Even though writers have a natural ability to put words together, most writers find it excruciatingly difficult to write their own author bio. This article gives practical guidance on how to write an author bio.
Let your author bio brand you
Here are some points to consider when writing a short author biography.
1) Think about who is going to be your reader. It could be an editor but it could also include business associates, radio hosts, or even your own family. Write your bio for your intended reader, and don’t forget that your readers might include people from different generations.
2) Prepare several author biographies of different lengths. Pull one out for an appropriate setting. Author bio examples can be a short blurb in a single sentence for a magazine, a longer version of about 50 to 100 words in a query letter for a novel, and a full page for a press release.
3) Decide on the points you want to include. Most authors find that they have more information than they need. Be ruthless in editing your bio to include only points that are relevant. Does your fishing hobby provide good background for a murder mystery novel you are submitting to a publisher? Probably not. You worked in a coroner’s office for a couple of weeks to learn about medical examiner’s terminology? Now that’s relevant.
4) Make a list of writing credits to highlight. Not more than three or else it would take up too much space.
5) include contact information and website so readers can learn more about you and your writing. You can include a longer bio when you write your website biography.
Reveal your personality
An author bio plays an important role because it communicates who you are. In the same way that a business card introduces you, a bio serves as a short introduction to your writing. Take the time to think carefully about what you want readers to remember when they hear your name.
Readers like to know about you. Biographical information such as marital status, number of children, pets and hobbies show that you are a normal person and help readers relate to you.
Reflect your unique writing style in your author bio
When writing your author bio, give readers a sense of what to expect from your writing. Tailoring the tone of your author biography to the content and style of your work. If you’re a humorous or satirical writer, include some humor in your author bio. If you’re an academic writer, your author bio should reflect the academic world. The tone you take in writing your bio creates expectation of your written work.
Here are two contrasting examples:
Norman Langford grew up spying on the neighbours and taking notes in a little black book. No surprise that he ended up writing spy novels!
Dr. Laura Smith has been writing on gender studies for over 20 years. Her research interests include mothering, gender roles and media representation of women.
Consider Using a Template
There’s no need to reinvent the wheel. Consider using a fill-in-the-blanks bio template to save time and headaches. That way you can complete your bio writing task and get back to the writing that you actually enjoy!
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