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How to Work with a Literary Agent

Writer's Day: Publishing Workshop

You’ve written a manuscript and decided to pursue traditional publishing. What comes next? This workshop provides an in-depth look at the role of a literary agent, how to find the right author-agent match, and the ways authors work with agents after signing. Presented by Laurie Dennison, an associate agent at Creative Media Agency.

This Publishing Workshop is presented as part of Jax Book Fest presents: Writer's Day.

Working with a Literary Agent: You’ve written a manuscript and decided to pursue traditional publishing. What comes next? This workshop provides an in-depth look at the role of a literary agent, how to find the right author-agent match, and the ways authors work with agents after signing. Learn how to craft a query letter and submission package that makes your manuscript stand out for all the right reasons, including the essential elements of a strong pitch, what agents look for in sample pages, and general best practices for querying, followed by an explanation of the author-agent working relationship. 
This session includes a Q&A portion. 

About the Presenter: After earning her master’s from the University of Florida and a brief stint as an English teacher, Laurie Dennison spent over a decade as a freelance writer, ghostwriter, editor, and desktop publishing consultant before stepping into her role as an associate agent at Creative Media Agency. She served as a Pitch Wars mentor for five years, and she completed the Denver Publishing Institute in 2022. Laurie also works in the CMA film department with Paige Wheeler. 
Laurie represents upmarket and commercial fiction and narrative nonfiction, including projects with strong book club potential, romance, and suspense. She is open to light grounded speculative elements across genres. Laurie loves strong character development, propulsive pacing, and engaging prose. 

Funding for this program was provided through a grant from Florida Humanities. Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this program do not necessarily represent those of Florida Humanities.

Pre-registration is strongly recommended (space is limited) and must be completed at least 24 hours prior to the start time. Note: A Jacksonville Public Library card and PIN are required for registration. If you do not already have one, you can apply for a library card online.

Pursuant to the Americans with Disabilities Act, accommodations for persons with disabilities are available upon request. Please allow 1–2 business days to process. Last-minute requests will be accepted, but may not be possible to fulfill. Please ask for Learning Services at (904) 255-2665 or email JPLPrograms@coj.net.

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