Peter Lopez Jr.'s Blog: Xulon Press Blog , page 28

10 Ways to Beat Writer Burnout

In a world where busy is praised and multi-tasking is considered a skill to include on your resume, it makes sense that we would all face burnout every now and again. Working a full-time job, then getting home to pick up the house, make dinner, and take care of other responsibilities would be enough to burn anyone out, but people who dream of writing a book add another layer of tasks and responsibilities to their already full days.

Burnout, which is now considered a syndrome by medical providers, goes beyond typical day-to-day stress and can result in a person feeling depleted of physical, mental, and emotional energy; severe exhaustion; and brain fog. For writers, symptoms of burnout can also include a lack of creativity or new ideas and lead to having no motivation or desire to write. Burnout syndrome, when not addressed, can last days, weeks, and even months.

If we are in tune with ourselves, we might be able to gauge when we’re getting close to burnout. I can always tell I’m pushing myself a bit too much when my brain gets foggy easily and I don’t want to look at my computer—or any screen for that matter. It’s my body’s way of communicating that it’s getting close to information overload and I need to take a big step back. Writer burnout can feel a little different for each of us though, so giving yourself time to check-in with your personal needs on a regular basis is a good place to start.

10 Ways to Beat Writer Burnout

When writer burnout does start to creep in, you might be able to fix it yourself with these suggestions.

1. Digital Detox

Our minds are in a constant state of information overload. When dealing with burnout, try to go as tech-free as possible. Take a break from social media, don’t turn on the TV when you get home from work, don’t catch up on news articles on your tablet or phone. Instead, just sit and be still without feeling like you need to be taking in information from anywhere.

2. Clean the Clutter

If your workspace is messy and unorganized, take some time to clean up. A disorganized workspace can actually lead to more stress and a lack of productivity. So, file away important papers, shred paperwork that has personal information on it, and reorganize your workspace a bit so it feels fresh. Then walk away. 

3. Stop Writing

When suffering from writer burnout, the worst thing you can do is try to push through it and keep writing. Take a break from your writing and allow the distance to be healing for you. Don’t think about the fact that you’re not writing either. For however long you need, pretend you aren’t a writer and focus your time and energy on relaxing.

4. Talk about It

Burnout doesn’t affect us in compartments; feeling burned out on writing or at work will seep into other areas of our lives where we might not suspect it. So, be sure to communicate your feelings with your significant other, or a family member, or friend. Let others in on where you’re at and allow them to help you. You may also find it helpful to speak with a professional if feeling burned out doesn’t go away.

5. Be Social

Writers can become isolated due to their craft. When faced with writer burnout, take the time to be social again. Go out with friends, attend a party you might blow off under other circumstances, or ask a friend to meet for coffee. Use your time away from your writing to engage in social activities and enjoy life in the moment.

6. Exercise

Exercise is extremely beneficial for writers. The hormones your body produces when you exercise can instantly boost your mood and reduce feelings of burnout. Make the time, even 15 minutes a day, to incorporate exercise into your routine and you will start to feel the positive results.

7. Focus on Sleep

A good night’s sleep is another important part of our health routine that writers will let fall by the wayside when they are at their peak performance. Make sure you leave room in your schedule to get 7–9 hours of sleep every night. Sleep helps to refresh our minds and allows us to process information on a subconscious level, which can help lessen the effects of burnout.

8. Try Something New

One of the best ways to break out of a funk is to try a new activity. Choose something you’re excited to do—going to a new workout class, cooking a new recipe, trying a new hobby—and you will begin to move away from writer burnout.

9. Read Something You Enjoy

Whether you go back and read one of your favorite books or sit down with your favorite author’s new release, take time to read something you love. By doing so, you’ll remind yourself why you love writing in the first place.

10. Protect Your Future Self

Once you’re feeling on the upswing and are on the other side of burnout, don’t disregard these tips as you move forward. Preventing burnout in the first place is far better than having to cure it. So, continue to exercise regularly and get a good night’s sleep. Make yourself a priority. Give yourself free time in your schedule on a regular basis. By incorporating more rest and self-care into your routine, you may be able to avoid writer burnout in the future.

