Manuscript Status: Finished
Mentor Name: Kip Wilson
Mentee Name: Aishah Dawood
Title: THE SILENT SEA
Category: Young Adult
Genre: Thriller #ownvoices Muslim
Word Count: 68,000
Pitch:
Two young Muslim women. Two battles for survival. One epic escape.
When sixteen-year-old Nayla, kidnapped by sex traffickers in Istanbul, and seventeen-year-old Husna, picked up by pirates while fleeing war-torn Syria, cross paths on the Mediterranean, their only hope for survival is each other. AN UNTAMED STATE meets REFUGEE.
Excerpt:
The day started slowly in Istanbul. With a great yawn, the city chased away the stupor with a glass of Turkish coffee. The early-bird tourists strolled lazily in Sultanahmet Square, enjoying the quiet that would soon dissipate. Street vendors were setting up and the delicious aroma of the fresh round shaped bread, simit, tickled the nose.
Nayla Salim stood at the edge of the Bosphorus Strait and breathed in the salty air. Today was a perfect day to escape to Baba’s boat and read until she had to go to school. The sun climbed higher in the clear sky, lighting up the sprawling buildings, its rays glinting off the colorful minarets. Down the dock, Nayla’s father’s boat bobbed gently in the pristine blue water, the last in a row of boats that catered to tourists.
A family of three passed by, the teenage daughter trailing behind her parents, her nose in the pages of a brand-new travel guide.
“Private Bosphorus cruise!” Emir called out to them from his boat moored next to Nayla’s father’s. He stepped forward.
Two men blocked his way. “You, is that your boat?” one of the men asked in Turkish. He pointed to the modest cuddy boat very much like Baba’s.
Emir nodded. Like Baba, he prized his boat—his only means of income—more than anything.
“We want your boat. We bring it back.”
Nayla slipped past them and onto her father’s boat. But instead of ducking inside, she stayed on deck to listen.
21 Comments
Justin Wells · November 2, 2017 at 9:28 pm
Hi Aishah — This sounds heart wrenching! Your excerpt and pitch is so compelling! I would love to take a look at your full manuscript. Please sent it along (w/ other info needed in form) via my Pitch Wars QM form here: https://querymanager.com/query/Justin_Wells/Pitch_Wars
beth phelan · November 2, 2017 at 9:40 pm
Sounds so lovely! Can you please 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
Saba Sulaiman · November 2, 2017 at 10:48 pm
Hi Aishah,
This opening is just lovely! Please send a query, synopsis, and the full manuscript (Word documents will suffice) to ssulaiman@talcottnotch.net — and don’t forget to mention #PitchWars in your subject line. Thanks—can’t wait to read on!
Good luck,
–Saba
Lauren Spieller · November 2, 2017 at 10:59 pm
Wow, this is wonderful. 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!
~ Lauren
Hilary Harwell · November 2, 2017 at 11:37 pm
This sounds amazing! 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 3, 2017 at 1:26 am
I love this! Please query me and upload the full manuscript here: QueryMe.online/devinequeries/PitchWars
Rena Rossner · November 3, 2017 at 9:11 am
I would absolutely love to read this! Please send the full manuscript attached as a word document to: rena@thedeborahharrisagency.com
– Rena
Jenny Bent · November 3, 2017 at 10:29 am
Please email query and full ms (as an attachment) to info@thebentagency.com, PITCHWARS in subject line. Thanks!
Carrie Pestritto · November 3, 2017 at 10:39 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 50 pages, with the subject “PITCHWARS REQUEST,” to carrie(at)prospectagency(dot)com. Thank you and excited to see more!
Carrie Hannigan · November 3, 2017 at 11:08 am
Hi Aishah,
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
Hillary Jacobson · November 3, 2017 at 11:22 am
The idea of this is incredible! I’d love to read more. Please send the full manuscript as a word document to hjacobson@icmpartners.com. Thank you!!
Andrea Cascardi · November 3, 2017 at 12:34 pm
This sounds amazing! I can’t wait to read more. Please send the full manuscript as an attachment to andrea@transatlanticagency.com, with Pitch Wars Request in the subject line.
Thank you,
Andrea
Kristy Hunter · November 3, 2017 at 2:48 pm
This sounds amazing! I’d love to read more! Could you please send the full manuscript as a word doc with your query letter in the body of the email to kristy.hunter@knightagency.net with “Pitch Wars Requested: TITLE” in the subject line. Thanks!!
Danielle Burby · November 3, 2017 at 3:50 pm
This sounds so good! Please send me the full! Please send your query to query@nelsonagency.com with PITCH WARS UPLOAD in the subject line. We will reply with our upload instructions. Thank you!
Jim McCarthy · November 3, 2017 at 4:43 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
Tracey Adams · November 3, 2017 at 5:32 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 5:33 pm
I’d love to read this. Please email the full ms to tracey@adamsliterary.com with your query letter and “Pitch Wars – YA” in the subject line. Thank you!
Pam Victorio · November 4, 2017 at 4:23 pm
I need this! Please send a ‘query’ through my Query Manager and I’ll request the full through the system. http://QueryMe.Online/QueryPam
Roseanne Wells · November 5, 2017 at 5:27 pm
Wow, brings me right back to my visit to Istanbul. 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
Christa Heschke · November 6, 2017 at 9:30 pm
This sounds incredibly moving and amazing! 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 8, 2017 at 2:15 am
Hi Aishah,
I find this so compelling and would love to read more. Could you please send me the full manuscript as an attachment, along with your query in an email and use REQUESTED: PitchWars in the subject line? kari@bradfordlit.com
Thank you so much!
All the best,
Kari
Comments are closed.