Local Author Collection

About the 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 entire community, Jacksonville Public Library created the Local Author Collection. The 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.

Share Your E-Book with Readers in Florida

Jacksonville Public Library is partnering with Library Journal and the Indie Author Project to help readers discover local authors just like you through the BiblioBoard platform. To get started, you'll need to submit your e-book (via the Indie Author Project) for inclusion in this online collection.

Once accepted, your work will appear in the Indie Florida Collection and be available to readers here in Jacksonville (and all over Florida). 

The best of these books will also make their way into Library Journal’s Indie Author Project Select (nationwide) collection, which is available to readers throughout the U.S.

Go to the Indie Author Project to read the "terms of agreement" and submit your title. 

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!

Lit Chat Author Series

Lit Chat gives readers the chance to meet the authors that everyone's talking about - from New York Times bestsellers to up-and-coming local authors. There are Lit Chat programs for adults, teens and school age children. Check out the Lit Chat playlist on YouTube or subscribe to our "Completely Booked" Podcast to check out past interviews.

Becoming a Featured Author

Lit Chat Interviews and Teen Lit Chat Interviews (for ages 12-18) are 40 minute conversations between an author and an interviewer. Lit Chat Author Talks and Junior Lit Chats (for ages 5-12) are 10-15 minute presentations by an author. All Lit Chat programs include 15-20 minutes of audience Q&A followed by a book signing. Please note: We work with several local booksellers to ensure copies of your book(s) are available for sale on-site.

In case you didn't know: Jacksonville Public Library accepts program suggestions (of all types) from the community and from outside presenters. To submit a suggestion, please follow the process below:

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

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.