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Writing Your Author Bio? Here Are 20 Great Examples. (Plus a Checklist!)

October 15, 2020 by Diana Urban

Writing your author bio can be a daunting task, but a well-crafted bio can help readers learn more about what makes you and your books so interesting. You should regularly maintain your bio on places like your BookBub Author Profile so fans and potential readers seeking you out can learn more about you and why they should pick up your latest book.

Stuck on what to include? While there is no one-size-fits-all formula, here are some examples of author bios we love so you can get some inspiration when crafting your own bio. We’ve also created an Author Biography Checklist with recommendations on what to include, as well as where to keep your author bio up to date online.

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1. Ramona Emerson

Ramona Emerson is a Diné writer and filmmaker originally from Tohatchi, New Mexico. She has a bachelor’s in Media Arts from the University of New Mexico and an MFA in Creative Writing from the Institute of American Indian Arts. After starting in forensic videography, she embarked upon a career as a photographer, writer, and editor. She is an Emmy nominee, a Sundance Native Lab Fellow, a Time-Warner Storyteller Fellow, a Tribeca All-Access Grantee and a WGBH Producer Fellow. In 2020, Emerson was appointed to the Governor’s Council on Film and Media Industries for the State of New Mexico. She currently resides in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where she and her husband, the producer Kelly Byars, run their production company Reel Indian Pictures. Shutter is her first novel.

Why we love it: Ramona makes a splash as a new author by detailing her extensive experience in both writing and filmmaking. Her background makes an effective setup for her debut novel about a forensic photographer.

2. Courtney Milan

Courtney Milan writes books about carriages, corsets, and smartwatches. Her books have received starred reviews in Publishers Weekly , Library Journal , and Booklist . She is a New York Times and a USA Today Bestseller. Courtney pens a weekly newsletter about tea, books, and basically anything and everything else. Sign up for it here: https://bit.ly/CourtneysTea Before she started writing romance, Courtney got a graduate degree in theoretical physical chemistry from UC Berkeley. After that, just to shake things up, she went to law school at the University of Michigan and graduated summa cum laude. Then she did a handful of clerkships. She was a law professor for a while. She now writes full-time. Courtney is represented by Kristin Nelson of the Nelson Literary Agency.

Why we love it: Courtney concisely leads with her accolades and bestseller status before diving into more personal information with a witty tone. She also includes a call-to-action for readers to sign up to Weekly Tea, one of her mailing lists.

3. Adam Silvera

Adam Silvera is the number one New York Times bestselling author of More Happy Than Not , History Is All You Left Me , They Both Die at the End , Infinity Son , Infinity Reaper , and—with Becky Albertalli— What If It’s Us . He was named a Publishers Weekly Flying Start for his debut. Adam was born and raised in the Bronx. He was a bookseller before shifting to children’s publishing and has worked at a literary development company and a creative writing website for teens and as a book reviewer of children’s and young adult novels. He is tall for no reason and lives in Los Angeles. Visit him online at www.adamsilvera.com .

Why we love it: Adam begins his bio with his bestseller accolades and a list of his popular titles. But we especially love how he also includes his previous experience in children’s literature. It’s a fantastic way an author can craft a unique and credible bio using information besides accolades or bestseller status.

4. Farrah Rochon

USA Today Bestselling author Farrah Rochon hails from a small town just west of New Orleans. She has garnered much acclaim for her Crescent City-set Holmes Brothers series and her Moments in Maplesville small town series. Farrah is a two-time finalist for the prestigious RITA Award from the Romance Writers of America and has been nominated for an RT BOOKReviews Reviewers Choice Award. In 2015, she received the Emma Award for Author of the Year. When she is not writing in her favorite coffee shop, Farrah spends most of her time reading, cooking, traveling the world, visiting Walt Disney World, and catching her favorite Broadway shows. An admitted sports fanatic, she feeds her addiction to football by watching New Orleans Saints games on Sunday afternoons. Keep in touch with Farrah via the web: Website: https://www.farrahrochon.com/ Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/farrahrochonauthor Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/FarrahRochon Instagram: https://instagram.com/farrahrochon/ Newsletter: http://bit.ly/2povjuZ Join my online Fan Club, the Rochonettes! https://www.facebook.com/groups/FarrahRochon/ Farrah’s Books In Order: The Holmes Brothers Deliver Me (Mar. 2007) Release Me (May 2008) Rescue Me (Jan. 2009) Chase Me (Jan. 2017) Trust Me (May 2017) Awaken Me (Jan. 2018) Cherish Me (Jun. 2018) Return To Me (Aug. 2019) New York Sabers Huddle With Me Tonight (Sept. 2010) I’ll Catch You (Mar. 2011) Field of Pleasure (Sept. 2011) Pleasure Rush (Mar. 2012) Bayou Dreams A Forever Kind of Love (Aug. 2012) Always and Forever (Jan. 2013) Yours Forever (Mar. 2014) Forever’s Promise (Apr. 2014) Forever With You (Feb. 2015) Stay With Me Forever (Aug. 2015) Moments in Maplesville A Perfect Holiday Fling (Nov. 2012) A Little Bit Naughty (Mar. 2013) Just A Little Taste (Jan. 2014) I Dare You! (Nov. 2014) All You Can Handle (June 2015) Any Way You Want It (Feb. 2016) Any Time You Need Me (June 2016) Standalones In Her Wildest Dreams (Jan. 2012) The Rebound Guy (July 2012) Delectable Desire (Apr. 2013) Runaway Attraction (Nov. 2013) A Mistletoe Affari (Nov. 2014) Passion’s Song (Feb. 2016) Mr. Right Next Door (Sept. 2016) Anthologies A Change of Heart (The Holiday Inn Anthology – Sept. 2008) No Ordinary Gift (Holiday Brides Anthology – Oct. 2009) Holiday Spice (Holiday Temptation Anthology – Sept. 2016) Christmas Kisses (Reissue–Contains Tuscan Nights and Second-Chance Christmas previously published by Harlequin Kimani

Why we love it: Farrah packs a lot of information into that first paragraph, elegantly describing the awards she’s received and has been nominated for. We also love how she makes it easy for readers to find her on whichever social media platform they prefer and to discover which book to start with for each series.

5. Angie Fox

New York Times bestselling author Angie Fox writes sweet, fun, action-packed mysteries. Her characters are clever and fearless, but in real life, Angie is afraid of basements, bees, and going up stairs when it is dark behind her. Let’s face it. Angie wouldn’t last five minutes in one of her books. Angie is best known for her Southern Ghost Hunter mysteries and for her Accidental Demon Slayer books. Visit her at www.angiefox.com

Why we love it: We love how Angie distinguishes herself from her characters, making herself relatable to readers. She also mentions her bestseller status and best-known works in a humble way.

6. Tiffany D. Jackson

Tiffany D. Jackson is the critically acclaimed author of Allegedly , Monday’s Not Coming , and Let Me Hear a Rhyme . A Walter Dean Myers Honor Book and Coretta Scott King–John Steptoe New Talent Award winner, she received her bachelor of arts in film from Howard University, earned her master of arts in media studies from the New School, and has over a decade in TV and film experience. The Brooklyn native still resides in the borough she loves. You can visit her at www.writeinbk.com .

Why we love it: This is an excellent example of a short, concise bio — a perfect snippet for journalists, bloggers, or event coordinators who need to grab Tiffany’s bio for their article or programming.

7. Kwame Alexander

Kwame Alexander is the New York Times Bestselling author of 32 books, including The Undefeated ; How to Read a Book ; Solo ; Swing ; Rebound , which was shortlisted for prestigious Carnegie Medal; and his Newbery medal-winning middle grade novel, The Crossover . He’s also the founding editor of Versify, an imprint that aims to Change the World One Word at a Time. Visit him at KwameAlexander.com

Why we love it: We adore how Kwame calls out his aim to “change the world one word at a time” along with a handful of his best-known books. Short and sweet!

8. Glynnis Campbell

For deals, steals, and new releases from Glynnis, click FOLLOW on this BookBub page! Glynnis Campbell is a USA Today bestselling author of over two dozen swashbuckling action-adventure historical romances, mostly set in Scotland, and a charter member of The Jewels of Historical Romance — 12 internationally beloved authors. She’s the wife of a rock star and the mother of two young adults, but she’s also been a ballerina, a typographer, a film composer, a piano player, a singer in an all-girl rock band, and a voice in those violent video games you won’t let your kids play. Doing her best writing on cruise ships, in Scottish castles, on her husband’s tour bus, and at home in her sunny southern California garden, Glynnis loves to play medieval matchmaker… transporting readers to a place where the bold heroes have endearing flaws, the women are stronger than they look, the land is lush and untamed, and chivalry is alive and well! Want a FREE BOOK? Sign up for her newsletter at https://www.glynnis.net Tag along on her latest adventures here: Website: https://www.glynnis.net Facebook: bit.ly/GCReadersClan Goodreads: bit.ly/GlynnisGoodreads Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/GlynnisCampbell Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/GlynnisCampbell Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/GlynnisCampbell BOOK LIST: The Warrior Maids of Rivenloch: THE SHIPWRECK A YULETIDE KISS LADY DANGER CAPTIVE HEART KNIGHT’S PRIZE The Warrior Daughters of Rivenloch: THE STORMING A RIVENLOCH CHRISTMAS BRIDE OF FIRE BRIDE OF ICE BRIDE OF MIST The Knights of de Ware: THE HANDFASTING MY CHAMPION MY WARRIOR MY HERO Medieval Outlaws: THE REIVER DANGER’S KISS PASSION’S EXILE DESIRE’S RANSOM Scottish Lasses: THE OUTCAST MacFARLAND’S LASS MacADAM’S LASS MacKENZIE’S LASS California Legends: THE STOWAWAY NATIVE GOLD NATIVE WOLF NATIVE HAWK

Why we love it: Like other authors, Glynnis leads with her bestseller status, but not before making sure readers know to follow her on BookBub! We like how her personality shines through in her all-caps calls to action and that she includes the characteristics of her books in a fun way so readers will know what to expect from her work.

9. Laurelin Paige

Laurelin Paige is the NY Times , Wall Street Journal , and USA Today bestselling author of the Fixed Trilogy . She’s a sucker for a good romance and gets giddy anytime there’s kissing, much to the embarrassment of her three daughters. Her husband doesn’t seem to complain, however. When she isn’t reading or writing sexy stories, she’s probably singing, watching edgy black comedy on Netflix or dreaming of Michael Fassbender. She’s also a proud member of Mensa International though she doesn’t do anything with the organization except use it as material for her bio. You can connect with Laurelin on Facebook at facebook.com/LaurelinPaige or on twitter @laurelinpaige. You can also visit her website, laurelinpaige.com , to sign up for emails about new releases. Subscribers also receive a free book from a different bestselling author every month.

Why we love it: We love Laurelin’s bio because she lets her fun personality shine through! She also includes information about a monthly giveaway she runs through her mailing list, which is enticing and unique.

10. Mia Sosa

Mia Sosa is a USA Today bestselling author of contemporary romance and romantic comedies. Her books have received starred reviews from Publishers Weekly , Kirkus Reviews , Booklist , and Library Journal , and have been praised by Cosmopolitan , The Washington Post , Buzzfeed , Entertainment Weekly , and more. Book Riot included her debut, Unbuttoning the CEO , in its list of 100 Must-Read Romantic Comedies, and Booklist recently called her “the new go-to author for fans of sassy and sexy contemporary romances.” A former First Amendment and media lawyer, Mia practiced for more than a decade before trading her suits for loungewear (okay, okay, they’re sweatpants). Now she strives to write fun and flirty stories about imperfect characters finding their perfect match. Mia lives in Maryland with her husband, their two daughters, and an adorable dog that rules them all. For more information about Mia and her books, visit www.miasosa.com .

Why we love it: This is such a well-constructed bio, with a paragraph for each (1) listing accolades and praise from trade reviews, (2) including a blurb about Mia’s overall author brand, (3) describing her previous work experience and how she became an author, and (4) sharing personal information and directing readers to where they could learn more.

11. Aiden Thomas

Aiden Thomas is a trans, Latinx, New York Times Bestselling Author with an MFA in Creative Writing from Mills College. Originally from Oakland, California, they now make their home in Portland, OR. Aiden is notorious for not being able to guess the endings of books and movies, and organizes their bookshelves by color. Their books include Cemetery Boys and Lost in the Never Woods .

Why we love it: A well-known advocate of diverse books, Aiden leads with their identity markers to connect right away with readers of similar identities. The rest of their concise bio fits information about their bestseller status, education, location, personality, and popular titles into just a few short sentences!

12. Wayne Stinnett

Wayne Stinnett is an American novelist and Veteran of the United States Marine Corps. Between those careers, he’s worked as a deckhand, commercial fisherman, divemaster, taxi driver, construction manager, and over the road truck driver, among many other things. He now lives on a sea island, in the South Carolina Lowcountry, with his wife and youngest daughter. They also have three grown children, five grand children, three dogs and a whole flock of parakeets. Stinnett grew up in Melbourne, Florida and has also lived in the Florida Keys, the Bahamas, and Cozumel, Mexico. His next dream is to one day visit and dive Cuba.

Why we love it: What better way to introduce an author of novels about travel, seafaring, and military adventures than to share his first-hand experiences! By weaving in relevant professional background and a glimpse of his home life by the sea, Wayne demonstrates deep knowledge of his subjects to his readers, as well as connecting with them on a personal level by describing his family and goals for the future.

13. June Hur

June Hur was born in South Korea and raised in Canada, except for the time when she moved back to Korea and attended high school there. She studied History and Literature at the University of Toronto. She began writing her debut novel after obsessing over books about Joseon Korea. When she’s not writing, she can be found wandering through nature or journaling at a coffee shop. June is the bestselling author of The Silence of Bones , The Forest of Stolen Girls , and The Red Palace , and currently lives in Toronto with her husband and daughter.

Why we love it: We love how June includes her background and what inspired her writing. Sharing a story’s origins is a wonderful way to meaningfully connect with readers.

14. Claire Delacroix

Bestselling author Claire Delacroix published her first medieval romance in 1993. Since then, she has published over seventy romance novels and numerous novellas, including time travel romances, contemporary romances and paranormal romances. The Beauty , part of her successful Bride Quest series, was her first book to land on the New York Times list of bestselling books. Claire has written under the name Claire Cross and continues to write as Deborah Cooke as well as Claire Delacroix. Claire makes her home in Canada with her family, a large undisciplined garden and a growing number of incomplete knitting projects. Sign up for Claire’s monthly medieval romance newsletter at: https://view.flodesk.com/pages/622ca9849b7136a9e313df83 Visit Claire’s website to find out more about her books at http://delacroix.net

Why we love it: While Claire has an extensive backlist, she succinctly describes her publishing success and subgenres. She also includes all of her pen names so readers can easily find her, no matter which name they’re looking for.

15. Vanessa Riley

Vanessa Riley writes Historical Fiction and Historical Romance (Georgian, Regency, & Victorian) featuring hidden histories, dazzling multi-culture communities, and strong sisterhoods. She promises to pull heart strings, offer a few laughs, and share tidbits of tantalizing history. This Southern, Irish, Trini (West Indies) girl holds a doctorate in mechanical engineering and a MS in industrial engineering and engineering management from Stanford University. She also earned a BS and MS in mechanical engineering from Penn State University. Yet, her love of history and lattes have overwhelmed her passion for math, leading to the publication of over 20+ titles. She loves writing on her southern porch with proper caffeine.

Why we love it: Vanessa launches into her bio by sharing the specific time periods she writes in, as well as the diverse characters and emotions her readers can look forward to, appealing directly to her ideal audience . She then shares a bit of personal info, leaving readers with an image of her in her element: writing on a porch while sipping tea.