Have you ever faced the challenge of burnout syndrome? What piece of advice got you through it?

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Overcoming Writer Perfectionism, Anxiety, and Imposter Syndrome

Writers often face varying levels of perfectionism, writing anxiety, and even imposter syndrome when working on their books. What many don’t realize is that these traits can create a lot of trouble for writers. Perfectionism can stir up feelings of not deserving earned successes (imposter syndrome), and, if not addressed in time, these thoughts can turn into anxious feelings about writing.

The Perfectionist Writer

Perfectionism is rooted in the fear of failure, which can keep writers from finishing their book. Perfectionists are inclined to view life as one endless tally of accomplishments and failures. They often will avoid situations they think they will not excel at—writing a book, for example—and will fixate on situations where they messed up. What does this mean for perfectionist writers? They have an uphill battle ahead of them against procrastination. If a perfectionist cannot obtain a self-scored 10 out of 10 in their writing, they may not write at all. Being mindful of perfectionist habits can help you correct your course in the moment.

The Lucky Writer

Imposter syndrome is essentially a pattern of behavior, affecting both men and women equally, that causes people to doubt their accomplishments or chalk them up as luck or good timing. This mode of thought often leaves people living in constant fear of being exposed as a fraud. Perfectionists, those who have a fear of failure, or people who tend to undermine their achievements are more prone to feeling like imposters.

What does this mean for writers who feel undeserving of their success? Imposter syndrome may limit a writers’ confidence to tell others they wrote a book, to query literary agents and publishers, and may even hold them back from publishing their book entirely. To overcome feeling like an imposter, remind yourself that you are capable and worthy of success.

The Anxious Writer

Writing anxiety is often situational and best described as a pessimistic or apprehensive approach to one’s writing. When comfortable with a particular topic, a writer may not feel anxious. If writing about a particular topic pushes a person outside their comfort zone, however, this may lead to anxious feelings about writing. Often, writers who feel anxious about their work will worry about every single word and sentence they put on paper. They will write, and rewrite, and revise without adding to their word count. Often rooted in the desire to have others think highly of their work, anxious writers may focus too heavily on what others think of their writing. To overcome feelings of anxiety when writing, don’t worry about what others might think of your book or if anyone will want to read it. Instead, remind yourself that you like what you are writing and at this moment, your opinion is the only one that matters.

Growing Beyond Your Current State

When it comes to perfectionism, imposter syndrome, and writing anxiety, retraining the way we approach writing is important. Our minds are pliant, which means we have the capability to change how we think and ultimately can rewire our brains. But how do we begin to form healthier habits? Overall, perfectionists, self-professed imposters, and anxiety-ridden writers can all benefit from the tips below:

Brain Dump

Take out a blank sheet of paper and write down anything and everything that’s in your head before you turn to your manuscript. Flush out negative self-talk and doubts during this practice. Remind yourself that your work matters and your writing is good. Clear your mind of self-imposed roadblocks to free yourself up to think creatively again.

Take a Break

When frustrated, it’s best to step away from your work and take a walk. Notice the imperfection that appears in nature and remind yourself that you aren’t meant to be perfect either. Speak words of encouragement to yourself. And allow the sunshine on your face and the breeze through your hair to soothe you.

Edit Later

Nothing stifles creativity like critiquing and editing your work. Whether you are a perfectionist, feel like an imposter or are anxiety-ridden about your writing, turn off the side of your brain that wants to edit every word as you type. It’s counterproductive to use allotted writing time to edit, so don’t scroll back to previous pages and reread your work. Only read the paragraph you left off at in order to refresh your memory and connect your thoughts.

Celebrate Small Successes

Writing a book takes time, and there are a lot of small successes on the route to a finished manuscript that also need to be celebrated. When you finish writing a difficult paragraph—celebrate. Once you finish writing a chapter—celebrate. If you hit 10,000 words—celebrate. Every small success puts you closer to your writing goal.

