Attempt One: The Girl Who Cried Rape

[R. Charlene]

AGENT NAME,

What makes a boy become a rapist?

Madison-Mae grew up with smothering affection; Jimmy with the tense silence of an abusive household. On the first day of sixth grade, Jimmy decides sweet Madison-Mae might just be the friend he needs. Madison-Mae likes this freckled boy with his dirty tennis shoes. In a friend’s basement they eat stale peanuts and drink their first beers, and Jimmy begins to fall in love with his angelic Madison-Mae. But Madison-Mae is no angel. Jimmy can’t handle her fall from innocence, and they grow distant. Passing each other in the halls of high school, they can’t help but to wonder if they might have found happiness together.

Years later, the two deem it fate when they find each other in college. But when Jimmy gets a phone call that pushes him over the edge, he believes that the time has come for him to stop relying on fate.

Madison-Mae and Jimmy’s paths meet with tragic consequences, leaving them sitting in a courtroom and waiting for judgment.

The Girl Who Cried Rape is a 40,000 word young adult novel.

I thank you for your consideration and hope to share the entire manuscript with you someday soon.

[Lea Zalas]

R. Charlene, what happens is vague. An agent will want to know what happens, what the tragic consequences are, and which of them are on trial. Otherwise, this will head straight for the trash can.

Simply thank them for their consideration, leave out the hope of sharing, because if they don't like it, they won't request it, if they do, they'll ask for it.

[John Oberon]

What Lea said, pretty darn vague, plus 40K is closer to a novelette than a novel. You're going to have big trouble selling something that short. Lots better to hike it up to the 70K to 90K range.