2025 SmoochPit mentee | Writer, artist ✍️ Querying an Asian-inspired romantic fantasy https://nitter.gq/t.co/p37Ios0Xv2
- Tweets230
- Following418
- Followers191
- Likes315
ALT Agents Guide to unfated by Matilda Hansson cover
ALT Pitch and comps images
ALT Trope breakdown
ALT Snippet of text
ALT moodboard for Lady Han's Manual for Matrimonial Mayhem showing plum blossoms; a man fighting in bamboo forest; a view of a Chinese palace through red gates; a woman with a death stare; a man with a serious displeased look; moon-gate looking into a Chinese garden with a pavillion on the pond; a man kissing a woman's neck intimately; Chinese calligraphy and brush pen
ALT "An agent's guide to THE BOG PRINCE by Julianne M, a 99k word YA fantasy romance."
ALT The pitch... Eighteen-year-old Everin Lockett’s dreams of returning home from ruthless Wyverith College are shattered when she manifests a forbidden necromancy magic that reanimates the bog body of her kingdom’s lost prince. If the college discovers the truth about her abilities, she will be conscripted into their brutal army, doomed never to see her family again. Desperate to guard her secret, Everin strikes a deal with the long-lost Prince Byrnan: if he helps keep her power hidden, she will help him solve his centuries-old murder. But when Byrnan’s quest for justice could be the very thing that endangers her last hope of going home, Everin will need to confront the true cost of falling for a lost prince with nothing left to lose—and a kingdom to reclaim.
ALT Pictures of book and album covers in ornate antique frames. The text reads: For fans of... Yearning and bog bodies (Hozier's debut album) Dark academia and lyrical prose (A Study in Drowning and Curious Tides) Haunting gothic atmosphere (One Dark Window and Florence + the Machine's Lungs album) Slow-burn romance (Divine Rivals)
ALT Snippet... A fork of lightning split the rain-soaked sky in two, and the ground trembled with a deafening clap of thunder. But even after the rumbling faded, the bog still shuddered beneath me, swelling and quaking like a pair of lungs drawing their dying breath. I lurched away, my heart jolting against my throat as I scrambled back through the mud. Another crack of lightning. And in its wake, silhouetted against the flash of violet light— A single grasping hand, clawing its way out of the earth towards me.
ALT Agents guide for Lady Han's Manual for Matrimonial Mayhem, 91K adult fantasy romcom, revised through SmoochPit 2025 mentorship
ALT Pitch - She planned to be the terror in his life. He planned to ignore her. Neither planned on saving a crumbling empire from a tyrant—or falling in love. Twenty-year-old Wen Anling would sooner commit murder than give up her home and freedom. But with no way out of her arranged marriage to Han Shiyan, the wealthy Lord of Qinglan, she devises a plan: let him be the one to beg for divorce… once she transforms herself into the nastiest wife possible. Shiyan only married Anling to honour his mother’s dying wish. Had he known his new wife would send his simple life straight to mayhem, he would have thrown honour out the nearest window. He struggles to see any good beneath Anling’s heavily powdered face, overly red lips, and shrill screams, but when she continues to get under his skin, he cannot help but grow intrigued—especially after catching his first glimpses of the real Anling beneath her prickly exterior. While Anling wrestles with her desire to escape the prison of marriage and he
ALT Comps The Darkness Within Us - cunning, unlikeble heroine, enemies-to-lovers, drives him up the wall but he can't help falling A Song to Drown Rivers - Chiense history-inspired setting, political intrigue & schemes How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days - romantic comedy, slow burn, lots of banter
ALT Extract & Tropes - Multicultural w/ POC leads - Marriage of convenience - Enemies to power couple - Slow burn w/ a dose of spice The not so meet cute... Shiyan’s eyes widened for a heartbeat before he forced composure back onto his features. Her face was powdered with a thick layer of white, as if she had simply dunked it into a bowl of flour. Her bright red lip-paint smudged at the edges and… Heavens forbid women dab their cheeks with uneven blobs of pink. Even the most senile and stern of his guests held their hands to their stomachs, straining to hold back fits of laughter. He would have gladly joined them, too, if he wasn’t the one with the honour of marrying this… this… buffoon. He swallowed and recited the wise sayings of his forefathers: one should not judge a book by its cover; a woman’s beauty runs deeper than appearances; virtues are lasting while beauty is fleeting. Oh, to hell with wise sayings. An eyesore was an eyesore no matter how virtuous it might be.
ALT Why Instagram? #WriterPit is an Instagram-only event, and the focus is NOT to get likes from agents or editors. So why should you participate?
ALT Sooner or later, most writers come to a point in their writing journey when they realize they need to reach the people who will actually read their book. And readers generally aren’t on X or Bsky — but a lot of them are on Instagram.
ALT Growing an Instagram account from nothing can be tricky — but that’s where the writing community shines! During pitch events, writers follow, support, and engage with each other, so it’s a great opportunity to grow your following and create hype for a post about your book — on a platform where where it really matters!