Embrace the Garbage

The first draft is never going to be perfect or ready to be published as soon as it’s finished. Your first draft is the bones of your story, and each revision process creates a more complete body of work. Remind yourself that every single writer—New York Times’ bestselling authors included—produces a horrible first draft every time they write a book.

Talk about Your Fears

It doesn’t matter who your confidant is, find someone you can share your fears with; talking about them helps you not only process them but also identify ways to move beyond them.

Acknowledge Accomplishments

When you’re feeling down on your writing or your capabilities, make a list of your accomplishments for a few minutes. This act will remind you of all you’ve been able to accomplish with a little hard work and passion.

Share with Others

One of the best ways to move away from perfectionism, imposter syndrome, and anxiety is to share your writing and receive ongoing feedback. Whether you choose to publish your writing through a personal blog or email chapters to friends, allowing others the opportunity to continually interact with your writing and deliver words of support will help boost your confidence.

Slow Your Roll

When you sit down to write, don’t think about whether you want to self-publish or find an agent, where you want to see your work published, or how many people might read your work. Focus on what’s in front of you—your writing goal for the day. Overthinking will only lead to undue stress.

Break It Down

Think about your project in small chunks: create an outline, do your research, write your first page, write 1,000 words, write one chapter, etc. This will reduce anxiety about your overall project.

Remember, It’s Complex

At the end of the day, writing is a complex art form. It can’t be rushed, it’s not a comparison game, and you aren’t late to the race simply because others have published ahead of you. Recognize the writing process for what it is—a constant exploration of finding your voice and honing your skills.

Take one step forward today to overcome perfectionism or your feelings of not earning your accomplishments. Which piece of advice from above will be easiest for you to adopt into your writing practice?

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The End: Finishing Your Novel

By the time writers find themselves writing the ending to their story, they are 80,000 words—if not more—into their story. After months or years of getting their story on paper, writers may feel burned out, ready to be done, and wanting to be onto their next project. The downside of that, however, is that a novel’s ending needs a lot of attention to avoid leaving readers dissatisfied or thinking the writer took an easier route to tie the plot points together.

The ending needs to be just as strong—or stronger—than the beginning. So, if you’re feeling burned out before you reach the climax of your story, take some time away from your manuscript before forging ahead into the end. You may think your readers won’t know you sputtered out, but they will.

Once you feel good and ready to dive into your ending, keep these tips in mind:

Avoid ending with cliché, internal monologue.

The ending that depicts the main character staring off into the sunset, giving herself one last pep talk before “The End” appears on a blank page is not the book ending any reader desires. It’s a lazy way for authors to end a book and it should be avoided.

Instead, find a creative and engaging way to leave readers in awe as they close your book. Make them miss your story and your characters when they are finished.

About that happy ending.

As the writer of your story, you get to choose whether your characters get a happy ending or not. With that said, however, romance novels do need to show the love interests happily together in the final chapter. Other than that, you have free reign over just how happy—or not—your characters get to be.

The protagonist must be changed somehow.

Your main character must be different somehow than how readers found him or her. If you’re struggling to find your protagonist’s growth point, go back to the beginning and remind yourself of the person your main character was in chapter one. Then, decide how you ultimately want the character to be changed in the end. Did your main character set out on a solo backpacking journey to find herself? In the end, how did that trip change her? Was she better from it? That growth or maturity point should be shown.

Mirror your opening point.

To bring your story—and your protagonist—full circle, mirror your closing scene to your story’s opening scene. If your main character set out on a road trip in chapter one, bring him back home in the end. If she was searching for her blood grandparents in chapter one, show her with whoever she realizes to be her true family in the end.

Tie together all loose ends.

Make sure your main plot and all your subplots come together at the end. Leave no questions unanswered for readers.

What about a sequel?

If your novel will be part of a sequel, you do need to keep in mind that you still must tie together all the plot points in your current book, as mentioned above.

