the query + full manuscript, love the Latinx representation here!! Please send to eva@speilburgliterary.com.
In the subject line or query body please use #PitchWarsShowcase to more easily identify the submission.
Hi Monica,
I’d love to read this! Will you send me the entire via my QueryManager form? Please put #pitchwars in the referral field.
Looking forward!
Kelly (@KSonnack)
https://querymanager.com/query/1060
I just adore Jane the Virgin, so great comp! The voice here is super fun and I’d love to see more–the hook is a pure delight. Please send me the full ms + synopsis at laura@bradfordlit.com and put Pitch Wars in the subject line. Can’t wait to read this one!
I’m intrigued! Please send the query, synopsis and first three chapters to nicole@goldenwheatliterary.com with Pitch Wars in the subject line. Thanks!
Hello! I’d love to take a look at the full manuscript of ONCE UPON A QUINCEAÑERA! Please send it along as a word document to tara@emliterary.com at your convenience.
Thanks so much!
Tara Gonzalez
Associate Agent
Erin Murphy Literary Agency, Inc.
http://emliterary.com/
Dear Monica,
Thank you for participating in Pitch Wars! I loved this pitch for ONCE UPON A QUINCEAÑERA, and definitely want to keep reading. Can you send me the full manuscript as a Word doc to fullcirclelit@gmail.com? In the subject line, please include: Attn: Taylor Martindale Kean – Pitch Wars, ONCE UPON A QUINCEAÑERA. Can’t wait to see more of your work!
All best,
Taylor Martindale Kean
Full Circle Literary
This looks absolutely fantastic and I can’t wait to see more! Please send the query, synopsis, and first 30 pages to me via QueryManager (http://queryme.online/ZabeEllor)
If more than one JDLA agent requests your project, please submit to the one you feel will be the best fit!
Hi Monica,
I would love to read this! Please send the full manuscript as a word document to hjacobson@icmpartners.com.
My best,
Hillary
Jane the Virgin meets Jenny Han?! Yes, please! I’d love to see this. Please send the query, synopsis and full manuscript to chquery [at] mcintoshandotis [dot] com with Pitch Wars request in the subject line. –Christa Heschke, McIntosh & Otis
This sounds fantastic and I love the voice! Can you please send me the first 100 pages as an attachment and use “Requested PitchWars” in the subject line? I’d love to read more. kari@bradfordlit.com
I love the voice here! 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, Esq.
Associate Agent
Rubin Pfeffer Content, LLC
https://www.rpcontent.com
Hi Monica,
After reading your pitch and excerpt, I would love to read more of this story! If you’re interested in submitting to me, please go to QueryMe.Online/SavannahBrooks and follow the instructions for how to do so. In the title space, please put “Pitch Wars: [your manuscript title]” so I can keep track of your submission. You can paste exactly what you submitted here in the corresponding categories. After you submit, you’ll receive and automated message saying I’ll be back in touch within six weeks, but I’ll be back in touch within two.
If more than one JD Lit agent requests from you, please feel free to submit to the agent you think is the best fit, and we’ll exchange materials among ourselves.
Best,
Savannah
I’m eager to read more!
Please send the pitch and the full manuscript in an email addressed to submissions(at)Janklow.com with the following subject line: For Stefanie Lieberman – requested Pitch Wars material.
Oh my gosh, I need to read more! My sister works for one of those princess party companies and she always has the best stories. Can you send the first chapter to me at adria@martinlit.com?
Dear Monica,
Your query sounds interesting—I’d be happy to look at the first 50-75 pages of ONCE UPON A QUINCEAÑERA, along with a 1-2 page synopsis. A .rtf file for the former is preferred, and the body of your e-mail is perfect for the latter.
Thanks, and I look forward to reading your work.
Best,
Eddie
Dear Monica,
I would love to read ONCE UPON A QUINCEANERA. Please feel free to send me the first three chapters via my inbox at this link (with #pitchwars requested material in the subject heading):
http://stimolaliterarystudio.com/#/Submissions
Thank you so much!
Best,
Allison Remcheck
This sounds SO FUN! If you’ll send the full to Rebecca@reesagency.com, I’d love to read on.
Dear Monica,
Despite it’s brevity, your sample made me laugh more than once. I’d love to see more. Please send your query and full manuscript to wgu@janklow.com at your earliest convenience.
My very best,
Wendi
This sounds so fun – I love the pitch and your voice, and I would be delighted to read the full!
____________________________
Larissa Helena
lhelena@pippinproperties.com