Here's a quick update from the “trying to get a literary agent” trenches, because things are getting interesting.

So far:
- 51 agents pitched
- 18 no’s
- 7 full manuscript requests

And yes, those 7 requests are included in the 18 responses… which means there are still a lot of agents out there silently reading, considering, or ghosting me.

Seven full requests feels like real momentum. It means something about this story is working. It also means I’ve entered the part of the process where patience is required… which is not exactly my strongest personality trait.

So instead of sitting still, I’m doing what I do best. Taking action.

Today, I’m heading to NYC for PitchFest. It’s basically speed dating, but instead of awkward small talk, you’re pitching your book to agents back-to-back for three hours straight.

Pray for my voice.

Here’s the pitch I’ll be delivering over and over again:

Imagine you’re a boutique manager in Palm Beach, your job depends on rich women buying things they don’t need, and one of your best influencer clients returns a designer handbag with blood inside.

That’s the setup for Zoe's Got Baggage, my 97,000-word comedic thriller about Zoe Hensley, a 35-year-old boutique manager whose carefully curated life falls apart when that influencer disappears right after a man turns up dead around the corner, and his identity is closer to Zoe and the influencer than either of them knows.

Now, a missing influencer, a nearby murder, and a bloodstained bag pull Zoe into an investigation she is wildly unqualified to handle.

It’s Emily in Paris meets Only Murders in the Building, with boutique drama, influencer culture, murder, affairs, and a woman who finally has to stop performing fabulous and start saving herself.

If nothing else, by the end of Thursday, I will either have an agent… or I will have the most polished, unshakeable pitch delivery of my life.

I’ll keep you posted either way.

And if you’re the kind of person who loves behind-the-scenes chaos, big swings, and slightly delusional optimism… follow along at @ChristinaAllDay on Instagram.

Talk soon,
Christina