Tag Archives: agent

Writing

Power Pack Your Short Bio for Agent Queries

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“Power Pack Your Short Bio for Agent Queries” by Joan Y. Edwards

Sandra Warren, one of my loyal followers asked me to write a blog about what to put in the bio section of a query letter to a literary agent. It could also be used for the bio inside a cover letter to an editor.

Heather Hummel at Huffington Post advises you to read your bio aloud after you write them. Wonderful advice.

Chuck Sambuchino says a bio is more important for a non-fiction work.

Editors and Agents want to know your personal credentials. Why are you qualified to write this book? Give facts to support the sentence: I am the best person to write this book.

Make your 3 sentence bio sound professional. Write it in the first person. Use only three or four sentences. Cover the three power areas listed below: 

1. Personal Interest and Experience

I am the best person to write this book.

Tell why you wrote this book. Tell about your personal interests and experience in this particular field related to the subject of the manuscript or article you are submitting.

Your book is about biking: Tell about your interest in biking and places you biked. Don’t tell about where you’ve traveled by boat or by airplane. It’s not related to biking.
If your book is about a certain community, tell how you know about this community. If you lived there, mention that.

2. Expertise 

I qualify to write this book because I have expert skills and knowledge in this subject that I attained through extensive research, experience, education, or occupation. 

In his book Outliers, Malcolm Gladwell says that it takes about 10,000 hours of practice to achieve mastery in a particular field…to become an expert. If you study for 8 hours each day, your 10,000 hours would be up in 1,250 days or about 3.5 years. So I believe if you study a subject for 3.5 years, you probably know a great deal about it.

Explain your skills and knowledge of the subject of your  manuscript. Tell your main job, training, education, degree, published article, short story, or novel related to the subject.

If it’s about business marketing, mentioning a Master’s Degree in Business is a great idea.
If your book is about teaching and you’ve never taught or taken classes, why would people want to read what you’ve written?

3. Formal Awards and Other Achievements

 The best reason I qualify to write this book.

Showcase your formal achievements related to the subject of your manuscript. If  you have many achievements, highlight your best accomplishment.

Ginny Wiehardt gives samples from published and unpublished writers.  Nancy, a university instructor helped students improve  their 3 sentence bios in her class. I found these helpful. 
I found 18 resources to help you study the short bio to include to power pack your bio in your query to a prospective agent.
If you put the subject of your book and your draft 3 sentence bio, I’ll be glad to give you ideas to improve your bio in my reply. Other readers may give you their opinions, too, if you like.

Resources

  1. Ann R. Allen. “How to Write and Author Bio When You Don’t Feel Like an Author Yet:” http://annerallen.com/2012/09/how-to-write-author-bio-when-you-don/
  2. Ben Carter. “Can 10,000 Hours of Practice Make You an Expert?” http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-26384712
  3. Ben Sobieck.  “What Should a Short Bio Contain?” http://www.writersdigest.com/editor-blogs/questions-and-quandaries/dealing-with-editors/what-should-a-short-bio-include
  4. Chuck Sambuchino. Writers Digest. “What Should You Write in the Bio Paragraph in a Query Letter?” http://www.writersdigest.com/editor-blogs/guide-to-literary-agents/what-should-you-write-in-the-bio-paragraph-of-a-query-letter
  5. Chuck Sambuchino. “What to Write in the “Bio” Section Of Your Query Letter”
    http://writerunboxed.com/2013/05/27/may-2013/
  6. Fiction Desk. “Ten Tips for Writing an Author Bio:” http://www.thefictiondesk.com/blog/tips-for-writing-an-author-bio/
  7. Ginny Wiehardt. “Samples of Short Bios for a Cover Letter (Literary Journal) – The Balance:” https://www.thebalance.com/sample-short-bios-for-literary-journals-1277413 
  8. Heather Hummel. “10 Tips on How to Write a Bio:” https://www.huffingtonpost.com/heather-hummel/10-tips-on-how-to-write-a-bio_b_4908716.html
  9. Joan Y. Edwards.”Components of a Good Query Letter:” https://www.joanyedwards.com/components-of-a-good-query-letter/
  10. Joan Y. Edwards. “Will Your Query Letter Sell Your Manuscript?” https://www.joanyedwards.com/will-your-query-letter-sell-your-manuscript/
  11. Loolwa Khazzoom. “4 Steps to Writing a Professional Bio That Gets You Noticed:” https://www.huffingtonpost.com/loolwa-khazzoom/4-steps-to-writing-a-professional-bio_b_4131309.html
  12. Peter Economy. “3 Simple Steps to Becoming an Expert in Anything:” https://www.inc.com/peter-economy/3-simple-steps-to-becoming-an-expert-in-anything.html
  13. QQAdmin1. Writers Digest. “What Should You Include in Your Bio for Agents?” http://www.writersdigest.com/editor-blogs/questions-and-quandaries/dealing-with-editors/what-should-you-include-in-your-bio-for-agents 
  14. Scott Berkum. “How to Write a Good Bio:” http://scottberkun.com/2013/how-to-write-a-good-bio/
  15. Writers Relief Staff. “The Dos And Don’ts of Writing Your Author Bio: Query Letter And Cover Letter Tips:” http://writersrelief.com/blog/2010/07/your-professional-bio-query-letter-and-cover-letter-tips-for-writers/
  16. Writers Relief Staff. “5 Tips on Writing an Amazing Author Bio If You’re Not Well-Published:” http://writersrelief.com/blog/2016/09/5-tips-writing-amazing-author-bio/

