Author Jason Reynolds and Agent Elena Giovinazzo Launch New Literary Agency

Agent Elena Giovinazzo and acclaimed author Jason Reynolds have announced the launch of a new literary agency, Heirloom Literary & Media. The agency is currently in its “very early stages,” according to Giovinazzo, who shared her insights with Publishers Weekly.

Giovinazzo expressed her hopes to leverage her and Reynolds’s “decade of shared experience” to offer a fresh approach to existing and new clients. The agency plans to open its doors to a diverse range of writers, covering various formats and age groups, including children’s literature, young adult novels, graphic novels, adult books, and nonfiction.

“We want to find incredible creators and help them grow their careers,” said Giovinazzo. “It’s that, but our way.” Reynolds added that he aims to bring “different ideas and different minds and creative disciplines into this melting pot to move things.”

Giovinazzo, formerly a Vice President and senior agent at Pippin Properties, spent 13 years at the agency before deciding that she was “ready for a new challenge.” She will undertake the role of an agent, managing day-to-day operations and working with authors. Her prior clients include noted names such as Zoey Abbott, Katherine Applegate, Drew Brockington, Beth Ferry, Jason Griffin, Amber McBride, Jonathan Stutzman and Heather Fox, and Ibi Zoboi, among others.

Reynolds, known for his contributions to literature, will assume a mentorship role within the agency. “I’m always around younger writers who are coming up,” he remarked. “To know there’s a different kind of possibility, a different kind of framework to work within, that’s interesting.”

The transition from an agent-author relationship to business co-founders marks a unique approach in the publishing industry. The trust established between Giovinazzo and Reynolds over many years has allowed them to embark on this new venture. “I think the way that we trust each other is our bread and butter,” Reynolds noted. “My trust in our ability to do the gig, my trust in her work ethic.”

Reynolds suggested that their endeavor presents an opportunity to “rejigger things” within the publishing hierarchy, adding, “The interesting thing will be to see if people follow suit.”

Looking forward, Giovinazzo stated, “We want to work with people who want to work just as hard as we always have. If you’re going to be writing or illustrating at the top of your game, that’s the kind of people we want to be in business with.”