My apologies for missing 2 weeks of Writing Prompt Wednesdays. The workload was a little crazy plus I went to a writers retreat with limited internet access. Today’s Writing Prompt Wednesday is going to concentrate on something a little more practical: the query bio.
What is a query bio? It’s the 2-3 sentence paragraph included in the submission’s query letter authors use to tell the editor a little about themselves and their publishing history. Query bios should be short, succinct, and to the point. This is a vital part of the submission process and can make or break a query letter.
Da Prompt: Write 2 or 3 sentences about yourself. Include no more than 3 of your most recently published works, if you have any, and do not list rejections. Write and rewrite this bio until you feel comfortable with the results. Share it on the Absolute Write forums for feedback, on your blog, or with your local writing group (if you have one). The point is to ask fellow authors and editors to help you learn how to hone your bio.
Da Wordcount: 150 words OR LESS. Query letter bios should not be any larger or the author risks alienating the submissions editor.
Da Examples:
To help you out, here are some sample bios I worked up for myself.
(Unpublished author bio): I am currently an unpublished author who enjoys writing science fiction, fantasy, and horror. I’ve taken several fiction writing classes from University of MyState and am a member of the AbsoluteWrite writing community.
(Published author bio): I have published a dozen short stories, am a freelance author for Shadowrun the Role-Playing Game by Catalyst Game Labs, and a regular contributor to Jean Rabe’s and Stephen Sullivan’s Blue Kingdom’s anthologies. My most recent publication is Feast of the Torn with Buzzy Magazine. As a graduate of the Viable Paradise Writers Workshop, I am also a member of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA), the Horror Writers Association (HWA), and the International Writers Association of America (IAMTW).
Would you like feedback for your bios? Feel free to post them in the comments. Do you have suggestions for mine? Let me know.
Have fun!
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Writers are frequently asked the question “Where do you get your ideas?” The question is a hard one to answer because we all find our inspiration in different places. Some people need to be given prompts, little snippets of ideas to spark their imaginations.
With that in mind, I am posting Writing Prompt Wednesdays. The goal is to inspire writers with exercises meant to train their skills and fire up the creative juices. There are rules. Most prompts will have associated word counts or style instructions. These are not meant to restrict the writer, but give the writer a chance to explore different ways of writing.
If you are an author in search of that one juicy idea, I hope these posts help. If you have ideas for writing prompts, please let me know.
Da Rules:
1) Anything goes so long as you stick to the spirit of the prompt.
2) I ask that if you do publish something based on one of my prompts, that you post the good news (and the link) in the comments of the prompt that inspired your success. You want other people to help you celebrate, right?
