Books fare much better in the market when they are backed by literary agents.
Publishers who have established a positive connection with literary agents will always be more open to considering the books they represent.
You may even be able to get through to high end publishing firms that would have been beyond your reach had you been working alone.
If you wish to see your manuscript land a great deal, check out the 6 top literary agents in Florida listed below.
1. Spencerhill Associates
Established in Lakewood Ranch of Manatee County, Florida, Spencerhill Associates has a team of literary agents ready to represent diverse works of writing. It was founded by Karen Solem, who has an inclination towards nonfiction, commercial and literary fiction for adults. On the other hand, if your book is a new adult or YA fiction, you should get in touch with Amanda Leuck. Currently they are open to submissions from writers of thrillers, romance, literary fiction, YA, general interest fiction, urban fantasy, commercial fiction and more. That said, children’s books are a no-go with them. Take a look at their submission guidelines to learn about the process of submitting your manuscript. Once you have read through it all and wish to proceed, contact them by way of the form on their website or give them a call. They only get back to those authors whose manuscripts they are interested in representing, so keep that in mind.
2. Leslie E. Owen Agency
If you’re looking for editorial services and literary representation, you’ve come to the right place. Leslie E. Owen has many years of experience in the publishing industry and her literary agency is in Pensacola, Florida. Currently the agency is willing to represent adult fiction, adult nonfiction, children’s fiction and children’s nonfiction. Some of the genres accepted within these categories are speculative fiction, psychological thriller, nature, YA, picture books, women’s fiction, mystery, middle grade fiction etc. Cookbooks, memoirs, poetry don’t seem to have made the cut. For the complete list of genres accepted and more information on what should be submitted, check out their submission guidelines. They take anywhere between 8-10 weeks for a manuscript evaluation. You might as well submit your book at the earliest. Contact them by mail, phone or website.
3. Barbara Bova Literary Agency
Barbara Bova was talented in so many ways, as a teacher, author, social worker and artist. She established the Barbara Bova Literary Agency in the year 1974. It is located in Naples, Florida. After her death in 2009, Ben Bova took over as the president of the literary agency. Having published more than a 100 books, Ben brought a lot to the table as the head of the company. They do not represent scripts, children’s books or poetry. Writers of fiction and nonfiction can get in touch with Michael Burke, the Senior Associate Agent, by mail. Whereas you can contact Ben Bova through the query form on his website. Once you’ve read the submission guidelines on the homepage of their website, send in a query with information about your manuscript. They only respond to those authors whose works they are interested in representing.
4. The Stringer Literary Agency
The Stringer Literary Agency is exclusively all about fiction books, whether it is romance, women’s fiction, historical, mystery, contemporary, urban fantasy, YA or teen, sci-fi etc. So writers of nonfiction, poetry, screenplays, picture books, short stories, memoirs and academic works should go ahead and skip to the next agency. It was instituted in Naples, Florida in the year 2008. Marlene Stringer is the founder of this agency. She has been previously associated with the Barbara Bova Literary Agency and after her term as a literary agent there, The Stringer Literary Agency was born. Read their submission guidelines thoroughly before you decide to contact them. Here are some more FAQs that may come in handy. They can be reached by filling in the form on their website. Right now, they are eagerly looking to represent thrillers, romance, women’s fiction and fantasy. So, hurry up and contact them!
5. The Seymour Agency
Mary Sue Seymour was the founder of The Seymour Agency, a company that provides author representation. She had set up the agency in 1992 with its main office in New York. Authors living in Florida are in for a treat because The Seymour Agency also has an office in Naples, Florida. Nicole Resciniti, current president and agent, is the one you should be contacting if your book has anything to do with the genres of science fiction, fantasy, action, adventure, suspense, YA, inspirational, middle grade fiction, cookbooks or a romance that is essentially a “happily ever after”. You can get in touch with her via Twitter, phone or email. Make sure to read the submission guidelines before you do so. There are a couple of other agents working with the Seymour Agency, although they may not reside in Florida. If you feel like another agent is better suited to pick up your manuscript, you could always send in a message and see if they are available.
6. Author Agency
It was the year 2010 when Author Agency was founded in Boca Raton, Florida to assist authors with the ginormous task of publishing their books. They not only help authors get represented, but also work to shape the manuscripts and market published books. In order to find an agent who is best suited to take on your manuscript, all you have to do is read their submission guidelines and then submit your manuscript. Their network of publishers includes some big guns like Simon & Schuster, Random House, HarperCollins and Pan Macmillan. If you’d like to clarify any doubts, you can always contact them by filling in the form on their website. Know that Author Agency merely helps authors get in touch with book agents from all around the United States.
Strap this parachute onto your book; let an agent be its saving grace. Anyway, it doesn’t cost you anything to submit a query or send in a book proposal. Worst come worst you may not get a response. But on the bright side, you just may find a fantastic agent who could then pitch your book to great publishers.
Are you an author who’s been represented by one of the above literary agencies in Florida? If so, please share your experiences in the comments box below!
6 Top Literary Agents in Florida is an article from Writing Tips Oasis.
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A 22 year old writer from India, Meera Nair has been blogging for over 5 years. She has a triple major Bachelor’s degree in Media, English and Psychology from Christ University Bangalore. She regularly reviews books for publishers like Bloomsbury, Pan Macmillan, Penguin etc. Reading and writing are two of her utmost passions and she is glad to have the opportunity to share that love with others.