Glen and Karen Bledsoe --> articles --> Submissions --> Creating a Writer's Resumé
Articles Index: Site Index: Do you need a writer's resumé. That depends on
what kind of writing you do. If you're primarily a novel
writer, you may not need one. However, if you want to
write nonfiction or fiction for the school and library
market, or if you want to approach magazines for writing
assignments, a writer's resumé can help display
your skills. Your credentials Begin composing your resumé by writing down all
of your writing credentials, including: Composing the resumé Use your letterhead, or put your name and contact
information at the top of the page, centered. If you're using your resumé in hopes of getting
assigned work, list your areas of expertise at the top.
These should relate to the topics that the publishers you
are submitting to typically publish. School and library
publishers often need writers who are comfortable with
science, technology, history, and social sciences, so if
you can, list your areas of expertise within these
fields. For example, a high school biology teacher may
have a strong interest in genetics and genetic issues,
and might list that as a field of interest. If your education is strongly relevant to the fields
in which you want to publish, list it next. If not, list
it at the end. Next, list any published works, in order of
publication, from most recent to least recent. If you
want to target your submission, it's entirely permissible
to limit this section only to your published works that
relate to the topics that you'd like to write about, or
that relate to topics of books that the publisher
regularly produces. Instead of calling this section
"publications" or "published works," call it, "relevant
publications." Next, list your memberships in professional societies.
Don't try to fake this. The editors themselves may belong
to one or more of those societies, and may check the
membership list. Keep the resumé short and sweet. A single page
is best. Two pages might be acceptable if you have many
relevant publishing credits to list, but remember that
editors are busy and can only give you a tiny bit of
their attention. Show them that you have the credentials,
but don't look as though you are bragging. What do you do with the resumé? School and library publishers, book packagers, and
magazines that assign work all want to see a
resumé and clips or samples. "Clips" are copies of
your published work, so the term is equivalent to
"samples." You can send a scanned copy or photocopy
rather than clipping the original from a book or magazine
(which is why they're traditionally called "clips").
Submit enough material to show that you can write well
and to demonstrate a style that is suitable to the
publisher. You don't have to submit samples of everything
you've ever written. Keep track of the publishers you submit your
resumé to. Sometimes you will get an assignment
from a publisher and sometimes you won't. If you don't,
try again in a year with an updated resumé and a
letter reminding the editor of your earlier submission
and stating that you wanted them to have your most recent
resumé. Editors that you've been working with
should also receive updated resumés for their
files, since a book you work on for one publisher may
relate to an upcoming project with another, and could get
you an assignment. Outside of the work-for-hire market, a good resume can
also be useful when you've signed a book deal with a
publisher, since it contains information they may want
for their records or for biographical material. The
Writer's Digest Guide to Manuscript
Formats
Dian Dincin Buchman, Seli Groves
Writer's Digest Books, 1988
Buchman and Groves' book on manuscript formatting is the one
we reach for again and again.
Glen and Karen Bledsoe --> articles --> Submissions --> Creating a Writer's Resumé
