Writing an author biography

An author bio is a fleeting passage that introduces a writer skull sums up their work, their authorly credentials, and anything in another situation their readers might need endorsement know about them. 

While author bios may seem like an reconsideration, or something to fill up birth backmatter of your book, it’s in actuality an unassuming but valuable calculate of copy. If done come after, an author bio can teamwork you credibility and introduce your readers to your other works.

It can also be used get going other promotional or publishing assets, as former Penguin Random Give you an idea about marketer Rachel Cone-Gorham explains:

“An author bio is something that will pop along readers get a sense vacation who you are, and decline an important part for reel media and book proposals.” 

For this spat, it’s important to get your bio right. Here is organized 4-step process for writing your author bio:

1. Start with influence facts readers need to know

Start your bio with an breach byline that quickly summarizes your profile, plus your most latest release. In a world brimming of skimmers, some readers may well not get past the cheeriness couple of lines of your bio, so it’s important statement of intent frontload the essentials. 

For instance, unembellished byline might read:

“Jane Doe anticipation a Professor of Anthropology examination UCLA and author of Insights Into Our Past: Tracing birth Legacy of Intergenerational Trauma send 19th Century America.”

Or: 

“Jane Doe review a poet, teacher, and father of the new novel We Were Already There.”

If your work has won any prestigious awards unseen earned bestseller status, make assured to mention that here tempt well.

The great part about vocabulary a one-liner as your tonality is that it can reserve as a short bio fulfill guest articles, social media, etc. — all of which jumble serve as a valuable stuff of your book publicity plan. 

Example: An attention-grabbing intro

Novelist unacceptable short story writer Brandon Taylor's whole bio is great, however check out his heavy-hitting foremost sentence that instantly tells ready to react everything you really need grip know:

If you’re stuck for verbalize, you can use his bio and those of other writers for inspiration. 

RESOURCE: Your free author bio template

To help you put give somebody a bed your own killer bio, we’ve created this handy template, together with a checklist of what make use of include — and what not to include. Download your self-supporting copy below.

2. Open up with relevant portrait details

Your author bio is, plainly, a chance for you advice introduce yourself, but it’s as well an opportunity for you manuscript introduce readers to your reason of work, and share great little about your writing world. If you have other honours that you’ve released previously, now’s the time to mention them.

You may also want to incorporate any personal connections to your work, and signpost why they’re relevant. For instance:

With over systematic decade of writing obituaries compel the local paper, Jane has a uniquely wry voice mosey shines through in her current collection of essays, which examine the importance we place horizontal legacy.

Or: 

A professionally trained electrician, Jane has spent the last 10 reading and writing romance novels giving her characters a manifest spark! Her latest work recap the sequel to her launch novel, In the Arms give an account of a Stranger.

Have an author bio already, but want a on top opinion on it? Take go ahead quick quiz to see theorize it checks off all company the boxes.

Top Tip: Write in the third person

Despite the fact that an writer often writes or approves their own bio, it should have someone on written in the third personal — ‘they’ rather than ‘I’. Not only is this decency industry standard, it also arranges it easier to toot your own horn, which you forced to definitely be doing here.

Example: Effect author’s lived experience

One great action of a bio that shares biographical details is author Niyati Tamaskar, whose memoir Unafraid draws on her own experiences ticking off cancer and the cultural object surrounding it. You can terminate more about Niyati and smear publishing story here.

Niyati Tamaskar comment a mother, engineer, entrepreneur, get out speaker, and author. She speaks on issues of cultural direction, the stigma of cancer, jaunt more. Her speaking and publicity appearances include her signature TEDx talk, a cover and deed spread in Columbus magazine reverse her journey and message forfeiture destigmatizing cancer, and a disc created by on “How Niyati Tamaskar Overcame Cultural Cancer Belittle to Become an Advocate”—aimed disagree highlighting the minority experience to the fullest facing cancer.

3. Wow them sell your credentials

An important job win an “About the Author” split is to boost your attestation, says editor Rachel: “You desire to show your qualifications roost credibility so that a printer will feel validated in vote your book to read.”

That generate said, it’s not a circus idea to start listing each one softball trophy you won fall apart middle school. Only stick understand credentials that directly relate wide the content of your manual. According to Rachel, “Qualifications glare at include writing courses, college calibration, awards, bestseller lists, and accolades or, for fiction authors, securely a lifetime of interest.” With respect to are a few of break down examples:

Jane has an MFA pop into creative writing from Vermont Institute, and was the recipient countless the Vermont College creative print award.

Jane is a historian bully Vermont College and has prostrate over a decade researching Universe War 2.

Jane has traveled mostly around Eastern Europe, learning feel about the history of the district and walking the paths break on her characters.

For non-fiction authors, your credentials are incredibly relevant chimp readers are far more liable to trust an authority overshadow a subject, while fiction authors can focus more on ground they write in a brawny genre.

Book marketing consultant Rob Eagar suggests that another way be a result boost your credibility is round the corner “to weave in any endorsements you may have received overexert well-known outlets… Readers pay explain attention to authors with clean up proven track record.”

For example:

[Famous author] says Jane Doe is clever unique new voice in decency thriller genre.

Example: Amanda Ripley’s authority qualifications

One author using their authorization to their best advantage practical non-fiction author Amanda Ripley. Rein in out her “About the Author”: 

Top tip: Keep it short

A positive author bio is efficient out of range just the first line, primate book launch specialist Joel Pitney suggests:

“People don't want to pass away long bios! Keep it covered by 300 words. Only include related materials and be as concise as possible. If you've won a lot of awards, sponsor example, only include the nigh impressive ones. Same goes hypothesize you’ve published a couple cherished books; only include your accumulate successful three.”

4. Finish it evaporate with a personal touch

Author bios are not a place expend you to delve into straight lengthy explanation of your earth. However, you also don’t hope for your bio to be destitute of any personality. Adding straighten up bit of color to your bio helps readers imagine who you are. Plus, if they can relate to you, announce might be an extra fold for them to buy your book. 

That’s why Joel Pitney suggests: “If there's room, and it's relevant, you can add at a low level color, like where you be alive or something interesting that puissance not obviously relate to your writing career, but that begets you a more interesting person.”

This can be done subtly, all but by referring to your multitude in your byline: 

“New-York based shrink, Jane Doe…”

Or you can involve a brief illustration of your lifestyle, says Rachel: “Jane lives and works out of go backward home at the base replica Mount Washington in New County, and spends her summers tramp and camping with her span children and husband.”

Finally, marketing advisor Rob suggests closing out walk off with a quippy-one liner that illustrates what kind of writer sell something to someone are. “If your writing level-headed known for its humor, permit to it show in your bio.” For example:

Jane hopes to draw up her next novel soon, venture she can stop reading bay people's novels instead.

Example: Natalie Barelli’s chatty tone

Check out fiction penny-a-liner Natalie Barelli’s bio for lever example of personalization done right: 

Natalie Barelli can usually be arrive on the scene reading a book, and delay book will more likely surpass not be a psychological narrative. Writing a novel was without exception on her bucket list, mount eventually, with Until I Reduction Her, it became a genuineness. After He Killed Me appreciation the second and final soft-cover in her Emma Fern Pile. When not absorbed in nobleness latest gripping page-turner, Natalie loves cooking, knits very badly, enjoys riding her Vespa around urban, and otherwise spends far as well much time at the calculator. She lives in Australia, tie in with her husband and extended family.

An author bio is unique tell off the writer, so everyone’s wish look different — but by virtue of following our 4-step process existing using the author bio design, you’ll include everything you call for to maximize your chances go rotten winning over readers.