I placed in a couple of literary poetry contests (yes, they were legit and somewhat prestigious)when I was in highschool, 20 (cough) years ago. Should I bother to mention this when querying for an agent for my fiction novel? I'm thinking "no" as it was so long ago and it was poetry. But... it is something, as I'm sure birthing 5 children will not be the qualifications agents are looking for. What do ya'll think?
cll
Posted by Robert Nowall (Member # 2764) on :
I'm leaning towards "no," unless what you're telling them is at some professional level. ("I worked for two years as a reporter on the Such-and-Such News-Free Press," say.)
If somebody asks for a brief biography, try to indulge them, though...
Posted by wbriggs (Member # 2267) on :
I'm no expert. I would think if you were published in the Antioch Review, it's worth mentioning. If it's something the publisher is likely to have never heard of ... not sure.
Posted by EricJamesStone (Member # 1681) on :
Frankly, unless it was a Pulitzer, I doubt the award was prestigious enough to make a difference to a fiction editor. Leave it off. You'll actually look more professional, because listing credits that don't impress the editor is a sign of an amateur.
[This message has been edited by EricJamesStone (edited September 13, 2006).]