Manuscript Status: Finished
Mentors Names: Kate Karyus Quinn & Mindy McGinnis
Mentee Name: Kyrie McCauley
Title: IF THESE WINGS COULD FLY
Category: Young Adult
Genre: Contemporary w/ magical elements
Word Count: 62,000 words
Pitch:
When fifty-thousand crows invade Auburn, PA, Leighton Barnes doesn’t find it strange. No stranger than her house, which heals itself whenever her stepdad breaks it, or her mom forgiving him, again. Leighton must find a way out before she faces her choice of heartbreaks: leave her sisters in the cycle of violence, or sacrifice her college dreams. EVERYTHING, EVERYTHING with magic.
Excerpt:
It’s in the stretches of silence that I wonder if she’s dead.
My window is propped open, its wooden shutters thrown wide to welcome a breeze that doesn’t exist. I suck in air, thick with humidity, and look up at the night sky. Heavy clouds, no rain. Mother Nature, you’re such a tease.
Our whole town waits on rain to ease the drought. Rain to wash away the sweat that clings to our bodies each day as soon as we step outside. Rain to pummel the hard, dry dirt beneath withering crops in the fields. Rain is life. Rain is forgiveness. Rain washes away sins faster than a priest can.
I hear it again: a deep, rumbling noise. Don’t be fooled, it isn’t thunder. His voice is as loud as God’s and as mean as the Devil’s. I try to ignore it, but then I hear the soft padding of little feet on the hallway carpet. A moment later, my bedroom door opens and the girls come in. The three of us sit under my window, one sister huddled beneath each of my arms.
As if I can protect them.
My arms curl around their shoulders. “It’s okay,” I whisper, to them and myself.
A scream fills the house. It isn’t Mom. It’s the opening shriek of a classic rock song. When the bass drum hits, the door to my room quakes.
It’s a full volume night.
34 Comments
Elana Roth Parker · November 2, 2017 at 10:43 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
Penny Moore · November 2, 2017 at 11:21 pm
Hi Kyrie,
I’d love to read more! Please email me at penny[at]empireliterary[dot]com. Please put Pitch Wars and your book title in the subject line and attach your full manuscript! Thanks! Looking forward to reading!
Best,
Penny
Saba Sulaiman · November 2, 2017 at 11:45 pm
Hi Kyrie,
This looks great—I’d love to read more! Please send a query, synopsis, and the first 50 pages (Word documents will suffice) to ssulaiman@talcottnotch.net — and don’t forget to mention #PitchWars in your subject line. Thanks—looking forward to my read!
Good luck,
–Saba
Patricia Nelson · November 2, 2017 at 11:53 pm
This sounds really unique! I’d love to read more. Please send a query (in the body of the email) along with the first 50 pages as a Word doc attachment, subject line “Pitch Wars: [Your Title]” to patricia@marsallyonliteraryagency.com.
Thanks, and looking forward to reading!
Heather Flaherty · November 3, 2017 at 12:09 am
Kyrie, this sounds beyond wonderful! I’m so hooked already and would love to read more!!!
Please send:
– Query + 10 pages pasted in the body of the email
– Attach FULL ms as well!
– with subject line: PW YA + Title
to: flahertyqueries@thebentagency.com
Thank you so much!
Heather Flaherty (The Bent Agency)
Justin Wells · November 3, 2017 at 1:58 am
Hi Kyrie! I am really impressed with your pitch and sample! I would love to take a look at your full manuscript. Please submit the full manuscript using my Pitch Wars QM form here: https://querymanager.com/query/Justin_Wells/Pitch_Wars
Caitie Flum · November 3, 2017 at 9:21 am
This looks great! It I’d love to take a look.
Please send the query in the body of the email + full manuscript as a Word attachment to querycaitie@lizadawson.com with “Pitch Wars request” in the subject.
Melissa Edwards · November 3, 2017 at 9:40 am
I’d love to see more! Please email the first 50 pp. as a .doc to medwards@stonesong.com. Thank you!
Jenny Bent · November 3, 2017 at 10:01 am
Please email query and full ms (as an attachment) to info@thebentagency.com, PITCHWARS in subject line. Thanks!
Rena Rossner · November 3, 2017 at 10:13 am
Wow! I love this voice! I would absolutely love to read this! Please send the full manuscript attached as a word document to: rena@thedeborahharrisagency.com
– Rena
Carrie Hannigan · November 3, 2017 at 10:45 am
Hi Kyrie,
I would love to see more! Please send your query to channigan@hsgagency.com and attach the first 100 pages as a word document. Also please include “Pitch Wars YA” in your subject line.
Thanks!
Carrie
Peter Knapp · November 3, 2017 at 11:13 am
The voice here is great! Please send the full manuscript as a Word doc to queries@parkliterary.com with the query pasted into the first page of the doc. If available, please also attach a one (or so) page synopsis. Put “PITCH WARS REQUEST – PETE KNAPP” in the subject. Thank you!
