WHAT IN THE WORLD IS PITCH WARS, YOU ASK?

Pitch Wars is a mentoring programme where published/agented authors, editors, or industry interns choose one writer each to spend three months revising their manuscript. It ends in February with an Agent Showcase, where literary agents can read a pitch/first page and can request to read more. You can jump on www.PitchWars.org to find out more. 

If this sounds like you, welcome! And come inside. It’s cold out (in the southern hemisphere), and we have a nice crackling fire going inside. Go on – here are a few bikkies and a hot chocolate to warm you up too 🙂

[An owl-shaped mug on top of a green book in front of a roaring fire and lit white candles]

In this blog, you will be able to find out more about us — #TeamKiwi — Graci Kim and Karah Sutton. We will be mentoring one Middle Grade mentee this year, and below, you can find out a little bit about who we are, what we hope to see in our inbox, and what you can expect if we choose you as our mentee.

Without further ado…

WHO ARE WE?

Graci_Kim_Photo.jpg
[Photo of Graci Kim]

Graci Kim

Twitter: @GraciKim
Instagram: @GraciKimWrites

Graci Kim is a bestselling author of magic-infused middle grade books, who was vine-picked in Korea and sun-ripened in New Zealand.

Her Korean mythology-inspired debut, The Last Fallen Star, published by Disney Hyperion (Rick Riordan Presents) and the first in the Gifted Clans trilogy, became an instant US bestseller. It was named by Indigo as a Best Book of 2021, was an Amazon Best Book Ages 9-12, and was selected by Publishers Lunch as a 2021 Buzz Book. Called a “sparkling yarn” by Entertainment Weekly, the book has been featured in TIME Magazine for Kids, Hypable, and Publishers Weekly; and has been optioned by the Disney Channel for a live-action television series.

In a previous life, Graci was a diplomat for the New Zealand foreign service, a cooking show host, and once ran a business that turned children’s drawings into cuddly toys. She lives in New Zealand with her husband and daughter. You can find her sometimes on Twitter (@gracikim), more often on Instagram (@gracikimwrites), and always at her website (www.gracikim.com)

[Photo of Karah Sutton. Credit: Tabitha Arthur]

Karah Sutton

Twitter: @karahdactyl
Instagram: @karahdactylauthor

Karah Sutton is the author of the middle grade fantasy adventure A Wolf for a Spell (Knopf Books for Young Readers/Random House Childrens’ Books). Inspired by her Russian heritage and the fairytales that have enchanted her since childhood, A Wolf for a Spell was an American Booksellers Association Indies Introduce selection, an Indie Next List Top 10 selection, and a Junior Library Guild selection.

Karah is also the Chief Publishing Officer for New Zealand-based video game developer/publisher PikPok, whose games have been downloaded nearly half a billion times in more than 100 countries worldwide. She has had the pleasure of working with some of the world’s most respected and well-loved entertainment companies including Disney, DreamWorks, Fox, and Cartoon Network.

A dual American/Aotearoa New Zealand citizen, she splits her time between her home town in Kentucky and Wellington/Te Whanganui-a-Tara, Aotearoa New Zealand.

Karah is represented by Katie Grimm of Don Congdon Associates.

WHO IS #TEAMKIWI?

We have affectionately called our team pod #TeamKiwi (after the cute little bird, not the fruit) because we both live in New Zealand and we’re proud of it! This means that you will also become an honorary Kiwi, no matter where you are in the world! So be prepared. Once a Kiwi, always a Kiwi 🙂

Can you spot the Kiwi in the wild?!
[Photo of Karah and Graci together outside in front of a tree. The ocean can be glimpsed in the background. A costumed-kiwi can be spotted hiding behind the tree. Stickers of a smiling heart and star are on the photo]

WHAT ARE WE LIKE AS MENTORS?

We love structure. That’s our jam! We will talk beats, character arcs, and the 3 vs 4 act structure with you until the sheep come home. We believe a strong structure is the backbone of a strong book. 

We also believe in hard work, and many celebratory wines (or your drink of choice). This is a challenging industry. We think it’s crucial we celebrate and indulge in all the small wins along the way. So prepare to be inundated with love! 

