Kait Lee Feldmann is a children’s book agent at kt literary representing illustrators. She has been romping around children’s book publishing for the past decade, previously as an editor at HarperCollins and Scholastic. Her list as editor included award-winning books that received a Caldecott, Coretta Scott King, and Sibert Honor; the Ezra Jack Keats Award; and appearances on Best of lists for The New York Times, NPR, Kirkus, and more. In 2020 she received the CBC Diversity Outstanding Achievement Award. Kait resides in a hoarder’s paradise in Los Angeles, surrounded by books. When she’s not reading those, she can often be found playing board games or estate sale hopping.
What was your path to becoming an agent?
I took a decade-long detour as an editor first! I started at Scholastic as an assistant and ultimately worked under six different editors who edited board books through YA novels, so I got a great education in different formats and editorial styles.
When I started acquiring my own books a couple years in, I narrowed my focus to picture books and young graphic novels because I tend to get the most passionate about stories that are told with art. I’ve always struggled with imposter syndrome but I did quite well for myself! My books started winning awards and appearing on Best Of lists. As my name started to float around, I was approached for a job at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. I accepted and a couple months later HMH was bought by HarperCollins, where I edited remotely from LA for about three years.
By that point I was struggling pretty hard with burnout. I really loved collaborating with authors and illustrators, but I’d say maybe 30% of an editor’s job is actually editing and the rest is meetings and forms and emails, emails, emails (the mythical Inbox Zero is no one’s goal as an editor–it’s just not possible). My vampiric sleep schedule and ADHD brain also don’t mold too well to corporate structure and I had been debating whether agenting would be a better fit for me but was scared to make the leap.
Well, one week I was riding the high of two of the books I had edited at Scholastic winning a Caldecott Honor*, and a Sibert and Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor**. And the next week, I got laid off! Publishing can be such a … silly goose. I was really sad to leave my amazing creators and colleagues, but I took this as a neon sign to stop daydreaming about agenting and finally try it. I joined k t literary in June of this year and have been loving this new chapter!!! I have eight incredible clients so far and am actively signing!
*JOVITA WORE PANTS: THE STORY OF A MEXICAN FREEDOM FIGHTER written by Aida Salazar and illustrated by Molly Mendoza
**HOLDING HER OWN: THE EXCEPTIONAL LIFE OF JACKIE ORMES written by Traci Todd and illustrated by Shannon Wright
I know you are only representing illustrators and author/illustrators. When you go through a portfolio and/or a dummy, what tugs at you to say you want to offer representation?
A list of things that I find myself drawn to:
How do you find artists?
All over the place! I love going to galleries and comic/zine fests and am low-key scouting when I do. I follow artists on Instagram and Twitter (not so much the latter these days, thanks to Elon…), meet them through publishing events, networking, referrals, and my submissions inbox!
What is on your Picture Book Wish list?
I keep an updated MSWL on my website complete with a mood board so you can always check there, but in a nutshell–I don’t want to learn anything or come away from the story a better person, I just want goofy, wholesome chaos. If you got in trouble for your imagination as a kid and never really grew out of that . . . we’ll get along. :)
You can query me at querykait@ktliterary.com. Please tell me a bit about yourself and where you are on your publishing journey, attach your book dummy if you are working on one, include a link to your website/portfolio, and tell me some of your favorite books!! :D