To create a seamless continuation into the next book of the series, you have to start building a new plotline toward the end of your novel. It should be subtle—like a nation on the verge of an uprising, for example—to intrigue readers. This subtle plotline, however, should not become too developed that it will leave room for too many questions, but it should be interesting enough so readers want to wait for your next book in the series. Do you like writing book endings or do they stress you out? Visit Pushing Through the Middle for tips on writing the middle of your book.

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The Best Podcasts for Writers

As podcasts continue to grow in popularity, it’s no secret that there truly is a podcast for everyone. It’s also a hive of information for writers, editors, and book lovers. As with books, however, it’s best to start with a few podcast recommendations. So, whether you’re looking to brush up on your grammar skills, hone your first draft, stay in touch on what readers want, or to feel inspired after a creative dry spell, your next podcast favorite just might be in the list below.

Educational

Whether you want to increase your vocabulary, brush up on your grammar, or understanding more about editing, these podcasts are for you.

Merriam Webster’s Word of the Day—Each podcast episode is two minutes or less, but you’ll be introduced to a new word each day.
Grammar Girl’s Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing—Do you always forget what a dangling participle is or aren’t quite sure when to use hyphens? Each episode details a specific grammar topic, and in thirty-five minutes or less, you’ll feel like a grammar champ!
The Writership Podcast Editing Tips for Fiction Authors—A professional editor hosts this podcast and she dives into every topic imaginable when it comes to writing fiction.

On Writing…

Roy Writing Tools—Roy Peter Clark from the Poynter Institute, a school for journalism, hosts this podcast. Episodes cover everything from starting sentences with subjects and verbs to owning the tools of your craft. In seven minutes or less, you’ll have a better understanding of how to grow in your own writing.


The Story Grid—This podcast’s main desire to help listeners become better writers. This amazing podcast covers everything from crafting a great villain to the five commandments of storytelling, and more. Basically, if you have ever had a specific question about writing, there is probably a Story Grid podcast episode to answer it. (Note: Some episodes are marked explicit for language.)
The Creative Penn—This podcast covers topics that extend beyond writing, and go more into self-publishing, book marketing, and how to make a living writing. With more than 200 episodes to choose from, you’ll never run out of listening material.

On Reading…

The Book Review—This podcast is run by the New York Times discusses all things books and what’s going on in the publishing world at the moment. The host and various New York Times’ editors also interview notable authors and discuss the top books of each week.
What Should I Read Next?—Ever finish a book and wonder what you should read next? That’s how What Should I Read Next? got started. This podcast is great for writers because it provides insight into books readers love, the books they don’t like, and what they’re reading next. That information can come in handy when deciding what to write about in your own book.

…And More

TED Talks Daily—Feeling uninspired or looking for a brand-new story idea? TED Talks cover every subject imaginable and can be an unexpected source of inspiration for fiction writers.


The Goal Digger—This podcast is for every writer who dreams of turning their love for writing into a business, covering everything from growing an Instagram following to creating email lists, and more.


Stuff You Should Know—This is another great podcast when you’re digging around for story inspiration. They cover how anything and everything in the world actually works. Ever wonder how trampolines work? There’s an episode about it? Writing Science Fiction and need to know more about galaxies? There’s an episode on those, too!
The Authorpreneur Podcast—Not only do they cover writing topics like finishing your first draft, but I really love it for the marketing advice it provides authors. Listen to the episodes that discuss developing your author platform, hiring an editor, and more.

Have you jumped on the podcast train? If so, we would love to hear your favorite ones!

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Said Is Dead: 141 Synonyms for “Said”

You are doing everything possible to make your writing better, tighter, and more interesting, but are you still using “dead words?” These are words that are simply just too plain, bland, and vague to be included in your awesome writing. One of the most notorious “dead words” is “said.” But dialogue is important! I hear you. It is also important to show readers exactly how something is communicated. Think: what emotion is behind this dialogue? What picture do I want to paint? This is where synonyms come in handy.  To help you get started, we compiled a list of alternatives to the dreaded “said.” With this list, you are sure to find a perfect fit for every “said” in your writing.

 

 

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7 Stages Most Books Are Stuck in

1. The Dream Stage.

You have a dream of writing and becoming an author, but you just don’t know where to begin.