16. April White

April White has been a film producer, private investigator, bouncer, teacher and screenwriter. She has climbed in the Himalayas, survived a shipwreck, and lived on a gold mine in the Yukon. She and her husband share their home in Southern California with two extraordinary boys and a lifetime collection of books. Her first novel, Marking Time , is the 2016 winner of the Library Journal Indie E-Book Award for YA Literature, and her contemporary romantic suspense, Code of Conduct , was a Next Generation Indie Award and RONE Award Finalist. All five books in the Immortal Descendants series are on the Amazon Top 100 lists in Time Travel Romance and Historical Fantasy. More information and her blog can be found at www.aprilwhitebooks.com .

Why we love it: April’s bio is short and sweet, but is packed with interesting information. She was a private investigator and survived a shipwreck? How can you not want to learn more about this author? She also elegantly includes her books’ status and subgenre in the last paragraph, along with a call-to-action for readers to learn more.

17. Julia Quinn

#1 New York Times bestselling author Julia Quinn loves to dispel the myth that smart women don’t read (or write) romance, and if you watch reruns of the game show The Weakest Link you might just catch her winning the $79,000 jackpot. She displayed a decided lack of knowledge about baseball, country music, and plush toys, but she is proud to say that she aced all things British and literary, answered all of her history and geography questions correctly, and knew that there was a Da Vinci long before there was a code. On December 25, 2020, Netflix premiered Bridgerton , based on her popular series of novels about the Bridgerton family. Find her on the web at www.juliaquinn.com .

Why we love it: Julia takes a unique approach, making her bio more voicey and focused on her interests. Yet she keeps it up to date, including her latest news in the last sentence (above the call-to-action).

18. Rick Mofina

USA Today bestselling author Rick Mofina is a former journalist who has interviewed murderers on death row, flown over L.A. with the LAPD and patrolled with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police near the Arctic. He’s also reported from the Caribbean, Africa and Kuwait’s border with Iraq. His books have been published in nearly 30 countries, including an illegal translation produced in Iran. His work has been praised by James Patterson, Dean Koontz, Michael Connelly, Lee Child, Tess Gerritsen, Jeffery Deaver, Sandra Brown, James Rollins, Brad Thor, Nick Stone, David Morrell, Allison Brennan, Heather Graham, Linwood Barclay, Peter Robinson, Håkan Nesser and Kay Hooper. The Crime Writers of Canada, The International Thriller Writers and The Private Eye Writers of America have listed his titles among the best in crime fiction. As a two-time winner of Canada’s Arthur Ellis Award, a four-time Thriller Award finalist and a two-time Shamus Award finalist, the Library Journal calls him, “One of the best thriller writers in the business.” Join Rick Mofina’s newsletter from his website and receive a free eBook! You can also find Rick Mofina’s new exclusive serialized thriller, The Dying Light , by subscribing to Radish Fiction com For more information please visit www.rickmofina.com https://www.facebook.com/rickmofina or follow Rick on Twitter @Rick Mofina

Why we love it: Including Rick’s first-hand experiences as a journalist lends him credibility in his genres of Crime Fiction and Thrillers. He also includes a list of well-known authors who have praised his work, and these endorsements may encourage those authors’ fans to give Rick a try. The free ebook offer effectively sweetens the deal!

19. J.T. Ellison

J.T. Ellison is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of more than 25 novels, and the EMMY® award winning co-host of the literary TV show A Word on Words . She also writes urban fantasy under the pen name Joss Walker. With millions of books in print, her work has won critical acclaim, prestigious awards, been optioned for television, and has been published in 28 countries. J.T. lives in Nashville with her husband and twin kittens, where she is hard at work on her next novel.

Why we love it: This is a great example of a concise bio suitable for use in any blog or publication. J.T. keeps to just the essential ingredients of a professional author bio: accolades, genres, experience, and a bit of what she’s up to today for a personal touch.

20. James S.A. Corey

James S.A. Corey is the pen name for a collaboration between Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck. James is Daniel’s middle name, Corey is Ty’s middle name, and S.A. are Daniel’s daughter’s initials. James’ current project is a series of science fiction novels called The Expanse Series. They are also the authors of Honor Among Thieves: Star Wars (Empire and Rebellion).

Why we love it: We love co-author bios that reveal how the duo came up with their pseudonym as a fun fact for readers! We also like that the reminder of this bio simply points readers straight to their buzziest works.

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Click to tweet: If you’re writing your author bio, these examples are so helpful! #writetip #pubtip http://bit.ly/1OSBcDO

Click to tweet: Make sure to keep your author bio updated! Here are some great bio examples, PLUS a printable checklist of what to include and where to keep it up to date. #amwriting http://bit.ly/1OSBcDO

This post was originally published on October 15 2015 and has been updated with new examples and a PDF checklist!

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• How to Write an Author Bio (Examples Included)

You’ve written a book that’s about to be published or an article that’s going live online. Congratulations!

But although this is a big accomplishment, your job isn’t done: You also need to write a short author biography — otherwise known as an author bio– so your readers can get to know you.

An  author bio  shares relevant information about your education and experience. This proves your credibility, showing that you know what you’re talking about. It also allows your readers to connect with you as a person.

Crafting your own bio can sometimes be a difficult task. These  author biographies  need to be short, yet engaging, so it can be hard to know what to include. After all, your bio may be one of the first things potential readers see when they pick up and open your book.

This blog post breaks down how to write an author bio and what to say in your short bio to connect best with your readers.

Author Bios: What They Include and Why to Write One

An author bio is a short paragraph that shares information about you, such as your education, your experience, and your personal life. Author bios are usually placed next to a professional photo or headshot of the author to further help humanize you, the writer.

While there’s no set word count on a bio, you’ll want to keep things short — think a paragraph or two.

The goal of an author bio is to provide a brief background about you, the author, and to show why you were qualified to write your book or article in order.

Essentially, an engaging author bio gives you credibility with your readers and allows you to connect with potential readers so you can encourage them to read more of your work.

For example, when you describe your past education, work experience, and skills in your author bio, you’re proving that you know what you’re talking about and that you are an expert in your field.

Another benefit of a well-written, short bio is that it humanizes you. Your bio should add personality and communicate to your readers who you are as a person.

For example, your author bio may include a sentence about how many books you’ve written in the past. Then, you may add another sentence about why you began writing in the first place.

Finally, you might share a bit about your family, passions outside of writing, and any formal education, awards, or certifications you’ve achieved in your writing career, like once being named a New York Times Bestselling Author.

You don’t have to be a master of creative writing to craft a well-written bio. The goal of your author bio should simply be to convince readers that you’re more than just an author or some faceless person who wrote an online article — you’re a person.

Who Needs an Author Bio?

The short answer: Every writer!

You might think author bios are only for authors — people who write novels or nonfiction books.

Whether you’ve written ten books or this is your first novel or piece of written work, you should at least have a generic bio that explains to your prospective readers a little more about who you are.

But the truth is, you don’t have to be a bestselling author to have a well-written author bio. Almost everyone who wants to publish their writing will need an author bio at some point.

This is true if you write blog posts, poetry, science fiction, short stories, thought leadership articles, or just about anything else.

There are only a couple of exceptions to this rule. The first is  ghostwriting . As the name suggests, ghostwriters are anonymous writers who don’t get credit for their work.

A ghostwriter writes a work for the author. The author’s name is the only one on the cover of the book even though they didn’t actually write it.

If you are a ghostwriter, you won’t get your own author bio.

Second, some writers may want to remain anonymous, using a pen name or no name at all.

You might choose to use a pseudonym if you don’t want your boss at your day job to know about your writing, if you’re writing something controversial, or if your name is common and there are other authors out there with the same name.

If you use a pen name, you may or may not have an author bio. That choice is up to you.

When To Write Your Author Bio

You should write your author bio after you write the meat of your book. It can take a long time to write a book — months or even years.

The information that you’ll put in your author bio (such as your career details or where you live) could change during that time.

So don’t write your author bio too soon.

This is something you can leave until the end of the process of publishing a book.

However, if you’re feeling stuck with your book and you need to focus on something else, this could also be a good time to write your author bio.

It can be more inspiration and helpful to flex your writing muscles with something different.

Then you can jump back into your book or another writing project with a fresh perspective.

How to Write an Author Bio

Many people hate talking about themselves and find author bios difficult to write. Sometimes we also struggle with bios because they’re so short.

Often, the shorter something is, the harder we think it is to write. For instance, how long did it take you to  write your book title ?

Because of this, some authors outsource the writing of their bio to a  freelance writer  or work with a creative consultant so they can focus on their book sales and complete the publishing process.

However, self-publishing authors and those who prefer to control the writing process don’t necessarily need a freelance writer to whip up a killer author bio.

If you know the general formula for how to use your best writing and craft a full bio, creating your own bio isn’t as daunting of a task as you may think. Take a look at these tips to help you write a good author bio.

Write in the Third Person

Typically, author bios are written in the third person, not the first person, point of view. You want your bio to sound like someone else wrote it about you.

Don’t use “I” — just use your name and last name. For example, instead of saying:

“I’m an author and I live in Chicago, Illinois.”

“John Doe is an author who lives in Chicago, Illinois.”

Writing your author bio in the third person sounds more professional and authoritative to most readers.

Third-person can sometimes run the risk of sounding impersonal, but you can avoid this by adding a brief detail about your life experience at the end.

Explain Your Credentials

What qualifies you to write this book or article?

Your author bio is the place to explain. Whether you have special skills, work experience, or professional certifications, here is where you’ll include them.

Don’t talk about what you would like to do in the future; this is a waste of space and doesn’t help establish credibility. Instead, talk about what you already have done.

If your educational experience is relevant to the subject matter you’re writing on, mention your degree(s) in your bio.

If you don’t have any degrees or the degrees are in a completely different field, don’t add them — save that space for something else.

You should also mention any recognition you’ve received. What awards have you won? Have you been recognized for your fiction writing anywhere?

Sharing your writing accomplishments lets your target audience know they can trust your writing skills. Adding things like if you are a Wall Street Journal or New York Times Bestseller, have won any national magazine awards, or even achieved your bachelor’s degree in some form of writing field are all great accomplishments to list in your bio.

Here’s an example of the first sentence in an author bio that explains the author’s credibility to help you understand how to write your own credibility into your bio.

“John Doe has a master’s degree in history and 15 years of experience working as an archivist. His first book,  A History of Modern Japan , won a prestigious reader’s choice award.”

List Your Other Work

In addition to your work history, awards, and credentials, list a few other  well-known works you’ve written

Think of this as in-book marketing or free space to share more ways for the readers to find your work.

Someone may even read your author bio and realize they’ve already read your other work, creating a feeling of trust.

If your author bio is being published online, you can include hyperlinks to your author website or to any online stores where people can publish your other books.

If you don’t have any other work to include, that’s okay. Skip this part and focus more on other parts of your bio, such as your education or any relevant experience.

On the flip side, if you have a lot of other work, don’t list everything you’ve ever published — stick to just a few of the ones that are most impressive, most relevant, or most recent.

Get Personal

When written correctly, your author bio has the potential to help you connect to readers on a deeper level.

Don’t stop with a dry list of your degrees or past positions — add some personal details to help your readers get to know you.

For example, where do you live? Do you have a spouse, children, or a pet? What hobbies do you enjoy when you aren’t working or writing?

These are simple details, but sharing a glimpse into your life experience goes a long way in helping readers remember that you’re human, too. This could sound something like this:

“John Doe lives in Chicago, Illinois with his wife and three children. He enjoys playing tennis and going on bike rides with his dog.”

Don’t mention any topics that could be divisive. Stick to hobbies that are pure fun — nothing that involves controversial topics or reflects your political views (that is, unless you’re a politician writing a political book).

Keep It Short

Your author bio needs to be short. People have already spent a good chunk of their time reading your book or your article.

They aren’t going to read a long author bio, too. The shorter your author’s bio, the higher the chance that people will actually read it.

The ideal length for an author bio is around 50-100 words. This is about 3-5 sentences.

Consider dedicating one sentence to your education and experience, another sentence to your other published work, and the final sentence to your personal life.

Be Willing to Tweak

Your author bio will change over time. As you continue publishing new writing and advancing your career, you’ll have more published works, on-the-job experience, and awards to add to your bio.

That said, make sure you aren’t married to the final version of your author bio — be willing to tweak it in the future as needed.

Your author bio also might need to sound a little different for different platforms. Many publishers and websites have guidelines for how long an author bio should be and what it should include.

Even if you’re free to write whatever you wish, you may want to highlight certain parts of your experience or overlook others.

For instance, maybe John Doe felt his experience working as an archivist in London wasn’t important enough to include in his main author bio. But for a publication that circulates in the United Kingdom, it would be the perfect detail to add in.

At the end of the day, your goal is to come up with an author bio that you can use as a template.

Save this general author bio and use it to work off of any time you have a new piece of writing published. In the future, you won’t have to start from scratch — you can simply use this predefined template and add or subtract information as necessary.

Your base author bio might sound something like this:

“John Doe has a master’s degree in history and 15 years of experience working as an archivist in London. His first book,  A History of Modern Japan , won a prestigious reader’s choice award. John currently lives in Chicago, Illinois with his wife and three children, where enjoys playing tennis and going on bike rides with his dog.”

Examples of Engaging Author Bios

Here are a few different examples of author bios found on Amazon:

Brian Tracy

Helps individuals and businesses achieve goals through his expertise gained from consulting for over 1,000 companies and addressing millions of people globally. With 30 years of experience in various fields, he is a bestselling author with over 70 books translated into many languages.

Brian delivers talks on personal and professional development, leadership, sales, and success psychology to corporate and public audiences, driving immediate and lasting changes. His background includes successful careers in sales, marketing, real estate, and consulting, with extensive international experience.

Jack Canfield

America’s #1 Success Coach, is the co-creator of the Chicken Soup for the Soul® series, which includes forty New York Times bestsellers, and coauthor with Gay Hendricks of You’ve GOT to Read This Book!

An internationally renowned corporate trainer, Jack has trained and certified over 4,100 people to teach the Success Principles in 115 countries. He is also a podcast host, keynote speaker, and popular radio and TV talk show guest. He lives in Santa Barbara, California.

Tony Robbins

An international entrepreneur, #1 New York Times bestselling author, and philanthropist. Worth magazine recognized Robbins as one of the top 100 most influential people in global finance for two consecutive years.

Accenture honored Robbins as one of the “Top 50 Business Intellectuals in the World.” Robbins is a leader called upon by leaders: He’s consulted and coached some of the world’s greatest athletes, entertainers, Fortune 500 CEOs, and four US presidents.

Author of the best-selling See You at the Top is an internationally renowned speaker and authority on high-level performance. His I CAN course is taught in more than 3,000 schools, and hundreds of companies and businesses utilize his tapes, books, and videos to train their employees effectively.

He has taught his biblically-based principles for becoming a more effective persuader and person to sales organizations, church groups, schools, and businesses. He has addressed thousands more through numerous television and radio appearances and his films. His Sunday school class held at first Baptist church, Dallas, is broadcast each Sunday morning, via satellite.

Grant Cardone

Owns and operates seven privately held companies, and a private equity real estate firm, Cardone Capital, with a multifamily portfolio of assets worth over $5 Billion. He is one of the Top Crowdfunders in the world, raising over $880 million in equity via social media. He is featured on Season 2 of Discovery Channel’s Undercover Billionaire, where he takes on the challenge of building a million-dollar business in 90 days.

Grant is also a New York Times bestselling author of 11 business books, including The 10X Rule, which led to Cardone establishing the 10X Global Movement and the 10X Growth Conference, now the largest business and entrepreneur conference in the world. Cardone uses his massive 15 million plus following to give back via his Grant Cardone Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to mentoring underprivileged and troubled youth in financial literacy.

Write Your Author Bio Today

It turns out that learning how to write an author bio isn’t so hard after all. By following these simple tips, you can craft a bio that’s short, snappy, and helps you connect with your readers.

And if you’re still stuck, consider using an author bio template or some of the examples listed in this blog to inspire you on how to write your own author bio.

