Pitch:
In the summer of 2003, six black boys were abducted and murdered in the town of St. Allen, Louisiana. Fifteen years later, four black teenagers will attempt to do what the town’s all-white police force couldn’t. But trying to figure out who killed the boys will put them at risk of becoming the killer’s next victims. DEAR WHITE PEOPLE meets THE AMATEURS
Excerpt:
15 YEARS AGO…
Timothy Evans had no idea he was being watched.
The eight-year-old’s arms were folded across his chest. His bottom lip poked out; fuzzy eyebrows creased. The indignation in the glare aimed at his parents thicker than the humidity parching the air at Wolfolk Parish’s annual Fourth of July fair.
Timothy wanted cotton candy. He couldn’t have any because his parents were arguing. Whatever his parents were saying to one another was getting muffled by the delirious screams of the riders flinging back and forth through the night on the Zip-A-Whirl nearby. But he knew they were fighting, again, by the way his father was frowning and his mother kept rolling her eyes when his father’s mouth stopped moving.
The over-the-shoulder glance Timothy cast toward the cotton candy vendor in the distance prompted the person watching him to slink across the crowded fairgrounds. The person sensed what Timothy was thinking. They had to be close by when he made the mistake.
“Don’t you even think about it!” Timothy heard his father shout before a calloused hand spun him back around by the arm. “I’m gonna let you buy some cotton candy in a minute. OK?”
“But—”
“Boy, stay yo’ black ass right there and wait!” His father bent over the stroller containing Timothy’s baby sister so that he was eye level with the boy. “It ain’t safe for you to wander off, you hear me?”
I love any sort of crime solving element and I’m a sucker for a Southern setting.
I’d love to read more. Please send your query and full manuscript as word doc attachments to hilary@ktliterary.com with PitchWars in the subject field. Can’t wait!
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
Hi! Please do send the full manuscript to slandis@sll.com. Can’t wait to read more!
I would love to read more of this. Please send the full manuscript (as a Word doc) to me at brent(at)triadaus(dot)com.
Hi Jumata,
This sounds really interesting. I’d like to see more. Please send a query letter and the first 50 pages of your manuscript to me at Isabelle@Nordlysetagency.com
Isabelle
Sounds great! 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!
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 Jumata,
I hope this finds you well! I’m an associate agent at Curtis Brown, Ltd.–it’s great to e-meet you.
I was very intrigued by this first page of WE KNOW WHO KILLED THEM and would love to read more. If you’re interested in submitting to me, would you please send the full manuscript as a word doc to sg@cbltd.com with “PitchWars” in the subject line?
Thank you, and good luck in the showcase!
All best,
Sarah Gerton
Hi Jumata,
I’d love to read more! Can you please email me the first fifty pages to ebewley@sll.com?
Thanks,
Elizabeth Bewley
Sterling Lord Lit
This sounds gripping – I would love an opportunity to consider it. 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 Jumata,
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 Jumata!
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
Love this idea. Please send the first 50 or so (depending on where it cuts best) and query letter to jgetzler@hsgagency.com. Please include Pitchwars in your subject. Thanks!
Great sample! If you could send the full manuscript to books@abramsartistsagency.com, we’d love to read!
-Abrams Artists Agency
Hi Jumata,
I’m intrigued here. Can you send your query and first fifty pages to penelope@gelfmanschneider.com with #PitchWars in the subject line? Thanks so much!
All best,
Penelope
This is a great pitch! I’d love to keep reading. Please send the full pitch in the body of an email to sarah@bradfordlit.com and attach the 1st 50 pages. Use the subject line “Pitch Wars: [Title].” Thank you!!
Sarah
Dear Jumata,
This sounds amazing! I would love to read the full MS.
Please send your query to http://queryme.online/Stacey_PITCHWARS
Be sure to add #PitchWars In front of your book title on the query form. Once your query arrives, I will request the full!
All the best,
Stacey
Hi Jumata- 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!
I’d love to read more. Please send the first 50 pages as a Word attachment to assistant@theunteragency.com. Thanks!
What a premise–I want to keep reading right now! Please send me a query + 50 pages to shannon@marsallyonliteraryagency.com. Thanks, Shannon
Would love to take a look at this one. Just submit via my special link on Query Manager. QueryMe.online/1350/PitchWars2019 Kristin
Hi Jumata,
I’d love to read this. Can you send me the entire through my QueryManager form? I’m really looking forward to reading more.
Warmest,
Kelly (@KSonnack)
https://querymanager.com/query/1060
Great hook and great comps! I must know more! 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!
Hello! I’d love to take a look at the full manuscript of WE KNOW WHO KILLED THEM. 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/
I’d love to see more! Please send the query, synopsis and first 100 to chquery [at] mcintoshandotis [dot] com with Pitch Wars request in the subject line. –Christa Heschke, McIntosh & Otis
I’d love to read 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, Esq.
Associate Agent
Rubin Pfeffer Content, LLC
https://www.rpcontent.com
Hi Jumata,
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.
Dear Jumata,
Your query sounds interesting—I’d be happy to look at the full manuscript of WE KNOW WHO KILLED THEM, 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 Jumata,
I would love to read WE KNOW WHO KILLED THEM. Please feel free to send me the first three chapters via my inbox at this link (it would be great if you could use #pitchwars requested material as the subject):
http://stimolaliterarystudio.com/#/Submissions
Thank you so much!
Best,
Allison Remcheck
Please send query letter in the body of the email and attach the first fifty pages and a brief 1-2 page synopsis as word docs with the subject line: Pitch Wars: [Title]. You may send to me at: annie@foliolit.com. Thanks so much, I look forward to seeing more!