Literary Agent Interview: Rob Broder and Query Critique Giveaway

Today I’m thrilled to have agent Rob Broder here. He’s a literary manager at Martin Literary Management. 

Status Update: Rob is currently closed to queries. He will reopen to queries on 5/1/2026.

Hi­ Rob! Thanks so much for joining us. 

About Rob: 

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

I’ve been an agent for a few months now, and I became an agent after talking with my agent, Jen Newens about being an agent. We discussed everything involved and she knew my background, so it was a nice fit. I was considering becoming an agent when I sold our press, but other things at the time took over. I have received hundreds of submissions since becoming an agent and have signed to represent my first picture book author.

About the Agency: 

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

Martin Literary Management, founded in 2003, is a full service literary and media management agency. We focus on representing authors of adult nonfiction, fiction, and books for children and young adults. Our clients’ titles have appeared on the New York Times bestseller and other national bestseller lists, earned strong reviews, received many awards, and garnered national media attention. Many of our clients’ works have been optioned and developed for film and television projects and have helped promote speaking engagements.

 

We pride ourselves on providing thoughtful and considerate management of our clients. We also pride ourselves on being a modern literary agency capable of developing the many potential ancillary opportunities that exist outside of the book world.  

What He’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 gravitate toward picture books, because it’s my comfort zone, but I represent any kid lit and graphic novels. I also like graphic memoirs. I first am looking for something well written, and the writing really knows the genre they are writing for. And then it’s the story. Something fun, creative and unique. If I read a submission I’ve never seen before, I get a little excited and want to reach out to that author. 

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

Something extremely unique while showing me that you read the genre you write. 

What He Isn’t Looking For: 

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

I’m generally not interested in rhyming picture books, and books about how much I love you to the moon and back. I’m not interested in how you rescued your dog or anything too violent or disturbing. 

Agent Philosophy: 

6. What is your philosophy as an agent both in terms of the authors you want to work with and the books you want to represent? 

I would say honesty and transparency. Be open to edits and rewrites to make your story the best possible story. If I want to represent you, it’s because I believe in you and see something in your writing.  

Editorial Agent: 

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

I’d like to say I’m not, but with picture books, I can’t help myself and give constructive edits on making it the best possible manuscript possible. 

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

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

I would like authors and illustrators to query me through query-manager. If I request direct email, please do so. I’d love to see the query short and sweet and to the point. Get me hooked and make me what to scroll down to your manuscript. If I like what I’m reading, I’ll scroll back up and check out your bio. 

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

You do not need to start your query with, “Hello my name is . . .” Because I know who you are based on the email or I’ll see your name on the signature.  So, I want to get hooked, so just start describing your story. 

Response Time: 

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

I try to say two weeks, but with the number of queries I’ve been receiving its more like three to four weeks. 

Self-Published and Small Press Authors:

11.  Are you open to representing authors who have self-published or been published by smaller presses? What advice do you have for them if they want to try to find an agent to represent them? 

I’m fine if they have been self-published or published with a small press.  If they have something new they are working on, I’d be interested in taking a look. 

Clients: 

12. Who are some of the authors you represent? 

I am currently building up my client list. 

Interviews and Guest Posts: 

13. Please share the links to any interviews, guest posts, and podcasts you think would be helpful to writers interested in querying you. 

I hope this link comes through… here are a bunch of articles and interviews through Writers Rumpus when I was a publisher. Hope this helps. https://writersrumpus.com/?s=broder 

Links and Contact Info: 

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

Please submit through QueryManager listed here: https://www.martinlit.com/robbroder 

Additional Advice: 

15. Is there any other advice you’d like to share with aspiring authors that we haven’t covered? 

Like I said, please read the genre you write. Be authentic and your true self. And be open to rewrites and edits, while standing ground on your story if you really believe in it. 

Thanks for sharing all your advice, Rob! 

Giveaway Details 

­Rob is generously offering a query critique to one lucky winner. To enter, all you need to do is be a follower (via the follower gadget, email, or bloglovin’ on the right sidebar) and leave a comment through April 4th. If you do not want to enter the contest, that’s okay. Just let me know in the comments. If I do not have your email (I can no longer get it from your Google Profile), you must leave it in the comments to enter the contest. Please be sure I have your email address.

