AGENT SPOTLIGHT INTERVIEW WITH LINDSAY DAVIS AULD AND QUERY CRITIQUE GIVEAWAY

Today I’m thrilled to have agent Lindsay Davis Auld here. She is a literary agent at Writers House.

Status: 9/13/2024: Lindsay is currently closed to queries. Please check the agency website to find out when she reopens to submissions.

  

Hi­ Lindsay! Thanks so much for joining us.

Status: Open to submissions

  

About Lindsay:

1. Tell us how you became an agent, how long you’ve been one, and what you’ve been doing as an agent.

Thanks so much, Natalie! I’ve always loved stories, but I fell in love with children’s books again while working as a fourth-grade teacher in the Teach for America program. I found that I especially looked forward to the part of each day when we’d read a book together as a class, and I loved seeing my students get excited and inspired by stories. It made me want to be a part of bringing children’s and YA books into the world.

My first job in children’s publishing was at Harcourt Children’s Books. I then joined Writers House as Steven Malk’s assistant, where I had the chance to work with some of the very best authors and artists in the industry. I eventually began building my own list, and, before taking time off to start a family, I helped launch the careers of several bestselling and award-winning authors. I rejoined Writers House in 2018, and I’m actively building my list of authors and illustrators.

About the Agency:

2. Share a bit about your agency and what it offers to its authors.

Writers House is a leading full-service literary agency and is known for providing an extraordinary amount of individual client attention combined with the benefits of full-service foreign rights and subsidiary rights departments. It offers the many resources of a large company and the personal attention of a small agency. 

What She’s Looking For:

3. What age groups do you represent—picture books, MG, and/or YA? What genres do you represent and what are you looking for in submissions for these genres?

I am open to picture books through YA—including middle grade, chapter books, and graphic novels. I'm particularly drawn to mysteries, fantasy, historical fiction, friendship stories, romance, magical realism, adventure, and books with humor. I would love to see submissions from diverse or underrepresented authors. I’d also be excited to see illustrated MG and graphic novel submissions.

 4. Is there anything you would be especially excited to see in the genres you are interested in?

As someone who adores animals and has always been an environmentalist at heart, I’d love to see more submissions with an environmental element or streak, perhaps in the vein of Hoot by Carl Hiassen, The Last Wild by Piers Torday, or The Line Tender by Kate Allen. 

What She Isn’t Looking For:

5. What types of submissions are you not interested in?

Screenplays

 Editorial Agent:

6. Are you an editorial agent? If so, what is your process like when you’re working with your authors before submitting to editors?

Yes, I love working with clients to develop their story, and to help ensure a book is as strong as possible before it’s submitted to editors. My process tends to vary depending on what works best for each author or artist. For a MG or YA project, I’ll usually chat with the author about the book before sending an editorial letter with suggestions and thoughts on how the manuscript could be strengthened. After they’ve had time to work on the revision, we’ll discuss again and work on more 
minor changes and tweaks until it feels ready to share with editors.

Query Methods and Submission Guidelines: (Always verify before submitting)

7. How should authors query you and what do you want to see with the query letter?

I accept queries via email only (please see my submission guidelines below). Just as a manuscript can have a fantastic narrative voice, I believe the best query letters do as well. My favorite queries tend to give a sense of the author’s unique style and approach by mirroring the tone, voice, and rhythm of 
their work.

8. Do you have any specific dislikes in query letters or the first pages submitted to you?

Sometimes writers forget to put their name in the query, and, as I always like to address the author 
directly in my response, it can be tricky when it’s not included in the letter.

Response Time:

9. What’s your response time to queries and requests for more pages of a manuscript?

My response time can range from a few minutes to a few weeks, but I usually respond to most queries within two weeks. If it’s been longer than three weeks, writers are welcome to send me an 
email to follow up.

Clients:

10. Who are some of the authors you represent?

Some of the wonderful authors and illustrators I represent include: Cory Anderson, Lisa Stringfellow, Linzie Hunter, Natasha Donovan, Al Rodin, Zoe Si, Megan Litwin, Jody Lee Mott, Janelle Harper, Edwina Wyatt, Sandra Salsbury, Maria Aguila, and Rachelle Michelle Wilson.

Links and Contact Info:

11. Please share how writers should contact you to submit a query and your links on the Web.

Authors and illustrators can query me using this form: https://QueryManager.com/LindsayAuld  I do read each query carefully and will respond as soon as possible. I look forward to reading your work!

Links:

https://www.publishersmarketplace.com/members/LindsayDavisAuld/

http://www.twitter.com/lindsaydauld

http://www.writershouse.com/

Update 12/29/2022:

Agent of the Month at Writing and Illustrating Intro, Part 1, Part 2 (05/2021)

Thanks for sharing all your advice, Lindsay.

­Lindsay is generously offering a query critique to one lucky winner. To enter, all you need to do is be
a follower (just click the follower button if you're not a follower) and leave a comment through May 9th. If your e-mail is not on your Google Profile, you must leave it in the comments to enter either contest. If you do not want to enter the contest, that's okay. Just let me know in the comments. Please be sure I have your email address.

If you mention this contest on Twitter, Facebook, or your blog, mention this in the comments and I'll give you an extra entry. This is an international giveaway.

Last updated: 12/29/2022

Agent contacted for review? Yes

Last reviewed by agent?

Have any experience with this agent? See something that needs updating? Please leave a comment or e-mail me at natalieiaguirre7@gmail.com

Note: These agent profiles and interviews presently focus on agents who accept children's fiction. Please take the time to verify anything you might use here before querying an agent. The information found here is subject to change.