However, it goes without saying that before you can write an author bio, you need to have written a book or other piece of writing.

If you’re still in the main writing phase or have simply thought about writing and haven’t acted on it yet, my Book Writing Template can help. My system shows you how to map out your story and then piece it all together to write the best book that you can. Click here to download the template and start writing your book today.

« Previous Post Personal Development Plan Templates for Success Next Post » How to Develop a Habit That Will Last

About Brian Tracy — Brian is recognized as the top sales training and personal success authority in the world today. He has authored more than 60 books and has produced more than 500 audio and video learning programs on sales, management, business success and personal development, including worldwide bestseller The Psychology of Achievement. Brian's goal is to help you achieve your personal and business goals faster and easier than you ever imagined. You can follow him on Twitter , Facebook , Pinterest , Linkedin and Youtube .

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Home / Book Publishing / How to Write an Author Bio [With Examples and Templates]

How to Write an Author Bio [With Examples and Templates]

To write a great author bio, you need to know your target audience, cater to your genre, brag (but not too much), keep it brief, and call the reader to action.

When you’re self-publishing on Amazon , you need to put some serious thought into the author bio on your Amazon book page. Don’t haphazardly throw together some sentences and hit the publish button.

The author bio isn’t your most important tool. (The most essential tools are the book reviews , book cover , and synopsis/blurb .) But the author bio is another critical tool that you shouldn’t leave out.

Can I just leave my author bio out? No, you cannot just leave out your author bio, even if you wrote a short story or novella. It looks unprofessional, scares away potential readers, foregoes an opportunity to connect with your target audience, and leads to fewer book sales.

Plus, writing a good author bio doesn’t take that long.

If you’re not Grisham, or Godin, or Ferriss, or Fleming, very few people will buy a novel by you purely based on name recognition. So put a little work into your bio, and you won’t regret it.

Note: The Author Bio is just one of many parts of a book. I have a whole series of posts on the subject, and I highly recommend you check those out as well!

• What is an author bio?
• Examples of phenomenal author bios
• Tips on making a persuasive, engaging author bio
• How to add the bio to your book page
• An author bio template checklist

Table of contents

• What should an author's bio include?
• Is an author bio actually important?
• What’s your book about?
• Who are you writing for?
• 4 Writing Tips For Creating an Author Bio:
• Step 3: Add the Bio to Your Book Page
• Podcast Episode: The Perfect Picture For Your Author Bio
• 6 Examples of Phenomenal Author Bios
• Can you hire a freelancer to write your author bio?
• How to Write a Bio for Your Author Website
• Author Bio Template
• Where does your author bio go?
• How often should you update your “About the Author” page?

For clarification, on Amazon, there are 2 kinds of bio:

• The generic bio on your “ Author Page ”
• Separate bios for each of your books

The advice in this post is aimed at your bio on your individual book pages, although much of it will still be relevant to your main Author Page.

Why Should You Trust Me?

I've actually been writing and formatting books for a long time. Over 10 years so far, and counting.

But that's not the real reason, because there are plenty of authors who have lots of experience, but know next to nothing about the different parts of a book, or book formatting in general.

The real reason you should trust me is because I actually created my own formatting software that solved all my problems. I called it Atticus.

But this isn't meant to be a sales pitch. I just want to make sure it's clear that I know what I'm talking about. The amount of research that went into not only formatting my own books, but also creating a formatting software is huge.

I researched everything, which led me to learn all about every. single. part. of. a. book. And there were a lot more than I realized.

And of course, that includes the Author Bio.

So if all that makes sense, hopefully you'll come along with me as show you everything I've learned.

Also called “About the Author,” an author bio is:

• A paragraph about you as a writer
• Your credentials
• Your interests
• A call to action
• Other relevant information you want to share with your target audience

An author biography is your chance to connect with readers beyond just a byline.

Everyone needs a stellar front cover design, an attention-grabbing book title , and a sophisticated keyword strategy . But those book marketing musts simply draw users to see your book’s product page.

A good author bio (and book reviews and book description ) compels them to actually buy the book.

The author bio establishes you as the kind of writer whom your target market ought to read. It’s where you forge a connection with potential readers and get them to trust you. Readers should want to know what you have to say based on your author bio.

If you take the author bio seriously and get it right, you’ll sell more books.

You should include your name, relevant accomplishments, and a call to action in your author’s bio. Aim for a bio of 60-90 words in length.

If your book is humorous, inject humor. If your book is melodramatic, add a little melodrama. Tailor your bio to your genre, target audience, and the individual book it’s for.

If possible, include links to your website or social media , so people can find out more about you.

Include a picture when possible. This picture should be a professional headshot of you smiling or looking serious, depending on your genre. Do not skimp on the headshot. An unprofessional author headshot screams low-quality content.

Yes, a good author bio is actually important because:

• It builds credibility
• It affirms whether what you have to say is worth reading
• It tells your target audience that you have written a book for them
• Readers may relate to your personal story
• You will sell more books

“No one reads the author bio,” I hear you say. But you’re wrong. While not everyone cares about the author’s bio, some care a lot.

First of all, unless you’re a household name, you must build credibility with the reader. If a reader doesn’t think you’re credible, they will read your book with a cynical eye and judge every mistake they find. Or worse, they won’t buy your book in the first place.

Second of all, more than ever, consumers are buying books from writers they want to support. If someone learns more about and relates to the author, they are much more likely to buy.

Increase Your Book Marketing

See the Publisher Rocket effect, when you use the right keywords and categories to help get your book seen more on Amazon.

How to Write a Powerful Author Bio for Your Book

Here are 3 steps to write an awesome author bio (About the Author) and upload it onto Amazon:

• Figure out your genre and target audience
• Write the bio
• Add the bio to your book page

How do you write a bio for a first-time author? First-time authors might not be able to include any literary accomplishments, like other best-selling books and prestigious awards. But first-time writers can include relevant expertise that pertains to your book. Also, any author can inject personality and a call to action, no matter if this is their first book.

Step 1 : Figure Out Your Genre and Target Audience

Answer these 2 crucial questions to understand your genre and target audience:

Your author bio needs to compliment the genre and subject matter of your book. Bios irrelevant to the book confuse potential readers.

While this may seem like obvious advice, a lot of irrelevant content finds its way into many author bios. Consider:

• If your nightmare-inducing horror novel contains a perky and cheerful author description about your love for puppies and former career as a glassblower, you forfeit an opportunity to connect readers with your writing.
• If your middle-grade comedy has an author bio that reads like a middle school textbook , your audience may be confused whether you’re able to write comedy.
• If your book is a contemporary romance novel with a middle-aged female protagonist, your author bio’s personality and content should relate to the right target audience.
• If you’re writing about tax-deduction strategies for real estate investors, your bio should present your expertise — why anyone should listen to you on the subject.
• If your book is a spiritual guide to personal growth, some life-affirming positivity will improve your bio.

You need to think about your target reader. Hopefully, you had a type of reader in mind when writing the book . You always need to know who would want to buy and read your book.

Figure out your target reader, then write your author bio for that person.

For non-fiction authors, your ideal reader probably wants to read your credentials, your life experience, and what qualifies you to speak on a particular topic.

For fiction writers, your ideal reader may be looking for a unique, exciting personality to come out through the bio. You may briefly include credibility-building credentials, such as if you earned an MFA in Creative Writing.

In many cases, creating an “avatar” of your customer — with a name, location, and personality — is a valuable way to both develop your author bio and strategically target your book marketing efforts. Check out this guide on how to create a customer avatar.

Don’t add information “just in case” a different kind of reader might appreciate it. You end up with a behemoth of a bio that no one reads because it’s too daunting and unfocused.

Step 2 : Write the Bio

Now you need to write the actual words of the bio. Stick to this checklist on how to write an author bio:

• Begin with a punchy, impactful first sentence.
• Introduce your area of expertise or your unique personality, depending on the genre.
• Build credibility without overly bragging.
• Add a personal touch, such as a relatable profession or quirky hobby.
• Finish on a call to action (check out the new book, follow you on social media, etc.).

While you’re writing, always ask yourself, “Is this relevant to my reader?”

Most readers won’t care where you were born (unless it’s a book about where you live), what high school you went to, or that you always wanted to become a full-time writer.

This isn’t to say that your bio should be impersonal. On the contrary! This is your opportunity to make readers feel like they know you. Your personality and/or expertise should make them want to read what you wrote.

• Write in the third person. “About the author” demands the third person. While it may feel a bit weird to write “he” or “she” rather than “I” in the first person, there’s one significant benefit: Your relevant accomplishments and accolades will sound far less boastful.
• Don’t brag too much . Don't go overboard showing off because everyone knows you wrote it. Even if the author bio is in the third person, state your achievements, but don’t become a braggart. Sprinkle in a bit of humility and modesty as well.
• Keep your author bio short. The faster they can read about you, the faster they can buy your book. Aim for 60-90 words and don’t go above 150. It takes effort and practice to distill everything into such a short space. Once you’ve nailed it, you can fit a great deal of personality and information into those 60-90 words.
• Use the bio like a business card . Give readers a way to interact with you by adding your website or social media info. At the very least, they’ll be able to find out more about you and explore your other works. Adding this info at the end is the most common call to action in author bios.

Step 3 : Add the Bio to Your Book Page

You can add your author bio to your Amazon book page by visiting Amazon Author Central , select your book, and add it in the “About the Author” section.

You can add the “About the Author” page into your back matter for a physical book. On most word processors like Scrivener or Vellum, you should be able to generate the author bio into your print-ready file.

But one really annoying bit about adding an author bio to most books is that you have to copy and paste it for every book. This gets cumbersome when you have ten books and need to make one tiny change in each of them.

Unfortunately, most programs like Vellum and Scrivener do not have a way to do “templates” where you update a single Author Bio page, and it gets updated across all your books.

But Atticus can.

In Atticus you can save as a template and then reuse that template wherever you want. And the best part is, if you change the template, it will change it for all your books. Check it out!

Here are some real-life author bios from Amazon or on a back cover that combine most or all of the tips above:

Forgotten Legacy : Robin Perini, the Publisher’s Weekly and internationally bestselling author of Forgotten Secrets, is devoted to giving her readers fast-paced, high-stakes adventures with a love story sure to melt their hearts. A RITA Award finalist and winner of the prestigious Romance Writers of America Golden Heart Award in 2011, she is also a nationally acclaimed writing instructor. By day, she’s an analyst for an advanced technology corporation, but in honor of her mother, Robin has become a passionate advocate for those who battle Alzheimer’s disease. She loves to hear from readers. Visit her web­site at www.robinperini.com.

[Length: 97 words]

D a mn Delicious Meal Prep: 115 Easy Recipes for Low-Calories, High-Energy Living : Chungah Rhee is the founder, recipe developer, and photographer of Damn Delicious. What began as a grad school hobby is now a top food blog, with millions of readers coming to her site for easy weeknight recipes and simplified gourmet meals. She lives and continues to cook non-stop in Los Angeles, with her corgi, Butters. Her first cookbook was published in 2016 by Oxmoor House. Visit her at damndelicious.net.

[Length: 70 words]

Long Range Shooting Handbook: Complete Beginner's Guide to Long Range Shooting : “Ryan Cleckner served as a special operations sniper team leader with the U.S. Army's elite 1st Ranger Bn. on multiple combat deployments. He is a graduate of the premier Special Operations Target Interdiction Course (SOTIC), among other military training courses, and has taught snipers and police sharpshooters from around the world. Ryan has a series of online instructional videos known for their ability to explain complex topics in a simple and digestible way. Ryan is currently a firearms industry professional and an attorney.”

[Length: 83 words]

Diary of a Farting Creeper: Why Does the Creeper Fart When He Should Explode? (Volume 1) : Who is Wimpy Fart? Wimpy Fart loves Minecraft and writes awesome Minecraft books for YOU because you are the best Minecraft fans in the world. You can email Wimpy Fart to tell him about your favorite Minecraft books, or to talk about really loud farts. [email protected] Oh – Wimpy Fart reads all your awesome Amazon reviews and likes to know what you want to read about in Minecraft books!

[Length: 68 words]

Joanna Penn writes non-fiction books for authors and is an award-nominated, New York Times and USA Today bestselling thriller author as J.F. Penn. She’s a podcaster and an award-winning creative entrepreneur. Her site, TheCreativePenn.com has been voted in the Top 100 sites for writers by Writer's Digest.

[Length: 49 words]

John Scalzi writes books, which, considering where you’re reading this, makes perfect sense. He’s best known for writing science fiction, including the New York Times bestseller Redshirts, which won the Hugo Award for Best Novel. He also writes non-fiction, on subjects ranging from personal finance to astronomy to film, was the Creative Consultant for the Stargate: Universe television series. He enjoys pie, as should all right thinking people. You can get to his blog by typing the word “Whatever” into Google. No, seriously, try it.

[Length: 85 words]

If you're looking for author bio perfection, Scalzi’s is as close as you're gonna find. His bio lends himself credibility, demonstrates his personality, and has one of the most unique calls to action you'll ever read. How many of you actually googled “whatever” just now?

Yes, you can hire a freelance writer or a ghostwriter to write your author bio to make sure it’s as amazing as it should be. Their creative writing know-how can produce a bio worthy of a good read and help you better connect with your audience if you’re having a hard time with the bio.

Hopefully, because you’re a writer, you’re able to follow the steps in this article to create your own bio. But in many cases, writing about yourself is more challenging than writing any other prose. (No shame, I promise!)

To write an author bio for your website, follow these 8 tips and tricks:

• Determine what your book’s about, and tailor your bio to compliment the style and tone.
• Determine your target audience, and tailor your bio to attract those specific readers.
• Begin your bio with a punchy first sentence.
• Build credibility by demonstrating your accomplishments, but don’t brag too much.
• Add links to relevant interviews (on NPR or PBS, for example), news articles (ever been featured in The Wall Street Journal ?), and Amazon sales pages.
• Finish with a call to action — perhaps a link to your sales page.
• Make sure your word count is 60-90 words.
• When you review it, take out all irrelevant words. Will your target audience care about each word? If not, take that word out.

On an author’s website , you can go into more detail, list more important works or achievements, and link to other pages on your website to find more info.

Also, an author website bio lends itself more to the first-person than a book page bio. Feel free to use first person or third person, as long as you stick to one or the other.

There's no one-size-fits-all approach, but the following checklist provides a structure you can use as an author bio template:

• Add a personal touch, such as a hobby or favorite TV show.
• Finish on a call to action (check out the new book, follow on social media, etc.).

If you browse bestselling author bios, you'll notice they tend to follow this sequence.

The content and tone you include in your author bio will depend on several factors:

• Content and tone of your book
• Genre (or multiple genres)
• Previous works
• Previous achievements
• Personal preference
• Medium (eBook only, literary magazine, etc.)

In a print book, your author bio should go in the back matter of your book or on the dust jacket sleeve.

You should also place an author bio on your website that goes into a little more detail than the bio in your book.

For an eBook on Amazon, your author bio goes below the suggested books. Here are the headings that appear before the “About the Author” section:

You should update your “About the Author” page or individual author bios any time something significant changes in your life or career, especially honors and awards or when your next book comes out.

Publish a new book? Update all your old bios.

Win an award? Update all your old bios.

Featured on a famous talk show? You may want to update all your old bios.

Going through a divorce or other major family issues? If you mention your spouse or now-estranged children in your bio, you may want to change that. (I know that’s dark, but it happens and is worth considering.)

Earn a prestigious honor or academic position? You know what you should do.

I’ll show you mine…

In summary, the steps in this post take you through everything you need when writing your own author bio. Refer to them when you start writing – and you’ll have an engaging author bio that should easily sell more books.

My own author bio is listed just below for reference (and ridicule, if you like).

I don't have to tell you, I'm pretty much a techy goofball. Hopefully, my bio does a great job of conveying just that. Using humor and an upbeat tone, I want to let Kindlepreneur readers know exactly who I am as a content writer in 34 words.

