Manuscript Status: Finished
Mentor Name: Jessica Bayliss
Mentee Name: Adrianna Cuevas
Title: THE TOTAL ECLIPSE OF ARI LOPEZ
Category: Middle Grade
Genre: Adventure, Fantasy, #ownvoices
Word Count: 48,000 words
Pitch:
Military kid Ari Lopez is used to moving around, but not to a town where animals turn into people. He must choose between protecting himself or saving his new friends from a shape-shifting witch. Cuban/Panamanian folklore meets ANIMORPHS.
Excerpt:
The talking birds in my new town are more obnoxious than the birds in my four previous towns combined. And if the raven sitting on my bedroom window doesn’t stop heckling me, I’m going to pelt it with my dad’s old Army compass.
“Hey, new kid. I hear the old lady that lives in this house likes to cook raccoons and armadillos for dinner,” the raven chirps, hopping back and forth on the windowsill. It bobs its black head at the packing boxes in my room.
“I know for a fact that’s not true,” I mutter, kicking a box of comic books and dart guns under my bed. “My abuela is probably the best cook in all of Texas.”
“Fine. Don’t believe me,” the raven replies, tapping his beak against the glass of the open window. “Maybe I’ll visit you in the hospital when they have to remove your small intestine from eating too much barbecued road kill.”
I clench my jaw and kick another box under my bed. This raven is keeping me from breaking my unpacking record. Moving between four different Army bases, I’ve perfected my packing skills. I know that you shouldn’t pack your underwear in the same box as your video games unless you want your neighbor to see if you prefer blue or gray briefs when he comes over to check out the new kid.
But the secret to my success? Don’t bother unpacking half your boxes when you get to your new location. That way you’re ready to go when your mom announces the inevitable.
Please send the full as an MS word attachment to uwe@triadaus.com
I’d love to read this! Please send the full manuscript attached as a word document to: rena (at) thedeborahharrisagency (dot) com.
Thanks!
– Rena
Hi Adrianna,
I would love to read more! Please send your query to channigan@hsgagency.com with the first 100 pages attached as a word document. Also please include “Pitch Wars” in your subject line.
Thanks so much!
Carrie (Hannigan Salky Getzler)
I’d love to see more! Please email the first 50 pp as a .doc to medwards@stonesong.com. Thank you!
Hiya Adrianna,
I’d love to read this! Please send the first 50 pages as a word document to jennifer@dijkstraagency.com, and include your bio and query letter in the body of the e-mail. Please include “PITCH WARS” in your subject line.
Thanks!
Jennifer (SDLA)
Yes, please! Can you email your query, plus the full manuscript as a Word doc attachment, to phelanqueries@thebentagency.com, with “Pitch Wars request” in the subject line? I’m closed to queries except requested submissions, so don’t mind the automated response.
Beth Phelan
The Bent Agency
Ooh, yes. This resonated with me so much. Please send the full manuscript to me at beth.buck@immortal-works.com.
Ohh, yes! As someone who moved around a lot as a kid, this resonated with me so much. I’m an Acquisitions Editor for Immortal Works Press. Please send your full manuscript to beth.buck@immortal-works.com.
Yes, yes, yes! I’d love to read more! Please use the guidelines on jdlit.com to send 100pp (instead of the normal 20), and include #Pitchwars in the subject line. I can’t wait to dive in!
Roseanne Wells
The Jennifer De Chiara Literary Agency
Hi Adrianna,
I would love to read on!
Please send your query, 1-2 page synopsis, and first 100 pages (in an attached word doc.) to queries at azantianlitagency dot com with “PitchWars: TITLE by Name” in the subject line. Thanks!
I look forward to reading!
Jennifer Azantian
Azantian Literary Agency
Adrianna, this sounds awesome! Please send the full manuscript as a Word doc or PDF attachment to melissa@rpcontent.com. Please also include your query letter in the body of the email, and Pitch Wars in the subject line.
I look forward to reading!
Thanks,
Melissa Nasson
Rubin Pfeffer Content
This sounds great! I’d love to read more. Please send a query, bio, and the first 15 pages to thao@dijkstraagency.com. Please also use “Pitch Wars Req – THE TOTAL ECLIPSE OF ARI LOPEZ” as your subject line.
This sounds like a lot of fun! Please send a query, first 50 pages and synopsis to chquery@mcintoshandotis.com. I look forward to reading!
-Christa Heschke, McIntosh & Otis