Dear Agent Manners:
several of your esteemed colleagues have been asking for a biography to be submitted with the query. What (and how much) ought an unpublished writer with a typical writer’s CV (assistant gardener, multimedia designer, alphabetical sorter of index cards etc) write to satisfy agental curiosity?
Signed,
Respectably employed across the pond
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Dear Respectably:
Agent Manners has heard that such details are especially relevant for non-fiction proposals. The author in that case, should have a platform, not just a CV. However, with respect to fiction, this can be tricky. Agent Manners suggests including details that are relevant to the position you are trying to seek: “agented author” and imagine how the information listed will benefit that aim. Other than that, one or two points to differentiate yourself from the masses should do the trick. Remember, the agent is primarily interested in the novel and the writing. They can get to know you better later.
Et in arcaedia, ego. 