Thank you for reading my blog. Feel free to ask questions. I’ll be glad to help you find the answers!

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Never Give Up
Joan Y. Edwards, Author
Copyright © 2018 Joan Y. Edwards
Flip Flap Floodle Will this little duck’s song save him from Mr. Fox?
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Writing

How to Write Amazing Cover Letters

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Copyright ©2015 Joan Y. Edwards

“How to Write Amazing Cover Letters” by Joan Y. Edwards

A cover letter is not the same as a query letter. A query asks for permission to send a manuscript.

A cover letter encloses or attaches a manuscript along with it. Sometimes editors or agents request a chapter or a whole manuscript. If you’re attaching or enclosing a book manuscript or article, you need a cover letter to accompany it.  
You want your cover letter to be amazing. You want it to grab the editor’s attention. You want a YES, we’ll publish your book. So here are 7 steps to an amazing cover letter.

When you write a cover letter, do the following:

  1. Address a certain person if possible.
  2. Make it only one page, business format, single-spaced, your name and address and date in right hand corner. The publisher name and editor or agency name and agent and address listed on left hand side.
  3. Lead off with the short selling pitch/blurb of 25 words or less for your manuscript. A pitch is an eye-catching, heart-trapping summary of your book or article. It can also be called your “Hook.” Ask your critique group or partner to help you formulate a good pitch. Write your pitch on a 3×5 card. If you can’t get it all written on the front side of the card, it’s too long. Here are articles about writing a pitch:
    1.  “A Selling Pitch Is Short with a Strong Emotional Tug:” https://www.joanyedwards.com/2014/06/22/a-selling-pitch-is-short-with-a-strong-emotional-tug/
    2. “Write Your Pitch First:” https://www.joanyedwards.com/write-your-pitch-first/
    3. “How to Deliver a Short, Gutsy Pitch to Entice Editors, Agents, and Readers:” https://www.joanyedwards.com/2011/09/15/how-to-deliver-a-short-gutsy-pitch-to-entice-editors-agents-and-readers/
  4. Tell why you and your book or illustrations are a good fit for this publisher or agent. Mention one book published by the editor or represented by the agent that is similar to yours and tell how your book would hook and attract readers to it.
  5. Give your publication credits. If you don’t have any, mention that you’re a member of SCBWI, or other literary group that also has a good reputation with publishers.
  6. Tell if this is an exclusive submission (only submitting to this editor or agent for three months or a simultaneous submission (more than one publisher or agent at a time).
  7. Include a Call for Action and thank you. Ask a question or proclaim a statement of why you want this particular publisher or agent to do. Thank them.

Put the editor’s name

Dear ____________,

Would you be interested in publishing my book? Then give your pitch.

“I’d be honored if you’d consider publishing my book.” Then give your pitch. Close with: “Thank you for considering (put name of manuscript).”

 

Sample Questions for Agents
“Will you represent me as my agent?”
“I’d be honored if you’d consider being my agent.”
“Thanks for considering me.”

 

Here are three good sources for cover letters:

  1. Ginny Wiehardt. “Cover Letter Advice.”Fiction Writing.com http://fictionwriting.about.com/od/thebusinessofwriting/tp/coverslettershowto.htm
  2. John Floyd. “Cover Me – I’m Going In!” http://www.writing-world.com/queries/floyd.shtml
  3. Moira Allen. “Cover Letters: When, How and Why to Use Them.” http://www.writing-world.com/queries/cover.shtml

Good luck with the publication of your writing and illustrating. Thank you for reading my blog. Please feel free to leave comments and ask questions.

What? You’re not subscribed to my blog? Receive free gifts. Subscribe now. Join 700,000 visitors. You’ll be sent an email to confirm your subscription. Thank you.

Never Give Up
Joan Y. Edwards, Author
Copyright © 2015 Joan Y. Edwards
Flip Flap Floodle Will this little duck’s song save him from Mr. Fox?
Joan’s Elder Care Guide A guide to help caregivers and elders find solutions.

 

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