How to Write a Curriculum Vitae for a Literary Agent

"Curriculum vitae" is a Latin term that means "the course of one's life." A curriculum vitae is very much like a resume except that it is longer. While a resume is a short document, one or two pages, a curriculum vitae is usually longer. It summarizes academic credentials, awards, employment history and other achievements. For a literary agent, a resume might list only the highlights of the agent's sales, but a curriculum vitae would list all of the sales.

Things You'll Need

• Notebook
• Pen

Instructions

1. Start writing your curriculum vitae with a notebook and pen if you're comfortable with this method. This way, you can make notes in the margins. You can also carry the notebook around with you and work on it in your spare time. Start with your name and contact information in the upper left corner. If you prefer working directly with a computer file from the beginning, go ahead and create a file.

2. List your education and training. While a college degree is not required to become a literary agent, degrees can make the curriculum vitae more impressive. Include special coursework that involved literary analysis or editing.

3. Write your work history in chronological order. Add a short paragraph for each employment position, describing how the job pertains to the skills that a literary agent employs, such as editing, social networking and spotting talent.

4. Make a section that lists any literary sales that you've made on behalf of authors. Include the name of the publishing company, the name of the author and the date of the sale. Also include the publication date of the title if it has already been published.

5. Include a section of any literary works that you've published. Include both fiction and nonfiction. If you've published in a variety of genres, separate your list into the different genres and include the genre in a section title.

6. Finish up your curriculum vitae with a section of awards that you've won and clubs and organizations to which you belong. These clubs don't necessarily have to be related to the literary world because this section will attest to your overall interests.

7. Go over your curriculum vitae, looking for grammar errors and typographical mistakes. Once you're satisfied that it's error-free, type it into a computer file. Do another proofreading pass once you've finished: print the document out, proofread it, make corrections and print out the final copy.

Tips & Warnings

• Add a photograph to your curriculum vitae to give it a personal touch.

• Typographical errors will reduce the credibility of your curriculum vitae.

Resources

• Curriculum Vitae Examples