The Big Thread of Questions about Agents

qwerty said:

This might help

http://www.fictionaddiction.net/articles/contributed/thompsonbio.html

I did mine in first person, and it didn't do me any harm, but maybe it's different for the Brit market.

Good luck.

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The Agent I have queried is very specific about the synopsis but there are no clues about how to present the bio. None of the Agent websites I have looked at here and in the UK have mentioned using third person in the bio, so I would be interested if anyone can support this who is published. Mine is currently in the third person but I have to wait until mid-Septemeber before I get a response from the Agent I have queried. They just ask for authors to "query their (Agent's) interest in the project" initially then if the author is lucky, they want three chapters, synopsis and author bio so I have a bit of time yet to work on it.

I probably should have said: maybe it's different for the US market. My first person bio is for submissions in Britain (and is approved by my Brit agent).

Woodsie, if you're talking US subs, probably best to wait for America to wake later. I've never heard of headshots being included, but, again, things differ from one side of the pond to the other.

qwerty said:

I probably should have said: maybe it's different for the US market. My first person bio is for submissions in Britain (and is approved by my Brit agent).

Woodsie, if you're talking US subs, probably best to wait for America to wake later. I've never heard of headshots being included, but, again, things differ from one side of the pond to the other.

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Ah, sorry I've not woken up properly yet. I expect it's the same in Ireland as the UK.

According to the agent blogs I've read (and you might have a look at the Ask the Agent thread for Nathan Bransford's postings) the agent is interested in seeing in your bio only the stuff that pertains to your writing. For example: if you are querying a police procedural mentioning that you were a homicide detective for 10 years is going to really enhance your chances.
Otherwise keep it to the absolute basics and don't bother about a headshot unless you are lucky enough that you will look particularly striking on a book jacket.

If you have no writing credits, I'd just ad a line about you (I live in ___ with my family.) at the end of your query. Definitely NO photos of yourself.

The tech guy at the publisher I am currently with said to do the bio in the third person. He said the best example would be to read the back of any book and make your bio sound like that one. He also said that people want to know what you look like as well, so they can bond with you. Hope that helps.

Actually, I peeked at woodsies's profile, and she is going to look good on a book jacket.

I was told that, in a bio, you should include anything personal about you that gives an agent or publisher a "peg" to hang you on. Not exactly sure what that means, but I briefly included stuff about my less than conventional life in various parts of the world, even though it had little relevance to the book I was submitting. I suppose what I did was present an author profile, which I wrote in first person because I was writing about myself. Still keeping it all to below a full page though.

But there are differences between US and UK, so a lot depends on where the OP is subbing.

qwerty said:

Actually, I peeked at woodsies's profile, and she is going to look good on a book jacket.

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I read the bio on 'The Shack' and he didn't have any publishing history and just tells something interesting about himself in third person. I'll try the third on this query. Still not sure about the headshot, so I'll wait to see what others say.

If I get rejected by every appropriate agent in the US, is it possible to query other countries?

I wouldn't recommend the headshot. Though of course they will want to use it because you are lovely, right now you want to demonstrate that you are an author first, that the writing counts. Besides agents often blog how amateurish sending along a headshot is.

For the record I am an actress as well, so I too have easy access to headshots (at least they are better than those hazy glamour shots!). Once I had my agent, then she wanted several different photos of me and stuff, but right now, keep it simple.

Good luck!

(BTW I am so jealous of your hair, I have always loved the platinum blond thing, but I am what is basically the exact opposite of that colouring, no way in heck I could pull it off . . . le sigh . . .)

Woodsie said:

If I get rejected by every appropriate agent in the US, is it possible to query other countries?

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It is - but only if the work you are offering will sell in the home market of the agent you are querying. There is a listing of many UK agents here
http://writersservices.com/agent/uk/index1.htm

illiterwrite said:

If you have no writing credits, I'd just ad a line about you (I live in ___ with my family.) at the end of your query. Definitely NO photos of yourself.

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I agree. It's normally considered unprofessional to include a photo. Not sure why, but there you are.
Linnea

However you do it, I think you should mention that you are an actress and a stylist and have won an essay contest. I don't know what your book's genre is, whether it's related to acting, but it helps the agent to know who you are, what your life experiences have been. I think. I haven't crossed the publishing tightrope yet.

I have a fictional bio that goes with my pen name. I doubt an agent would let me use it though.

Should you include a bio in every query letter, or just the ones that specifically ask for it?

Woodsie said:

When an agent asks for a bio, what info are they looking for? I have four pages right now...

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Four pages?

It should only be a few paragraphs detailing your relevant credentials: publications, awards, etc. and maybe credentials such as military experiences if you're writing a military thriller, etc. But they're not asking for your life history here.

