Welcome to our first interview of 2026! In planning for this year, I thought long and hard about the mission of Keep Writing Kidlit, considering the best ways to support writers working toward traditional publication. For many of us, that means querying agents. And, at this stage, it’s often a good idea to query newer agents because they are actively building their lists. They are hustling and making connections. It’s an especially good idea if they have the support of a reputable agency behind them. So… it seemed like a natural progression to begin incorporating agent interviews alongside my interviews with writers. However, I am making it a point to spotlight newer agents, mostly for the reasons mentioned above. Newer agents have a bit more bandwidth, are looking for clients, and can help grow your career while they grow theirs. With all that in mind, I am so excited to speak with Lindsey Aduskevich, who began agenting at Martin Literary Management in November 2025.
Let’s meet Lindsey!
After graduating with a B.A. in English from the University of Connecticut, where she developed a love for books that inspire empathy and foster a deeper understanding of the world in which we live, LINDSEY ADUSKEVICH (she/her) became determined to carve a career in the publishing industry. She attended her first SCBWI conference in 2019, and later joined several critique groups, became a member of Julie Hedlund’s 12 x 12 Picture Book Challenge and of Inked Voices. She interned with Senior Literary Manager Kristen Terrette in early 2025 before starting her career as an agent.
As an agented kidlit writer herself, Lindsey is familiar with the ups and downs of the query trenches and submission process and hopes to emulate the same compassion and quick communication she found in several agents who helped guide her own writing journey.
Residing in Southington, CT with her husband and two girls, Lindsey enjoys borrowing unusually tall stacks of picture books from the local library, snakeboarding in the basement with her family, hiking in the summer, skiing in the winter, and celebrating all the “wins” with her favorite critique partners.
Q: WELCOME, LINDSEY! YOU STARTED OUT IN THE PUBLISHING INDUSTRY AS A WRITER. WHEN DID YOU DECIDE TO BECOME AN AGENT? HOW DID YOU TRAIN TO BECOME AN AGENT?
Hi, Megan! Thank you so much for having me. And yes, I started out in the publishing industry as a writer. To answer your question, I pretty much decided to become an agent right away. In 2019, I attended my first regional SCBWI conference, and when I listened to the agent panel, I remember thinking how incredible it must be to have a job where you can champion all the stories you are passionate about into the world. After taking a couple years to hone my writing craft and entering the query trenches (a little too early I might add), I spent time tuning in to what agents were doing behind the scenes. Things like creating spreadsheets, targeting the best editors for a particular story, finding great comps, crafting the perfect submission letter, sending the story out on submission, and, most importantly, maintaining their cool while waiting for responses. (AM I RIGHT?!) All of these things appealed to me, and I very much enjoyed this whole process while I was researching and querying agents, so I knew this would be a dream job.
When I felt “seasoned” enough to start pursuing my goal of becoming an agent, I spent a lot of time watching Jessica Faust and James McGowan’s YouTube videos (which you can find on their BookEnds website) on how to become a literary agent, how to write a cover letter, and how to write the perfect resume. While applying for internships, I got close a couple of times, but, like the query trenches, there were a lot of “nos” or just plain old no responses.
In early 2025, Senior Literary Manager Kristen Terrette with Martin Literary Management (MLM) posted on Instagram that she was looking for an intern, and my CP, Brenna Jeanneret, tagged me in it. (If you’re interested in agenting, make sure all your CPs know so they can keep their eyes peeled for you!) I sent my cover letter and resume and was thrilled when Kristen asked me to Zoom. We hit it off right away, and she offered me the position. She spent the next six months teaching me everything she knows. I learned to write a reader’s report (synopsis and analysis of a manuscript), navigate Query Manager, read contracts, negotiate deals… all the things. In October of 2025, I received an email with the subject “Let’s Chat” from MLM’s Vice President, Jen Newens. Very shortly after our meeting, Jen and Sharlene Martin, MLM’s President, offered me a position with the agency. I’ve been doing my dream job ever since!
Q: WHAT SETS MARTIN LITERARY APART FROM OTHER AGENCIES?
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 there are a few things that set us apart from other agencies. The first is our President, Sharlene Martin, who is an Executive Producer and dedicates the majority of her time to actively pursuing film deals for MLM clients. The second is we work with one of the best foreign rights agents, Taryn Fagerness, who just does such an amazing job. And lastly, our Vice President, Jen Newens, is currently working to sell audio rights for MLM clients as well. As Megan mentioned in the opening of this interview, MLM is a reputable agency with a team eager to support each other. What that means for authors is with MLM, you don’t just get one agent rooting for you and your story—you get an entire team!
