author bio request

For my part, I've been putting almost nothing in my query letters about myself, other than that I work as a freelance copywriter and live in Los Angeles. Those are the only two facts that have any bearing on the book I'm sending out (which takes place in L.A.). I fill the rest of the letter with info about my book, in as smooth and eye-catching prose as I can.

If you don't have publishing credits or expertise of direct relevance to the manuscript you're submitting, I've always been told to keep quiet.

Put in anything that helps sell the book. If the book is about a SWAT team and you are a sniper, that's pretty relevant, no? If the book is a cooking mystery and you are a chef, that's important to mention, no?

A.

My query letters include a very short paragraph that says I am "an award-winning columnist at blah-de-blah, my freelance work has appeared in A, B, and C, and books X and Y are scheduled for publication in 2006 and 2007."

That's it. They want specifics, they'll ask. And I never EVER include anything about my family or pets.

what if you are a first-timer?

Then say as little as possible. If you lack any life experience that pertains to your book, leave out the bio entirely. Just write about the book, what sort of market it's aimed for, and what it's about.

Hold on, just a second folks. Is this agent your agent? And is this agent preparing to send your book out to pub houses? Also, when an agent takes you on, they like to include you on their website, promoting you and your book. I know mine does.

So why not send a great bio. The agent will edit it down so it fits with the promo package he's sending.

What's your status? Unagented? Agented? Agented with a request from a submission from a publisher?

Tri