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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.
YA #36: DRAGGED! (Contemporary, #OwnVoices, Rom-Com)
Mentee:
Susan Lee
Mentored by:
Gloria Chao
Book Title:
DRAGGED!
Category:
2018 Entries
Genre:
Contemporary, #OwnVoices, Rom-Com
Word Count:
70,000

Pitch:

Grace Lee is fierce.

Not really, but she needs to be.

A senior prank gone wrong leaves Grace carrying both the blame and a $10,000 fine. Eek! Winning the school’s Most Outstanding Student scholarship is her only hope at avoiding financial crisis and getting back in her parent’s favor. Problem is, “outstanding” requires not just good grades, but song and dance and jazz hands, too.

Enter stage right: Azia J’Adore. She’s the fairy dragmother Grace needs to get out of this pickle. But when an unexpected crush escalates, Grace learns the hard way that all is not fair in love and drag.

 

Excerpt:

Welcome back, Hopkins Prep Tigers! Before we start a new semester, how about I get us caught up on the summer’s juiciest?

I skim through our school’s gossip blog, JustJin, looking for any indication that my secret is out. My hands are shaking, but I have to look, I have to know.

…Rumor has it that the incoming freshman class’ already-minted IT girl just barely had the swelling come down from eyelid surgery in time for Day 1…

Not me. Thank God. Sounds painful.  

…I hear there are two new couples coming out of Chemistry’s summer session. What were they concocting in those labsa lychee love potion?…

Not me. Thank God. Like I have time for dating?  

…And finally, in the most shocking news of all, our senior class Mary Sue has found herself in some heat, literally. In an epic fireworks prank gone wrong, the goodiest of two shoes saw both her stellar reputation…and her eyebrows…go up in smoke. Hard to say which will grow back first, her respectability or those singed brows. Stay tuned.

Me. Oh God.

JustJin knows.

And now the whole school will know and I will be JustScrewed.

22 responses to “YA #36: DRAGGED! (Contemporary, #OwnVoices, Rom-Com)”

  1. Jess Dallow says:

    Hi Susan,

    This sounds awesome! I’d love to take a look at the full manuscript. Can you send it – as well as your query letter – to me at jess@browerliterary.com with PITCH WARS and your title in the subject? Thanks! Can’t wait to read.

  2. Lauren Spieller says:

    Congratulations on completing Pitch Wars! This sounds really fun. 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

  3. Andrea Cascardi says:

    Dear Ms Lee,

    Senior prank, fairy dragmother and jazz hands all in one pitch? Topping it off with sharp writing and compelling voice? Yes, please! I would absolutely love to read the full manuscript! Please can you send it to andrea@transatlanticagency.com with PitchWars Mentee and the title in the subject line. I’ll be hoping to see it land in my in-box soon!
    Thank you,
    Andrea

  4. Carrie Pestritto says:

    Ooooo, drag? I’m in! This sounds super interesting and I love the writing in your sample. I would be thrilled to see the full of this!

    Would you please send me an email with your query in the body and the partial as a Word doc attachment? You can reach me at cpestritto(at)ldlainc(dot)com. Subject should be PITCH WARS REQUEST – DRAGGED.

    Thanks so much and can’t wait to read!!

  5. Joanna MacKenzie says:

    Hi Susan,

    This sounds so fun, I’d love to read more. Please follow the link to upload your manuscript: http://queryme.online/1353/PitchWars2019

    Warmly,
    Joanna

  6. Carrie Hannigan says:

    Hi Susan!

    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

  7. Quressa Robinson says:

    Hi Susan,

    I’ve very intrigued and would love to read more! Please query me the full MS at this link (QueryMe.online/QueryQuressa/PitchWars2019) 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!

    Quressa

  8. Jana Hanson says:

    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

  9. Erica Bauman says:

    Hi Susan,

    This sounds fantastic, and I’d love to read more! Could you please send a query and the full manuscript to ebauman@aevitascreative.com and put “Pitch Wars” in the subject line?

    Thanks!

  10. Alexandra Weiss says:

    Hi Susan! There is SO much I love about this concept and excerpt. 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!

  11. Jenny Bent says:

    Love the voice. 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!

  12. Erin Harris says:

    Dear Susan,

    Erin Harris at Folio here. I absolutely loved this opening and the premise of your book. Would love to read more! Please send the ms to eharris@foliolit.com with “Pitch Wars Submission” in the subject line.

    Very much looking forward!

    Best,
    Erin

  13. Heather Cashman says:

    This is so good. I love it.
    If you think we’d be a good fit, please send the full to heather.stormliteraryagency@gmail.com with Pitch Wars Query, your name, and the title in the subject line.
    Thank you and good luck!
    Heather Cashman
    Storm Literary Agency

  14. Marlo Berliner says:

    A fairy dragmother? Count me in! I’d love to see more! Please submit your query and first 30 pages via my Query Manager: http://QueryMe.Online/marloberliner
    If more than one JDLA agent requests, simply submit to the agent you feel would be the best fit. Be sure to only submit to one JDLA agent at a time. If the first agent passes, you are welcome to try the next.

  15. Shannon Hassan says:

    This sounds funny & fresh-I’d love to read more! Please send a query + 50 pages to shannon@marsallyonliteraryagency.com. Thanks, Shannon

  16. Kelly Sonnack says:

    Hi Susan,
    I’d love to read this! Can you send the full to me via my QueryManager form? It’s https://querymanager.com/query/1060.
    Thanks,
    Kelly (@KSonnack)

  17. Laura Bradford says:

    What a great set up…I really want to find out how her fairy dragmother plays into the story! Please send me the full ms + synopsis at laura@bradfordlit.com and put Pitch Wars in the subject line. Looking forward to more!

  18. Tara Gonzalez says:

    Hello! I’d love to take a look at the full manuscript of DRAGGED! 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/

  19. Christa Heschke says:

    This sounds amazing and so much fun! I’d love to see more! 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

  20. Kari Sutherland says:

    I love the voice in the excerpt and would like to read more! Can you please send the first three chapters and a synopsis as an attachment to kari@bradfordlit.com and include “Requested PitchWars” in the subject line? Thank you! Kari

  21. Hi Susan,

    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

  22. Kelly Peterson says:

    Hi Susan!

    I love this concept, and I’m such a sucker for a great rom-com! I’d love to see a partial of your manuscript and get a better feel for your voice. If you’d like to submit, please feel free to paste your query, and attach your synopsis and first 50 pages to an e-mail to Kelly@corvisieroagency.com.

    I wish you all the best of luck, and I look forward to reading!

    Warm Regards,

    Kelly Peterson