Q: DOES BEING A WRITER INFORM YOUR MINDSET AS AN AGENT? IN WHAT WAYS?
Being a writer absolutely informs my mindset as an agent. I spend a lot of time reading in the genres I write to familiarize myself with the market. In fact, for the past five or six years, I have been going to the library to borrow a large stack of books weekly. Each book I read gets logged into an Excel Spreadsheet listing the title, author, illustrator, publishing house, publication date, genre, and short description. This not only helps me keep my finger on the pulse, but it also informs me of what’s been done and where there are gaps.
Attending conferences, workshops, and webinars also laid a large foundation for identifying a successful manuscript. I have studied pacing, stakes, character arc, layers, humor, heart, structure, POV, etc., and with this background, I am prepared for my agenting journey.
Q: TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT THE WAY YOU WORK. ARE YOU EDITORIAL? DO YOU LIKE TO HELP CHOOSE A WRITER’S NEXT PROJECT? HOW DO YOU PREFER TO COMMUNICATE?
As an agent, a lot of the feedback I give is similar to the way I did for my critique partners. I am very editorial, but in a positive way. When a client sends me their manuscript, I will provide both line comments and a note at the end and we will volley back and forth until we are both happy with it. As for how I plan to decide a writer’s next project, at the moment, I want this to be tailored to how my client likes to work. If my client wants to bounce an idea off me, I’m happy to hear it. If they prefer to show me a first draft, or even the polished version of a story, I’m good with that, too! It is, however, important to me that we are both happy with what’s going out on submission. If I think a story is not ready or not the right fit for the current market, I am going to request we pivot to something else and maybe return to the other story at a later time.
As for how I like to communicate, I prefer email. I aim to respond quickly because I personally think all the worst things you can possibly think when an email goes too long without being answered. If a client wants to Zoom or have a phone call, I am happy to do that as well!
Q: HOW ARE YOU BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS WITH EDITORS?
I was really lucky because I started agenting in November of 2025, and in December I was able to use our agency holiday card to greet agents and introduce myself. I acquired a number of manuscript wish lists and had a few meetings with some incredible kidlit editors. Networking is an important part of my career, and I plan to continue to reach out to editors through emails and events every chance I get.
Q: WHAT IS YOUR PLAN FOR YOUR FIRST YEAR AS AGENT? DO YOU HAVE A SPECIFIC NUMBER OF CLIENTS YOU WANT TO SIGN? HOW DO YOU BALANCE AGENTING WITH YOUR JOB AS A WRITER (OR OTHER RESPONSIBILITIES)?
I do want to take things on the slower side for my first year. I am learning so much, and I want to make sure that my clients are not waiting on the sidelines for me to “catch up.” I do not have a specific number in mind for clients, as I want to keep this open. If a story grabs me, I am going to go after it.
Balancing agenting with writing, parenting, and other responsibilities is a challenge. But agenting, writing, and family are my top priorities in life, and I am an extremely goal-orientated, passionate, and determined individual. My writing partner and dear friend, author Valerie Bolling, can attest to the fact that I utilize every minute of my day to work on the things important to me.
Q: WHAT ARE A FEW OF YOUR FAVORITE PICTURE BOOKS? WHY?
I have so many favorite picture books, but for the sake of keeping this on the shorter side, I will name three that come to mind. But please know my favorite picture books change weekly because I always find new ones I love.
- THE MEMORY CAKE by Caroline L. Perry, illustrated by Jennifer Bricking: This story is as sweet as it is sad, but with a joyful ending that leaves readers with hope and the knowledge that we can overcome hard times. And like a good cake, this story has layers—intergenerational, history, war, family, and cooking! And yummy bonus, it has a recipe in the back!
- ZIP ZAP WICKETY WACK: A STORY ABOUT SHARING by Matthew Diffee: This story made me laugh. I loved the sparse text, the banter between the animals, and the ridiculous words in it. Plus, there’s an alien who throws a tantrum mid-story. What’s not to love?
- I HATE EVERYTHING by Sophy Henn: This one is just adorable. I have always loved ghosts in picture books. Sophy’s delightful illustrations, sparse text, and universal problem—I hate everything!!—make this a winner to me. And I really like her use of the circular structure at the end where we see the main character right back at square one.
Q: CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT YOUR MSWL? ARE YOU OPEN TO TEXT-ONLY PICTURE BOOK AUTHORS? HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT RHYME?