2. The Idea Stage.

You actually have a really good idea–and other people tell you it is–but you’re not sure how to develop it.

3. The Message Stage.

You just taught an incredible message and you can’t help but think, “This would make a great book, but how do I develop this message into a book?”

4. The Journal/Notes Stage.

For years you’ve written in a notebook or journal. You have pages and pages of great writing, but how do you trim it down to a single book?

5. The Unfinished Stage.

You’ve started your book, but somewhere along the way you quit or gave up. How do you restart the dream and finish it?

6. The Unedited Stage.

You have a finished manuscript, but you know it needs to be edited.

7. The Payment Stage.

You are finished writing and the only thing you lack is a way to pay for your dream to become reality.

Which one is yours stuck in? There is a way to break free if your future book is stuck in one of these seven stages. I want you to know that we are praying for each of you to have a breakthrough this year. Sometimes your greatest breakthrough begins with one small step of faith. If your one small step of faith is in the area of getting your book published, know that you have a partner in Xulon Press. We will not only believe with you, but we will also help you as you take that first step.

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Establishing Rapport and Credibility in Nonfiction

I often find myself telling authors that they must establish rapport and credibility with their readers before anyone begins reading their book. This is vital for a number of reasons. The most important reason is that as an author, you want potential, on-the-fence readers to keep reading. You want them to recommend your book to others. You want your words to be out there for everyone to read. And you want readers to finish your book feeling satisfied.

So, you’re probably thinking, how this is done? Well, when we take away the actual content of the book and we focus solely on what is in the beginning of the book—before it even starts—there are two opportunities for you as the author to establish your credibility and build rapport with your readers.

How to get started:

First, you have a chance to show your credibility in your introduction. This is your chance to do just that—introduce yourself to your readers. This doesn’t need to be a resume, showcasing your work experience, talents, and education; however, it should be a place where you tell readers your background on the subject at hand. If you’re writing a book about anxiety, readers are going to want to read a book by a psychologist, psychiatrist, medical doctor, or counselor. If you’re writing a book on how to renovate a home, readers are going to want to see the author is a contractor, builder, or even specialized construction worker.

Tell us your experience in the subject, but don’t overdo it or brag too much about your accomplishments. This could make you come off as arrogant and that could turn away many potential readers. Keep it short but informative. And remember to answer the question many readers will have: “Why should I read what this person has to say?”

See it through:

The second place to establish your credibility with readers is through the foreword. The foreword is a place where someone other than the author can essentially “vouch” for the author’s expertise, knowledge, and validity of the book because they’ve read it and want to recommend it. Again, remember: authors do not write their own foreword. Someone who is respected in the community, for instance, is a great person to ask to read your book and write your foreword. Someone such as a pastor, professor, or another expert in the subject at hand should speak on behalf of your book and give it praise. If there’s one thing that will cause readers to think you and your book are awesome, it’s having someone else who’s highly respected vouch for it by putting their name on it.

Remember: readers will want to know two things: “Why should I read what this person has to say?” and, “What makes this person qualified to write a book about this particular topic?” The introduction is your chance to shine before the book begins. The foreword is a place for someone else to show readers how great you are.

The bottom line: make sure your book contains either an introduction or a foreword, or both, but please establish your credibility, especially you nonfiction writers.

Interested in learning more about our editorial services? See if one of our services can benefit you!

 

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5 Writing Prompts To Make You A Better Writer

Reading and writing every day is the best way to sharpen your craft. What if you (like many people) don’t have time to sit down and write lengthy paragraphs on a daily basis? Or what if you need a little help with what to write? These quick and easy writing prompts and exercises are concise enough to do every day, but will give you that kick of imagination and inspiration you need for your next big writing project.

1.) Give It Life

Pick an inanimate object that you can see. It can be anything—a lamp, a knife, a picture frame, a highchair, a shoe, or a pencil. Now write a few lines from its perspective. What is its personality like? How does its everyday view affect it? What are its worries, its joys, its dreams? This could take a humorous spin, or become surprisingly introspective.