ALT Many writers won’t just boost you during the event, they keep supporting your future posts too, so it’s a valuable network to build your author brand on. And of course, you should do the same in return. Support and hype other writers as often as you can. Because that’s what we do: We’re writers, we lift each other up!
ALT An agent's guide to STARSENT by azi ossman
ALT The front cover of the book, with the characters of Alex and Theo nearby. The text reads: Available now. Half the World Away. When Theo joins Year 9 at his local state school, he reluctantly agrees to take part in a new national pen pal project. After losing hope of a reply, an unexpected letter arrives from Alex, a confident private school boarder, sparking a connection that could change everything. www.linktree.com/jamesalyons
ALT Reviews: “Would fully recommend. It was such an easy read, and I absolutely loved it. The flow of the writing between Alex's letters and Theo's day were really well done and made it seamless to the point that you knew exactly what was going on.” ~ ARC review “A gorgeous, heartwarming, fuzzy book. I adored this from start to finish. I would have loved to have read more books like this growing up - so much about this book was wholesome and at the same time thought provoking. I would highly recommend this book! Absolutely gorgeous” ~ ARC review “Half the World Away explores love, distance, and identity in such a heartfelt way that I found myself smiling one minute and tearing up the next. It was tender, funnny, and quietly powerful. The themes of belonging, queer identity, and self-discovery shine through with warmth and emotion.” ~ ARC review “Half the World Away is a gorgeous, heartwarming story and I know you’ll just FALL IN LOVE with it! If you liked Heartstopper, you’ll love this!
ALT Ch1. SEPTEMBER 1995 According to Nan, I’m four times more likely to be eaten by a shark than I am to win the National Lottery. Well, the joke is on her. I have never paddled deeper than my shins in the sea, and in front of me sits a winning lottery ticket. It may only be three matching numbers and worth a tenner, but I will take any positivity I can get. Life has been one kickback after another recently. Ten pounds won’t change that, and I often wonder if I’ll ever get a real lucky day. Today is my second ever first day of school. With the way Mum has been making a fuss, I should have an adventurous excitement flowing through my veins with each ripple from my heartbeat. The truth is my stomach is knotted as I stare down at three soggy Weetabix. They swim around my bowl, turning to mush, whilst Take That remind me from the radio to never forget where I came here from.
ALT Heartstopper meets Boy Like Me. Theo has been home schooled for three years, but his mother’s terminal illness forces him into Year Nine at his local school. Struggling to adapt, he’s persuaded to join a national pen pal project. His letter lands on the desk of Alex—a confident, private school boarder, and aspiring county rower—everything Theo is not. Despite their differences, the two begin to secretly confide, sharing struggles with grief, loneliness, and the pressures of a society demanding conformity. As their correspondence intensifies, Theo realises he has fallen for the boy in the letters. Concerned the outside world remains unwelcoming, and with Alex set to move to France, Theo must express his true feelings before they miss their chance to meet.
ALT A white and blue poster that says, "MENTEE APPLICATIONS ARE OPEN NOW UNTIL NOV 21!". In the background are book graphics and at the bottom is a line that reads, "To apply, please visit: www.roundtablementor.com/apply."
ALT A blue circle that says, "MSWLS ARE UP!" Around it are graphics of books, and then a line at the bottom reads, "MENTEE APPLICATIONS OPEN ON NOVEMBER 6TH."
ALT Mentors Part 1: Molly McDonough Deena Helm Julie Lew Megan Bontrager Seren Kilig Natalie Kikić Deandra Davis Christie Curry Eunice Kim Carmeline Melchior Corvin A. Doupagne Rachel Kitch Samantha Chong Fatiha Rais Shepard DiStasio Thea Liu Damara Allen Karis Rogerson
ALT Mentors Part 2: Julie Hafsa Derbal Tali Shammas Lilly Lu Cassy Klisch Camille Chong Bayley Mae Amanda Helander Libby Kennedy Taylor Pitts Shaina Cordas J.D. Myall Asia Murphy Grace Morrow Meredith Mooring Ellen Mulholland Chantel Pearson Stephanie Kim Johnson Caitlyn Averett Sabina Martin
ALT An agent’s guide to: How to Steal a Dragon (YA Romantic Fantasy)
ALT Pitch: Teenage pickpocket Kit is hired by the King to infiltrate a gang of thieves. The heist? To steal and liberate the King's dragons from captivity. The problem? The leader of the gang is Kit's ex-best friend who she might be falling back in love with.
ALT First lines: The clanging bells of Buckstone's civic watchmen shattered the peace of the night. They announced that somewhere in town, a crime had been committed. It was a warning for citizens to take extra care, lock their doors and shut their windows; it was a signal that danger was nearby. But Kit Galanis didn't hear warning, or danger. She heard an opportunity.
ALT Six of Crows (heist novel, found family); A Language of Dragons (political intrigue, morally grey FMC); Heartless Hunter (romance+betrayal, slow burn)