What to do when an agent asks for a bio?

This question has been answered before and should be in the stickies somewhere- check out the back flap of books (LOTTERY LOL) and see the short bio that is usually included. In a query no more than a very short paragraph.
"Born in Miami. Degree in engineering. Currently working as a waiter in Jamaica."
That sort of thing.
I had NO publishing credits when I got my agent...
Your bio could include the facts I mentioned and just have an added line: "I have traveled extensively"
IMHO your proposed paragraph is too long and gives too much extraneous information. I don't think an agent is interested that you went with your wife or where you went on your honeymoon. To be perfectly frank if your premise is good (or bad) most likely an agent will not read farther than the first paragraph of your query.
My agent was interested that I was a PhD student as that told her I probably was focused and driven-- two qualities an author must have. Look at your bio and query as a business letter. The first one I wrote for my publisher is the one I send over and over when I get a request for a bio--mine as an author is more for readers who want to know a bit more about me. Hope this helps

Kenteicher said:

I am a first time writer with no publishing credits and no real writing background that might be worth talking about. I am in the process of sending out my query package and have found a few agents that are asking for a bio. What to I do? Should I simply ignore this part of their information request? I'm sure they are not interested in where or when I was born or anything about my education, family, or work history, especially since it has no relevence to the novel I am pushing. I have come up with a few lines that does have something to do with my novel and have pasted it below. Is this okay and sufficient to supply as the 'bio'?

During the past thirty-eight years, my wife and I have had the good fortune to travel extensively beginning with our extended honeymoon in France. I quickly developed an interest in all things ancient and made a point of visiting many historical destinations including Italy, Greece, Turkey, Tunisia, Egypt, and Israel. In my first effort at novel writing, I drew heavily on personal experiences in describing the locations in the story. I also relied on my laymen’s education in archaeology gained during trips to excavations in Jerusalem, Megiddo, Cairo, Rome, Athens, Carthage and Ephesus.

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I do think it's important to talk about your experience in archaeology considering your topic, but this is too long.

Something like:

Archaeology has been one of my lifelong passions: over the past four decades, I've visited and worked at excavations in Jerusalem, Megiddo, Cairo, Rome, Athens, Carthage, and Ephesus. I am {your profession} and live with my wife in {your location}.

would be more appropriate for this stage.

Good call icecream...

Kenteicher said:

Archaeology has been one of my lifelong passions. During the past four decades, I've visited excavations in Jerusalem, Megiddo, Cairo, Rome, Athens, Carthage, and Ephesus. Gaining a layman’s understanding of archaeological procedures, from the many lectures I’ve attended, has enabled me to weave a large degree of truth into my first novel, THE LAST SECRET. I am currently retired and live with my wife in New York City.

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That sounds like the key points! They'll tweak it for the dust jacket copy anyway, but I think that's good to go out to agents.

I don't love the commas in the third sentence, but I'm not sure what else to do with it. Maybe "Attending many lectures and field demonstrations has earned me a solid layman's understanding of archaeological procedures; I've drawn on these details in THE LAST SECRET"?

If it's in the Query then it should be first person if it is on a separate page- one paragraph then third (the one at back of my book it is third.)

BTW - retired from what?

My quick two cents, just to make it shorter and tighter (forgive me, I've only recently emerged from full edit mode, and apparently find it difficult to let go):

Archaeology has been one of my lifelong passions. During the past four decades, I've visited excavations in Jerusalem, Megiddo, Cairo, Rome, Athens, Carthage, and Ephesus, as well as attended many archeological lectures and field demonstrations. All this has infused my first novel, THE LAST SECRET, with immediacy and authenticity.

I don't like the use of the word, "layman." I understand that's what you are in archeological terms, but it conjured up the word "amateur" in my mind, generalizing from not only the archeology, but to the writing you're hoping the agent will ask to see. (Then again, I'm a shrink and possibly going overboard, here. In the same vein, "large degree of truth" made me think there are parts of your novel that would not hold up in terms of the types of procedures archeologists use, etc.) I also think you can leave out that you're retired, unless what you did was relevant to what's in your book and if so, put that in.

And agree, definitely not third person! The POV should not change in your query. (ie, I assume you didn't start your letter with, "Dear Agent, Mr. Teicher would like to submit... " )

Ah... at this very moment, there is a fox pooping just outside my window. I hope that isn't a metaphor for the usefulness of what I've just written. Either way, best of luck!

Ok, the bio in your query's gotta be quick -- a short paragraph, a couple sentences.

But I've got a question about the formal "bio" that some agents ask for when they request a partial or a full -- what's the best way to do it?

I've got a couple different canned bios ready and I'm not sure which, if either, to use. I have a short third-person bio that reads like dust jacket copy, and in fact I wrote it imagining what the jacket copy of my book would be like. But the copy's pretty short and sweet, doesn't list most of my credentials or accomplishments at all -- just the few main facts that I think should go on the dust jacket. It's just two or three sentences, and also has a recent photo.

Then I've got a longer more "serious" bio, no photo but a page of text, expounding on the minibio and including relevant credentials to the book I'm selling.

When an agent asks for partial and bio, what are they looking for in the bio? What's the best format to use?

It depends on what point you are at. Are they subbing your book? then the longer one. If it is a bio that is accompanying a full or partial then the shorter one- maybe a couple paragraphs of the more pertinent info.

Thanks, Pat.