Special thanks to John Scalzi for inspiring me to write this specific type of bio.

Dave Chesson

When I’m not sipping tea with princesses or lightsaber dueling with little Jedi, I’m a book marketing nut. Having consulted multiple publishing companies and NYT best-selling authors, I created Kindlepreneur to help authors sell more books. I’ve even been called “The Kindlepreneur” by Amazon publicly, and I’m here to help you with your author journey.

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67 thoughts on “ How to Write an Author Bio [With Examples and Templates] ”

After one year locked at home because of COVID-19, I decided to have as much fun as I had when teaching at school. That’s how “A Modern Superhero” was born. I enjoy good food, that’s why I need to do some exercise. By the way, run to my social media for some free perks.

Should I or should I not say what my day job is? Yes it has and no it hasn’t to do with my books. As I am an architect, I have well-structured novels! Lol. But is that boring? As I am not a van driver or pizza delivery girl, why would it interest anyone. I don’t know what’s boring anymore. Please help! Thanks.

Depending on your niche or subject, not sure. I’ll guess that you’re writing some sort of fiction. If that is the case, a mention of something that is important to you is fine, but don’t drag it on and focus on it. If you’ve used levity in your writing, then you can say something like “Architect by day, crime novelist by night.”

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How To Write An Author Bio (With Examples And Templates)

So you've written a book or started a blog and now need to craft an author bio to help readers get to know you. An author bio is one of the most important parts of establishing your writing platform, but it can also be one of the hardest to write. How do you condense your life's story and writing experience into a few short paragraphs? How do you make yourself sound accomplished yet approachable?

Don't worry, we've got you covered. In this article, we'll walk you through how to write an engaging author bio from scratch. We'll provide examples and templates to get you started, tips for choosing the right tone and perspective, and advice for including the key details that help connect you to your readers. By the end, you'll have all the tools you need to craft an author bio you can be proud to share. Writing about yourself doesn't have to be awkward or intimidating. With the right mindset and approach, you can make it fun and help your unique author voice shine through.

What Is an Author Bio and Why Is It Important?

An author bio is a short biography of yourself that accompanies your written work. Whether you're publishing a book, starting a blog, or pitching to media, an author bio helps establish your credibility and connect with your audience.

As an author, your bio is one of the first things people will read to get a sense of who you are. It should highlight your relevant experience, accomplishments, and qualifications in an authentic yet compelling way.

An author bio is an important part of your platform as a writer. It helps build credibility with your readers and establishes you as an authority in your niche. Keep your bio concise yet compelling, focusing on your most significant accomplishments and credentials. Use an authentic and friendly tone to connect with your audience on a personal level. Update your bio regularly to keep it current. With a strong author bio, you'll make a great first impression on anyone who reads your work.

Elements to Include in Your Author Bio

An author bio allows readers to quickly glimpse who you are and your background. The elements you include can help establish your credibility and connect with your audience. Here are some of the key things you’ll want to incorporate into your author bio:

1. Your name

Include your full name so readers know exactly who you are. You can also include any credentials or titles you may have. For example, “John Doe, Ph.D.”

2. A brief bio

Give readers a short 1-2 sentence bio summing up who you are and what you do. For example, “John Doe is a freelance writer and marketing consultant.” Keep this high level without too many details.

3. Your areas of expertise

Mention 1-3 areas you have expertise or experience in. For example, “John Doe specializes in content marketing, email marketing, and social media strategy.” This helps establish your credibility and lets readers know what topics you can knowledgeably write about.

4. A personal detail

Adding a personal detail or fun fact can help humanize you and connect with readers. But keep it light and avoid anything too controversial. For example, “When he's not writing, John enjoys hiking, cooking, and spending time with his family.”

5. Social media links

If you have social media profiles related to your writing or area of expertise, include links to them in your bio. For example:

Twitter: @johndoe

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/johndoe

An author bio is a key part of your online presence as a writer. Keep it concise yet compelling, highlight your experience and expertise, and make a personal connection with readers. Follow these tips and you'll be crafting an author bio that represents you well in no time!

How to Write an Author Bio in 5 Easy Steps

Writing an author bio is an important way to connect with your readers and build your credibility as a writer. Here are five easy steps to craft an engaging author bio:

Step #1 Choose a Style and Perspective

Decide if you want to write your bio in first or third person. First person (“I have been writing for 10 years”) tends to be more personal while third person (“John Doe has been writing for 10 years”) sounds more professional. Think about your audience and writing style to determine which perspective fits best.

Step #2 Share Some Background

Give the reader a sense of your background and qualifications. Mention your areas of expertise, degrees or certifications, and years of experience. Keep this high-level without too many specific details. For example, “Jane Doe has over 20 years of experience as a content writer and has developed expertise in health and wellness topics.”

Step #3 Discuss Your Writing

Talk about your writing experience, style, and any publications or accomplishments. For example, “John Doe has published over 200 articles on Medium covering a range of productivity and lifestyle topics. His writing is known for its simple yet engaging style and actionable advice.” You can also mention any awards or recognition you’ve received.

Step #4 Share Some Personal Interests (Optional)

Include some of your personal interests and pursuits to give readers a more well-rounded sense of who you are. For example, “When not writing, Jane enjoys yoga, cooking, and spending time with family.” This part of the bio is optional but helps to humanize you and build a personal connection with readers.

Step #5 Review and Refine

Read through your draft bio and look for any areas that could be improved. Get feedback from others as well. Refine and edit your bio to ensure the tone and content are aligned with your brand and goals. Keep your bio to 2-3 short paragraphs for the best results.

With these steps, you'll be able to craft an author bio that highlights your experience, expertise, and personality. Your bio is a key part of your online presence as an author, so take the time to get it right!

Dos and Don'ts for Your Author Bio

When crafting your author bio, there are a few dos and don'ts to keep in mind:

• Do keep it short and sweet. Your bio should be 3 to 4 sentences at most. Any longer and readers may lose interest. Stick to the essentials about your background and experience.
• Do focus on your credentials and qualifications. Mention any relevant degrees, certifications or areas of expertise that make you an authority on your subject matter. For example, “John Doe has a PhD in Psychology from Harvard University and over 10 years of experience as a practicing therapist.”
• Do include a fun fact. Adding an interesting personal detail helps to humanize you and build a connection with readers. For instance, “When he’s not writing, John enjoys hiking with his two dogs and learning to cook Indian cuisine.”
• Don’t exaggerate or misrepresent yourself. Be authentic and honest. Lying or stretching the truth will only damage your credibility and reputation in the long run.
• Don’t get too personal. While a fun fact is fine, avoid oversharing details about your family life, health issues, religious views or other topics that don’t relate directly to your work. Your bio should maintain a sense of professionalism.
• Don’t use clichés or meaningless adjectives. Phrases like “passion for writing” or “expert communicator” are overused and ineffective. Show your expertise through concrete facts and examples instead.

Author Bio Examples

Writing an engaging author bio can be challenging. Here are 10 examples to model your own after:

1. The Humble Expert

"John Smith has over 20 years of experience as a business consultant. He has helped over 500 companies improve efficiency and increase profits. Outside of work, John enjoys hiking, reading, and spending time with family."

This bio highlights the author's experience and expertise while remaining humble and personable. The details about hobbies and family make him relatable.

2. The Aspiring Authority

"Jane Doe is the founder of ABC Company and an aspiring authority on leadership and management. She frequently blogs and speaks on topics like improving company culture, effective communication, and the habits of high-performance teams."

This bio establishes the author as an aspiring expert in her field who is actively working to build her authority through content creation and public speaking.

3. The Lifelong Learner

"Mike Johnson has been a lifelong learner and educator. He has degrees in Psychology, Education, and Leadership. Mike has spent over 15 years teaching personal development skills to students around the world. He writes to share the life lessons and wisdom gained from his diverse experiences, adventures, failures, and continued learning."

This bio highlights the author's passion for continuous self-improvement and sharing knowledge with others. The tone is inspiring and reflective.

4. The Relatable Role Model

"Sara Williams is a mother of three, marathon runner, and health coach. She knows firsthand the challenges of balancing family, fitness, and a career. Through her writing and coaching, Sara aims to motivate and inspire women to pursue their goals and dreams despite obstacles or setbacks."

This bio establishes the author as a relatable role model for readers by highlighting shared life experiences and values. The uplifting and empowering tone is appealing.

5. The Quirky Character

"When Jack isn't writing or daydreaming up his next story, he enjoys woodworking, stargazing, and birdwatching—though not usually at the same time. Jack lives with his wife, two kids, and an energetic border collie in the Pacific Northwest. He likes pizza, craft beer, and all things retro."

This playful bio gives readers a glimpse into the author's quirky personality and varied interests with personable details. The lighthearted and humorous tone creates an instant connection with readers.

6. The Multifaceted Creative

"Emily Clark is a true creative at heart, with a passion for photography, painting, and writing. Her artistic endeavors serve as a means of self-expression and allow her to explore the world through different mediums. Emily's work often captures the beauty of everyday life, showcasing the extraordinary in the ordinary."

This bio introduces Emily as a versatile artist who finds inspiration in various forms of creativity. Her ability to capture the essence of everyday moments and transform them into art is a testament to her unique perspective and talent.

7. The Globetrotting Explorer

"Alex Rodriguez is an avid traveler and adventurer, always seeking new experiences and connections around the globe. From climbing Mount Kilimanjaro to diving in the Great Barrier Reef, Alex's wanderlust has taken him to breathtaking destinations. Through his writing, he shares captivating stories and insights gained from his journeys."

This bio showcases Alex as an intrepid explorer who embraces the thrill of discovering new cultures and landscapes. His travel experiences enrich his storytelling, offering readers a glimpse into the wonders of the world.

8. The Tech Guru

"Sarah Thompson is a tech enthusiast and expert, passionate about the latest advancements and their impact on society. With a background in computer science, Sarah has a deep understanding of emerging technologies like artificial intelligence and blockchain. Through her writing, she simplifies complex concepts, making them accessible to readers of all backgrounds."

This bio positions Sarah as a knowledgeable authority in the ever-evolving world of technology. Her ability to bridge the gap between technical jargon and everyday readers makes her an invaluable resource for those seeking clarity in the digital age.

9. The Advocate for Change

"Michael Nguyen is a dedicated advocate for social justice and equality. Through his writing, he sheds light on pressing issues such as racial discrimination, gender inequality, and environmental sustainability. Michael's powerful words aim to inspire individuals to take action and create a more just and inclusive world."

This bio highlights Michael's commitment to raising awareness and driving positive change. His passion for justice resonates throughout his writing, empowering readers to become agents of transformation in their communities.

10. The Historical Storyteller

"Elizabeth Turner is a captivating historical storyteller, bringing the past to life with her vivid narratives and meticulous research. With a passion for uncovering forgotten tales and exploring different eras, Elizabeth transports readers to bygone worlds, immersing them in the rich tapestry of history."

This bio paints Elizabeth as a masterful weaver of stories, skillfully intertwining facts with imagination to create a mesmerizing journey through time. Her unwavering dedication to historical accuracy ensures that readers not only enjoy her narratives but also gain a deeper understanding of the past.

Author Bio Templates

Whether you're publishing a book or starting a blog, an author bio is an important way to connect with your readers and build your credibility as a writer. The good news is, author bios follow a pretty standard template you can use to craft your own.

Here are some examples to get you started:

Short Bio (50-100 words)

Use this for a quick intro on your blog, social media profiles, or the back of your book:

• [Your name] is a [your profession] and [other relevant info, e.g. award or accomplishment]. [He/She] lives in [location] with [his/her] [family member(s)]. [His/Her] [hobby or interest] include [activity 1], [activity 2], and [activity 3].

Medium Bio (100-150 words)

This provides a high-level overview of your background and credentials:

• [Your name] is a [your profession] and [other relevant info, e.g. award or accomplishment]. [He/She] has over [X] years of experience [in your field or relevant experience]. [His/Her] work has appeared in [publications or media outlets].
• Outside of work, [he/she] enjoys [hobby 1], [hobby 2], and [hobby 3]. [He/She] lives in [location] with [his/her] [family members]. [His/Her] latest [project or work] is [book title or blog name].

Longer Bio (200-500 words)

Use this on your website or in proposals to give readers a comprehensive sense of your experience and qualifications:

• [Your name] is a [your profession] and [other relevant info, e.g. award or accomplishment] with over [X] years of experience. [He/She] is passionate about [your work or area of expertise] because [reasons and motivations].
• [His/Her] work has appeared in [publications or media outlets]. [He/She] has written [X] books including [book title 1], [book title 2], and [book title 3]. [His/Her] latest [project or work] is [book title or blog name].
• Outside of work, [he/she] enjoys [hobby 1], [hobby 2], and [hobby 3]. [He/She] lives in [location] with [his/her] [family members].

Using these templates, you can craft an author bio that gives readers a well-rounded sense of who you are and builds your credibility.

Use Hypotenuse AI to Write Your First Author Bio

You've come this far, so why not take it all the way? Writing your author bio doesn't have to be difficult or time-consuming. Using a tool like Hypotenuse AI can help make the process fast and painless.

Hypotenuse AI is designed specifically to help authors craft compelling author bios . All you have to do is provide some basic details about yourself and your writing, and the AI will generate a draft bio for you. You can then easily review and revise the draft to ensure it captures your unique voice and story. Give it a try and let artificial intelligence help craft your compelling author bio!

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Blogs / For Writers / How to Write an Author Bio (with Examples)

How to Write an Author Bio (with Examples)

You’ve done the hard part. You’ve written your novel, self-edited it, and sent it off to a professional editor (hopefully, a Fictionary Certified StoryCoach Editor —wink, wink, nudge, nudge).

Now it’s time to write your author bio.

My what now?

That’s right! You’re going to have to talk about… *gulps* yourself.

But Shane, you cry in a fit of writerly existential angst, what exactly is an author bio, and what do I put in it? Honestly, I’m pretty boring, and people don’t really want to know about me, do they?

Au contraire, my author chum!

But fear not. By the time you’ve finished reading this, you’ll be able to write your author bio with confidence and ease.

What Is an Author Biography?

An author biography is a short summary of you and your life, your credentials, and your writing. It is the first thing agents and readers will learn about you, so it’s essential that it reflects you well.

Is an Author Biography Important?

In a word, yes.

Unless you’re a mega-famous author like Stephen King or Nora Roberts, nobody is going to know who you are and (more crucially) what you write unless you tell them.

Your author bio is a great tool for sharing the key facts (and personal tidbits) readers need to know about you before deciding whether they know, like, and trust you enough to buy you books.

Let’s get into the nuts and bolts of all things author bio.

What to Include in an Author Bio

Your author bio should include:

• The Essentials: Readers need to know who you are and what you write, because if you write fantasy and they read romance, you’re not the right fit, and you want to attract all the fantasy readers
• Successes, Qualifications and Accolades: This is not a spot to humble-brag, because no-one likes that, but you should mention one or two key achievements to help build credibility with readers
• Personality: Share something personal with the reader, and give them a taste of what makes you, well… you

Now you know the what, let’s check out the how, and put your author bio together.

How Long Should an Author Bio Be?

Think of your author biography as an elevator pitch. An elevator pitch is roughly 30 seconds in which you need to get across who you are and your key points.

So, how much can you say in 30 seconds? Roughly 60-100 words. But really, the shorter the better. Your author bio short be simple and concise.

5 Tips for How to Write an Author Biography

Book bio tip #1: less is more.

The trick to crafting a great author bio is to keep it brief. Remember, your author bio gives the reader a snapshot of your author-self and should get them interested in reading your books.

Readers attention spans are short.

Want a challenge?

See if you can condense your author bio down to 100 words.

You can stop glaring daggers at me now.

You should be able to tell readers everything they need to know in 100 words. Remember, this is not war and peace. If you want to sell yourself make it short and snappy.

Save the mammoth word counts for your novels.

