Mystery Agents

MYSTERY AGENT contests have been suspended for the foreseeable future, but keep your eye out for flash fiction and other pitch contests coming soon!


Length of pitches and entries will vary for each month's Mystery Agent contest, but here are the general rules:

Entries must be for completed manuscripts. No unfinished drafts, please!

Entries must follow the instructions for length, and whether they should be emailed or delivered by another method.
 

You can only enter once per contest (only one project). If you participated or won previous MA contests, you can enter later ones as well!
 

Please include NAME, CONTACT INFO, GENRE, and TITLE, formatted like this:

Name: 

Email or twitter: 

Genre: 

Title: 

Pitch: 

If the rules aren't followed, your entry will be disqualified. 


Click on the REVEAL POST if you want:
1) interviews with the agents
2) the pitches that had them salivating
3) links to the agent's blog, website, twitter, and other interviews they've given

Click on the CONTEST link if you want:
1) a sense of the competition the winners beat out
2) list of genres the agent represents (non-exclusive, only valid for the date)

TIP: When querying, always remember more research is better. Use agentquery.com or querytracker.com to learn more about what an agent does and does not represent. Check out the agent's clients (list on querytracker), read some of the books they've sold. Use our links to check out interviews they've given. Look carefully for phrases like, "I'm seeing too much ______." or "I don't really represent [genre]." Always use the most recent information provided.

September 1, 2010
OFFICIAL LAUNCH CONTEST
REVEAL POST: Mandy Hubbard of D4EO Literary
SUCCESS STORY: Nancy Herman, now repped by Mandy Hubbard

November 1, 2010
CONTEST
REVEAL POST: Sara Crowe of Harvey Klinger Literary

December 1, 2010
CONTEST
REVEAL POST: Weronika Janczuk of Lynn C. Franklin Associates (note: agency change from D4EO)
SUCCESS STORY: Max Gladstone, now repped by Weronika Janczuk, two books sold to TOR

February 1, 2011
CONTEST
REVEAL POST: Chris Richman of Upstart Crow Literary

March 1, 2011
CONTEST
REVEAL POST: Kathleen Ortiz of Nancy Coffey Literary and Media Representation (note: agency change from Lowenstein Associates)

April 1, 2011
CONTEST
REVEAL POST: Vickie Motter of Andrea Hurst & Associates Literary

May 1, 2011
CONTEST
WINNERS
REVEAL POST: Krista Goering

July 1, 2011
CONTEST
REVEAL POST: Kathleen Rushall of Marsal Lyon Literary

August 1, 2011
CONTEST
REVEAL POST: Victoria Marini of Gelfman Schneider Literary

September 15, 2011
CONTEST
REVEAL POST: Taylor Martindale of Full Circle Literary


October 1, 2011
CONTEST
REVEAL POST: Sara Megibow of Nelson Literary


November 1, 2011
CONTEST

December 1, 2012

January 1, 2013
REVEAL POST: Thao Le of Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency

March 1, 2013
CONTEST
REVEAL POST: Tricia Lawrence of Erin Murphy Literary Agency

April 1, 2013
CONTEST
REVEAL POST: Peter Knapp of Park Literary

May 1, 2013
CONTEST
REVEAL POST - Sara D'Emic of Talcott Notch Literary

August 1, 2013
CONTEST
REVEAL POST: Dr. Jamie Bodnar Drowley of Inklings Literary Agency

September 1, 2013
CONTEST
REVEAL POST: Kathleen Zakhar of Harold Ober Associates 

October 1, 2013
CONTEST
REVEAL POST: Carrie Pestritto of The Prospect Agency

November 1, 2013
CONTEST
REVEAL POST: Kaylee Davis of Dee Mura Literary

December 1, 2013
CONTEST: Mystery Editor
REVEAL POST: Mandy Schoen from Swoon Romance

July 2014
CONTEST - First Lottery Contest
REVEAL POST - Louise Fury of the Bent Agency

August 2014
CONTEST
LOTTO WINNERS
Pitch Critiques
REVEAL POST - Rebecca Podos of the Rees Literary Agency

September 2014
CONTEST
LOTTO WINNERS
Pitch Critiques
REVEAL POST - Rachel Brooks of L.Perkins

October 2014Pitch Critiques
REVEAL POST - Taylor Haggerty of the Waxman Leavell Agency

December 2014
CONTEST
LOTTO WINNERS
Pitch Critiques
REVEAL POST - Renee Nyen of KT Literary

February 2015
CONTEST
LOTTO WINNERS
Pitch Critiques
REVEAL POST - McKell George from Jolly Fish Press

March 2015
CONTEST
LOTTO WINNERS
Pitch Critiques
REVEAL POST - Laura Zats of Red Sofa Literary

April 2015
CONTEST
Pitch Critiques
REVEAL POST - Lane Heymont of the Seymour Agency