If you follow me on Twitter or Bluesky or 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. 

Have any experience with this agent? See something that needs updating? Please leave a comment or email 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. 

Upcoming Interviews, Guest Posts, and Blog Hops

 Monday, March 30, I’m participating in the Honey Bunny Giveaway Hop 

Wednesday, April 1st, I have an interview with Christopher Roubique and a giveaway of his MG Mythspeaker and my IWSG post 

Monday, April 6th, I have an interview with Jill Tew and a giveaway of her MG Rayana Johnson’s Giant Leap

Wednesday, April 8th, I have an agent spotlight interview with Saritza Hernández and a query critique giveaway 

Monday, April 13th, I’m reviewing Jennifer Nielsen’s MG The Free State of Jax and Magnitude with a book giveaway 

Thursday, April 16th, I’m participating in the Rain Drop on Roses Giveaway Hop 

Monday, April 20th, I have an interview with Van Hoang and a giveaway of her MG Auntie Q’s Golden Claws Nail Salon 

Monday, April 27th, I have an interview with Gareth P. Jones and a giveaway of his MG Solve Your Own Mysteries 

Wednesday, April 29th, I have an agent spotlight interview with Erica Bauman and a query critique giveaway 

I hope to see you on Monday!

 

 

 

 

 

Literary Agent Interview: Lindsey Aduskevich and Query Critique Giveaway

Today I’m thrilled to have agent Lindsey Aduskevich here. She’s a literary manager at Martin Literary Management. 

Hi­ Lindsey! Thanks so much for joining us. 

Hi Natalie! Thank you so much for having me. 

About Lindsey: 

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

Great question! I have been interested in agenting ever since my first SCBWI regional conference in 2019 where I attended as a picture book writer. After honing my writing craft for a few years, I began to apply to agent internships in 2022. Trying to get an agent internship felt just like being in the query trenches. The next three years I got a lot “no’s” and “almosts.” Finally, in the beginning of 2025 I got my “yes!” from senior Literary Manager Kristen Terrette. Kristen spent six months teaching me everything she knows, and it was in October that I received an email with the subject line “Let’s Chat” from Vice President Jen Newens. Very shortly after our meeting, Jen and Sharlene Martin, the president of Martin Literary Management (MLM), offered me a position with the agency. I have been doing my dream job ever since. 

As for what I’ve been doing, I am connecting with editors and reading manuscript after amazing manuscript in search of the ones that won’t let me sleep at night. I made my first offer of rep in December (which I did not get by the way), my second offer in January (which I did get!), and my third in February (which I also got!). I am currently preparing an incredible historical fiction middle grade for submission and plan to go out with another historical fiction in the fall. 

About the Agency: 

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

MLM prides itself on considerate management, meaning we aim to be respectful, kind, nurturing, and communicative. Our agency has been championing books into the world for 23 years now, and thanks to Sharlene Martin’s connections in the film industry, many of those books became documentaries, movies, or series. When I joined MLM as an intern, I was struck by how warm and friendly everyone was. When I joined as an agent, it truly felt like family. We are all here to support each other, answer questions, help with clients’ work, contracts, proposals, submission lists—anything we need from each other. What that means for authors is all the agents here have an incredible support system. With MLM, you don’t just get one agent rooting for you—you get an entire team!  

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 represent picture books, middle grade, young adult, and new adult. I am open to fiction, informational fiction, and non-fiction. 

For picture books, I love humorous, lyrical, hard topics, silly, serious, prose, rhyme (as long as you know what you’re doing because I don’t!), holiday, dark humor, spooky, historical…pretty much anything. But there is one key ingredient I absolutely must have: heart…and the heart has to be big. I want the whole emotional experience. Send me your manuscripts that will make me laugh, cry, or race to tell my critique partners that I just read the most amazing story! 

For middle grade, pacing and stakes are key here. I am looking for phenomenal voices that keep me on the edge of my seat. I want escalating tension, standout characters, and fresh topics. I am open to paranormal, contemporary, spooky, mystery, horror, or magical. 

For young adult, I would love to see romcoms, romantasy, historical fiction, fantasy, horror, paranormal, and even some genre mashups. Think paranormal romance, romcom thriller, etc. My true love is a really good historical fiction, but I’m very selective in this area. 

