Writers are good at writing, but they aren’t always good at marketing. But there’s one piece of marketing that no author can ignore: a good short professional bio.
You’d think that writing a bio would be easy for a writer. But let’s face it: most of us dread writing about ourselves.
What to put in? What to leave out? How to sound good without sounding like you’re bragging? No wonder so many writers procrastinate on writing their professional bio.
But you’re reading this because you’ve decided that today’s the day to write your bio OK, let’s get started writing a good author bio for you. Here is what you need to keep in mind:
1. Be very clear about your target audience.
“Target audience” is just a fancy way of saying “people interested in your work.” In addition to readers of your work, this might be an agent, the editor of a blog, or someone hiring you to teach a workshop. Consider their needs and tailor your author bio to that.
2. What to include in your author bio
Obviously you’ll include your writing credits But what else?
Depending on your target audience (e.g. reader, editor, agency, speaker’s bureau), here are some things you might consider including:
- teaching experience
- writing conferences you attend or have attended
- writing classes you have taken
- a writing forum or group you belong to
- authors you have studied with
- formative events that have shaped your writing career
- organizations you belong to
Note that many of the above items work for unpublished authors, too.
3. The point is still the work.
Make sure to include a complete list of your published works and any work that is about to be published. Note that the phrase “about to be published” should only be used if you have an actual publishing deal (it doesn’t mean you’re hoping a publisher will buy it.) A good alternative phrase is “In Progress.”
4. You may need more than one bio.
You definitely want a “user-friendly” bio on your website (if you don’t have a website, get one). That bio is for fans and potential fans. You may need a far more formal bio to accompany a manuscript that’s being submitted to an agent or publisher, so have a couple of versions of your bio ready.
In addition to a website, you should have a professional profile on a major social media platform such as LinkedIn or Facebook.
5. When in doubt, leave it out
Most editors and agents don’t want to read a long-winded version of your life story—they’re mainly interested in your writing. So edit, edit, edit.
Edit your bio just like you edit your prose. Interesting facts about your life, especially if they tie into your writing, are fine. If you lived in Paris from ages 8 to 14 and have now written a book on going to a French elementary school, that’s absolutely relevant. If you had two years of high school French classes but your book is set in Japan, leave out your knowledge of le français.
6. Tailor publication credits to your stage of career
If you’re starting out, list all your publication credits. However, by the time you’re a finalist for a National Book Award, it’s time to leave out the poem that was published in your college literary journal.
7. Don’t share too much
Again, if you’re starting out, you’d probably be delighted to hear from your fans. Heck, you might be delighted to have one of them stop by and sleep on your couch for a week!
However, believe it or not, that may change. There are lots of wonderful people in the world. There are also some really messed-up individuals out there. Don’t give them your address, your phone number, or your private email. If you want to hear from them, set up a website and let them reach you there.
8. Include a professional photo
To photo or not to photo? Between privacy concerns and the fact that most of us hate how we look in photos, you may be tempted not to include one.
However, you need a picture with your bio. It doesn’t have to contain details that will let people stalk you; a head and shoulders shot in front of a simple background is most appropriate.
It doesn’t have to cost a lot. There are photographers everywhere who can create a head-shot for a very reasonable fee. Do it. It makes you feel like a “real” author.
9. Determine the correct voice
Traditionally, professional biographies were written in the third person voice (i.e. “Doug Miller is the author of…” not “I am the author of…”). Third-person voice conveys formality and professionalism. It sounds as if someone else is extolling your accomplishments), while first-person voice sounds friendly and informal.
The tradition of always using third-person voice for writing a professional bio has changed. With the advent of social media, the choice of how formal or informal depends on your audience and where the bio is to be published.
For example, third-person voice is most appropriate for LinkedIn because it is a business and career oriented site. In contrast, first-person voice is often used when writing a short bio for less formal social media platforms such as a bio for Twitter, Instagram or Facebook..
10. Avoid cliches
The following statements have been said so many times in writer bios that they’ve become cliches:
- I’ve always wanted to be a writer
- Writing is my passion
- I’ve been writing since I was a child
11. Keep your writer bio up-to-date
Your bio should be updated frequently, especially every time you have another work published or win an award.
Short Author Bio Example
____________(author’s name) is a writer, __________, and _______ (add a couple of other major interests, especially if they pertain to the written work). He/she is the author of _____(number of works), including the ___________(name of award)-winning _____________, the recently released ____________, and the upcoming _____ . ____________ (author’s name) has also collaborated with ________ on a series of novels set in ______, available through ________ publishers. _____________ lives in ________ with his/her collection of ___________. You can reach ______________ at his/her website _____________.
Bottom Line
An author bio helps create buzz, connect with fans, establish the writer in the fraternity of authors and (hopefully) sell books as well. It’s an easy and effective tool that only requires a keyboard and bit of imagination, which you certainly have.
If you like the template above you can get a longer, more thorough version. Immediately download the full writer-author bio template that will make the job so much quicker and easier. That way you can complete your bio writing task and get back to the writing that you actually enjoy!