Manuscript Status: Finished
Mentor Name: Mae Respicio
Mentee Name: Landon Spencer
Title: CIRCUS GIRL
Category: Middle Grade
Genre: Contemporary
Word Count: 40,000 words
Pitch:
12-year-old Robin would rather be invisible than ridiculed. When she loses her spot at the stables that have been her haven away from middle school hell, her only chance to ride again is an enchanting equestrian circus. But to stay, she’ll have to find her voice and take her greatest risks yet, both inside and outside the ring. Liar & Spy meets Water for Elephants. A whole new kind of horse book, written by a former Cavalia performer.
Excerpt:
It’s not like I’ve never had friends.
I used to have a best friend. Jason and I would swap Pony Club books, eat almost-ripe grapes off the vine in the field behind his house, and test each other on horse trivia. I’ll see your history of the Lipizzaner stallions and raise you an Appaloosa Complex.
Then last year he moved to Tallahassee.
Maybe I should’ve had a spare. Like a tire.
Or maybe it doesn’t really matter.
Mom’s always trying to help me “get noticed” by the cool girls. She imagines I’m just a few smart moves away from winning the affection of Jaqueline Harris, whose teeth sparkle almost as brightly as the bling on her back jean pocket, and Felisha Hart, the only girl in 7th grade who wears lipstick.
But Mom’s totally deluded for three reasons.
Reason #1: The last thing I want is to get noticed.
People like Milton the Mouse get noticed. Or Crazy Maysie, the new girl who came from some kind of nuthouse with her hair cut short like a boy’s and a tattoo on the back of her neck. To be popular, you can’t just stand out. You have to stand out in just the right way.
Reason #2: Those cool girls that Mom wants me to be friends with? They’re not really that cool.
23 Comments
Hilary Harwell · November 1, 2017 at 10:07 pm
This sounds amazing! I grew up riding! Please kindly send the full manuscript to hilary@ktliterary.com with “PitchWars” in the subject so I may continue reading!!
Cheers!
Hilary
Jessie Devine · November 1, 2017 at 10:08 pm
I’m intrigued! Please submit your query and full manuscript here: QueryMe.online/devinequeries/PitchWars. Thank you!
Jessie
Justin Wells · November 1, 2017 at 10:15 pm
This sounds wonderful! I would love to take a look at your full manuscript. If you could please submit it, along with the other required material, to my Query Manager here: https://querymanager.com/query/Justin_Wells/Pitch_Wars
Lauren Spieller · November 1, 2017 at 10:23 pm
Oh my gosh YES. I’d love to see your query in the body of an email, along with the full manuscript and a synopsis (both attached). Please also include a link to this entry. You can send your materials to lauren@triadaus.com. I look forward to reading!
Carrie Pestritto · November 2, 2017 at 8:46 am
I was super intrigued by your pitch and sample and definitely want to read more of this!! Please send me your query and first 100 pages, with the subject “PITCHWARS REQUEST,” to carrie(at)prospectagency(dot)com. Thank you and excited to see more!
Jim McCarthy · November 2, 2017 at 8:53 am
I would love to see this! Please send the full manuscript to me at jmccarthy@dystel.com. A Word attachment is most preferable if possible. Best, Jim
Danielle Burby · November 2, 2017 at 9:28 am
I’d love to take a look at this! Please email me at querydanielle@nelsonagency.com and include the first twenty pages of your manuscript in the body of the email along with a one-page query letter. In the subject line, write REQUESTED QUERY (PitchWars) and the title of your project. This will help ensure that your query isn’t accidentally deleted or caught in our spam filter. I look forward to reading!
Leon Husock · November 2, 2017 at 10:31 am
I’d love to read more of this! Please send a query and the full manuscript along with a single-sentence description of your premise to leon@lperkinsagency.com
Carrie Hannigan · November 2, 2017 at 10:57 am
Hi Landon,
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)
Suzie Townsend · November 2, 2017 at 12:08 pm
This sounds so amazing! I love the voice — I would love to read the full ms! Please send the full manuscript to suzie@newleafliterary.com attached as a Word document with the query in the first page of the document. Put “PITCH WARS” in the subject. Please also include a dreaded synopsis if you have one. Thank you! Can’t wait to read!
Hillary Jacobson · November 2, 2017 at 12:16 pm
I love everything about this!! Please do send the full manuscript as a word document to hjacobson@icmpartners.com. Thank you!
Elana Roth Parker · November 2, 2017 at 12:32 pm
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
Mandy Hubbard · November 2, 2017 at 1:04 pm
As someone who grew up on horseback (and recently rescued a horse), this is totally up my alley!
I’d love to read the full– please send it over to me at Mandy@EmeraldCityLiterary.com, and put “Pitch wars request” in the subject line. Thanks!
Mandy
Penelope Burns · November 2, 2017 at 1:25 pm
Hi Landon,
I would LOVE to see this. Can you please send the full manuscript to penelope@gelfmanschneider.com, with your query in the body of the email and #PitchWars and title in the subject line? Thanks so much!
Penelope
Sarah Landis · November 2, 2017 at 3:03 pm
I would love to read the full manuscript! Please email it as a word doc to slandis@sll.com. Thanks!
Peter Knapp · November 2, 2017 at 3:27 pm
Hi Landon, I’d love to keep reading! Please send the full manuscript as a Word doc with the query pasted into the first page of the document to queries@parkliterary.com with “PETER KNAPP – PITCH WARS REQUEST” in the subject. Thank you, and I look forward to reading!
Blair Wilson · November 2, 2017 at 11:00 pm
This is great–I’d love to read more! Please send the full manuscript as a Word doc with the query pasted into the first page of the document to queries@parkliterary.com with “BLAIR WILSON – PITCH WARS REQUEST” in the subject. Thanks so much–looking forward to reading!
Jennifer Azantian · November 3, 2017 at 3:01 am
Hi Landon,
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
Kristy Hunter · November 3, 2017 at 9:52 am
This sounds AMAZING! I would love to read more! Please send the full manuscript (as a Word attachment) and your query (in the body of the email) to kristy.hunter@knightagency.net with “Pitch Wars Requested: TITLE” in the subject line. Thanks!
Melissa Nasson · November 3, 2017 at 10:36 am
Landon, I would love to read more of this! Please send the first 50 pages 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
Sarah Davies · November 4, 2017 at 2:28 pm
Hello! I’d like to read more of this. Please send me the query with full manuscript (Word doc) at submissions@greenhouseliterary.com, with PitchWars/Sarah Davies in the email title line. Thanks!
Sarah (a horse lover!)
Christa Heschke · November 6, 2017 at 11:29 pm
This sounds great and I’d be interested to see more! Please send a query, first 50 pages and synopsis to chquery@mcintoshandotis.com. Look forward to reading!
-Christa Heschke, McIntosh & Otis
Kari · November 7, 2017 at 7:07 pm
Hi Landon,
This sounds really cool and I absolutely adore your voice! Can you please send the first 75 pages as an attachment to kari@bradfordlit.com along with an email query and REQUESTED: PitchWars in the subject line?
Many thanks,
Kari
Comments are closed.