If you have a CV (curriculum vitae), you may send it in lieu of the bio.

And no, no headshots unless you're vying for a modeling/acting job. That just says "amateur" even if your headshot is a professional shot. No writers should send headshots to agents or publishers.

maestrowork said:

And no, no headshots unless you're vying for a modeling/acting job. That just says "amateur" even if your headshot is a professional shot. No writers should send headshots to agents or publishers.

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Why is this, anyway?

I submitted a bio for my first book, no photo. I wrote mine first person, since I didn't know any better, and they used it.
What everyone else said - a bio should be fairly succinct and list only experience relevant to the book. Look at bios in published books similar to yours to get an idea of a "typical" author bio.

maestrowork said:

Four pages?

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I knew it was too much....

No photo, just the facts:

INSERT NAME is a freelance writer who lives in BLAH, BLAH with her husband, four daughters and Maltese named Zoey.

~

or a super condensed version of probably TMI: (The following is true, but I'm afraid of it sounding pathetic. I just don't have anything normal about me, so I don't know what to write.)

INSERT NAME was born to a fifteen year old mentally ill runaway and was raised on the streets until she was put in foster care at age six. She was adopted when she turned ten and moved out on her own when she turned seventeen. Since then, she has been making up for lost time by pursuing acting, writing and traveling. She now lives in BLAH, BLAH with her husband, giving her four daughters and Maltese, Zoey, the life she never got to have.

Oh, and my book is about overcoming crap.

So, let me have it....

Woodsie, I don't know if it helps, but this is the exact bio I sent with my query. I sent it without the headshot, but the agent asked for it later ( the publishers have since taken much nicer ones for publicity) This is the bio that the publishers and my agent ended up using both in its entirety and variations of. I hope it helps.

http://www.celinekiernan.com/aboutceline.html

BTW, the more interesting version of your bio is the one you should work on. Its a great hook IMHo

Unfortunately, unless that TMI stuff is relevant to your novel, I'd say you shouldn't include it (except maybe "she lives in Blah Blah with her husband and four daughters").

Focus on your education, publication history, etc. If you don't have any credentials, then keep it as brief as possible.

If you're a freelance writer, list publications or jobs. So I'd prefer this version:


NAME is a freelance writer who has written for New York Times, The Hartford Courier, and Playboy Magazine. She lives in Blah, Blah with her husband and four daughters.

(let your book and synopsis speak for themselves. That's not where you use the bio to sell the premise: "overcoming crap.")

maestrowork said:

(let your book and synopsis speak for themselves. That's not where you use the bio to sell the premise: "overcoming crap.")

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I appreciate your advice. Thanks.

Don't forget we can all only give you our personal experiences and opinions. In the end you go with your gut :0) ( and polish that sucker till it gleams, no matter which direction you take it)

Gary Clarke said:

Woodsie, I don't know if it helps, but this is the exact bio I sent with my query. I sent it without the headshot, but the agent asked for it later ( the publishers have since taken much nicer ones for publicity) This is the bio that the publishers and my agent ended up using both in its entirety and variations of. I hope it helps.

http://www.celinekiernan.com/aboutceline.html

BTW, the more interesting version of your bio is the one you should work on. Its a great hook IMHo

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And that is why you're published, it sounds so good!

INSERT NAME has been writing dark poetry since the age of eight when she started hearing the voices in her head. They're remarkably emo and that serves as a testament that she was emo before emo was cool.

That said, I think your history in the foster care would be something to include, especially if that's relevant to your story.

Woodsie said:

INSERT NAME has been writing dark poetry since the age of eight when she started hearing the voices in her head. They're remarkably emo and that serves as a testament that she was emo before emo was cool.

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LOL! Now I'd buy that book!

INSERT NAME was born to a fifteen year old mentally ill runaway and was raised on the streets until she was put in foster care at age six. She was adopted when she turned ten and moved out on her own when she turned seventeen. Since then, she has been making up for lost time by pursuing acting, writing and traveling. She now lives in BLAH, BLAH with her husband, giving her four daughters and Maltese, Zoey, the life she never got to have.

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I agree with Ray and others. The book jacket is a good base for how your bio should be, and I don't think I've seen quite so much color in one of those bios before!

HOWEVER, this is a bio you're sending to your agent. At this point they've probably seen the query and know whether or not they like your writing. It shows real life experience that sounds like is related to your novel, if at least thematically--it also suggests, to me, you've got more than one story in you. If you're comfortable letting them know this about you, then I don't think it would hurt to send. At least, I think the foster care would be easy to include, "XX lived in foster care for X years and with an adoptive (ed?) family until she was seventeen. Now she lives in XX..."