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Nic Webb @bynicwebb.bsky.social · 22d

I entirely restructured the first chapter of my MS and felt the need to also redo my blurb for my query letter

So here is an updated #agentsguide for my fantasy that I #amquerying

Witches Don’t Burn

Now more enticing from the first page on🤪😜

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Nic Webb @bynicwebb.bsky.social · Aug 6

songs that feel just like WITCHES DON'T BURN
🔥Adult fantasy
🔥Multi-POV
🔥Subplot of a slow burn romance
🔥Complex family + female friendship dynamics
🔥Chosen family
🔥Dismantling corrupt organized systems
🔥Female rage

Completed at 82k words
#questpit #q #f #a

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Reposted by Nic Webb

Kanirthi is querying 🦋 @kanirthi.bsky.social · Aug 6

THE HENNA WARS X NEVER HAVE I EVER

My #agentsguide for DARED TO IGNORE YOU, a YA Contemporary featuring:

💖Sapphic enemies to lovers
🥻South Asian FMC
🦋Coming-of-age in the UK
🔪Revenge from outcast
🎤 Grammar school drama

#ownvoices #amquerying #questpit #Q #YA

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Nic Webb @bynicwebb.bsky.social · Aug 6

🤭yay i’m so glad that part excites you!!!

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Nic Webb @bynicwebb.bsky.social · Aug 6

mood board for WITCHES DON'T BURN
🔥Adult fantasy
🔥Multi-POV
🔥Subplot of a slow burn romance
🔥Complex family + female friendship dynamics
🔥Chosen family
🔥Dismantling corrupt organized systems
🔥Female rage

Completed at 82k words
#questpit #q #f #a

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Nic Webb @bynicwebb.bsky.social · Aug 6

ahhhh thank you !!

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Nic Webb @bynicwebb.bsky.social · Aug 6

cozy with a side of darkness ?? yesss please !!!

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Reposted by Nic Webb

kj is ✨querying✨ @kjsilver.bsky.social · Aug 6

❤️‍🔥 THE HEALER WITCH ❤️‍🔥

If you thought coming back to the place you hate the most was bad, imagine getting tangled in a Healer’s dodgy business AND constantly putting your life in danger in the process.

The odds are not in their favour, but the Gods are.

#agentsguide #questpit #Q #A #F

Purple and orange flames over a dark background. White text reads: The Guardians of Melya present, The Healer Witch. A Bewitched 97K Adult Fantasy by K J Silver

Purple and orange flames over a dark background. The white text reads: The pitch - Captain Onwyn Storm's life changes the moment he agrees to work for General Redwood, though he will soon learn just how much. While trying to prove himself and fulfill the bargain he's made to be rid of his father's corrupting influence once and for all he is forces to work with Lunary. A Healer Witch who has more secrets than he can keep track of and could very well cost him everything he has worked so hard for. Or his life, if he's not careful.

Purple and orange flames over a dark background. White text reads: The Prologue - And so Ylluriel had endured centuries of watching how they destroyed each other. Over land, resources, family feuds. The reason didn’t seem to matter, for they always found another excuse to turn against one another. The greed, the hopelessness. The anger and blood lust. The jealousy and despair. They had all infected the lands of Melya like a plague that no one could stop. Ylluriel had easily grown tired of staying aside. Of having the power to change things and not do anything to help the children that she loved so fiercely. Her love was so great that she was willing to go against Melya herself, the Mother of all. Her grandmother.
It wasn’t the first time she had defied her, after all, and she was sure it would not be the last. Especially not when a child, so desperate to live, had found her way to her realm.

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Reposted by Nic Webb

Pamela Cochran @pamelaelaela.bsky.social · Aug 6

THE BOOKMAKER OF PELLMELL
A cynical woman who can see the future grudgingly takes over a cage fighting ring to save her sick friend—and is horrified to find that she’s excellent at it.
🌘dystopian grounded fantasy
⚖️morally gray FMC
🔥romantic subplot
🫶found family
🌈diverse cast
#QuestPit #W #A #SFF

Background: an island superimposed with a woman pressing money to her face with a blackened hand

Title: An agent's guide to THE BOOKMAKER OF PELLMELL by P. A. Cochran

Subtitle: Dystopian urban fantasy / 75k words

Background: a male fighter's back pressed against a chain-link cage

For fans of Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil by V. E. Schwab, Chain-Gang All-Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah, Peaky Blinders, and The Last of Us

The pitch: Trapped in a bleak world, a cynical young woman with the ability to glimpse future possibilities grudgingly takes over running a cage fighting ring to save her sick friend--and is horrified to find that she's excellent at it.