Maria Vicente · November 3, 2017 at 11:16 am
Kyrie, I would love to take a look at the full manuscript! Please email a query letter to maria@psliterary.com with the subject line “Pitch Wars Request: If These Wings Could Fly” and include the manuscript (+ a synopsis) as an attachment.
Suzie Townsend · November 3, 2017 at 11:34 am
This sounds so amazing! What an opening line! — 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 wit to read!
Hillary Jacobson · November 3, 2017 at 11:59 am
Kyrie, I am entranced! I’d love to read more. Please send the full manuscript as a word document to hjacobson@icmpartners.com. Thank you!
Adriann Ranta Zurhellen · November 3, 2017 at 1:13 pm
Hi Kyrie, I’d love to read the full! Please send to aranta@foundrymedia.com. Thanks!
Quressa Robinson · November 3, 2017 at 2:48 pm
There is so much emotion coming through in your sample and I’m feeling it! I may not be the only agent here at Nelson Literary Agency who wants to read your amazing work! So, please send just one email to query@nelsonagency.com with PITCH WARS UPLOAD in the subject line. We will reply with our upload instructions, and then all the interested NLA agents will read and consider your manuscript. Thank you!”
Joanna MacKenzie · November 3, 2017 at 2:59 pm
The voice here is raw and intense and so compelling, the emotion flies off the page. I can’t wait to read more.I know I’m not the only agent here at Nelson Literary Agency who is excited to read this one! Please send just one email to query@nelsonagency.com with PITCH WARS UPLOAD in the subject line. We will reply with our upload instructions, and then all the interested NLA agents will read and consider your manuscript. Thank you!
Natascha Morris · November 3, 2017 at 4:17 pm
Yes Yes YESSSS! I need this! Please send me manuscript to QueryMe.online/1067/PitchWars2017! Thank you!
Best,
Natascha Morris
Jim McCarthy · November 3, 2017 at 4:31 pm
I would love to have a look at this! Kindly send the manuscript along for my prompt review at jmccarthy@dystel.com. A Word attachment is most preferable if possible.
Best,
Jim
Blair Wilson · November 3, 2017 at 4:39 pm
Hi Kyrie,
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!
Tracey Adams · November 3, 2017 at 5:22 pm
I’d love to read the full! Please email to tracey@adamsliterary.com with your query letter and “Pitch Wars – YA” in the subject line. Thank you!
Tracey Adams · November 3, 2017 at 5:24 pm
I’d love to read the full! Please email to tracey@adamsliterary.com with your query letter and “Pitch Wars – YA” in the subject line. Thank you.
Natalie M. Lakosil · November 3, 2017 at 5:45 pm
Hi Kyrie,
I’d love to see this! Please send the full manuscript to me at natalie@bradfordlit.com, along with a synopsis and your query. Please include “Requested material: Pitch Wars” in the email subject.
Thanks!!
Natalie
Natalie Lakosil
Bradford Literary Agency
Roseanne Wells · November 3, 2017 at 8:33 pm
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
Lindsay Mealing · November 4, 2017 at 10:46 am
Hi Kyrie, I’d love to see more! Can you please send your first 50 pages to querylindsay@emeraldcityliterary.com. Please include your query in your email and Pitch Wars in the subject line.
Thanks,
Lindsay
Christa Heschke · November 4, 2017 at 2:39 pm
I loved your opening and what an awesome premise! Please send a query, first 100 pages and synopsis to chquery@mcintoshandotis.com and put the title and Pitch Wars request in the subject line.
–Christa Heschke, McIntosh & Otis
Sarah Davies · November 4, 2017 at 2:47 pm
Hi! This is right up my alley, and I’d love to read more. 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
Laura Zats · November 5, 2017 at 5:58 pm
I’m so excited to read this! Please send the whole MS in a Word doc to laura@redsofaliterary.com. Please include a query in the body of the email and mention Pitch Wars in the subject line!
Melissa Nasson · November 6, 2017 at 4:05 pm
Kyrie, I’d 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
Stefanie Lieberman · November 6, 2017 at 4:38 pm
Would love to read more! Please send the full manuscript as a Word document to submissions@janklow.com and include your query in the body of the email. Make sure to include “Pitch Wars – Stefanie Lieberman” in the subject line. Thanks!
Kelly Sonnack · November 6, 2017 at 10:41 pm
Lurie- I love this sample! Can you send me the first 50 pages as a word doc attachment to my email or to me via querymanager? Looking forward!
Kelly Sonnack · November 6, 2017 at 10:42 pm
(sorry, autocorrect changed Kyrie to Lurie!)
Steven Salpeter · November 7, 2017 at 4:03 pm
Hello, Kyrie,
I’ve thought about this for a few days and can’t get it out of my head. Would you please send your full manuscript via this form?
https://www.literaryagents.io/pitch-wars-submission-form/
All my best,
Steven
Comments are closed.