Last #questpit post for me. Welcome to North Pole Village, where Kallie Sugar's family owns the bakery, Chase is a Frost (w/a frosty demeanor), the Jackson Frost & Kris Kringle are at odds, and the cinnamon rolls are addictive. So stay for the Kringle Annual Ball. #YA #F #Q

Gravity Falls x The Sea of Monsters The perfect recipe for a bad summer: A pinch of cryptids A spoonful of riddles A dash of fanatics A secret society One life draining curse Mix it all together and sail south on a quest to break a curse on the curse breakers. (Results may vary.) #Questpit #q

Well this was a fun pitch event. Met some nice new people…hi new people…and shot my shot. No pro likes but that’s okay.

Romantasy adjacent. EMBER IN THE ASHES x the 90s 3 MUSKETEERS movie: an empress in hiding that doesn’t know it joins forces with the son of a dark lord trying to do right to restore her throne and stop a cataclysmic war his dad is trying to start. #YA #F #questpit

THEY BOTH DIE AT THE END x FREAKY FRIDAY x PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER In a world in which young people uncontrollably and frequently swap bodies, Sam’s journey to find his missing boyfriend teaches him to accept himself, no matter what he looks like. #questpit #YA #S #LGBT #Q

IT X THE WEIGHT OF BLOOD: Max finds 2 photos, taken years apart & quests to unravel the mystery of the girl in the pics & her link to 7 missing girls while tangling w/ the eldritch horror their crazed cult leader murderer unleashed on the world. #YA #H #T #questpit

COOP KNOWS THE SCOOP x BOB’S BURGERS: #MG kids on bikes adventure with 2 timelines: 1995: Friends find out their parents were in a band & go on a quest to find their hit album. 2025: Their kids hear about said album & go on a quest to find the lost recordings. #W #questpit

Set in the early 90s think CLERKS co-written by Kevin Smith & Warren Miller, a male fat positive romcom about a writer & a wannabe Olympic skier from rival schools that meet& fall in love. Lots of laughs and shenanigans. Perfect for upcoming Winter Olympics. #YA #Q #questpit

CABIN IN THE WOODS × JOHN DIES AT THE END When their detective friend is murdered during their annual gaming retreat, 5 dads must rely on years of #TTRPG experience—and puns—to solve the crime before they're all killed off like NPCs in a badly written supernatural campaign. #QuestPit #A #H #M

SINNERS x THE DEVILS x CASTLEVANIA There's three rules to surviving as a nightrunner: don't get comfortable, don't be a hero, and don't be unlucky. Corado's about to break all three. 🤠 Vampire Cowboys 🦇 Monstrous Night Hordes 🏜️ Pueblo Pit Cities Querying soon! #A #F #W #QuestPit

#Questpit Mass effect x Treasure Planet/ Master and Commander in Space 6 years after the Death of Earth and Humanity's Uplift into the Jada Empire. Elise Clarke is enlisted into the Royal Fleet. Can she overcome her trauma and prove Humanity can find a place in the Galaxy? #Q #SF #SFF

WHEN DEVILS SING X FEAR STREET "Four pieces reunited by sinner's hand may finally break the Curse." Looks like Chava Rose is sinning. 💞 Women's autonomy ✡️ Jewish mythology ❤️‍🩹 Star-crossed lovers who never give up 🌈 Diverse ensemble ⚖️ Strong themes of equality #YA #H #Q #OWN #Jewish #questpit

1988. Suburbia. Wannabe writer Vinny goes on an epic kids on bikes adventure w/ his friends to find a crashed UFO. Along the way they find an exact duplicate of their neighborhood, a creepy mansion and uncover a dangerous conspiracy, all in one night. #MG #SF #questpit

Last one for me for a little bit before my next volley. If I get a sec I’ll repost some ones I like!

AN EMBER IN THE ASHESxTHE 3 MUSKETEERS: Two apprentice warriors, an empress in hiding that doesn’t know & the son of a dark lord trying to do right, are forced to work together to stop a war his dad is trying to start. Romantasy adjacent. Male fat positive. #YA #F #Q #questpit

The Undesirables • #YA #NA #Q 🧍🏼a teenage loner 🌃 gritty 70s Hollywood 🎸a band of misfits led by a punk artful dodger ⭕️ circle pits & poetry 🖤 relationships that transcend romance 🪨 a rock bottom moment ⛅️ redemption & self-discovery 🤘🏻a really good playlist #questpit

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

I’m at work so I can’t spread the love for today’s pitch event but when I get settled at home later today I will! For now I only can post mine!