Images: (1) a hand holding burning money (2) a figure walking down a city street filled with litter (3) an albatross flying across an orange sky (4) a crumbling hotel (5) a woman sitting at a red-lit bar (6) a fighter's back against a cage

Text: gritty neo-noir vibes | grounded fantasy | lyrical prose | FMC w/ "Breaking Bad" arc | found family | romantic subplot | cost of talent & obsession | hope's ability to save & corrupt

Opening lines:

It was the beginning of storm season, and Tremmel City was glossy and slick as a bloodied fist.

Arin didn’t mind. The wet paths up the caldera wall were dicey, but at least the rain muted the stench of trash and mule excrement. She pulled her jacket closed, the same black leather jacket she always wore. A relic of the past she couldn’t part with that swallowed her whole. She crossed her arms over her chest and climbed up the stone steps.

PENTA OR BUST

BLESS THE BRICKERS

CURB THE COGS

The graffiti was so repetitive it had long ago taken a melody in Arin’s head. She used to argue internally with each one: Don’t put your faith in the Pentathlon—only a fool would trust those odds. Don’t glorify the brickers—they only saved us once. Don’t demonize the cogs—some of us exercise self-control. But eventually the arguments petered out until all that was left was a bleak refrain.

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Nic Webb @bynicwebb.bsky.social · Aug 6

one sentence pitch for WITCHES DON'T BURN
🔥Adult fantasy
🔥Multi-POV
🔥Subplot of a slow burn romance
🔥Complex family + female friendship dynamics
🔥Chosen family
🔥Dismantling corrupt organized systems
🔥Female rage

Completed at 82k words
#questpit #q #f #a

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Reposted by Nic Webb

Millie Sun @milliesun.bsky.social · Aug 6

A Song to Drown Rivers meets How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days in LADY HAN'S MANUAL FOR MATRIMONIAL MAYHEM, in which the mischievous bride fights for divorce with chaos:
😈 unlikeable heroine
⚔️ enemies-to-lovers
💑 marriage of convenience
👑 political intrigue
#questpit #A #RF #W (line editing for #Q soon!)

Agent's guide to Lady Han's Manual for Matrimonial Mayhem: 89K Adult Fantasy Romcom with low spice

Pitch: What can a girl do to escape an arranged marriage, but to prank her husband to hell and back in the hopes that he will divorce her?

In the Dazhen Empire, twenty-year-old Wen Anling’s comfortable life is turned upside down when her father forces her to marry Han Shiyan, the wealthy Lord of Qinglan. In a desperate bid for freedom, Anling fights chaos with chaos, by transforming 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. But when his wife continues to get under his skin, he cannot help but grow intrigued by her eccentric nature—once he sees her irritating antics as what they truly are: harmless.

In the face of deadly threats, Anling must embrace her role as Lady Han and turn her cunning mind to their common enemies, or grab the freedom offered to her and watch the empire fall.

Comps: The Darkness Within Us, A Song to Drown Rivers, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days

Extract: 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.

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Nic Webb @bynicwebb.bsky.social · Aug 6

thank you!!

Nic Webb @bynicwebb.bsky.social · Aug 6

we must accept the signs of the universe 🙂‍↕️🙂‍↕️

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Nic Webb @bynicwebb.bsky.social · Aug 6

thank you so much!!!

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Nic Webb @bynicwebb.bsky.social · Aug 6

ahhh i love that!! i literallyyyyy just created my bluesky account for questpit so that’s so funny i popped up for you !!

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Reposted by Nic Webb

wott is querying! @wottenmoss.bsky.social · Aug 6

#agentguide for WHEN THE MAGPIE FLIES (81k queer fantasy)

When troublemaker and hobbyist scholar Magpie is chosen by the spirits, she breaks an ancient tradition rather than leave her best friend behind—and brings the wrath of spirits and humans alike down upon the realm.

#questpit #Q #F

Text: An agent’s guide to When the Magpie Flies by M H Wottenmoss. Background of mountains, trees, and a giant mushroom. A magpie flies in the sky.

