The Moonlight Blade
BY tessa barbosaentangled2023Query Letter
I’m seeking representation for my 82,000 word young adult fantasy, THE MOONLIGHT BLADE. The story includes elements of Southeast Asian culture which is part of my heritage. I thought it might be a good fit for you, because of [reasons].
17 year old Narra Jal was born in Tigang, a harsh country carved out of stone, refuge for an island people that fled the destruction of their homeland. As the humble daughter of a cloth merchant, Narra spent her whole life on the open road, never staying in one place long enough to make friends, or call any place home. She has one hope to change her destiny.
Every ten years Tigang selects a new ruler. No one knows what happens behind the glass walls of the fortress during the Sundo, only that no one survives unbroken. Anyone may enter the Sundo, but only the desperate and the foolish ever join.
Narra is not a fool: she is cursed. Birthmarks pronounce that she must pay for the sins of a past life, and that her touch spreads bad luck like poison. When her mother is arrested, Narra believes her bad luck is to blame. She enters the Sundo to save her family, but within the magic suffused walls of the fortress, she comes face to face with a disarming immortal enemy, and learns how close the peace in Tigang is to shattering.
Narra must unravel the mystery of who she is, and confront the ugly truth of who she was, before the Sundo undoes her, or her growing feelings for the enemy damn them all again.
My writing has appeared in Lightspeed Magazine, as well as anthologies by Exile Editions, Graveside Tales, and Innsmouth Free Press. I am a technical writer by occupation. I am also a graduate of Viable Paradise and an active member of SF Canada.
I have included the first 10 pages below. I would be delighted to send the full manuscript at your request. Thank you for your time and consideration.
About
Age Range
Young Adult
Genre
Fantasy (Traditional)
Word Count
82,000
Book Link
https://tessabarbosa.com/books/
Agent
Léonicka Valcius
Query Stats
Number of Queries Sent
85
Number of Full Requests Received
40
Number of Offers of Representation
1
Number of Months Spent Querying This Novel
18 months
Years Spent Writing Before Getting an Offer
10
Number of Manuscripts Queried Before This One
1
Publication Status of The Book Queried
Published (Independent /Boutique / Indy Publisher)
Years Spent Writing Before This Book was Published
15
Note to Querying Writers:
I did get good responses to my query, I ended up getting an agent, parting ways with my agent, then getting a book deal after submitting my book directly to a publisher. I ended up querying Léonicka Valcius with a deal in hand and she negotiated the book contract for me. There's not one path to getting published!