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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.
  
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:
http://www.twitter.com/lindsaydauld

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.

58 comments:

  1. Nice interview! A writer not including her name in a query is a lot like a kid not putting her name on her homework. Sometimes it's the little things!

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  2. I appreciate this interview. So informative.

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  3. I love animals, too.

    I've received submissions without names. And emails.

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  4. Great interview Natalie. Wonderful to read.

    Take care.

    Yvonne.

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  5. Hey, she was one of our amazing judges for the IWSG's Voyagers!

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  6. I hadn't read much about Lindsay before, so really appreciate the insights here!

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  7. Thanks for this. I always enjoy these author/agent interviews!

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  8. Thank you for the generous offer! I always love reading how different agents approach the role.

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  9. Thank you for sharing! I shared on Twitter as well. My email address is orchardka@gmail.com.

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  10. We all make mistakes - but forgetting a name on a query is a biggie!!

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  11. Great interview! It's always interesting hearing about agent's process and what they're looking for.

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  12. I couldn't imagine an author not putting his/her name in a query letter. I guess it happens!

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  13. I find it refreshing, Lindsey, that you respond in such a timely manner when so many agents and editors don't respond at all. Interesting interview. Thank you for offering a critique to the lucky winner.

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  14. Thanks for the wonderful interview. I too love animals and tend to write them into my picture books. Thank you so much for offering a critique.

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  15. Great interview and thank you for the query critique opportunity - I shared it on Twitter too :) The information on Lindsay Davis Auld's favorite queries is really good to know.

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  16. Wonderful interview, Ladies. Thanks for providing a critique, Lindsay.

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  17. Love it! Thanks for the interview abd the opportunity.i did Rt. Ck out my blog as well http://booksbypamelathompson.blogspot.com

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  18. Lindsay seems like a great agent to work with! I can’t wait to query her in the future!

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  19. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  20. ^Technical errors^
    Lindsay's a dream agent! 10/10 will be triple checking that I've included my name in all queries going forward. kwcalv at gmail dot com!

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  21. (Not so sound too thirsty with three comments in a row but I also shared via twitter @klaa27)

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  22. Hello! Thank you for this. Shared via twitter @sarakapadia
    My email is sarakapadia@gmail.com

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  23. Thank you for this query offer! Lindsay sounds like an amazing agent who I'll definitely query for my environmentally focused chapter book. Thanks for the interview!

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  24. Thanks so much for the query critique opportunity! I enjoyed this interview!

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  25. Lindsay seems genuinely kind—a wonderful character trait in a literary agent! Thanks for doing this interview.

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  26. This is a wonderful interview!! Lindsay sounds like a dream agent! Shared this blog post on my twitter! @cwbrindley / charlotte.w.brindley@gmail.com

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  27. So excited! Wonderful interview! Lindsay sounds amazing!

    My email vanessa.peay@gmail.com

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  28. Thanks Lindsay!

    I've shared this post on Twitter.

    My email is molly.beth.wilder@gmail.com

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  29. Thank you for the interview! I'd love a chance to win a query critique. (jesheets@alaska.edu)

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  30. Great interview. Would love to have a critique of my YA historical fantasy novel by Ms. Auld.

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  31. You love children's book and helping fledgling authors. I find that encouraging. I write for Early Readers and would love a critique of one of my stories. Thanks.
    rlbrown1028@gmail.com

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  32. What an interesting interview! I am amazed that authors sometimes forget to put their own name in their queries. :) Thanks for sharing!
    ~Jess

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  33. Ha. I can't imagine sending a query without my name. That is just crazy. Thanks for another informative interview. I will pass on the query critique since I recently won one here.

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  34. For Angie Quantrell. Great interview. :)

    I also tweeted about the post.

    Thank you!

    angelecolline@yahoo.com

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  35. This was very informative. Thanks! Will tweet as well - Sandhya authorsandhya@gmail.com

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  36. The first book I ever wrote was a YA with an environmental theme. I've moved on from it, though. :)

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  37. I've loved to be included for my newest YA! Thanks for doing this!

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  38. Another great interview. I like that Lindsay started as an agent by working with children.

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  39. Thanks for the chance to enter! I've also been a fourth grade teacher, and it's such a crucial age for building literacy skills and a love of books! These interviews are so helpful in finding out the personalities and working styles of different agents. Thank you for your efforts in conducting them!

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  40. Wonderful to hear that you are an environmentalist at heart - I'd love to see more MG novels with environmental themes. Thanks for including me in the critique giveaway.

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  41. Another interesting interview. Always nice to read about people who love animals. I can’t believe some writers forget to sign their emails... Over the last year, I’ve contacted a couple of agents at Writers House in regards to my travel memoir. I’m always interested in a query critique. :-)

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  42. Great interview. Would like to query Lindsay with my middle grade historical fiction. Thanks for the information.

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  43. Just mentioned this contest on my twitter page.
    @Patsy_Danna. Thanks for letter me enter the contest.

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  44. Thank you for a great interview and critique opportunity. I love learning about agents through these interviews. I've also shared on Twitter. tracyhora (at) att (dot) net

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  45. Thank for you sharing this interesting interview, Natalie and Lindsay. I always enjoy reading about how agents work and what they are seeking to represent.

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  46. I enjoyed your interview with Lindsay. I studied with Steven Malk at an SCBWI Conference in LA. He's wonderful. I like what she's looking for and how prompt Lindsay is in responding. Quite remarkable with the volume of queries she receives.

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  47. I always enjoy and learn from your agent interviews. Thanks for this one. I will pass on the giveaway since I won recently.

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  48. Another great sounding agent from Writers House.

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  49. I always love reading these agent spotlight interviews :)

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  50. Reading about agents again after editing, editing and editing. Liked the interview and that there's an opportunity for a critique.

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  51. Great interview! And thank you for the opportunity to enter this contest.

    I also shared the contest on my twitter account! :)

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  52. Would love a query critique! I tweeted about it, too. You can email me through my website aealexander.com

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  53. Thanks for sharing this great interview!

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  54. Thanks for sharing! I also shared on twitter @chasady_smith

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  55. Great interview and thank you for the opportunity.

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  56. Enjoyed the interview. My kitties would like it too, if they could read. Thanks.

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  57. Loved the interview, quite informative. I love animals and am actually an ex- National parks and wild life ranger. Would really love to work with you if my query makes the grade.

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