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Biography/CV - help!
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annie24
 14 Aug 2011, 12:36 #127051 Reply To Post
Hi,

I am in dire need of some advice!

After developing my opening chapters on YWO, I was ecstatic to be chosen as a Childrens Fiction 2011 book of the year winner. It has given me the boost of confidence I need to start submitting my work to agents. I have been tidying up the MS (using many of the helpful tips gained from YWO's grammar and punctuation police, haha), tightening the plot and will soon be ready to start the lengthy and often disheartening process of submitting.

However, most agents seem to ask for a short biography or CV included with the submission - can anyone help with this? What sort of info should I include? Some posts I've found online seem to suggest that agents are interested in previous publishing credits on the Bio/CV, but I have none. Others seem to suggest that the agent wants to get an idea of the background of the writer, their life experiences etc. Has anyone else done a Bio/CV and would they be willing to give me some pointers?

Thanks,

Annie x
k0306
 14 Aug 2011, 13:39 #127054 Reply To Post
Hi Annie

If you'd like to email me, I can send you an example of a biog that seems to generally fit most agents' requirements.

kate dot hanney at yahoo dot co dot uk

Cheers, Kate

www.katehanney.com
annie24
 14 Aug 2011, 14:05 #127055 Reply To Post
Thanks kate - email on it's way x
k0306
 14 Aug 2011, 15:02 #127058 Reply To Post
No probs, have just replied.

x x

www.katehanney.com
Talking Horse
 14 Aug 2011, 18:12 #127075 Reply To Post
I think this is a sort of 'gift' in itself to help one 'pitch' oneself to an agent or publisher: to be able to set up a relevant CV/profile.

So too is the ability 'knack' to write a synopsis of one's own story or writing, it's something lots cannot do themselves for their own writing..

Talking Horse
 14 Aug 2011, 18:16 #127078 Reply To Post
As is (take it as 'constructive' criticism as most if not all such should be in YWO, many writers inhere I feel anyway pitch their writing into a wrong genre, or try and write in more than one genre and the work tends and ends up trying to be fulfilling several writing genres, it's important I feel when pitching your work to an agent to able to market it and stay within a small number of (identifiable) genres, an agent mostly know their stuff and will instantly spot what genre it is (or not...).

Ability to 'market' oneself is indeed important.
annie24
 14 Aug 2011, 21:50 #127106 Reply To Post
Thanks Talkinghorse. Yes, I am one of those people who finds writing a synopsis and biography very hard work! I will take your comments on board.

Annie x
Mostar
 15 Aug 2011, 12:39 #127151 Reply To Post
Hi Annie

For most agents and publishers these days, the task is not only to sell the book but to sell the author too. The PR around novels is as much about selling the person who wrote it.

With that in mind, you might like to think of an angle on your biog that gives journalists a "hook" on why they might be interested in investing their time in you - preferably related to your story. Eg JK Rowling and the story of her being a single mum, sitting writing in a cafe (social interest) or the story of her sitting on the train to King's Cross when she came up with HP (related to the story - platform 9 3/4).

Hope this helps.
On turning fact into fiction: African Violet blogpost on Sue Howe's site: http://howesue.wordpress.com/
Talking Horse
 15 Aug 2011, 17:37 #127201 Reply To Post
M.
I think at this early stage the main task is to get the agent and /or publisher interested in us and in the basic manuscript. That's why being able to market oneself is vital right up to being able to adopt one genre and do and write 'exactly what it says on the tin.' I assessed one story recently that 'swept' across about four separate genres, not staying in any particular one.
Fatal, if you're going to use an agent who'd spot that a mile away.

If you get an agent interested then subsequently you can devise up stories 'hooks' etc., to get journalists interested.
Mostar
 15 Aug 2011, 22:28 #127219 Reply To Post
Perhaps I worded that badly. I'm not saying that as a writer you need to look at journalistic hooks, I'm saying that agents and publishers will be looking for them, so you may as well make your biog reflect that.

According to a US publishers article on Writers Digest, selling the author as person is becoming as important as selling the work.

That's all! Thought it was interesting industry feedback that was worth sharing.
On turning fact into fiction: African Violet blogpost on Sue Howe's site: http://howesue.wordpress.com/
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