2.) Map It Out

If you are currently starting out a fictional project, think of your main character’s house. If you are beginning a memoir or are not working on anything specific, think of a house you grew up in or a place that was special to you (perhaps it was grandma’s house or your treehouse or the library). Draw a rough sketch of the place, and then label everything you can. Be specific, and think about what it says about the character (or you). If this was a special place to you as a child, how did that change the way you saw the furniture? What are the meanings behind these ordinary furnishings? What do they say about the person who lives there or goes there?

3.) Backstory

Pick out a stranger you have seen or met recently—the cable repairman, the woman behind you in line at the café, a child who passes you on the sidewalk. Describe them as specifically as you can using all five senses. Who are they to their loved ones? What have they been through that made them the way they are?

4.) The Other Side of the Story

Think of a story you know well. This could be a fairy tale, a movie, or a book you recently read. Pick someone other than the protagonist and write a paragraph from their perspective. How do they see the events? Can you flip it around the make the antagonist’s actions seem right? Or could the hapless sidekick really be the hero of the story? While this is one of the more challenging writing prompts on our list, it can be a really fun way to switch things up.

5.) Letter List

This is super quick but will broaden your vocabulary to think of words you rarely use. Pick a letter, set a timer for three minutes, and write as many words as you can that start with that letter. Don’t think, just write. Keep writing until the timer goes off. We can too often get stuck in a rut of leaning on the same words over and over, but this will bring out some unexpected options. Keep the list and challenge yourself to include some in your next project.

With these writing prompts in your proverbial toolbox you will see how fun and easy it can be to train your craft. No matter what you are writing, it is good practice to uncork that inhibition to put words on paper. Be imaginative, lose the fear, and let the words flow.

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How to Write Your Life Story

One aspect of writing that I love is when we stop to look inward at ourselves. We take note of the choices we’ve made in our lives and they present a multitude of stories to tell. Most writers don’t think it is that easy. I have received a lot of messages over the years from writers who say, “No one knows me, why would they care about my story?” And, “I’m not a professional writer, so I don’t know how to get my story on paper.”

I’ve said the same thing to each one of those writers, and I’m saying it here now. The trick is not about whether you are known or not, it is about writing your story in a way that makes people want to read your book. To be transparent with you, writing your life story as if you dug through the attic for a life’s worth of your journals, transcribed them into a document on your computer, and sent them off to an editor is not the best way to go about sharing your story in book form. There is, however, an easy process and formula you can follow to write your best life story.

The Story of You

I know I said you should not simply type up your old journals on your laptop and call it a book, but if you do have your old journals from periods of your life, they can serve as a jumping off point for your inspiration. Didn’t feel the need to write down every small detail throughout your life? You’re not alone. Either way, mull over specific, impactful moments from your life. Did your parents get divorced when you were young? Did you experiment with recreational drugs at a certain point in your life? Have you grieved the loss of a pregnancy? Maybe you lost your job when you couldn’t afford to go without one. Take note of your experiences and what you’ve learned from them. Then, follow the process outlined here:

A four-sentence summary. When deciding what to write about, it is extremely important to drill down to what we call an elevator pitch or, in publishing, a premise. Write down four sentences that home in on exactly what message you want to convey in your book. Think about the overall theme first. Then, ask yourself who you are now and how you got to where you are—good and bad. Be direct and succinct in your paragraph summary. If you asked a stranger to read your elevator pitch, the goal would be to have them fully comprehend your message and paraphrase it back to you.  

An inciting incident. We can all pinpoint one moment in our lives that completely altered the course we were on. For some, it is hitting rock bottom with addiction or infidelity in a relationship. For others, it’s an amazing job opportunity or another form of success. Whatever your inciting incident—that is your jumping off point.

Your “why”. Decide what you want to discover for yourself by writing your story. Figure out what you want to understand about a specific relationship in your life or how exactly you were able to create a successful upward trajectory in your career.