In new adult, I like college campus settings or just starting out in the work force. The same genres for young adult apply here, too. 

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

I would love a good YA horror. One with emotionally complex characters and a swoon-worthy romance. I am also highly interested in a picture book that tugs on my heart and begs to be read again and again. 

What She Isn’t Looking For: 

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

If I had to list a few things that interest me the least, it would be books about gaming and saving turtles eggs. I promise I’m not a monster! I love all animals, including cute, adorable turtles. I think it’s just an overdone concept for me. But as of right now, I am not closed to anything. If the story is good, I’m game! 

Agent Philosophy: 

6. What is your philosophy as an agent both in terms of the authors you want to work with and the books you want to represent? 

I am looking for authors who are kind, understanding, and have an open heart. I prefer voices and stories that are uplifting. I want to represent books that foster empathy, shine light on new experiences, teach readers information in exciting ways, and/or help readers escape into a fantastical world. 

Editorial Agent: 

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

I am! I will always give my clients both line comments and my overall thoughts. I will focus on assessing character arc, structure, pacing, tension, stakes, grammar, etc. Once I have organized my feedback, I will send it to the author and wait for the revisions. We will go back and forth until we both think the manuscript is perfect. But one quick note: for grammar, commas never landed with me. As hard as I tried, that is my one weakness. That and rhyme. Okay, I have two weaknesses. 

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

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

I would love for authors to query me via my Query Manager. Please do not send queries to my email. 

Regarding query letters, we all know writing is HARD! There are so many rules. For some of us, (me for sure!) it takes years to hone our craft. And we don’t just have to learn how to write a story, we have to learn how to write a query letter. A well-written query letter tells me that you have spent time on your craft, and that you are invested in your future as an author. I love a well-written query letter. Don’t be afraid to let your personality shine, but don’t stray too far from the structure. 

What I personally like to see is the hook, book, and cook technique all on one page. 

1.     Start with a few lines about why you are querying me (not always necessary but appreciated).

2.     Give me your pitch—bonus points if it is in the voice/tone of your manuscript.

3.     Comps, themes, and why this book is needed in today’s market.

4.     Bio. Don’t forget your bio! I love a good, succinct bio. 

All of these things are what make a great query letter, but don’t stress too much about them. If one or more of these areas are stressing you out, do your best and that’s good enough! 

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

I don’t have dislikes, but I do have things that will make me hesitate. If a query barely resembles what a query should look like, then I don’t feel as connected to the author and (not willingly) find myself less invested. 

As for the first pages, again, no dislikes, but try to stay away from overdone scenes. Waking up in bed and stretching is an overdone opening scene (though I’m not saying this won’t work!), and so is “once upon a time” and “there once was a little boy who…”. Challenge yourself to find something unique that will set your book apart from all the others. 

Response Time: 

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

Right now, I am aiming for three weeks or less for queries. As I build my list, I know this will not be feasible. For those I request more pages from, sometimes you will hear from me in about a week or so. Longer manuscripts could take up to a month. If it’s been over three months, absolutely nudge. But please know I will always try to respond as quickly as possible. A month tops would be my goal. 

Self-Published and Small Press Authors: 

11.  Are you open to representing authors who have self-published or been published by smaller presses? What advice do you have for them if they want to try to find an agent to represent them? 

I am definitely open to authors who have self-published or been published by smaller presses. This should never make a writer hesitate to query me as long as it’s new work. My advice to self-pubbed or small press pubbed authors is to keep writing amazing stories and getting them out there. 

Clients: 

12. Who are some of the authors you represent? 

Right now, I have two clients who I am still pinching myself over. Mengxi Seeley is an incredibly talented author who writes novels inspired by historical research, with fantastically happy endings. And Victoria Winterhalter Brame who writes exceptional middle grade and young adult novels focused on hidden histories and characters discovering their self-worth.

I am eagerly searching for more talented writers to join our team, and I hope to sign some soon! 

Interviews and Guest Posts: 

13. Please share the links to any interviews, guest posts, and podcasts you think would be helpful to writers interested in querying you. 

I’m going to skip this question since this is my first interview. 