Pitch: Magpie of Lornwhen, hobbyist scholar and incurable troublemaker, dreams of becoming a Conduit. As the realm’s only defense against monstrous spirits, Conduits are beloved and privileged—and it’s Magpie’s best chance to escape the undertow of poverty. When a spirit chooses her for the honor, marking her with a cold, entrancing touch, her dream is suddenly within reach. To fully ascend as a Conduit, Magpie, alongside the other newly-chosen, must embark on a journey into the heart of the spiritwoods.
The only thing holding her back is her best friend, Calladonna.
There are rumors about how Conduits are changed by the mysterious journey, and Calla can’t shake the feeling that if Magpie leaves, she won’t come back. Determined to reassure her, Magpie convinces Calla to come along in secret, hidden from the other Conduits. For the first time, Magpie’s future is bright and shining—until one of the other Conduits turns up dead, and it seems like Calla may be to blame.

Comps: A Dark and Drowning Tide by Allison Saft: clueless lesbians, murder and betrayal, journey of ascension. Nettle & Bone by T. Kingfisher: found family, humor and darkness, perilous quest.

Also featuring undiscovered magic, monstrous spirits, chaotic academia, ill-advised rituals, haunted forest, queer & autistic ensemble cast, giant mushrooms, original music

Opening lines: The world went dark just after she jumped off the roof. In one moment she could see the clocktower before her, the ledge beneath its defunct face familiar and inviting, and in the next there was nothing. It wasn't an uncommon occurrence, necessarily, but damn if that wasn't inconvenient timing.

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Reposted by Nic Webb

Diamond Fore is ✨querying✨ @diamondf.bsky.social · Aug 6

ATLA x WICKED

Calypso must steal 12 divine amulets in order to regain her powers and seek revenge against her enemies.

Villain FMC
Hero MMC
Hate at first sight
Destroy the world, dont save it

#questpit #Q #YA #F

Collage of images, zodiac wheel, solar system planets in a straight line, scorpio constellation, virgo constellation, text saying the villain and text saying the hero

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Nic Webb @bynicwebb.bsky.social · Aug 6

omg am i on your tt fyp???

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Reposted by Nic Webb

B. van Bodegom 📃is querying & writing @bvbodegom.bsky.social · Aug 6

BLACK MIRROR × SEVERANCE × THE GOOD PLACE

Having a happy death is a luxury service for the rich and Wren is the rising top salesman—until a cynical coworker and a depressed billionaire force him to rethink it all in a world where even your last smile has a price tag.

#QuestPit #A #S #SF #W

This image is a book cover design for a novel titled "Happy Death Inc." by B. Van Bodegom. The cover is divided into three distinct horizontal sections:

1. Top Section: Features a cartoonish blue sky with white clouds and a bright sun. At the top, a tagline reads:
"How much would you pay to die with a smile?"
The word "HAPPY" appears in large, playful, hand-drawn-style font, partially overlapping the sky background.

2. Middle Section: A photograph of a deceased man in a suit, lying in a casket. He has an exaggerated smile on his face, almost unnaturally wide and clean, suggesting artificial enhancement or post-mortem alteration. Overlaid on this image is the word "DEATH" in the same large font as the previous word.

3. Bottom Section: A cartoon city skyline in pastel tones, similar in style to the top sky background. The word "INC." is overlaid prominently in the same large font. At the very bottom, in smaller capital letters, it says:
"A Novel by B VAN BODEGOM"

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Reposted by Nic Webb

Kanani O’Kelly @kananiokelly.bsky.social · Aug 6

MOANA x SHADOW AND BONE

A refreshed introduction to WHISPERS OF THE SEA, a YA Fantasy that will embark soon on its query journey.

Featuring:
🌊 Native Hawaiian Rep
🌊 Cultural Identity
🌊 Setting as a Character

#QuestPit #YA #F #W #OwnVoices #AgentsGuide

A refreshed introduction to WHISPERS OF THE SEA, a YA Fantasy that will embark soon on its query journey.

Featuring:
Native Hawaiian Rep
Cultural Identity
Setting as a Character

The second slide showcases the pitch:

WHISPERS OF THE SEA follows the story of a teenage girl who embarks on a journey to rescue her uncle after he was mysteriously captured by a group of uniformed men sailing under the royal flags of a faraway kingdom.

Keahi must voyage across the seas to this distant isle where she’ll team up with a boy to track her uncle’s whereabouts. But in order to understand the dangers that lurk ahead, she’ll be forced to uncover a lifetime worth of secrets—and she must do so before it’s too late.

