Query letter question - mentioning blogs and academic publishing

Ian Nathaniel Cohen

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I looked into posting this in the QLH forum, but this seems a better place.

I'm sending out a new round of query letters for my novel. I haven't had any fiction published, but I've had an essay published in an academic journal and I write a weekly blog on a website reviewing (mostly) older movies. I haven't referenced these in my previous drafts of my query letter because I thought they were irrelevant, and I'm wondering if that's a mistake. If I'm trying to market fiction, and all I've published is non-fiction and reviews, is this the kind of thing an agent would care about? Am I better off leaving this stuff out?

Thanks!
 
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Siri Kirpal

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Janet Reid has said in a thread somewhere in this section of the forums to include academic works.

You will get at least one person saying not to include them.

I would include the academic book, but leave out the blog...unless it gets lots of individual hits per month.

Blessings,

Siri Kirpal
 

mayqueen

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I've heard pros and cons on both sides. I personally don't include my academic publishing credits because my field and my fiction are different. (I'm a sociologist and I write historical fiction. No one is going to care about the ranking of the journal my article is in.) I don't think including them will hurt you, but I don't think including them help you, either.
 

Ian Nathaniel Cohen

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Makes sense. I'm marketing a pirate novel and my essay was on the evolution of the portrayal of the Japanese in Hong Kong martial arts cinema. (Maybe I'll mention it when I query Fury of the Tiger's Fist.)

I think I'll leave them off. Thanks!

(As for mentioning my blog, if they're at all inclined to go to my Facebook page, I post links to every one of my reviews there.)
 
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Mutive

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I generally leave off non-fiction credits since I don't think they're particularly relevant. It's a different ballgame. The one exception is when it especially pertains to my story.

i.e. I'm a chemical process engineer IRL. In a fantasy novel, I'm not going to bring that up - it doesn't matter. When writing hard science fiction that deals with a space ship's life support system, though, it's pretty darned relevant that I know the technology...so then that comes in, as would any publications pertaining to that experience.
 

quicklime

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as much as I adore Janet (a volume best measured in unicorns and sunbeams) I have a PhD and multiple articles and grants. Having seen how I write academically, and imagining it in a novel, I would write the novel and leave my "credits" out, because I don't believe they are credits to begin with.

YMMV
 

Fuchsia Groan

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I left my academic pubs out of queries, but I mentioned that I edit and write for an alt weekly and have received national awards for that. I thought it would demonstrate professionalism and that I'm not, y'know, just a terrible writer. Honestly, I don't think it made a difference either way.
 

Herstory

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I second what Fuchsia said. Sometimes I include my academic publications and sometimes I don't, but I don't think it makes much difference.
 

waylander

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I've written scientific papers, reviews and book chapters. I'm also on a couple of dozen patents. I didn't put any of this in my query letter.
 

Filigree

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I'm familiar with the website in question, Ian. If the pirate novel has any humor, you might want to mention the website and the blog. Even if it's not directly related. Interested parties will want to check out your 'other' writing at some point.
 

quicklime

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I second what Fuchsia said. Sometimes I include my academic publications and sometimes I don't, but I don't think it makes much difference.



by themselves I doubt they do. Everyone has a day job (well, most do) and writers come from all walks of life.

The reasons I have never put them in are that a) I feel they are clutter for a no-sum game in most cases, and I like my query clean and neat, and b) it isn't that publications are bad, but the wording is often different. Anyone familiar with technical writing would know this, and an off phrase or two in the query which might have been overlooked or forgiven might be taken as an indicator of a more stilted novel knowing you "write stilted for a living"
 

veinglory

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I have multiple academic publications and a related blog and do not mention it. Not just because it is not very relevant but because it may be a distraction and trigger unhelpful stereotypes -- I do of course use my, somewhat unusual, real name. So it is there on Google if they look for it.
 
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