This series consists of William Jovanovich's files on nearly two hundred authors and publishers with whom he worked. Author files consist of correspondence with authors, their agents, and Harcourt Brace Jovanovich editors, as well as originals and copies of early manuscripts and drafts of writings, press clippings, book jacket proofs, recordings, and other editorial materials, although not all files contain both correspondence and writings. While author files primarily exist for authors whose work was published by Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, there are also files on authors whose works Jovanovich was considering publishing before a contract fell through, those like Ambrose Bierce and Hart Crane whose works he was interested in reprinting, and authors he did not publish but to whom he otherwise provided guidance or kept up correspondence. Publisher files consist largely of correspondence and include a significant amount of material related to Helen Wolff, of the Kurt and Helen Wolff Book imprint of Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, a collaboration that began in 1961. Author files on Edward Dahlberg, T. S. Eliot, Vane Ivanović, Marshall McLuhan, and Carl Sandburg are particularly extensive.

Researchers should note that a large author file on Charles A. Lindbergh, as well as some materials regarding Anne Morrow Lindbergh, can be found in Series 2: Charles A. and Anne Morrow Lindbergh Files. Jovanovich maintained a very close relationship with the Lindberghs and personally edited Charles Lindbergh's autobiography. The separation of this file reflects the original organization of the papers.