Links and Contact Info: 

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

QueryManager: https://QueryTracker.net/query/4083

Website: https://lindseyaduskevich.com/

X: @LAduskevich

Bluesky: @laduskevich.bsky.social

Insta: @lindsey_aduskevich 

Additional Advice: 

15. Is there any other advice you’d like to share with aspiring authors that we haven’t covered? 

You’re never going to get your “yes” if you give up. Writing may be a rollercoaster, and gosh darn those “ups” are high and those “downs” are low, but if you give up…it will never happen. And always remember, not every story will land. In fact, most of your stories may not. But don’t forget, you write because you love it. You love the community, you love putting your emotions down on paper, you love creating characters and situations that are going to resonate with readers. Just because a story you wrote doesn’t land with your critique partners, an agent, or an editor, doesn’t mean you didn’t create something special. Something that, hopefully, brought you joy, exercised your writing muscles, and led you to the path you are currently on. If you are in that boat where your stories aren’t landing (and so many of us are!), give yourself a moment to feel those feels, but then pick yourself up, dust yourself off, write something new (or revise something old), and get yourself back out there. Because…your “yes!” can only come if you don’t give up! 

Thanks for sharing all your advice, Lindsey! 

Giveaway Details 

­Lindsey is generously offering a query critique to one lucky winner. To enter, all you need to do is be a follower (via the follower gadget, email, or bloglovin’ on the right sidebar) and leave a comment through March 21st. If you do not want to enter the contest, that’s okay. Just let me know in the comments. If I do not have your email (I can no longer get it from your Google Profile), you must leave it in the comments to enter the contest. Please be sure I have your email address.

If you follow me on Twitter or Bluesky or 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. 

Upcoming Interviews, Guest Posts, and Blog Hops

Monday, March 16, I’m participating in the Chasing Rainbows Giveaway Hop 

Monday, March 23, I have a guest post by Aaron Starmer and a giveaway of his MG You Are Now Old Enough to Hear 

Wednesday, March 25, I have an agent spotlight interview with Rob Broder and a query critique giveaway 

Monday, March 30, I’m participating in the Honey Bunny Giveaway Hop 

I hope to see you on Monday! 

Have any experience with this agent? See something that needs updating? Please leave a comment or email 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.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Literary Agent Interview: Renee Runge Interview and Query Critique Giveaway

Today I’m thrilled to have agent Renee Runge here. She’s an associate agent at Spencerhill Associates Literary Agency. 

Hi­ Renee! Thanks so much for joining us. 

About Renee: 

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

I took a pretty traditional path to agenting; I spent a year as an intern at Red Fox Literary and another year as Ali Herring’s assistant at Spencerhill before our president offered me an associate agent role. I officially became an agent in May 2025, so it’s been about 9 months of building a client list, preparing them for submissions to editors, and for a few clients, negotiating deals… 

About the Agency: 

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

Spencerhill Associates was founded in 2001 by Karen Solem, and we originally specialized in commercial women’s fiction and romance. Now, we represent (almost) all audiences and genres, and I’m proud to be contributing to our efforts to expand our influence in the children’s sphere. We offer individualized attention to all of our authors and aim for career relationships no matter where a client is coming from in their publishing journey. 

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? 

At this time, I represent solely MG and YA; however, I am hoping to soon expand into picture books and graphic/illustrated novels, as well as children’s nonfiction. I’m actively acquiring in all genres, with particular interest at this time in contemporary, romance, dystopian, historical, and thriller/horror. 

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

I’m STILL looking for my MG animal fantasy epic series, which I think I’ve become slightly known for in the writing community.

What She Isn’t Looking For: 

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

I’m generally not very interested in fairytale/mythological retellings, novels-in-verse, or romantasy. I also do not enjoy stories that see pets experiencing sad situations, and people send me these quite a bit when they see that I like animal fiction. 

Agent Philosophy: 

6. What is your philosophy as an agent both in terms of the authors you want to work with and the books you want to represent? 

I want to work with people who enjoy being challenged. Problem-solving tough edits is such a fun process but can only be that way if the client is willing to accept criticism and actively interrogate how they can become more effective as a writer. One of my favorite ways of connecting with my clients is brainstorming! 