Book Bio Tip #2: Write in Third Person

While you would think writing your author bio in the first person draws readers in by giving it that intimate touch, using first person here just looks strange.

Go look up all the best-selling traditional and indie-published authors in your genre and you’ll see they write their author bios in third person. Readers are used to seeing third person author bios. In other words, they trust a third person author bio.

And readers buy books from authors they know, like and trust.

Book Bio Tip #3: Start with the Essentials

Here’s an example from mystery and thriller author Tom Fowler:

“Tom Fowler was born and raised in Baltimore and still resides in Maryland. He is the author of the C.T. Ferguson mysteries and the John Tyler thrillers, both of which are set in his home city.”

In two simple sentences, Fowler tells us who he is and what he writes.

Book Bio Tip #4: Highlight Successes Without Bragging

Here’s an example from thriller and non-fiction author Joanna Penn:

“Joanna has a Masters in Theology from the University of Oxford, Mansfield College, and a post-graduate diploma in Psychology from the University of Auckland, New Zealand.”

Penn’s fiction is packed with religion and psychology, so these qualifications are relevant to her work.

Book Bio Tip #5: Show Some Personality

This one is key.

To close your author bio, tell the reader a little something about you, and show off your personality. This will help you connect with like-minded readers.

Here’s an example from YA fantasy and non-fiction author Sacha Black:

“When she’s not writing, she can be found laughing inappropriately loud, sniffing musty old books, fangirling film and TV soundtracks, or thinking up new ways to break the rules.”

Black’s brand is all about being a rebel author, so this line works perfectly.

Writer Bio Conclusion

Can you see how, by following a simple structure, you can write a compelling author bio guaranteed to attract the right readers?

In summary:

• Tell readers who you are and what you write
• Share a couple of awards, qualifications or accolades to build credibility, but don’t humble-brag
• Add in some personality to make your author bio fun and engaging.

What are you waiting for?

Go forth and write your compelling author bio!

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8 Great Author Bio Examples, Analyzed

There’s some awkwardness in composing an author bio, whether you’re an established author or a debut novelist. Its purpose is to concisely share any relevant qualifications or accolades you have, and perhaps show some personality if you feel like it and it’s genre-appropriate. The bio isn’t likely to be the deciding factor when it comes to someone choosing to buy a copy of your book (though it certainly matters more in nonfiction than fiction, where some level of expertise is expected), but it’s very much worth taking the time to write one thoughtfully, even if drawing attention to yourself makes you uncomfortable.

Since there isn’t a single right way to write a great author bio, I've collected 8 case studies that showcase the range you can work within.

1. Ruth Ozeki

“Ruth Ozeki is a novelist, filmmaker and Zen Buddhist priest. She is the author of three novels: My Year of Meats, All Over Creation and A Tale for the Time Being, which was shortlisted for the 2013 Man Booker Prize and translated into 28 languages. She has also written a short memoir, The Face: A Time Code. She is affiliated with the Everyday Zen Foundation and lives in Northampton, Massachusetts, where she teaches creative writing at Smith College and is the Grace Jarcho Ross 1933 Professor of Humanities.”

At this point in her career, Ozeki is a widely recognized writer, so her bio is less about ‘proving’ herself, and more about giving readers a sense of who she is and where her interests lie. She identifies as a filmmaker and Zen Buddhist priest, which reflects some of her passions, and prepares readers for the heartwarming, thoughtful storytelling they can find in her work.

2. Jessica Andrews

“Jessica Andrews writes fiction. Her debut novel, Saltwater, was published in 2019 and won the Portico Prize in 2020 and her second novel, Milk Teeth, was published in 2022. She is a Contributing Editor for ELLE magazine and she writes for the Guardian, the Independent, BBC Radio 4 and Stylist, among others. She was nominated for the ELLE List in 2020 and shortlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction Futures in 2022. She co-runs literary and arts magazine, The Grapevine, and co-presents literary podcast, Tender Buttons. She is a Lecturer in Creative Writing at City University, London.”

Jessica Andrews is still at the start of a promising literary career, having very recently published two novels. The range of activities she lists in her bio show a writer who’s keeping busy, relevant in the media, and quickly gathering esteem in the literary community. Experience teaching creative writing is always a persuasive note to end on — if young writers are learning the ropes of the craft with your help, that’s something that will make your readers trust your work more.

3. Gretchen McCulloch

“Gretchen McCulloch is an internet linguist and the author of Because Internet: Understanding the New Rules of Language. She is the Resident Linguist at Wired and the co-creator of Lingthusiasm, a podcast that's enthusiastic about linguistics. She lives in Montreal, but also on the internet.”

This nonfiction bio keeps it simple: the author is a linguist whose life is all about linguistics: it’s her job, as well as her hobby podcast. With the short but intriguing note at the end (“She lives in Montreal, but also on the internet.”) McCulloch succinctly hints at the playfulness and sense of humor that pervades her writing about linguistics, efficiently giving readers an idea of what her writing is like.

4. Bryan Washington

“Bryan Washington is a writer from Houston. His fiction and essays have appeared in, among other publications, the New York Times, New York Times Magazine, the New Yorker, the BBC, Vulture and the Paris Review. He's also a National Book Foundation 5 Under 35 winner, the recipient of an Ernest J. Gaines Award, a PEN/Robert W. Bingham prize finalist, a National Book Critics Circle John Leonard Prize finalist, the recipient of an O. Henry Award and the winner of the 2020 International Dylan Thomas Prize.”

This example shows how little showmanship is required when you’ve got enough accolades to pack your bio. Washington sticks to the facts, which speak for themselves. He’s been published in every writer’s dream publications , and won a series of jaw-dropping awards. There’s really no need for him to try and do anything else in this bio. He’s also writing literary fiction, the genre where prestige is most important, so this summary of his career is ready to impress any intrigued lit fic readers.

5. Ayanna Lloyd Banwo

“Ayanna Lloyd Banwo is a writer from Trinidad & Tobago. She is a graduate of the University of the West Indies and holds an MA in Creative Writing from the University of East Anglia, where she is now a Creative and Critical Writing PhD candidate. Her work has been published in Moko Magazine, Small Axe and PREE, among others, and shortlisted for Small Axe Literary Competition and the Wasafiri New Writing Prize. When We Were Birds is her first novel; she is now working on her second. Ayanna lives with her husband in London.”

Ayanna Lloyd Banwo’s bio opens by stating where she’s from, namely Trinidad and Tobago. This isn’t obligatory for all non-US or UK authors at all, but it often feels like an important thing to say if your cultural background is important to you or your work (I do it too). Beyond that, she mentions her education, showing her longtime engagement with literary work. This is a common thing to mention for young or debut authors who haven’t yet amassed award nominations, and in this case it clearly signals that Lloyd Banwo has a strong educational background, a growing publication record, and much promise for the future.

6. Rainbow Rowell

“Rainbow Rowell writes all kinds of stuff. Sometimes she writes about adults (ATTACHMENTS, LANDLINE). Sometimes she writes about teenagers (ELEANOR & PARK, FANGIRL). Sometimes — actually, a lot of the time — she writes about lovesick vampires and guys with dragon wings (THE SIMON SNOW TRILOGY). Recently, she's been writing comics, including her first graphic novel, PUMPKINHEADS, and the monthly SHE-HULK comic for Marvel. She lives in Omaha, Nebraska.”

It’s interesting to see how genre affects bios — in more commercial genres, there’s more room for authors to be informal and playful in the way they describe themselves. Here, Rainbow Rowell humorously summarizes her wide range of interests in a friendly, chatty way that appeals best to the readers of her work, be they adult readers of romance, teenage or young adult readers of YA romance or fantasy, or comic fans. She’s clearly keeping busy, and any reader of her bio knows to expect energetic, irreverent writing.

7. Elizabeth Lilly

“Elizabeth Lilly is an author-illustrator, animator, and graphic designer. Elizabeth was a reading, doodling daydreamer in high school, and, unsure of her path, went to architecture school at Virginia Tech for college. Elizabeth graduated from college in May of 2014. She now makes her stories in a little old house in the little old city of Baltimore, Maryland. Geraldine is her debut picture book.”

Speaking of playful genres, children’s books are definitely the part of the literary world where whimsical bios are most tolerated (and encouraged). Here, personality matters more than accolades, as Elizabeth Lilly’s bio shows. Lilly quickly paints a picture of her character: a reader, daydreamer, a human being finding her path. In other words, very much the imaginative and playful company you might like your child to be in, if you’re going to read a picture book together. The “little old house in the little old city of Baltimore” detail captures a sense of what her work for children will feel like: cute, warm, and welcoming.

8. Chris Power

“Chris Power is the author of A Lonely Man and Mothers, which was shortlisted for the Edge Hill Short Story Prize. He lives in London.”

This example is a reminder that bios don’t need to be paragraph-long overtures to your personal accomplishments. If you feel more comfortable keeping your bio as short as possible, that’s absolutely fine — the only two ‘compulsory’ elements are any previously published books, and if you have them, at least one award nomination or win. That’s, essentially, what a bio boils down to: past publications and social validation. If taciturn is more your style, an author bio like Chris Power’s will do the job just fine.

This is a small sample, but on book jackets out there, you’ll find an even greater variety. For inspiration, look for bios in the same genre and career stage as you, but try not to obsess about bios if you can help it. It’s worthwhile trying to write one thoughtfully, but it’s not important enough to warrant an existential crisis!

Kleopatra Olympiou is a writer of literary fiction from Cyprus, and holds an MA in Creative Writing from Durham University. She’s previously written for Electric Literature, LitReactor, and Reedsy’s blog.

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Posted on Jun 30, 2023

How to Write a Biography: A 7-Step Guide [+Template]

From time to time, nonfiction authors become so captivated by a particular figure from either the present or the past, that they feel compelled to write an entire book about their life. Whether casting them as heroes or villains, there is an interesting quality in their humanity that compels these authors to revisit their life paths and write their story.

However, portraying someone’s life on paper in a comprehensive and engaging way requires solid preparation. If you’re looking to write a biography yourself, in this post we’ll share a step-by-step blueprint that you can follow. 

How to write a biography: 

1. Seek permission when possible 

2. research your subject thoroughly, 3. do interviews and visit locations, 4. organize your findings, 5. identify a central thesis, 6. write it using narrative elements, 7. get feedback and polish the text.

FREE RESOURCE

Biography Outline Template

Craft a satisfying story arc for your biography with our free template.

While you technically don’t need permission to write about public figures (or deceased ones), that doesn't guarantee their legal team won't pursue legal action against you. Author Kitty Kelley was sued by Frank Sinatra before she even started to write His Way , a biography that paints Ol Blue Eyes in a controversial light. (Kelley ended up winning the lawsuit, however).  

Whenever feasible, advise the subject’s representatives of your intentions. If all goes according to plan, you’ll get a green light to proceed, or potentially an offer to collaborate. It's a matter of common sense; if someone were to write a book about you, you would likely want to know about it well prior to publication. So, make a sincere effort to reach out to their PR staff to negotiate an agreement or at least a mutual understanding of the scope of your project. 

At the same time, make sure that you still retain editorial control over the project, and not end up writing a puff piece that treats its protagonist like a saint or hero. No biography can ever be entirely objective, but you should always strive for a portrayal that closely aligns with facts and reality.

If you can’t get an answer from your subject, or you’re asked not to proceed forward, you can still accept the potential repercussions and write an unauthorized biography . The “rebellious act” of publishing without consent indeed makes for great marketing, though it’ll likely bring more headaches with it too. 

✋ Please note that, like other nonfiction books, if you intend to release your biography with a publishing house , you can put together a book proposal to send to them before you even write the book. If they like it enough, they might pay you an advance to write it.  

Book Proposal Template

Craft a professional pitch for your nonfiction book with our handy template.

Once you’ve settled (or not) the permission part, it’s time to dive deep into your character’s story.  

Deep and thorough research skills are the cornerstone of every biographer worth their salt. To paint a vivid and accurate portrait of someone's life, you’ll have to gather qualitative information from a wide range of reliable sources. 

Start with the information already available, from books on your subject to archival documents, then collect new ones firsthand by interviewing people or traveling to locations. 

Browse the web and library archives

Put your researcher hat on and start consuming any piece on your subject you can find, from their Wikipedia page to news articles, interviews, TV and radio appearances, YouTube videos, podcasts, books, magazines, and any other media outlets they may have been featured in. 

Establish a system to orderly collect the information you find 一 even seemingly insignificant details can prove valuable during the writing process, so be sure to save them. 

Depending on their era, you may find most of the information readily available online, or you may need to search through university libraries for older references. 

For his landmark biography of Alexander Hamilton, Ron Chernow spent untold hours at Columbia University’s library , reading through the Hamilton family papers, visiting the New York Historical Society, as well as interviewing the archivist of the New York Stock Exchange, and so on. The research process took years, but it certainly paid off. Chernow discovered that Hamilton created the first five securities originally traded on Wall Street. This finding, among others, revealed his significant contributions to shaping the current American financial and political systems, a legacy previously often overshadowed by other founding fathers. Today Alexander Hamilton is one of the best-selling biographies of all time, and it has become a cultural phenomenon with its own dedicated musical. 

Besides reading documents about your subject, research can help you understand the world that your subject lived in. 

Try to understand their time and social environment

Many biographies show how their protagonists have had a profound impact on society through their philosophical, artistic, or scientific contributions. But at the same time, it’s worth it as a biographer to make an effort to understand how their societal and historical context influenced their life’s path and work.

An interesting example is Stephen Greenblatt’s Will in the World . Finding himself limited by a lack of verified detail surrounding William Shakespeare's personal life, Greenblatt, instead, employs literary interpretation and imaginative reenactments to transport readers back to the Elizabethan era. The result is a vivid (though speculative) depiction of the playwright's life, enriching our understanding of his world.

Many readers enjoy biographies that transport them to a time and place, so exploring a historical period through the lens of a character can be entertaining in its own right. The Diary of Samuel Pepys became a classic not because people were enthralled by his life as an administrator, but rather from his meticulous and vivid documentation of everyday existence during the Restoration period.

Once you’ve gotten your hands on as many secondary sources as you can find, you’ll want to go hunting for stories first-hand from people who are (or were) close to your subject.

With all the material you’ve been through, by now you should already have a pretty good picture of your protagonist. But you’ll surely have some curiosities and missing dots in their character arc to figure out, which you can only get by interviewing primary sources.

Interview friends and associates

This part is more relevant if your subject is contemporary, and you can actually meet up or call with relatives, friends, colleagues, business partners, neighbors, or any other person related to them. 

In writing the popular biography of Steve Jobs, Walter Isaacson interviewed more than one hundred people, including Jobs’s family, colleagues, former college mates, business rivals, and the man himself.

🔍 Read other biographies to get a sense of what makes a great one. Check out our list of the 30 best biographies of all time , or take our 30-second quiz below for tips on which one you should read next. 

Which biography should you read next?

Discover the perfect biography for you. Takes 30 seconds!

When you conduct your interviews, make sure to record them with high quality audio you can revisit later. Then use tools like Otter.ai or Descript to transcribe them 一 it’ll save you countless hours. 

You can approach the interview with a specific set of questions, or follow your curiosity blindly, trying to uncover revealing stories and anecdotes about your subject. Whatever your method, author and biography editor Tom Bromley suggests that every interviewer arrives prepared, "Show that you’ve done your work. This will help to put the interviewee at ease, and get their best answers.” 

Bromley also places emphasis on the order in which you conduct interviews. “You may want to interview different members of the family or friends first, to get their perspective on something, and then go directly to the main interviewee. You'll be able to use that knowledge to ask sharper, more specific questions.” 

Finally, consider how much time you have with each interviewee. If you only have a 30-minute phone call with an important person, make it count by asking directly the most pressing questions you have. And, if you find a reliable source who is also particularly willing to help, conduct several interviews and ask them, if appropriate, to write a foreword as part of the book’s front matter .