Nick wants to get ready for football & hang out with his friends the summer before his sr year, but when a mushroom induced prophet challenges him to complete seven "labors" like a discount Hercules, Nick embarks on an epic not seen since ancient Greece. #YA #questpit

HALLMARK by Kevin Smith. Framed as a mix tape & set in a 90s ski town, two teens from rival high schools fall in love amid their friends’ shenanigans all while working to fulfill their dreams: he as a writer, she as an Olympic skier. Male fat positive. #YA #Q #questpit

ITxTHE RIVERMAN: Max finds identical photos, taken years apart, & embarks on a summer long quest to ID the girl in the photo & figure out her connection to the serial killer cult leader and the seven girls he's accused of killing. #YA #H #questpit

THE FORT X STRANGER THINGS Kids on bikes. 1988 Setting. Crashed UFO. Mysterious millionaire. Duplicate neighborhood. Creepy mansion w/ a hedge maze. Bumbling henchmen. Robots. First crushes. D&D Refs Ever seen the Bob’s Burgers ep Stand by Gene? Same idea. #MG #SF #questpit

I mean, how do they catch fire so fast? I mean what is it about Romantasy that made it the "thing" that it is? #kidlitchat

I know that it's late in the chat, but what do you think constitutes a trend? And how do they happen so fast? #kidlitchat

My first real book was my Game of Thrones for teens that was honestly a little before that wave hit and then missed it entirely by bad representation. I released it on my own. It's probably too long but I put it out in the world anyway. #kidlitchat

I mean seriously. What was the last teen movie made almost exclusively for teens? Superbad? Maybe I'm out of touch. Most "teen" media seems to be made for older audiences and the teens just come along for the ride. #kidlitchat

I have a thought I'm trying to figure out how to articulate how changes in YA/MG parallel the changes in the entertainment industry as a whole. They aren't really making media for teens anymore. #kidlitchat

I get the appeal of these doorstoppers. I've always loved doorstoppers. But most kids today don't have the time or attention spans to read 4-500 page books. #kidlitchat

I teach HS and I can tell you that a lot of kids are asking for "shorter" YA and MG books. #kidlitchat

Honestly, I try not to pay attention to trends. I know it sounds cliched but I feel like that's something I can't control. I can't write quick enough to hit the trend that's hot now. At least not yet. #kidlitchat

Holy crapola….this is still a thing???? Where’s my Sears Christmas Catalog dammit????

Okay, update: the account that was mimicking me has been suspended. As I said, this is the only account that's the real me!

So, @johnzeleznikauth.bsky.social is still up and running. Just so you all know this is NOT me. I suppose I should be flattered that someone created the account and is reposting my posts. Be aware that any messages or communication that comes from this person are not coming from me. Thanks.

Well, this is a first, someone is impersonating me here. All they’ve done so far is repost my posts but just so y’all know, this is my ONLY account!

Usually, after a pitch event I'm all juiced and excited, but today was kind of a let down. Maybe people had more luck. Maybe people are just tired of my same old pitches.

IT x STRANGER THINGS x THE RIVERMAN: Two identical photos taken years apart send true crime fan Max on a quest to identify the girl in the photo while tangling with a eldritch horror released by crazed cult leader accused of murdering seven little girls. #YA #PNH #T #GhostPit

Is it me or are today’s pitch events not getting the same traffic as usual?

IT x STRANGER THINGS x THE RIVERMAN: Two identical photos taken years apart send true crime fan Max on a quest to identify the girl in the photo while tangling with a eldritch horror released by crazed cult leader accused of murdering seven little girls. #YA #PNH #T #PitDark

Summer of 88. When a UFO crashes in the woods near their house Vinny & friends go on a quest to find it only to stumble upon a duplicate of their neighborhood & a secret mansion in the woods where they unearth a mysterious conspiracy and the pilot of the UFO. #MG #SF #PitDark

IT X THE WEIGHT OF BLOOD: When Max finds 2 identical photos, taken years apart, he embarks on a quest to unravel the mystery of the pics & their link to 7 missing girls while tangling w/ the eldritch horror their crazed cult leader murderer unleashed. #YA #PNH #T #PitDark

1988. Suburbia. Wannabe writer Vinny goes on an epic kids on bikes adventure w/ his friends to find a crashed UFO. Along the way they find an exact duplicate of their neighborhood, a creepy mansion and uncover a dangerous conspiracy, all in one night. #MG #pitdark

I've always dreamed of people cosplaying my fantasy characters, especially for Halloween. #kidlitchat

Also, I love Almond Joys but don't like the almond so I remove the almond before eating it. I've been told that I'm a monster. #kidlitchat

Does a Halloween story NEED to be scary? I always wonder about that. #kidlitchat

Okay, growing up I was allergic to peanuts/peanut butter, so Halloween was always dodgy for me. I'm also one of the 10% of people that outgrow the allergy and now I seriously have a "prescription" to have one Reeses's PB Cup a week to keep up my tolerance. #kidlitchat

Hey, sorry I'm late. I gotta check the topic. #kidlitchat

And I did query the agent with an older project and used some "dodgy" comps to some big hit books (a little older) and some obscure movies....I wonder if that'll hurt me.

So, there's some kind of dust up over on the other place about using comps in your query. Don't use blockbusters when comping, trust your professionals to know your comps....yet I've been told that my comps were too obscure by an agent here. It's confusing and I'm finding it unhelpful.

Well, that lasted five minutes....my son is sitting with me (he's 12) and I had to turn off Welcome To Derry. I'll catch it tomorrow I guess. This happened with Game of Thrones too but he was younger. These are the waters I suppose.

I misspoke, Brian Kelly yelling at the punter like it's the punter's fault they are losing 35-18 is the most Brian Kelly thing ever.