Caren Johnson Literary Agency

As the Pasic conference draws closer, I thought I’d answer a question posted a while back about platform. Specifically the writer wanted to know how to structure a bio in a query letter and how important is platform. The quick answer to that is a novelist, whatever genre they write in, doesn’t really need to worry about platform. What you need to worry about is writing a good book. All of the platform in the world isn’t going to help if you present a less than stellar project to an editor or agent. Focus the majority of your attention on writing a damn good book.

For the novelist, the idea of platform, at least for me, is really about how can you promote yourself as a writer. I want to know what writing organizations you belong to as well as professionl organizations that can help publicize your book, if you have a popular website or blog that draws plenty of hits (where you can potentially advertise your book), what writers you know who can possibly blurb your book if it is published, etc. Past this you don’t need to worry about the idea of platform.

As for bios, I really just want to know the facts. No need to make it dry, but please don’t mention that you have seven children unless you’re writing a middle grade novel like Cheaper by the Dozen or that you run marathons like your main character who runs a mile to get to her darling’s side. Keep it to about a paragraph long and make sure it’s as up to date as possible. Things are happening all of the time so make sure you’re giving the most up-to-date information to the editor/agent.

Hope this helps.

C.

My apologies for being so lax about writing. I’m resolving to turn over a new leaf and keep updating this, especially since there is so much to tell!

First, has anyone seen Stranger than Fiction, that Will Ferrell movie? I saw it last night and I adored it. Actually, I saw part of it at my sister’s house, but left before seeing the end. I liked it so much that I went to B&N to buy it so I could see the rest of it. It’s going on the shelf with the other must-see-again movies (including Brick with Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Lost in Translation with Scarlet Johannson and Bill Murray, The Proposition with Guy Pearce and Ray Winstone, Secretary with Maggie Gyllenhaal, Bourne Identity with Matt Damon, and The Good, the Bad and the Ugly with Clint Eastwood—a weird mix, I know).

Second, I’ll be at the PASIC conference this weekend. Good thing it takes place in NY since I intend to chip away at my To Do list up until the very second that I have to be on the train heading downtown. Now PASIC is the published author chapter of RWA and has a wonderful group of authors. I’m most excited that I’m going to get to meet some of my authors face to face for the first time (since we mainly communicate via email and by telephone).

Last, just a short update on things I’m looking for at the moment. While I’m not looking to expand my list extensively, I am looking to sign a few more smart, sassy writers. I’m most excited about  fiction in the vein of Colleen Curran’s Whores on the Hill, Curtis Sittenfeld’s Prep, Jeffrey Eugenides’ Middlesex, Ryan Gattis’ Kung Fu High School, Mark Haddon’s The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time and Audrey Niffenegger’s The Time Traveler’s Wife. I’m looking for younger protagonists who have fantastic stories surrounding them whether they are coming of age tales, relationship tales or family tales.

That’s all for now. More later…

C.