Sometimes an important part of the process is packing your bags, getting on a plane, and personally visiting significant places in your character’s journey.

Visit significant places in their life

A place, whether that’s a city, a rural house, or a bodhi tree, can carry a particular energy that you can only truly experience by being there. In putting the pieces together about someone’s life, it may be useful to go visit where they grew up, or where other significant events of their lives happened. It will be easier to imagine what they experienced, and better tell their story. 

In researching The Lost City of Z , author David Grann embarked on a trek through the Amazon, retracing the steps of British explorer Percy Fawcett. This led Grann to develop new theories about the circumstances surrounding the explorer's disappearance.

Hopefully, you won’t have to deal with jaguars and anacondas to better understand your subject’s environment, but try to walk into their shoes as much as possible. 

Once you’ve researched your character enough, it’s time to put together all the puzzle pieces you collected so far. 

Take the bulk of notes, media, and other documents you’ve collected, and start to give them some order and structure. A simple way to do this is by creating a timeline. 

Create a chronological timeline

It helps to organize your notes chronologically 一 from childhood to the senior years, line up the most significant events of your subject’s life, including dates, places, names and other relevant bits. 

You should be able to divide their life into distinct periods, each with their unique events and significance. Based on that, you can start drafting an outline of the narrative you want to create.  

Draft a story outline 

Since a biography entails writing about a person’s entire life, it will have a beginning, a middle, and an end. You can pick where you want to end the story, depending on how consequential the last years of your subject were. But the nature of the work will give you a starting character arc to work with. 

To outline the story then, you could turn to the popular Three-Act Structure , which divides the narrative in three main parts. In a nutshell, you’ll want to make sure to have the following:

• Act 1. Setup : Introduce the protagonist's background and the turning points that set them on a path to achieve a goal. 
• Act 2. Confrontation : Describe the challenges they encounter, both internal and external, and how they rise to them. Then..
• Act 3. Resolution : Reach a climactic point in their story in which they succeed (or fail), showing how they (and the world around them) have changed as a result. 

Only one question remains before you begin writing: what will be the main focus of your biography?

Think about why you’re so drawn to your subject to dedicate years of your life to recounting their own. What aspect of their life do you want to highlight? Is it their evil nature, artistic genius, or visionary mindset? And what evidence have you got to back that up? Find a central thesis or focus to weave as the main thread throughout your narrative. 

Or find a unique angle

If you don’t have a particular theme to explore, finding a distinct angle on your subject’s story can also help you distinguish your work from other biographies or existing works on the same subject.

Plenty of biographies have been published about The Beatles 一 many of which have different focuses and approaches: 

• Philip Norman's Shout is sometimes regarded as leaning more towards a pro-Lennon and anti-McCartney stance, offering insights into the band's inner dynamics. 
• Ian McDonald's Revolution in the Head closely examines their music track by track, shifting the focus back to McCartney as a primary creative force. 
• Craig Brown's One Two Three Four aims to capture their story through anecdotes, fan letters, diary entries, and interviews. 
• Mark Lewisohn's monumental three-volume biography, Tune In , stands as a testament to over a decade of meticulous research, chronicling every intricate detail of the Beatles' journey.

Finally, consider that biographies are often more than recounting the life of a person. Similar to how Dickens’ Great Expectations is not solely about a boy named Pip (but an examination and critique of Britain’s fickle, unforgiving class system), a biography should strive to illuminate a broader truth — be it social, political, or human — beyond the immediate subject of the book. 

Once you’ve identified your main focus or angle, it’s time to write a great story. 

While biographies are often highly informative, they do not have to be dry and purely expository in nature . You can play with storytelling elements to make it an engaging read. 

You could do that by thoroughly detailing the setting of the story , depicting the people involved in the story as fully-fledged characters , or using rising action and building to a climax when describing a particularly significant milestone of the subject’s life. 

One common way to make a biography interesting to read is starting on a strong foot…

Hook the reader from the start

Just because you're honoring your character's whole life doesn't mean you have to begin when they said their first word. Starting from the middle or end of their life can be more captivating as it introduces conflicts and stakes that shaped their journey.

When he wrote about Christopher McCandless in Into the Wild , author Jon Krakauer didn’t open his subject’s childhood and abusive family environment. Instead, the book begins with McCandless hitchhiking his way into the wilderness, and subsequently being discovered dead in an abandoned bus. By starting in medias res , Krakauer hooks the reader’s interest, before tracing back the causes and motivations that led McCandless to die alone in that bus in the first place.

You can bend the timeline to improve the reader’s reading experience throughout the rest of the story too…

Play with flashback 

While biographies tend to follow a chronological narrative, you can use flashbacks to tell brief stories or anecdotes when appropriate. For example, if you were telling the story of footballer Lionel Messi, before the climax of winning the World Cup with Argentina, you could recall when he was just 13 years old, giving an interview to a local newspaper, expressing his lifelong dream of playing for the national team. 

Used sparsely and intentionally, flashbacks can add more context to the story and keep the narrative interesting. Just like including dialogue does…

Reimagine conversations

Recreating conversations that your subject had with people around them is another effective way to color the story. Dialogue helps the reader imagine the story like a movie, providing a deeper sensory experience. 

One thing is trying to articulate the root of Steve Jobs’ obsession with product design, another would be to quote his father , teaching him how to build a fence when he was young: “You've got to make the back of the fence just as good looking as the front of the fence. Even though nobody will see it, you will know. And that will show that you're dedicated to making something perfect.”

Unlike memoirs and autobiographies, in which the author tells the story from their personal viewpoint and enjoys greater freedom to recall conversations, biographies require a commitment to facts. So, when recreating dialogue, try to quote directly from reliable sources like personal diaries, emails, and text messages. You could also use your interview scripts as an alternative to dialogue. As Tom Bromley suggests, “If you talk with a good amount of people, you can try to tell the story from their perspective, interweaving different segments and quoting the interviewees directly.”

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These are just some of the story elements you can use to make your biography more compelling. Once you’ve finished your manuscript, it’s a good idea to ask for feedback. 

If you’re going to self-publish your biography, you’ll have to polish it to professional standards. After leaving your work to rest for a while, look at it with fresh eyes and self-edit your manuscript eliminating passive voice, filler words, and redundant adverbs. 

Then, have a professional editor give you a general assessment. They’ll look at the structure and shape of your manuscript and tell you which parts need to be expanded on or cut. As someone who edited and commissioned several biographies, Tom Bromley points out that a professional “will look at the sources used and assess whether they back up the points made, or if more are needed. They would also look for context, and whether or not more background information is needed for the reader to understand the story fully. And they might check your facts, too.”  

In addition to structural editing, you may want to have someone copy-edit and proofread your work.

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Importantly, make sure to include a bibliography with a list of all the interviews, documents, and sources used in the writing process. You’ll have to compile it according to a manual of style, but you can easily create one by using tools like EasyBib . Once the text is nicely polished and typeset in your writing software , you can prepare for the publication process.  

In conclusion, by mixing storytelling elements with diligent research, you’ll be able to breathe life into a powerful biography that immerses readers in another individual’s life experience. Whether that’ll spark inspiration or controversy, remember you could have an important role in shaping their legacy 一 and that’s something not to take lightly. 

Continue reading

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How to write an author bio as a new writer

• Your author bio is your calling card. A strong author bio establishes your authority, introduces readers to your background, and convinces them to buy your book.
• An author bio is usually no longer than 100 words, so keep it short and simple. Include your location, relevant experience, and key themes in your work.
• Avoid common mistakes when writing your author bio. Write in the third person, keep it succinct, and don’t be afraid to brag about your achievements.

As a writer, your author bio is one of the most important passages you’ll ever write. A well-written bio can make or break the sale of your book - whether you’re pitching it to an agent, a publisher, or a reader. As a result, you need to know how to write an author bio, especially if you don’t have a whole lot of experience yet. You can also use our free AI author bio generator which can help you get started!

Author bios are typically no longer than 100 words - so every character counts. In this guide, we’ll answer some of the most commonly asked questions about author bios, helping you get a handle on this tricky but vital task. You’ll see lots of successful author bio examples in our 6-step process for writing an author bio as a new writer.

The importance of a good author bio

Your author bio is your calling card. Whether you’re self-publishing or heading down the traditional publishing route, readers and agents alike want to know about you and your background.  So it’s important to deliver the information in a way that makes them want to read your writing.

Some people will buy your book because they know you, or because you’ve been recommended to them. But most readers don’t seek out books by first-time novelists - so you should do everything you can to sell your book.

That’s where your author bio comes in. There are three key reasons why it’s so important to write a bio that stays with people:

• A strong author bio establishes your authority . If your book is about a young soldier enduring his first military tour, and you spent years serving in the army, readers will automatically give your book more credibility. If you’ve had short stories published in a range of publications, agents will have confidence there’s a market for your work. ‍
• Introduce potential readers to your background . Many people want to read books that offer a new perspective, so this is your chance to tell them who you are, and why they’ll be interested in what you have to say. Talk with pride about your culture, work history, and personal achievements. ‍
• Convince people to buy your book . Along with your book blurb and quotes from reviews, your author bio should persuade people to read your book. It’s not the place for a hard sell, but it should be persuasive and powerful enough to convince readers to choose your book.

Your bio is a cog in a much larger wheel. Readers will look at your book cover, reviews, price, and length as well as your author bio. So the more of these you can make compelling and convincing, the more likely it is that readers will choose your book.

What should an author bio include?

Since you only have 100 words to make an impression in your author bio and you need to stay on track. Here are the key components every author should include in their bio:

• Where you’re from and where you live. People connect with local authors, so be proud of your hometown and your adopted city (if they’re different).
• Relevant personal background information. This can be cultural, geographical, or personal. Include any information that’s relevant to your book and your story.
• The themes you love to write about. This helps readers make an informed decision about the books they buy, and helps you build a loyal readership when you deliver on your promise.
• Relevant qualifications or experience. This isn’t your CV, so don’t list everything. But if you’ve worked at magazines or publishing houses, this can validate you as an accomplished writer.
• Any awards you’ve won or publications you’ve been featured in. Authors with little or no experience may not have these (yet!), but if you do, your bio is a great place to feature them.

Before you start writing your author bio, make a list of everything you could include, using the above points as a guide. Not everything will make the cut, but it’s helpful to have this list to hand when you’re structuring and writing your author bio.

How to write an author bio for an agent

Now you know the purpose of your author bio, and what should be included, you can do what you do best - write it.

Before you start, here are some common mistakes new authors make:

• Writing in first person . An author bio written in the first person is less authoritative than a third person bio. Writing about yourself in the third person may feel strange at first, but this is the standard format, so follow this to the letter.
• Being too modest . A lot of writers are introverts, so boasting about their achievements doesn’t come naturally. But your author bio is going to be part of your sales pitch, so it needs to be convincing. Take off your humility hat and write with confidence.
• Writing too much . Inexperienced writers sometimes compensate for their lack of experience by writing more. This is usually a telltale sign that you’re lacking confidence, so keep your author bio concise.

6 steps to writing a killer author bio

Ready to write the perfect author bio? Let’s get started.

1. Write an introductory byline

The first line of your author bio is the first thing your readers will learn about you - so make it count. Start with important, relevant facts that agents and readers will care about most - including the name of your new book.

As an example, here is the author bio of debut novelist Paul Mendez:

Paul Mendez was born in Dudley. He began writing in 2002, and has contributed to the Times Literary Supplement and the Brixton Review Of Books. He lives in London, and Rainbow Milk is his first novel.

For new authors, personal information acts as a point of connection between you and a potential reader. The takeaway here is to make sure your readers know enough about your background to read on and find out more.

If you have any awards or previous publications, this is a great place to include them. But if you haven’t, don’t be disheartened. Your author bio will evolve as you publish more work, so don’t worry if you don’t have lots of publications or awards you can include at this stage.

2. Establish your authority

Now you’ve captured your readers’ attention in the opening line, it’s time to show them you’re the real deal.

The next couple of sentences should deliver a concise explanation of your credibility, both as an author and on the subject of your book. Remember, the reader is still deciding whether to buy your book - so you need to explain why they should listen to you.

If you’re a Nobel Prize winner, this part of the bio will write itself. For the rest of us, the obvious things to highlight are degrees, awards, and training. If you have a lot of experience, focus on the most relevant information. If there’s nothing spectacular you can list, focus on your experiences and education.

Kevin Kwan, author of the blockbuster book Crazy Rich Asians, uses a very simple author bio in his debut novel:

Kevin Kwan was born and raised in Singapore. He currently lives in Manhattan. Crazy Rich Asians is his first novel.

It doesn’t matter that Kwan didn’t have lots of accolades or publications at the time of publishing; the fact he grew up in Singapore establishes Kwan as an authority on the affluent Asian community.

3. Outline your themes and style

For new authors, it’s important to acknowledge and emphasise your credibility - but once you’ve done this, readers will also want to know what to expect from your novel.

This final section is where you’ll outline the themes and style of your writing. Is it funny? Sad? Political? Historical? Does it draw on themes of love, war, or vengeance? Telling the reader what kind of writing you specialise in can add power to your pitch, and help draw in readers who are looking for books in your specialist genre.

Prolific author Joanna Trollope’s author bio begins:

Author of eagerly awaited and sparklingly readable novels often centred around the domestic nuances and dilemmas of life in contemporary England, Joanna Trollope is also the author of several historical novels and of Britannia’s Daughters, a study of women in the British Empire. ‍

This sentence tells the reader what they can expect when they pick up one of Trollope’s books. She’s likely to connect with people who enjoy reading other similar material.

4. Make it relatable, unique and concise

Authority crops up again and again in author bios - but while your content should be authoritative, your tone should remain friendly and relatable.

Now you have an initial draft of your author bio, read back through it and check the tone. If it seems swaggering or unfriendly, adjust the tone of your author bio to be more personable and matter-of-fact.

Here’s an extract from Eva Ibbotson’s author bio, demonstrating her trademark charisma and relatability:

Eva Ibbotson was born in Vienna, but when the Nazis came to power her family fled to England and she was sent to boarding school. She planned to become a physiologist, but hated doing experiments on animals, and was rescued from some fierce rabbits by her husband-to-be.

If you can pull it off, some wry humour is a great way to ingratiate yourself with potential readers - especially if your book falls in the comedy book genre . Experimenting with different ways to make your author bio unique will help you stand out in a reader’s (or publisher’s) mind.

This step is also an opportunity to make sure your author bio is the perfect length, and trim any unwieldy adverbs or overlong sentences.

Tip: Many authors use this space to add a link to their website or a Twitter handle. In this case, even if the reader doesn't end up buying your book, you’ll still get an opportunity to connect with them and hopefully cultivate a further relationship.

5. Let it rest

The last step in writing an author’s bio is editing. Like your story manuscript, the best writing is allowed to breathe before you go back over it to create the final draft. Ideally, this process should take at least a few days.

In the meantime, share your author bio with your friends, family, and fellow authors. If you’ve shared your work with other people before, you’ll know that not everyone will come back with invaluable professional feedback. Most will just say ‘nice’ or ‘looks good’.

But, ideally, you should get three kinds of feedback:

• Feedback from colleagues. Your colleagues might highlight other key professional achievements which should be included in your author bio.
• Feedback from your family. This will help you determine whether the message is clear enough, and help you gauge the tone of your writing.
• Feedback from fellow authors. Lots of other people have been through the torment of writing their own author bio. They may be able to share feedback they’ve had from editors and agents that could help you with your author bio.

Some feedback is more valuable than others, so don’t feel obliged to use the feedback you receive if you don’t feel it will add value to your bio. As long as you include all the relevant information, establish yourself as a credible author, and maintain a professional, friendly tone, you’re on the right track.

6. Keep your bio up-to-date

Don’t rely on a dusty old bio that’s no longer fit for purpose. Your author bio should evolve over time as you publish more work, get more experience, and earn more accolades.

