Manuscript Status: Finished
Mentor: Tabitha Martin
Mentee: Lisa Moore Ramee
Title: WE ARE NOT ALONE
Category/Genre: Young Adult Contemporary, Own Voices
Word Count: 69,000
Pitch:
THE BREAKFAST CLUB meets THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW – When a sinkhole traps sixteen-year-old Nia and her classmates, they must fight to survive against hunger, paranoia, and the serial killer trapped with them.
Excerpt:
The hardest part wasn’t sneaking out, it was stealing back in. That’s when you’d get busted. That’s when a stuck window or a squeaky floor would give you away.
Crickets chirped like car alarms and my head was spinning. No, the street was spinning. Black asphalt swished like a panther’s tail. Flicking from side to side. Flying up and slamming back down. I couldn’t find my balance.
A cold breeze swung down the driveway and I shivered in my t-shirt. I’d been in such a hurry to bail; I must’ve left my jacket in the car.
Our porch light was out, but a slice of the moon gave me just enough light to see. I wasn’t sure what time it was, but it was late, or early I guess. Not that it mattered. Missing my curfew wasn’t the issue.
The back edge of the house folded and moved to my left. Booze glasses. That’s what Liz called the watery, twisted view of the world after too many drinks. I dug my nails into my palms and tried to focus.
A shadow moved behind a tree. I froze. Someone was there.
I crept toward a row of bushes. The shadow moved with me and grew. The crickets went silent.
There was nowhere to hide.
I stumbled down the driveway. Every step I took, the shadow took one too, and got bigger.
My breathing was so loud it echoed.
“Nia.”
It was a whisper, a plea.
I thought of the bogeyman and the Sedemore Slasher and zombies. If I didn’t turn. If I didn’t look, it couldn’t catch me.
6 Comments
Patricia Nelson · November 6, 2016 at 6:54 pm
I would love to see more of this! Please send a query (in the body of the email) plus the first 50 pages as a Word doc attachment to patricia@marsallyonliteraryagency.com, and make sure to put “Pitch Wars Request” and the title in the subject line.
Looking forward to reading!
mandyhubbard · November 7, 2016 at 2:40 pm
I’d love to read more of this! Please send me the full as an attached word doc, to Querymandy@emeraldcityliterary.com. Thanks! -M
Stefanie Lieberman · November 7, 2016 at 4:27 pm
I’d like to see more. Please send 50 pages to submissions@janklow.com with query, and please include “Pitch Wars – Stefanie Lieberman” in the subject line.
Sarah LaPolla · November 7, 2016 at 5:10 pm
I’d love to read more of this! Can you please send me the full query (pasted in the email) and attach the 1st 3 chapters? Send to sarah@bradfordlit.com with the subject line “Pitch Wars: We Are Not Alone.” Thank you!
Laura Biagi, Jean V. Naggar Literary Agency · November 8, 2016 at 4:06 pm
Ooh, I’m so intrigued by the premise and comp to The Breakfast Club–and I love your opening! I’d love to see the full manuscript. Please send it + query + synopsis to LBiagi (at) jvnla (dot) com, with Pitch Wars in the subject line. Excited to read!
Nikki T. · November 16, 2016 at 3:35 pm
I’ll take a look at this. Send query + first 15 pages pasted in the body of your email to submissions at hollowayliteraryagency . com. Header should read: Query/Nikki/Title/Genre/Pitchwars. Thank you.
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