Critique Carousel Spotlight: Lynn Baldwin

 

How a Diligent Children's Book Writer Landed an Agent, Editor, and Book Deal: Lynn Baldwin and the Critique Carousel 1, 2, and 3

 

You mentioned a purple office with a “Create with Joy” poster. Still there?

Yes, I love to decorate my office with things that inspire me. A recent addition is a purchase from this year’s Ann Arbor Art Fair. I bought the letters Y-E-S made out of books to remind myself that I will get some YESes in this industry of NOs. I love to travel, so I also display flags of all the countries I’ve visited.

What does it take to build a website like yours? What’s it like maintaining it?

This is a timely question as I just had my website redesigned by a company that a lot of other picture book authors use. Prior to this, I’d built a pretty amateurish site by myself. But, with my debut picture book coming out next year, I thought it was time to take it to the next level. I’m thrilled with the result!

You were a children’s book writer without an agent, and then the Critique Carousel happened. What made you want to pursue an agent when you did?

I’d been trying to find an agent for YEARS! Throughout my journey, several agents expressed interest and requested more work, but this never translated into a “yes.” When I had the offer of publication, I figured this was a great time to try again, and I was thrilled when my strategy was successful!

My story really highlights that it’s such a subjective industry and that it’s always a matter of the “right person at the right time.” Over the years, I’d participated in quite a few conferences, workshops, webinars, contests and pitch parties that came with submission opportunities to agents or editors, as well as submitting to agents when they were open. 

I was starting to wonder if I’d ever be an agented or published writer! But, with the encouragement of my critique partners and other writing friends, I kept going. I’d encourage anyone who’s in my situation to keep trying – you never know when you might find the right person at the right time for your story.

The first hint of the Critique Carousel appeared in June of 2022. Did you participate in that first-time gamble?

I did, and I had a really helpful critique from an agent. I really like the story I submitted that year but am STILL reworking it!

The next Carousel had a different faculty. Did you hop on the Carousel again?

Last year’s Critique Carousel was pivotal in my quest to become a published picture book author. When I received my feedback from editor Sarah Rockett, I immediately noticed that she had a lot of positive feedback and thought the story was very marketable.

Later that day, I found a third page of the critique on my office floor with a note I’d almost missed: Sarah said she’d love for me to submit the story to her!

That was in October or November of last year and I signed the contract with Tilbury House Publishers in June 2024. I was more familiar with Sleeping Bear than Tilbury House but have since learned that they are sister imprints under the Cherry Lake Publishing umbrella.

How did you choose your agent?

When I had the email with the book offer from Tilbury House, I immediately contacted a number of agents – some who had that story, some who had other stories of mine and some I hadn’t submitted to recently. I received some immediate “thanks but no thanks” and didn’t hear at all from at least a third of the agents. 

A few expressed interest and I decided that Jen Newens of Martin Literary Management was the best fit for me after talking to her and a few of her clients.

Family glacier hike Norway from summer 2024

What’s new from you?

My debut picture book, MY BACKYARD USED TO BE, is scheduled to be published by Tilbury House Publishers in fall 2025. Also, I’ll soon be out on submission with a new story for the first time, so I’m very excited about both!

Are you planning to mount up again for another carousel spin this year?

Definitely!

 

Charlie Barshaw has been with SCBWI-MI since 2009. He's also participated in both previous Carousels and gotten wonderful feedback. He's happy writing about other writer's successes. However, he's just about at the point of jumping into the submission trenches.

Also, in 2014 he co-chaired an SCBWI-MI conference at Mackinac Island, with such luminous faculty as editor Arthur Levine, editor Christy Ottaviano, author Candace Fleming, her husband and illustrator Eric Rohmann, and author/illustrator Laurie Keller.

There's a good possibility that one or more of those superstars will consent to an interview. Candace says, "I remember that conference like it was yesterday.  It was a terrific event."

If you've got some Mackinac memories, email me at cjbarshaw523@aol.com.