Benefit for readers. Ultimately, the whole point of writing your life story is to provide a benefit to future readers. They either need to feel like they have learned something valuable or have been helped in some way. Before putting anything tangible on paper, you need to spend a lot of time in this space because what you decide is the ultimate benefit for your readers will also be what helps you decide which stories stay in your book and those that get cut.

A Recipe for Success

After you have done the mental work and internal searching, it is time to start putting words on paper.

Chapter one. All that hard work on the front end was not in vain. Your inciting incident will be your first chapter. Start your book at the one event that altered your life. It’s the hook you need to pull readers in.

The middle. Starting in chapter two, take your readers back to a poignant time before the inciting incident. Then, work your way back up to that moment—positioning it about two-thirds of the way into your book. Choose important stories that also tie back to your main theme. Share those stories through the middle zone of your book. You do not have to share every tiny and insignificant memory either. Not only can those stories become boring for your readers, but they also serve no purpose if you cannot tie them back to the main point of your book.

The last few chapters. The last few chapters will once again encompass the inciting event you used to kick off your book. This time, however, you’ll delve deeper into this event and why it sparked such a big life-change for you. Then, move beyond that event and share important stories that depict how your life is now, who you are as a person, and what you learned. These wisdom-filled reflection points are exactly what your readers want to know and understand as well.

Writing your life story can be not only beneficial for you as the author, but it can also be the one book someone you have never met needs to read. Finding the balance between your why and the benefit for readers is the sweet spot that makes these nonfiction books work.

We want to know, what inciting incident would you use in the first chapter of your life story?

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Writing a Great Author Bio

Your manuscript is done. It has been through the rewrite and revision, beta reading, and editing processes. You can see the finish line, and you are so ready to feel the sense of accomplishment that comes with crossing over that invisible line. Then, your dreams come to screeching halt! Your publisher asks you to submit your author bio. For a moment, you consider tossing the whole idea of becoming an author out the window because of one paragraph. I get it—the idea of having to write about yourself and your accomplishments seems hard. Instead, let’s look at author bios as a formula. Specific information needs to be present in your author bio depending on, not only the type of book you’ve written but also what is important information to your target audience.

Take Stock

Take 15 to 20 minutes with a blank piece of paper and a pen. If you have written a nonfiction book, write down any credentials you might have, work-related or life experiences that serve as evidence to your credibility and showcase you as an authority on the subject in your book. Use this sheet of paper to boast about personal success stories and why people should read what you have to say. The most important purpose of an author bio for a nonfiction book is to begin building trust between yourself and future readers.

If you wrote a fiction novel, you don’t need to include credentials or education unless you wrote a psychological thriller and have a Ph.D. in psychology or received a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing. Instead, use this brain dump time to play around with the tone you want to present yourself in. With fiction, it is more important to match the tone of your author bio to that of your book. The whole purpose of an author bio for a fiction novel is to find a way to connect with potential readers.

Bring It Together

Now that you have some specific examples of how great you are, we’re going to use a formula to shape it.

Start with your byline. This might be the easiest sentence you will ever write. You only include your name, credentials (if publishing nonfiction), that you authored a new book and the title of it.

Use third person. After your introduction in the byline, use third person pronouns—he, she, his, hers—to refer to yourself.

Keep it short. Your author bio should be between 75 to 150 words. Aim to be impactful without being wordy.

Build credibility/Be engaging. This is where you’ll pull out that piece of paper you filled up earlier. Nonfiction writers, refer back to your list to find information that boosts your credibility while also being something that will interest potential readers. Fiction writers, maybe you include why you loved writing about your strong female protagonist or that inspiration for the setting of your book is based on your hometown.

Add a personal touch. Maybe you are a New York-based Wall Street businessman who lives with his wife in a condo that overlooks Central Park, or you are a southern belle from the Mississippi Delta who catches fish with her bare hands. Either way, add something personal about your life that sparks interest.

Call to action. Give potential readers a place to connect with you. If you have an author website—which I highly recommend—or social media accounts, add this information to the end of your author bio to encourage further engagement with you.

Have you written an author bio before? If so, how did you tackle it and what would you do differently in the future? Comment below with your response!

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