The kinds of books I want to represent are those that you want to finish in one sitting because they’re just so addictive. I want stories that actually speak to today’s children, with issues that they can relate to – even in fantasy contexts. 

Editorial Agent: 

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

I’m a highly editorial agent; I almost feel like you need to be these days, with how selective editors are due to their heavy workload. I want the projects I submit to be as close to what the client and I consider “perfect” before it hits editors’ inboxes! I typically do 1-2 rounds of developmental edits and a round of line edits with my clients, but every client’s process looks a little different based on their own editing style and whether they prefer check-ins, deadlines, or to disappear for a while and come back to me with a complete new draft. 

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

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

Authors should ONLY query me via QueryTracker. I promptly delete queries that are emailed to me without my express permission, and I don’t read them first. In your query letter, I want to know your hook, including the stakes for the main character, comp titles, and an engaging introduction (mini synopsis) of what to expect in terms of plot. 

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

If I could be so hypocritical for a moment: avoid cliches! People love to start their stories with characters waking up from dreams, or hearing the bell ring to start a school day… boring! I also need to see a decent balance of exposition and dialogue, and to learn about what’s at stake for the main character quickly, but naturally. 

Response Time: 

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

It depends. I bounce around my inbox depending on what I’m most in the mood to see. I do respond to all queries, though, and I ask that you allow 6 months before nudging me. 

Self-Published and Small Press Authors: 

11.  Are you open to representing authors who have self-published or been published by smaller presses? What advice do you have for them if they want to try to find an agent to represent them? 

I will say that I am generally less interested in representing authors who have self-published or who have been published by smaller presses. This is simply because it gives them a sales record, and low sales can make selling future work much more challenging without rebranding under a new pseudonym, which can feel like a big ask for authors. I do have a client who has published with a smaller press, and another whose self-published work was recently acquired by a large publisher, so I’d never completely close the door to authors with prior writing credits in non-traditional spaces! 

Clients: 

12. How many authors do you represent? 

I currently represent six clients, and at the time of this interview, have recently extended another offer of representation! 

Interviews and Guest Posts: 

13. Please share the links to any interviews, guest posts, and podcasts you think would be helpful to writers interested in querying you.

n/a 

Links and Contact Info: 

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

Query Renee Runge at Spencerhill Associates 

Additional Advice: 

15. Is there any other advice you’d like to share with aspiring authors that we haven’t covered? 

We covered opening pages earlier, so I wanted to add that some of the best writing advice I ever heard re: opening pages was from an agent at a conference a few years ago that I attended as a writer. She said to try to make your opening lines capture the mood of the entire story, which is now something I always challenge my writers to do. My favorite example, and the one that was used during this presentation, is The Outsiders, which opens with: 

“When I stepped out into the bright sunlight from the darkness of the movie house, I had only two things on my mind: Paul Newman and a ride home." 

It’s deceptively simple, but look how much you learn about Ponyboy from this one sentence right from the get-go. 

Thanks for sharing all your advice, Renee. 

Giveaway Details

­Renee is generously offering a query critique to one lucky winner. To enter, all you need to do is be a follower (via the follower gadget, email, or bloglovin’ on the right sidebar) and leave a comment through March 7th. If you do not want to enter the contest, that’s okay. Just let me know in the comments. If I do not have your email (I can no longer get it from your Google Profile), you must leave it in the comments to enter the contest. Please be sure I have your email address.

If you follow me on Twitter or Bluesky or 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. 

Have any experience with this agent? See something that needs updating? Please leave a comment or email 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.

 Upcoming Interviews, Guest Posts, and Blog Hops 

Sunday, March 1, I’m participating in the Lady Luck Giveaway Hop 

Monday, March 2, I have a guest post by Donna Galanti and a giveaway of her MG The Secret Winners Club 

Wednesday, March 4, I have an interview with Stacey Lee and a giveaway of her YA Heiress of Nowhere 

Monday, March 9, I have an interview with Ciera Burch and a giveaway of her MG Olivia Gray Will Not Fade Away 

Wednesday, March 11, I have an agent spotlight interview with Lindsey Aduskevich and a query critique giveaway

Monday, March 16, I’m participating in the Chasing Rainbows Giveaway Hop 

I hope to see you on Sunday!