Local Author Collection

Jacksonville, Florida, and the surrounding area (Duval, Nassau, Clay, St. Johns, Baker, Union, and Bradford Counties in Florida, and Camden, Charlton, and Glynn Counties in Georgia) is the home of many talented writers, and to make their work accessible to the reading public, Jacksonville Public Library created the Local Author Collection. 

While it is physically housed at the Main Library, titles in this collection can also be placed on hold through the Library's catalog and then picked up at your preferred library branch.

About the Local Author Collection

The Local Author Collection is comprised of print books and includes both fiction and nonfiction titles for children, teen, and/or adult audiences. Local Authors and Illustrators are encouraged to submit their work for consideration for inclusion in this unique collection.

Titles are selected for the Local Author Collection to meet the diverse information and enrichment needs of the community (as stated in Library policies) and are evaluated on criteria such as public interest, presentation, readability, quality, etc.

Submitting to the Local Author Collection

If you would like your work to be considered for the collection, please use the Request a Local Author Submission Form on this page to request the required documents and instructions. They will be delivered to your email. You can also request the print documents at any library location.

Submit the completed Agreement Form and In-Kind Donation Form along with a donated copy of your book to any Jacksonville Public Library location or mail to:

Collection Development: Local Author 
3435 University Blvd. N, Jacksonville, FL 32277

General Rules

• Local authors must reside in the Jacksonville area (Duval, Nassau, Clay, St. Johns, Baker, Union, and Bradford Counties in Florida, and Camden, Charlton, and Glynn Counties in Georgia).
• The author must represent and warrant full ownership and/or legal rights to publish all material in this book, including artwork.
• The book must be a donated copy and will not be purchased by the library for the Local Author Collection. Authors and Small Presses visit Marketing Your Book to Jacksonville Public Library.
• The donated copy will be considered for addition to the collection based on our selection criteria and may or may not be added. Any donations become the property of the Library, which has the prerogative to keep or dispose of the item (as stated in Library policies).
• Books donated to the Local Author Collection may become damaged or go missing and thus be removed from the collection. Authors will not be informed of this removal. A second donated copy may be accepted to replace a damaged or missing copy.
• If the item is not added to the collection it will be given to the Friends of Jacksonville Public Library for sale in an upcoming book sale. Donated material will not be returned to the author.
• If selected, it may take up to 6 months for your donated book(s) to appear in the collection.

Selection Criteria

All books must be approved by the Local Author Collection selection committee to be added to the Local Author Collection.

• The primary criteria for selection are:
  • Public demand and interest
  • Critical reviews
  • Presentation and readability
  • The author’s or artist’s reputation and significance
  • Reputation and standing of the publisher
  • Availability of the information or material elsewhere
  • Local or national significance of the author, artist, or topic
• Books will be immediately disqualified for the following reasons:
  • Books by authors who reside outside of the counties listed above.
  • Unusual bindings – spiral bound, stapled, etc. Cookbooks may be spiral bound.
  • Potential loose pieces – loose-leaf pages, items glued inside the book, etc.
  • Poorly proofread – typos, misspellings, formatting, etc.
  • Limited interest to our customers – legal guides for California, manifestos, etc.
  • Nonfiction books that don’t have a table of contents, index, and/or bibliography.
  • Nonfiction books whose topics don’t match what’s listed on the cover.
  • Workbooks or other books that encourage writing inside them.

#More Opportunities for Local Authors

Share Your E-Book with Readers in Florida

The Indie Author Project (IAP) is a publishing community that includes public libraries, authors, curators, and readers working together to connect library patrons with great indie-published books through the BiblioBoard Library platform. Authors are able to submit e-books directly to then be vetted by industry editorial partners like Library Journal and regional library editorial boards. Being selected by these curators can lead to expanded discovery, distribution, and networking opportunities.

To get started...

1. Go to the IAP website to read the "terms of agreement"
2. Make sure your book is...
   1. An ePUB (strongly recommended) or PDF file
   2. In the English language
   3. An original work to which you own the rights
3. Click "Submit your work" and follow the prompts
4. You can also submit directly from Pressbooks Public

Note: Once submitted, your book will be passed through the review process, and you will be notified within 4–6 weeks if your book has been chosen as an Indie Author Project Selection. All submissions, regardless of audience or genre, may be included in your local region's collection, if you so choose! If your e-book is chosen for IAP Select, you can also opt into a usage-based royalty program, where your e-book is sold in curated collections via library e-book platforms such as OverDrive, The Palace Project, cloudLibrary, and Boundless by Baker and Taylor.

Read more on our Self-Publishing E-books at the Library page.

Donate Your Zines and Self-Published Comics

Jacksonville Public Library has an expansive Zine Collection—one of the first housed in a public library in the Southeast!  The scope of the collection is broad, including the arts, music, comics, politics, gender issues, and advocacy. Housed on the first floor of the Main Library, it is fully searchable in our catalog and materials in the zine collection can be placed on hold and transferred to other libraries within Jacksonville.

We accept zines and self-published comics of different shapes, sizes, and formats. Whether hand-drawn or hand-written, photocopied and stapled, or professionally printed: we want to see it all! 

There’s no deadline to submit. We’re always accepting new zines to the collection at the Library. Selections are made by Library staff, using the Library policies regarding collection development. Criteria for selection will include literary merit, artistic merit, subject specialty, scarcity of material on the subject, quality, format, and local and regional authorship. Efforts will also be made to replace zines that have been heavily used and worn.

You Can Donate Anytime, in Person or by Mail to:

Main Library c/o Zine Collection
303 N. Laura St. 
Jacksonville, FL 32202

Be sure to include:

• Name of Author(s)/Artist(s)
• Volume number(s), if any
• Year of publication
• Your email address

Lit Chat Author Series

Our Lit Chat programs give readers the chance to meet the writers that everyone's talking about - from New York Times bestsellers to debut and up-and-coming local authors. A Lit Chat Interview or Teen Lit Chat Interview (for readers, ages 12-18) is a 40-minute conversation between an author and interviewer. Check out past interviews on our YouTube playlist or "Completely Booked" podcast. 

For local and debut authors, a Lit Chat Author Talk may be the best fit. These are shorter, 15-minute presentations. We also offer a Junior Lit Chat Author Talk (for readers, ages 5-12). 

Note: All Lit Chat programs include 15-20 minutes of audience Q&A, followed by a book signing. We partner with a network of independent booksellers across the City of Jacksonville to ensure copies of your book(s) are available for sale on-site, during the program or event. 

If you would like to be considered for this series:

1. Carefully review the Jacksonville Public Library Library Programs for the Public Policy to ensure your program is a good fit for the Library.
2. Complete the Suggest a Program Form

A staff member will follow up with you within one week of receiving your suggestion. 

Note: Jacksonville Public Library accepts program suggestions (of all types) from the community and from outside presenters. Selection decisions will be based in part or entirely on the following:

• Safety and security of customers and staff
• Community needs and interests
• Ability to supplement and extend information found in Library’s collections, resources, and exhibits
• Ability to promote the Library and encourage use of its resources
• Presentation quality
• Presenter background and qualifications in content area
• Historical, cultural, or educational significance
• Age appropriateness of content
• Availability of program space
• Availability of necessary budget resources

If you have questions about the form, please email us at jplprograms@coj.net.