How to Write a Great Author Bio

Author Bio

An author bio is an important – and an often overlooked – marketing tool.  For some authors writing their bio might be a daunting task.  But it is important to give your bio the same attention as you do when writing your books or an avatar for your social media sites.

When pitching to trade publishers or to magazine editors, the bio you are submitting with your manuscript is mostly intended to first sell the publisher that you are qualified to write about your subject, be it fiction or non-fiction. And your bio will later be used to help sell your book to readers.
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First: Study the Author Bios in Your Genre.
Search for the bestseller author pages in your genre on Amazon and other online retailers, or study their author bios on the back cover pages of their books in a store or a library.  As more you read, as more ideas you get for your own author bio.
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Write in the First Person.
You might be loathing to write about yourself in the 3rd person at first, but it does make it easier to talk confidently about your achievements.  So, always write your bio in the third person.  To make it easier for yourself, just pretend you are a reporter writing about someone else.  Non-fiction authors should focus more on subject knowledge and credentials, while bios for novelists can be more personal.  A touch of humor and being relatable doesn’t hurt at all. Let your bio reflect your personality.
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Stay Relevant to You as a Writer.
Leave out any information that has no relevance to the book or your author credentials.  For your readers it is not important where and when you are born, how many siblings you have or that you supported yourself as a fast-food attendant or in retail, while starting your writing career…  On the other hand, don’t leave out specifics that are important for your writing fiction, or establish their credentials for non-fiction.  Readers want to know what’s in it for them.  So explain for example in your bio how your book will help them solving a problem.
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Keep it Short and Sweet.
Your author bio is not the place to tell your whole life story.  Around 100-250 words is a good length.  You don’t want to write an author bio that fills up the entire back cover of your print version.
A universal bio that you copy and paste everywhere is okay, but you can tailor it to your specific situation.  Keep various versions of your bio in your computer files, including versions at 50 words, 100 words, 200 words, and 500 words.
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What to Include:
Reporters, producers, bloggers and other media people will read your author bio at your press kit and it’s pretty much the only tool for you to proof you are the best person to write this book and to write it well.
For non-fiction writers it needs to show the professional background for the topic you are writing.  Why are you qualified to write on this subject?  Include enough information that demonstrates your credentials to write this book.  You might also want to mention the amount of research you put into writing your non-fiction book.

  • Your Education
  • Work experience
  • Professional memberships
  • Industry leadership roles
  • Industry awards

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Fiction Writers Might Include:

  • Where you grew up or live (even vaguely)
  • Writing awards or acclaim
  • Fiction writing education or training
  • Explain how you came to write this story

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Don’t forget, your author bio is a part of your brand, so it should be a reflection of who you really are as an author.
Check out the practical examples in this blog article: 10 Tips for writing an author bio.

If you are really stuck with your bio writing: there are lots of professional copywriters at Elance.com, Guru.com or Upwork.com etc. who can help you to accomplish the task.

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