We are always here for you. Our door is always open, and we welcome a free flow of communication between our #TeamKiwi podmates. And not just for the mentoring period. We’re in for the long haul. Like we said above: Once a Kiwi, always a Kiwi. You won’t be able to get rid of us that easily…

cute kiwi.jpg
[A close-up of the face of a kiwi bird with its grey fur-like feathers and long beak]

WHAT ARE WE LOOKING FOR?

We are open to fantasy and contemporary MG books (and the various shades in between). 

Here are some things we’d love to see:

  • Diverse voices from any underrepresented author or MC. We would be delighted to find a story that helps underrepresented kids see themselves as the MC, and we would love to offer support via our feedback and mentorship to a marginalised creator.
  • Magic of all forms is encouraged, as is all forms of spookiness and humour.
  • Witches and ghosts and anything paranormal or supernatural. The interpretations of these characters and creatures can be creepy or silly, anywhere in between, or a new twist that we haven’t seen before!
  • Mythologies, folklores, and fairy tales. Especially if from previously underrepresented cultures and viewpoints. 
  • Voice-driven characters with personality who we love to hate, or hate to love.
  • Stories with emotional resonance with high personal stakes that tug at our heartstrings. 
  • Sibling stories, family stories, and stories that explore identity and belonging. 
  • Fast-paced plots with lots of delicious tension. 
  • Rich, lush settings that feel real and tangible, whether set in downtown LA or in an imaginary world.
  • Stories that feel like a puzzle we desperately want to solve.
  • Stories that keep us thinking long after closing the last page…

If you don’t see something resembling what you’ve written here in our Wish List, please don’t be discouraged! This is just a bit of fun to help give a bit more insight into the types of stories we love. With the exception of our Do Not Want list, not fitting this list does not mean we won’t consider your submission!

Do Not Want list

As we said, if your story doesn’t have any of the above, do still feel free to submit to us! However we recommend that you consider a different mentor if you have the following:

[Image of the Pirate Captain from the movie The Pirates! Band of Misfits. He has a luxuriant beard and it wearing a black pirate hat and red coat. The caption says “Well yes but actually no”.
  • Novels in verse or graphic novels. We both LOVE reading these, but we’re very sad to say that we’re not confident we would be the best mentors for either of these, because they’re really not in our skillset. 
  • Preachy books. We both like it when stories say something, and have a grander theme. However this should not outweigh or overshadow the plot or characters.
  • Stories about a marginalised experience that the author does not share, or which present a marginalised character as a prop to either burden or support the MC.

“HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT ANIMAL STORIES AND PORTAL FANTASIES?”

This is a common question! Karah herself was asking it as a Pitch Wars hopeful in 2017, because her book A Wolf for a Spell features an animal protagonist.

We are both open to these genres, however we’d like to see a unique spin on these familiar tropes, and are especially looking for a high concept and highly pitchable hook. 

AND THAT’S IT!

We are so excited to read your submissions, and to work with one of you in the coming months! If you have any questions, you can also tweet us at @Karahdactyl or @GraciKim.

You can see the other MG mentor wish lists below!


PITCH WARS 2021 MIDDLE GRADE MENTORS' WISH LIST


    

  1. Tracy Badua
    2. 

  2. Eric Bell
    3. 

  3. Julie Artz
    4. 

  4. Shannon A. Thompson and Sandra Proudman
    5. 

  5. George Jreije and LQ Nguyen
    6. 

  6. Darlene P. Campos
    7. 

  7. Rebecca Petruck
    8. 

  8. Graci Kim and Karah Sutton
    9. 

  9. Shakirah Bourne
    10. 

  10. Kim Long and Jennifer L. Brown
    11. 

  11. Adrianna Cuevas and Sarah Kapit
    12. 

  12. Sylvia Liu
    13. 

  13. Cindy Baldwin and Amanda Rawson Hill
    14. 

  14. Erin Teagan
    15. 

  15. A.J. Sass and Nicole Melleby
    16. 




Click here to view all Pitch Wars 2021 Mentors' Wish Lists. To view the wish lists by genre, visit this link.