Janson-Smith leaves Gleam to start new agency

Agent Oscar Janson-Smith has left Gleam Futures to start his own agency. 

Janson-Smith joined the agency in December 2021 after three years as an agent at Kruger Cowne, and was promoted to senior agent in March this year. 

Over his two years at Gleam he sold 35 books, translated into 15 languages, with two titles becoming Sunday Times bestsellers. He also promoted new areas for Gleam such as fantasy, finance, craft, cookery and children’s. 

Janson-Smith said: “It’s been a busy few months, so this is a delayed announcement, but it’s one that I’m very happy to be making. After a wonderful couple of years with Gleam, I had quite a few offers on the table — but once I’d got this idea into my head, it was hard to get it out again.  

“I’m delighted that all of the brilliant authors I’ve taken on over the past few years have agreed to join me, and I’ve been busy sourcing quite a few more, as well as forming some fantastic new partnerships, so I cannot wait to begin sharing the news of some very exciting new projects in 2024. I am entirely self-funded, and have bills to pay, so I will continue to be unashamedly commercial in my agenting - however, I will also be making a real effort to continue developing my fiction list, which is an area I’ve taken great pleasure in working in recently.  

“I could go on, but I think ‘less talk, more action’ is probably the best approach for someone setting up an eponymous business only a few years into their publishing career, so I’m off to sell some books.” 

He will launch his website, www.oscarjansonsmith.com, in 2024.  

Additionally Gleam’s former head of publishing, Adam Strange, recently joined ghost-writing firm KAA.

The Bookseller has also reported on increasing numbers of in-house staff turning freelance.