The third slide indicates that WHISPERS OF THE SEA might appeal to fans of: Disney’s Moana, Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo, and Curious Tides by Pascale Lacelle.

The book includes the following tropes/themes: found family, self-discovery within cultural identity, Hawaiian-inspired mythology, and adventure.

The final slide includes a snippet from the book that reads:

“Keahi’s legs were immobilized as her body tried to make the decision her mind could not. The feeling was strange for she had dreamt countless of times about leaving the island, only to seize the opportunity and awaken to find that she had been sold a nightmare instead.”

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Reposted by Nic Webb

Trinity🫧is querying🫧 @trinitywrites.bsky.social · Aug 6

BLADE RUNNER x THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER

Lonely hacker Renaya must help a kind android boy recover his memories so she can solve her father's murder - before those behind it get to her first.

#questpit #Q #YA #SF

Black and gray background of the inside of a circuit board. Metal Bones, Plastic Heart. YA sci-fi, 85,000 words.
White arrows point to the following:
Slow-burn romance
Dark cyberpunk vibes
Fast-paced plot
Grumpy x sunshine
Cast of messy, loveable teens
What does it mean to be human?

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Reposted by Nic Webb

Paige Nicole @paigenicolewrites.bsky.social · Aug 6

A CONCEALED SORCERY, is dual-POV novel, complete at 107k. The story of a prophet seeking her own future akin to “The Knight and the Moth” X the anti-magic tensions of “Heartless Hunter X the will-they-won’t-they romance of “My Lady Jane.” #questpit #q #ya #f #r

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Reposted by Nic Webb

✨Eliza Mares✨ @elizamaresauthor.bsky.social · Aug 6

#questpit #W #A #H #R

🩸THE HEART YET BLEEDS🩸

A summer storm forces Anne inside Bellflower House, a manor owned by the hauntingly beautiful Sabine. Anne is enchanted by her hostess — but when the rain won’t stop & dark things lurk the halls, she can’t help but wonder if Sabine will ever let her go.

A moody collage on a red brocade background, featuring images of a pale strawberry-blonde woman with a bloodied mouth, a painting of a woman staring into a mirror, a black cat rubbing a woman's slippered foot, lace embroidery, a gothic manor, a candelabra, a hand catching drops of ran, a painted portrait of a woman in a metal ornate frame, and a spilled glass of red wine/blood.

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Reposted by Nic Webb

BB Lorik (writing SFF 💀📖) @authorbblorik.bsky.social · Aug 6

#QuestPit #A #FR
Assistant to the Villain X Nightmare Before Christmas

Dark times are upon Narissa’s charming town, with the Snow Queen’s antics freezing the economy, but a clumsy debut Overlord is about to change all that—IF Narissa can rally the townsfolk to believe in him

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Reposted by Nic Webb

Juniper Woodbury ✨ is querying ✨ @juniperwoodbury.bsky.social · Aug 6

A twist on Roman Holiday with a touch of Midsommar set in a reimagined Babylon.

🧞‍♀️ Goddess trapped in a human body
🥐 Cinnamon roll boy who takes pity on her
🐠 Fish out of water story
🤺 Sisters getting revenge on each other
🍷 Creepy, mysterious cult
🏺 Ancient Babylon vibes
#questpit #Q #A #F #RF

A collage of figs, a mule on a dirt road, a goddess in a river, and sand, with the text "AGENT'S GUIDE, THE UNMAKING OF A MUSE, 109,000 words, Adult Romantasy"

A background of sand with an illustration of a mesopotamian goddess and a lion, with the text: "THE UNMAKING OF A MUSE, Roman Holiday x Midsommar in ancient Babylon. Lali, a spoiled muse, persuades an innocent butcher to help her take down a human cult that's blocking her muse magic and brainwashing her sister into giving up eternal life — but when Lali starts falling for the earth-born butcher, it’s the first sign she's been brainwashed."

Sand as a background with mesopotamian illustrations and text that says: "FIRST LINES, It’s tedious work, trying to inspire genius in mortals. It always has been. Even decades ago, long before this recent sun cycle, when they began to resist the muses’ influence."

A background of sand, with images of books overlayed - Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan, Circe by Madeline Miller, Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor, and A Sorceress Comes to Call by T. Kingfisher, with the text "Comp Titles" above them and cuneiform letters below.

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