Bios Made Easy: Tips for writing the perfect author bio for each purpose #amwriting #writing #writetip #writelife #author

Writersneed bios, for query letters, on websites, for conference brochures. If we arewriters surely we can write about ourselves. Yet while coordinating writingconferences, I discovered that even published authors often write poor bios, whetherthrough modesty, carelessness, or overwriting. Many bios are entertaining, but don’tdo their job.

Thejob is selling yourself and your books. Keep that focus in mind and the restwill follow.

Content: List the genreyou write and perhaps name a couple of your publications. If you have manypublished books, you can mention the number but only go into detail with two orthree – perhaps the mostrecent or popular. Specify the genre, as titles aren’t always clear bythemselves. If you don’t have published books, mention your other credentials –“Cub Newshound’s articles appear in Slate,”for example.

Don’tget carried away listing awards. If each book has four or five minor awards,the reader bogs down in dull details. List the most prestigious, or combinethem – “Ms. Inkslinger’s books havereceived five Readers’ Choice Awards from various states.”

Relevancy: If someone isconsidering buying your book or signing up to hear you speak, they want to knowyour success as a writer or speaker, not the names of your pets. Put yourprofessional information first. Don’tstart with your hobbies or childhood, unless something directly relates to yourbook. (For example, you’re a nurse and you wrote a hospital drama or you haveseven cats and you write mysteries featuring cats.) Don’t thank your family fortheir support. Save that for your book dedications.

There’sanother reason to put the key informationup front. If you are submitting news to a media site or a quick bio to aconference coordinator, the editor may cut to save space. Make it easy for themto keep the first couple of sentences and cut the rest.

Style: You may needdifferent bios for different uses – playful on a book flap; professional for anewspaper article; focused on teaching experience for a conference catalog;praising your popularity with readers for a book signing. Regardless, focus oninformation. Humor and lively writing are fine, but don’t get too wrapped up insounding “literary.”

Ina large conference brochure, the designer probably wants consistent style. Atouch of formality may be appropriate – you’re trying to portray yourself as aprofessional. Pretend you’re someone else writing about you in the thirdperson. “Bard Wordsmith is anaward-winning author….” For a query letter, use first person. A website couldgo either way, but be consistent.

Length: Keep it shortand to the point. If your bio will stand alone, on an individual brochure orflyer, try 100-200 words. If your bio will appear along with others, 50-100words is plenty (or whatever they request). Many people will skim anyway.Include your website for more information.

Ikeep several versions and cut and paste as needed. A longer bio may have asentence or two about each of my series. A shorter one may focus on a singleseries or provide general info on the kind of books I write. If I’m promoting my critiquing/editingbusiness, I would focus on my experience as a teacher and workshop leader,noting that people can get recommendations and rates on my website. The detailsdepend on what I’m trying to sell.

For example:

Kris Bock writes romance,mystery, and suspense. (Seven words)

Sweet romance bio under 150 words:

Kris Bock writes romance, mystery, and suspense. In the Accidental Billionaire Cowboys series, a Texas ranching family wins a fortune in the lottery. Who wouldn't want to be a billionaire? Turns out winning the lottery causes as many problems as it solves. Her Furrever Friends Sweet Romance series features the employees and customers at a cat café. Watch as they fall in love with each other and shelter cats.

Kris also writes aseries with her brother, scriptwriter Douglas J Eboch, who wrote the originalscreenplay for the movie Sweet Home Alabama. TheFelony Melanie series follows the crazy antics of Melanie, Jake, and their friends adecade before the events of the movie.

Get a free 10,000-wordstory set in the world of the Furrever Friends cat café when you sign up forthe Kris Bock newsletter. Learn more at www.krisbock.com.(142 words)

Mystery Bio under 100 words:

Kris Bock has lived in ten states and one foreigncountry but is now firmly planted in the Southwest, where many of her books areset. In the Accidental Detective series ,a witty journalist solves mysteries in Arizona and tackles the challenges ofturning fifty. Kris’s romantic suspense novels feature outdooradventures and Southwestern landscapes. Readers have called these novels"Smart romance with an Indiana Jones feel." Learn more at www.krisbock.com or sign up for the Kris Bock newsletter and get afree Accidental Detective story and more. (88 words)

If I’m promoting my children’s books, Ihave a different set of bios for that name. I can also include the followingwith my Kris Bock bio if I’m targeting writers:

Kris writes forchildren under the name Chris Eboch. She is the author of two books on thecraft of writing, Advanced Plottingand You Can Write for Children: How toWrite Great Stories, Articles, and Books for Kids and Teenagers. Learn moreat chriseboch.com. Check out her self-paced writing classes or The Ten-Minute Writer series on YouTube. (58 words)

In somecircumstances, I might mention that I live in New Mexico and enjoy hiking, orthat my husband and I keep ferrets. Those are nice personal tidbits, but theydon’t prove I’m writing books people want to read.

Any of theseoptions keep the bio to under 200 words. I want to make sure I’m including linksto learn more if it’s going somewhere online, and beat simplest version of mywebsite URL if it’s in print.

For a digitalsite, I might give readers the direct links to Amazon in the United States andAmazon in the United Kingdom, plus a “genius” link that will take people totheir local site. That means fewer clicks before someone has a chance to buy mybooks.

Sowhat about you?

Toget started, make a list of the facts that you want to share. Then write asimple, straightforward paragraph that includes them. Next, decide if it’sappropriate to dress it up, but as in all good writing, communication comesfirst.