I am open to both fiction and non-fiction, from authors and author/illustrators. I really like a good list, so here are a few things on my current MSWL.
- Ghosts. I love them! Throw in some type of friendship theme and you have my heart.
- Anthropomorphic. I am good with talking animals as long as the story hasn’t been done before, speaks a universal truth, and/or has a takeaway message that will leave readers inspired.
- Standout characters. I love characters that grab the reader from page one.
- Layers. These can really help your manuscript stand out!
- Concepts that inspire empathy. Think THE OLD MAN EATING ALONE by Howard Pearlstein.
- I love humor with heart, but the heart has to be big!
- Commercial fiction.
- Informational fiction. I’m open to any subject, but do like to see a little humor to carry the reader through the pages.
- Dark humor. My absolute favorite when done right.
- Spooky stories. Don’t be shy here. Creep. Me. Out.
- Lyrical texts. I love it when a writer can make words sing.
- Hard topics. If you can make me ugly cry AND leave me with hope, then send me your story.
- Rhyme. I will look at rhyme, but only if you know what you are doing (because this is not my area of strength).
Q: IS THERE ANYTHING YOU DON’T WANT TO SEE IN YOUR QUERY INBOX? WHAT’S NOT A FIT FOR YOUR LIST?
I wouldn’t say there is anything I don’t want to see in my inbox; however, I can’t seem to get into stories about saving turtle’s eggs. I love turtles, and there’s nothing cuter than baby turtles. But, for some reason, these types of stories are not grabbing me.
Q: WHAT’S YOUR STRATEGY FOR GOING THROUGH YOUR QUERY INBOX? DO YOU GO IN THE ORDER RECEIVED? DO YOU JUMP AROUND? DO YOU HAVE A “MAYBE” PILE FOR WORK THAT WARRANTS FURTHER CONSIDERATION?
I would say my strategy is typically to go in the order received. But there are times when I will focus on just picture books or just middle grade to keep my headspace in that genre. And I definitely use my “maybe” tag a lot! If I think something warrants further consideration, I will tag it and either come back at a later time or have my intern (or colleague) take a look.
Q: WHAT ARE SOME WAYS WE CAN GET TO KNOW YOU OR INTERACT WITH YOU? WILL YOU BE AT ANY UPCOMING CONFERENCES? ARE YOU ACTIVE ON SOCIAL MEDIA?
I am going to be at the 2026 Connecticut Writing Workshop on March 27th and the New England SCBWI Conference on the weekend of May 15-17. I am also doing a webinar with Mighty Kidlit on April 17th. You can also find me on Twitter (it will always be Twitter to me), Bluesky, and Instagram!
Q: WHAT’S A FUN FACT ABOUT YOU?
I learned to ski at the age of 37. It was NOT easy, and I was terrified for three years straight. But I’m not one to give up.
Q: DO YOU HAVE ANY WORDS OF WISDOM FOR THOSE OF US IN THE QUERY TRENCHES?
You will never get your “yes” if you give up. You might be feeling low about the number of rejections you have, but remember, rejections mean you are moving toward your goal. It’s part of the process. Let each one thicken your skin. It took me 421 queries to find my dream agent, so, trust me, I know how it feels. But if you give up, you will never know what it feels like to finally have an agent who believes in your work. Hold onto that positive energy and KEEP GOING!!
Thank you so much for your transparency, Lindsey!
I’ve always been curious about the path to becoming an agent, and I learned a lot from this glimpse behind the scenes. Furthermore, I can attest to the fact that Lindsey is very responsive via email since we’ve had to exchange many to craft this interview. (I’m also very impressed that she learned to ski at 37. Being around that age myself, I am too nervous to try it!)
If you’d like to query Lindsey, she accepts submissions through Query Manager. (If you query via email, there’s a chance it will get lost.) She responds to all queries that come to her through Query Manager, and her average response time is three weeks. However, she strives to respond as quickly as possible so you may hear back sooner. If you have absolutely not heard anything from her after twelve weeks (though she hopes that’s never the case!), feel free to send a nudge. Lindsey has no problem with nudges!
As an added bonus, Lindsey is graciously GIVING AWAY A QUERY CRITIQUE! In order to enter, subscribe to the newsletter! Everyone who’s subscribed by 11:59PM PT on March 9th, 2026 is eligible to win. (No purchase necessary. You must be 18+ to enter.)
You can learn more about Lindsey via her website or find her on social media. She is active on Twitter/X as @LAduskevich, on Bluesky as @laduskevich.bsky.social, and on Instagram as @lindsey_aduskevich.
Happy Querying!
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