Each time you submit your author bio, use this checklist to make sure it’s up-to-date:

• Is it in the right format? Tweak your bio so it follows the guidelines set out by the publisher or agent.
• Does it contain the right information for this audience? Like a CV, check your bio is tailored for the publication or audience who’ll be reading it. ‍
• Does it include your most recent work? Check your author bio contains all the most relevant and recent information.

Where does the author bio go in a book?

Different publishers have different approaches to where they print the author bio. For hardback books, the bio is often found on the dust jacket at the end of the book. Paperbacks, meanwhile, usually include the author bio at the front of the book, before the publishing information. Occasionally, the author bio can be found on the back page of a paperback, or after the publishing information and before the introduction.

For more inspiration, check out the Penguin Random House authors page . You can see the bios of every author publishing with them.

If you’re self-publishing, or your book will be issued in ebook format, your author bio is likely to be a lot more visible. It often features on the product page for your book, as well as towards the front of the book itself. As a result, self-publishing authors need to write a particularly compelling bio.

There are no hard and fast rules about where your author bio should go, but by following these conventions, you’ll make it easy for potential readers to find and read your author bio before they buy.

Author bios are one of the most difficult things for many authors to write. Not only are there strict form and content rules, but you’re forced to go against human nature by boasting about your awards, experience, and accomplishments. 

But if you can write a great bio, it can separate you from the bunch, whether you’re self-publishing or pitching to agents.

For more useful resources on self-publishing and writing a novel, take a look at our author advice hub . Check out our guide on book chapters where we explain how long they should be and provide examples of popular books.

Advice from a published writer

Alex Fisher, " Seadogs and Criminals"

You don’t need to write much for an author bio. Keep it short and sweet, just enough so that the reader gets the idea of who you are and can imagine who it is that has created this story they’ve just followed. Just a vague location of where you live (a county or country), who you live with, your job, and a few hobbies will do.

Achievements and qualifications can also be added but these don’t matter too much. You don’t have to be qualified to be a great writer; you just need experience and passion.

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How To Write An Author’s Biography—7 Best Facets To Share With Readers

• August 9, 2022

Writing an author bio is a crucial step in your writing career. 

How your bio is written will give publishers, critics, and readers their first impression of you. 

So, how do you portray yourself well in a short bio using 100-200 words, which is the standard author bio length?

Beyond the word limit, how do you write an author bio that makes an impact? Check out the tips and advice below, followed by examples of quality author bios from which to take inspiration.

If you are at a loss about how to write an author’s biography for your originally published work, this article is for you.

How to write an author’s biography

Readers, literary agents, and publishing companies want to know who you are. Artists are also businesses unto themselves, and a great pitch is key to good business. 

Consider your author bio as your sales pitch. Why should a reader read your work ? What’s in it for literary agents and publishers?

How many words are in an author bio?

A typical author bio is only around 100 words. As a writer, you know that 100 words are very few to share your entire life experience.

The challenge in writing your own bio lies in condensing all the critical, relevant, and interesting information about yourself in such a short passage.

What to include in an author bio

With all the information about your life, which is relevant to most readers and will pique their interests?

1. Your background 

Where are you from? And where do you live now? 

Readers often naturally resonate with those from their hometown or favorite city. Your home and current city/country are one line in your bio and may be condensed to half a sentence (examples to follow).

2. Personal background

Who are you, and what made you that way? What experiences have you had that relate to your book’s theme or story?

What do you love to write about? Are you into creative writing focusing on poetry? What’s your niche, your style, your inspiration?

How about your relevant work experience? Have you worked in publishing? Have you been featured in reputable literary journals or magazines? 

Use the questions and suggestions above as a guide. You don’t have to include all this information, or you can include more. 

The critical thing to remember is to keep everything simple and concise.

Follow the basic author bio template outlined below to get started.

Start your author bio a strong opening line. This is the reader’s first point of contact with who you are, so make it relevant and memorable. 

Consider mentioning where you’re from to connect with potential locals or establish yourself as a member of a cultural scene. 

New York City and Portland, Oregon are famous scenes for writers, and mentioning that you’re from there (as long as you really are!) can improve how a potential reader views you and your work.

4. Reputation and achievements

After your introduction, show off your previous experience and success by mentioning awards you’ve won or for which you’ve been nominated and previous work published. 

Highlighting your achievements in your author bio instills confidence in the readers that your work is high quality and worth their time.

5. Why should readers consider your work?

Now that you’ve introduced yourself and highlighted your achievements, it’s time to show potential readers why you’re a credible author in your niche. How does your experience make you an authority in the subject? 

You do not need to be a published author of ten books just to be able to show your authority in the field or genre you’ve chosen.

If you write about war, were you in service? If you write about art, are you an artist or art critic? Help readers feel confident by establishing your authority in your particular field or niche through your author bio.

6. Themes, style, genre

You’ve shown the reader why you can write about the niche. Now it’s time to offer them even more information about what to expect for your work. 

Over the next line or two, outline your style and themes. 

Are you in to creative writing or are you more focused on academic writing?

Do you mostly write contemporary romance? Historical fiction? Satire? 

Readers often choose books by their genre of preference, so it’s essential to highlight your genre , themes, and style in your author bio. Doing so attracts already-interested readers, whereby your style and themes are major selling points.

7. Off-time

What do you do when you’re not writing? You’re human, so you have other qualities, hobbies, and passions beyond your career. 

Using your author bio, let readers know what your personal interests are, the activities you like to do in your spare time or causes you are passionate about. 

Relatability is vital in readers’ purchasing decisions, so get vulnerable and show a more intimate side of yourself in your bio.

The template

Here are some helpful templates to give you an idea on how to structure your author bio:

[Author] was born in [location] and now resides in [location]. Known for their works [book title] and [book title] (or) published in [journal/publication], [author] has a lot to offer fans of [genre].

Having worked as [experience], [Author] offers experience-based insight into the world of [topic/niche]. [Author] explores [themes] with style, wit, and grace.

In their spare time, [Author] likes to spend time on [hobbies].

The above is a basic author bio template but a good starting point. Use the template to write your own author bio but feel free to edit and change the structure and content as you see fit.

Author bios: First person or third person?

Authors often write their own bios but write in the third person because doing so reads well and helps you sound more reputable and established. 

If you write in the first person (using ‘I’ statements), it’s too easy to sound overconfident and conceited. 

Keeping the bio narrative in the third person makes it much easier to talk yourself up without sounding arrogant or ‘tooting your own horn.’

The importance of an author bio

Your bio serves as a type of business card. 

A bio is crucial, whether as self publishing authors or as someone who published traditionally. It informs potential readers of your background, style, and character. 

Essentially, your bio is a sales pitch, one of y our book marketing tools. It’s the ‘why’ regarding a reader’s decision to read or purchase your work. 

Your bio helps you establish and improve your reputation, by putting forward a specific perspective on who you are.

Credibility and authority

What qualifies you to write about your niche or topic? If you write a book about travel and you inform readers of your extensive traveling experience, that gives your credibility and authority on the subject.

Readers are more likely to engage with your book if you write a non-fiction book about self-care and have experience working as a therapist or counselor.

Similarly, suppose you inform readers of your past success, such as getting published in a reputable literary journal or magazines like the Wall Street Journal or USA Today. In that case, they feel more confident that your work is worth their time and money.

Relatability

Famous authors such as Stephen King or Haruki Murakami don’t need to rely on their author bio as much as lesser-known or first-time authors. 

Such authors already have an established reputation that gives readers confidence and interest. 

However, if you’re a first-time freelance writer or don’t have the level of fame as the authors mentioned, your bio is how you instill confidence in the reader.

If a reader chooses to read work by an author whom they’ve never heard of, they naturally want to know more about said author. 

In what ways can you relate to the reader? For example, if you write a psychology book about anxiety, your experiences of struggling with and overcoming fear will be incredibly relevant and relatable information for the reader.

Several factors influence a potential reader’s purchasing decision when interested in a book from an author they’ve never heard. Book marketing covers a wide range of tools and activities.

These factors are often surface level, such as the book cover , the size of the book, and how they heard about it in the first place. 

Another major factor is the author’s bio. Your bio is not the same as other ‘hard sell’ marketing tactics, but rather a soft sell, a gentle persuasion to give your work a chance.

Examples of Author Bios

If you want to write a killer bio, it’s wise to take inspiration from great author bio examples. 

Below we’ve included the author bios of renowned authors John Scalzi ( Old Man’s War ,  Redshirts) , June Hur (The Silence of Bones, The Forest of Stolen Girls), and John Grisham (The Pelican Brief).

John Scalzi

John Scalzi writes books, which makes perfect sense considering where you’re reading this. He’s best known for writing science fiction, including the New York Times bestseller Redshirts, which won the Hugo Award for Best Novel. He also writes non-fiction on subjects ranging from personal finance to astronomy to film and was the Creative Consultant for the Stargate: Universe television series. He enjoys pie, as should all right-thinking people. You can get to his blog by typing the word “Whatever” into Google. No, seriously, try it.

Scalzi’s wit shines in his opening line. Following the opener, we learn about his genre (sci-fi), previously published work, and literary achievements. 

Finally, he adds more humor to give the reader a warm, soft giggle. Scalzi’s personality shines through his bio and earns him the positive reputation he boasts today.

June Hur was born in South Korea and raised in Canada, except when she moved back to Korea and attended high school there. She studied History and Literature at the University of Toronto. She began writing her debut novel after obsessing over books about Joseon Korea. She can be found wandering through nature or journaling at a coffee shop when she’s not writing. June is the Author of The Silence of Bones and The Forest of Stolen Girls and currently lives in Toronto with her husband and daughter.

June Hur’s opening byline offers a crash course in her background. Following her opener, we learn about her education and early days as a writer. 

What makes June Hur’s bio so great is that it offers readers a peek into her personal life outside of writing, which makes her more three-dimensional and relatable.

John Grisham

John Grisham is the author of forty-seven consecutive #1 bestsellers, which have been translated into nearly fifty languages. His recent books include The Judge’s List, Sooley, and his third Jake Brigance novel, A Time for Mercy, which is being developed by HBO as a limited series. Grisham is a two-time winner of the Harper Lee Prize for Legal Fiction and was honored with the Library of Congress Creative Achievement Award for Fiction. When he’s not writing, Grisham serves on the board of directors of the Innocence Project and of Centurion Ministries, two national organizations dedicated to exonerating those who have been wrongfully convicted. Much of his fiction explores deep-seated problems in our criminal justice system. John lives on a farm in central Virginia.

Grisham’s bio highlights his writing achievements and provides the reader with a sense of his credibility. The personal details of his life emphasize his belief in justice and equality. 

Grisham’s bio adds a personal touch that also makes him relatable – he offers the reader information about his home – a bit of information that also helps him come across as relatable to the reader, even amongst all of his accomplishments.

Your author biography is never really finished. The more you write , the more experience you gain, and the greater your reputation, the more you can adapt and come up with your own killer author bio.

Even if you’re a first-time author, don’t be intimidated by the bio. You may not have much experience now, but you can still introduce readers into your life and experience. In time, you will establish yourself as a respectable authority in your niche.

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How to Write an Author Bio: A Proven Guide with Examples

By c.s. lakin.

One of the important marketing tools a writer needs is an author bio. This descriptive bit of writing informs readers, in a few words, who you are, what you write, and what makes you unique . It’s the marquee announcing your author’s presence in the world of publishing.

Think about your author bio as your “elevator pitch” that sells you rather than your book. It may seem odd and uncomfortable penning your own biography, and writing about yourself in the third person (which is what you need to do) can make it feel even weirder.

Table of Contents

To compound matters, most of us don’t like to toot our horns and share glowing praise about ourselves. We know how off-putting it is to hear someone brag about themselves and their accomplishments.

Yet … we authors need to do just that—with at least a modicum of modesty or humility, along with professionalism. All of this in just a few lines. However, the length of your bio will vary depending on where it will appear. On sales platforms, it’s best to have at least a few paragraphs.

Some places, such as in online book catalogs, social media sites, and guest blog posts, will limit word or character count.

Hands down, your website is the place to shine on your About page.   Those first sentences are the most important—as with your book, if readers aren’t engaged right away, they’ll stop reading. Especially with nonfiction, people will quickly decide whether an author seems to have enough authority in a topic to be trusted.

In this age of speedy decisions, all it might take is a catchy, impressive author bio to get a potential reader checking out your books. How do you find the right balance? And how do you keep from boring readers?

You don’t want your bio to sound like a dry resume that features a laundry list of achievements. Yet you do need to tout the achievements or expertise that gives you credibility or clout.

How an Author Bio Can Help Your Career

Though you may not have considered this, your author bio can impact sales , draw in new readers, and affect the way potential readers formulate an opinion about you.

Yes, even just from a few lines.

Take this bio, for example, from author Maira Kalman, an Israeli-born American illustrator, writer, artist, and designer.

“She is known for her playful and witty illustrations and has been featured in publications such as The New York Times and The New Yorker .”

What kind of immediate impression do you get of her from reading this?:

In her own words: 

“born. bucolic childhood. culture-stuffed adolescence. played piano. stopped. danced. stopped. wrote. discarded writing. drew. reinstated writing. married Tibor Kalman and collaborated at iconoclastic yet successful design studio. wrote and painted children’s books. worried. took up Ping-Pong. relaxed. wrote and painted for many magazines. cofounded the Rubber Band Society. amused. children: two. dog: one.”

Maira’s creativity bounces off the page with a unique voice and flair that presents her as both funny and approachable. What’s important to note is that her bio showcases her personality and implies the tone of her work.

Author Tanya Hall, in her book Ideas, Influence & Income , states that book sales are predominately author driven. According to Verson Digital’s 2009 Survey of Book-Buying Behavior, author reputation is the most important factor in a book purchase decision, followed by personal recommendation and price .

“… It comes down to a fundamental truth in the media world: we have a huge supply of and a limited demand for content. … Reading time is limited. … Information clutter is rampant. Think about your own behavior when you’re taking in a website, a blog, or even search results. You’re in speed mode, as you need to be in order to slog through all of the noise. … You’ve got to get [people] to stop and take notice.”

Grab attention and make an impression .

What are the 5 Elements of a Perfect Author Bio

There are varying strategies on how to write a terrific bio. Some say you should start with biographical detail that supports your expertise, then add bits to help people connect with you personally.

Others suggest you start with a bang—mentioning the biggest achievements first: “#1 NYT’s best-selling author of …” followed by sales numbers and how many languages your books have been translated into.

However, Maggie Lynch, writing in the ALLi blog,   shares her results from a survey she took of her list of romance readers on what influences them to buy a book (nearly 4,000 responses), and out of fifteen ranked data points, the top three were prior familiarity with the author (68%), the book cover (53%—does that surprise you?), and a friend’s recommendation (38%).

I nterestingly, bestseller status and literary prizes ranked last (2% and <1% respectively).

That might surprise you too, as it did me.

Certainly, if you’ve hit the tops of coveted best-seller lists or have won prestigious writing awards, you’ll want to note that somewhere in your bio. Still, others state you should start with your education:

“Sally Smith is a professor of anthropology at Harvard …” followed by the title of the book or series and what it’s about.

What you don’t want to include are things that are unrelated to what you write (unless you’re trying to be funny or show a quirky side of yourself, which I particularly like when reading about an author).

Let’s look at five key elements in an author bio. Yours might include some or all of them.

1. Publishing credentials

Lisa Gardner is one of my favorite authors, and I love the way she spruces up the long list of her well-deserved achievements and published titles.

Of course, she has a shorter version of this where needed. Notice her hilariously named CTA at the end of her bio.

