A bio question.

WinterDusk14 said:

Since I live halfway around the world and it's doubtful I'll ever visit conventions to meet agents, I'm wondering if being an active member here and in another website (critters.org to be more specific), and mentioning it in my query (if required?) would make up for the conventions? Or if would even help the slightest?

Thanks in advance.

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Neither would help. They'd be odd, frankly. If you were at a convention and met an agent who invited you to send something, you'd mention that to that person. Same as if you met an agent in line at the market, got to talking, and the agent told you to send a query. You wouldn't just say you went to conventions or websites.

Do you mean whether being an active member of an online community would substitute for being an active member of a professional association, or? I'm not really sure.

Some agents would recognize AW (the ones who come here would), but I doubt whether membership would boost your profile in a query.

All you need is a well-written query and an equally well-written book. If you have these, you're in. If you lack these, nothing else matters.

If you have to scrounge for things to put in your bio, you probably don't need them in the first place. It's better for your bio to be completely bare than for you to come across as though you're reaching. I was in the same boat as you--still am! I've never visited a writing conference and I'm an ocean away from NYC--and it hasn't hurt me.

Write a good book, write a good query, and do your research on specific agents and how publishing works in general. Don't worry about the rest.

I had advice from an editor in a one on one to include my active involvement here and at SCBWI in my bio. I have done so since. I have no idea if it's made any difference. It shows I'm still learning and may go toward part of a marketing plan in some way. All I know is it impressed her to see how active I was.

Here's a tip I've picked up: The fact that an agent is attending a conference means that they're open to picking up new clients. Save yourself the travel and conference fees and just use the conference websites for building a shortlist of agents to query.

What dahosek said is not a bad idea. Just don't say that you met them. Some agents have very good memories. Others only look at queries from conference attendees.

I had a person that the Director forwarded to me because we thought she was going to sign up for AgentFest and that she had some questions. After a while it was obvious she was going to do just that. Luckily, I never sent her email addresses, although she could look them up.

Not being able to visit or meet publishers and agents doesn't matter a bit.

Out of five publishers, the only one that sent me a form rejection instead of a contract offer was the one I pitched to at a conference. (Things that make you go hmmmm. )