“Lisa Gardner, a #1 New York Times thriller novelist, began her career in food service, but after catching her hair on fire numerous times, she took the hint and focused on writing instead. A self-described research junkie, she parlayed her interest in police procedure and twisted plots into a streak of internationally bestselling suspense novels, including her most recent release, Look for Me . With over 22 million books in print, Lisa is published in 30 countries. Her success crosses into the small screen with four of her novels becoming movies ( At the Midnight Hour ; The Perfect Husband ; The Survivors Club ; Hide ) and personal appearances on television shows (TruTV; CNN). Lisa Gardner’s novels have also received awards from across the globe. Her novel The Neighbor won the Best Novel from the International Thriller Writers while also receiving the Grand Prix des Lectrices de Elle, in France. She was also recognized with the Daphne du Maurier Award for The Other Daughter in 2000. Finally, Lisa received the Silver Bullet Award in 2017, in honor of her work on behalf of at-risk children and the Humane Society. Readers are invited to get in on the fun by entering the annual “Kill a Friend, Maim a Buddy” Sweepstakes at LisaGardner.com , where they can nominate the person of their choice to die in Lisa’s latest novel. Every year, one Lucky Stiff is selected for Literary Immortality. It’s cheaper than therapy, and you get a great book besides. Lisa lives in New Hampshire with her family and an assortment of crazy canines.”

2. Review blurbs by influential people

You can start your bio with an endorsement, or put it after your self-description, as Jake Needham does:

“Jake Needham is an American screen and television writer who began writing crime novels when he realized he didn’t really like movies and television all that much. Since then, he has published eleven titles in The Mean Streets Crime Novels series. “Jake Needham’s the real deal,” says Brendan DuBois, New York Times bestselling author with James Patterson of The First Lady.” His characters are moral men and women struggling in an increasingly immoral world, his suspense and plotting are top-notch, and his writing is exquisitely fine. Highly, highly recommended. For nearly thirty years, Jake lived and worked in Europe and Asia. Now he, his wife, and their two sons divide their time between their homes in Washington DC and on the Gulf of Thailand. You can learn more about Jake Needham at his official website: www.JakeNeedhamNovels.com .”

To me, that last paragraph could be replaced by something more entertaining than the list of places he’s lived, which likely don’t influence his stories in any direct way—or, if they do, it would help to know how and why.

3. Expertise and work experience

  It’s common to see bios begin with the author’s date of birth. Is that really something potential readers care about and will be impressed by?

I think not.

Having decades of experience in life isn’t going to intrigue readers as much as decades specializing in a field that pertains to their book.

Someone whose career as an astronaut launched her into space and who logged time on the International Space Station brings credibility to her thriller set on a space station.

Check out Sean Black’s bio:

“Sean Black grew up in Scotland, studied film in New York, and wrote [sic] the screenplays for many of Britain’s best-known TV dramas. To research the first two Ryan Lock thrillers, he underwent weeks of intensive bodyguard training and spent time inside America’s most dangerous maximum security prison, Pelican Bay Supermax in California. In Gridlock , he takes his readers deep inside the murky world of America’s multi-billion-dollar adult entertainment industry.”

By adding that bit about what he went through to do his research, he sparks interest and inspires respect for his diligence to get the facts straight before writing his novels .

Here’s another example of sharing expertise with a dash of humor to liven up what might be construed as a dry list of experiences:

“Z. Kelly is the author of the Hollywood Alphabet Thriller Series. He spent over thirty years in the field of law enforcement. His experience includes dealing with felony offenders, making sentencing recommendations to the courts, running a jail, and developing innovative programs to keep our streets safe. His law enforcement experience was in Southern California, not too far from the famous Sunset Strip, and includes run-ins with some of America’s craziest criminals, not to mention a few wannabe actors, and even an Oscar-award winner!”

Phillip Margolin’s bio succinctly ties in some of his best-selling titles with the trademark element of his series, with a nod to his expertise and background that gives him credibility:

“Phillip Margolin has written nineteen novels, many of them New York Times bestsellers, including his latest novels Woman with a Gun, Worthy Brown’s Daughter, Sleight of Hand , and the Washington trilogy. Each displays a unique, compelling insider’s view of criminal behavior, which comes from his long background as a criminal defense attorney who has handled thirty murder cases. Winner of the Distinguished Northwest Writer Award, he lives in Portland, Oregon.”

A section of Kathy Reichs’s very long bio (which contains an impressive list of publications), shares her extensive and fascinating work experience (and it continues on way beyond this excerpt):

“Dr. Reichs is also a producer of the hit Fox TV series Bones , which is based on her work and her novels. From teaching FBI agents how to detect and recover human remains, to separating and identifying commingled body parts in her Montreal lab, as a forensic anthropologist Kathy Reichs has brought her own dramatic work experience to her mesmerizing forensic thrillers. For years she consulted to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in North Carolina, and continues to do so for the Laboratoire de Sciences Judiciaires et de Médecine Légale for the province of Québec. Dr. Reichs has travelled to Rwanda to testify at the UN Tribunal on Genocide, and helped exhume a mass grave in Guatemala. As part of her work at JPAC (Formerly CILHI) she aided in the identification of war dead from World War II, Korea, and Southeast Asia. Dr. Reichs also assisted with identifying remains found at ground zero of the World Trade Center following the 9/11 terrorist attacks.”

An author with such intriguing and relevant work experience is smart to include it in her bio.

You may not think you have any expertise worth including, but, with some creative effort, you might find something in your past that influenced the writing of, say, your novel about alien invasions.

Spending a good portion of your childhood on the roof with a cheap telescope looking for ET will at very least express your enthusiasm (or obsession) for the topic.

4. Humor and cleverness

  Brian Rathbone keeps his bio short and eclectic:

“#1 International bestselling fantasy author Brian Rathbone is a bit odd. After growing up training standardbred racehorses, he went to work at a nuclear plant before helping to build the Internet. When he isn’t writing, Brian tells a few too many bad dragon jokes on Twitter and spends a lot of time thinking about unicorns.”

Granted, Brian’s bio could shed light on the types of stories he’s written (other than just stating they’re fantasy), but he’s opted with tickling readers’ fancies in the hopes that will be enough to check out his novels.

Here’s another short and fun bio that mixes expertise with humor and personal tastes:

“Jerry Hatchett is a digital forensic expert who works cases across the country and around the world. A lifelong technogeek, he has also consulted for hit TV shows like The Blacklist , Blind Spot , and more. When not forensicating or writing, he loves reading other authors, watching great movies, and trying to survive his too-smart dog Data.”

A famous author (whose real name is Daniel Handler) focuses solely on being clever, not needing (or wanting) to spend time listing all his many best-selling novels and the dozens of languages they’ve been translated into:

“Lemony Snicket had an unusual education which may or may not explain his ability to evade capture. He is the author of the 13 volumes in A Series of Unfortunate Events, several picture books including The Dark , and the books collectively titled All The Wrong Questions.”

While giving a lengthy personal history of your life might be wholly unrelated to your books, it can amuse readers who find the author’s voice engaging into wanting to know more. Take  for example:

“Raised in the Cascade Mountains of Oregon, William Kent Krueger briefly attended Stanford University—before being kicked out for radical activities. After that, he logged timber, worked construction, tried his hand at free-lance journalism, and eventually ended up researching child development at the University of Minnesota. He currently makes his living as a full-time author. He’s been married for over 40 years to a marvelous woman who is a retired attorney. He makes his home in St. Paul, a city he dearly loves. Krueger writes a mystery series set in the north woods of Minnesota. His protagonist is Cork O’Connor, the former sheriff of Tamarack County and a man of mixed heritage—part Irish and part Ojibwe. His work has received a number of awards, including the Minnesota Book Award, the Loft-McKnight Fiction Award, the Anthony Award, the Barry Award, the Dilys Award, and the Friends of American Writers Prize. His last eight novels were all New York Times bestsellers.”

  Interesting that, instead of starting with his acclaim, he launches into some of his unrelated work experience in an effort to be personable and come across as an eclectic guy.

5. Calls to Action (CTAs)

  Here’s Kelly Collins’s author bio, which bolts out the gate with a CTA:

“ Like FREEBIES? Join the VIP readers at bit.ly/KellyCollinsVIP for members-only exclusives! ~ Tip: Just hit “FOLLOW” for notifications about deals and new releases! ~ Kelly Collins is an international bestselling author of over two dozen novels. Her two most popular series, The Aspen Cove Romance Series and The Second Chance Series feature irresistibly hot small-town heroes and sassy quick-witted heroines who find love in unlikely places. When not reading or writing romances, Kelly can be found walking the Colorado trails with her friends, sitting in front of her favorite slot machine in Cripple Creek, or sneaking into her favorite donut shop. She can also be found on: FACEBOOK – http://facebook.com/AuthorKelleyCollins TWITTER – http://twitter.com/kcollinsauthor INSTAGRAM – http://instagram.com/authorkellycollins You can learn more about Kelly at www.authorkellycollins.com “

Notice how she starts off with an offer, then shares her success (international bestselling author), followed by the names of her series, and a fun, sassy description of the kind of stories she writes.

Adding that personal section humanizes her so her bio isn’t just a list of her products. She wraps up by making it easy for readers to find and follow her.

Final Thoughts on Your Author Bio

It’s easy to impress readers with a long list of awards and successes.

But what if you aren’t there yet? What if you’ve only just published your first book? What if you’re not an expert in anything? How can you make your author bio impressive and engaging?

Focus on the elements of humor, creativity, and cleverness that help showcase your author voice .

And share something intriguing about your book that might make it stand out.

Author John Gwynne has published two novels, and while he doesn’t have a long list of awards, he’s created a nice blend of background, personal information, and modest acclaim for his first book:

“John Gwynne studied and lectured at Brighton University. He’s been in a rock ’n roll band, playing the double bass, travelled the USA and lived in Canada for a time. He is married with four children and lives in Eastbourne, running a small family business rejuvenating vintage furniture. His first novel, Malice , won the David Gemmell Morningstar award for best debut fantasy. Valour is his second novel.”

Joel Pitney, marketer, writes:

“Some authors don’t feel like they have enough to say about themselves; but just the fact that you’ve written a book makes you important enough to have at least a 3-4 line bio! Think creatively about what elements of who you are might be of interest to readers; don’t be shy!”

Don’t forget to regularly update your bio .

When you have new releases come out, a great new review blurb, win an award or hit the top of a best-seller list, go find all the places your bio is posted and update it. How to find all those places? The easiest way is to keep a spreadsheet listing them and their links. These include social media sites like Twitter and Facebook, your website, all sales platforms (Amazon, Apple iBooks, Kobo, etc.), and anywhere else your books are promoted or mentioned (that you have control over).

Try running your bio by some friends and see what they like or don’t like about it. If you really feel stuck, consider hiring an editor or a marketing-savvy copywriter. If you write in multiple genres, you may want to tweak the content and tone of each to be best suited for that genre.

For my fantasy novels, I mention that I write in other genres but don’t list those titles. For my nonfiction, my bio is all about my teaching expertise, the type of books (writing craft), and my related work as a writing coach and instructor.

While your bio may be one of the shortest pieces of writing you ever do, don’t discount its importance. A weak or boring bio might be off-putting to potential readers, but a glowing, creative bio could result in countless new fans of your books.

Put the time in and do it right!

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Table of Contents

• Why Your Author Bio Is So Important

How To Write Your Author Bio

Template for author bio info.

• Author Bio Examples
• Your Bio Grows as You Grow

More Ways to Read

• Download a PDF

How To Write An About The Author (With Examples)

Don’t Have Time Right Now?

Unless you’re a household name author (Steven King, JK Rowling, Malcolm Gladwell), most people buying your book won’t know who you are.

So how will they learn about you?

And why is this even important?

That’s what this blog post will explain: how to properly write it, and why your author bio matters.

Why Your About The Author Is So Important

Even though very few authors think about it, and even fewer publishing guides talk about it, the “Author Bio” section impacts sales, reputation, book marketing and social media.

“Author reputation” is consistently cited as one of the main factors that influence a book buying decision. If you’re seen as an authority on your book topic, readers will buy your book and read it. One of the best ways to be seen as an authority is to have a great Author Bio.

For business the short bio can sometimes be more important than what’s actually in the book—the sad but true reality is that more people will read your author bio than your actual book.

It takes a long time to read a book, but it’s very easy to make a snap judgment based on a short paragraph, and most people do that.

This is doubly true for media and social media. Most people in media work very hard under tight deadlines and don’t have time to read long books or even pitch emails. But a good author bio cuts right to the point by saying: this is an important person I need to pay attention to.

Writing about yourself is a task that many even full time writers shy away from. Don’t make this mistake. A few simple steps can get an effective bio that will impress interested readers and help sell your book:

Step 1. Mention your credentials on your book subject:

It’s important to establish your credentials in your book’s topic area.

For example, if you’re writing a diet book, mention things like professional degrees, nutrition training or accomplishments, places you’ve worked, awards you’ve won, etc. Any credential that clearly signals your authority and credibility in your space works.

If you struggle with what to say about yourself, remember the idea is to make it clear why the reader should listen to you. What credential do you have–if any–that signals seriousness to the reader?

For some types of books and authors, this is harder to do. If there’s no clear way to signal direct authority or credentials—for example, you wrote a thriller or a romance novel—then don’t make up things or try to “invent” authority. Focus on the other parts of the author bio.

Step 2. Include achievements that build credibility or are interesting to the reader (without going overboard)

You’ll also want to include things you’ve accomplished in your life, especially if you don’t have direct credentials and authority in the book subject matter. This will help your audience understand why they should spend their time and money reading what you’ve got to say.

If you have something about you or your life that is unusual, even if it’s not totally relevant, you should still consider putting it in your bio.

For example, if you were a Rhodes Scholar, or you started a major national organization, or won a national championship in ping-pong—whatever. The point is to show the reader that you have done things that matter, even if they don’t matter to the book.

If you’re lacking on credentials or exciting things, you can always put in your passions and interests. Anything that you enjoy doing, writing about or consider a hobby, especially if they are relevant to the book topic.

That being said, do NOT ramble on and on about things that reader doesn’t care about. Put yourself in your readers shoes, and ask yourself, “Does this fact really matter to anyone but me?”

Step 3. Mention any books you’ve written, and your website (but don’t oversell them)

If you’ve written other books, especially on that subject, make sure to mention them. If you’re a bestselling author (New York Times, Wall Street Journal, USA Today or even Amazon) or won awards, even better.

If you’ve won multiple accolades and listing them all is becoming tedious, aim for brevity instead. Simply writing “John Smith is an award winning author whose works include …..” is more than enough to show your readers you know what you’re doing.

If you have an author website , an author page ( on Amazon or another 3rd party site) or anything else that helps promote your brand then you should make sure you include it at the bottom of your bio (assuming this meets your goals).

Again, you don’t want to brag here so just be humble and simply put something like “Find out more about John at www.johnsmithwriter.com”. It should be simple and have a clear call to action.

Step 4. Drop some relevant names, if they’re appropriate (without being crass)

Yes, name dropping can put off readers if it’s done wrong. But there’s a right way to do it.

For example, if you are relatively unknown, you can say something like, “The woman that Seth Godin called “the most important writer of our time” reveals to you the secrets of…” This way you are trading on Seth Godin’s reputation, and establishing your credentials at the same time (assuming he said this).

Also, if you’ve worked for or with very well-known people, name dropping is not seen as bad; it’s seen as an effective signal to the reader of your importance and ability. What matters is that there is a reason that you are using someone else’s name that makes sense, and is not just a gratuitous name drop.

Step 5. Keep short and interesting (without leaving anything important out)

While your readers are interested in finding out more about you, they don’t want to get bored, or listen to arrogant bragging about how great you are. If your bio is too long, or too full of overstated accomplishments and awards, it will turn your readers off and actually make you look less credible.

Typically, if you keep your word count around 100 words you’re ok. Anything longer than that means you’ve gone on too long about your accomplishments, your personal life or both. Cut it down to the most important things.

Step 6. Always Write in Third Person, Never First Person

Third person is “She is.” First person is “I am.” This is a small thing, but if you write in first person, it is a major sign of first-time amateurism.

This is a template to write your author bio. I’m not saying it’s the very best way to write an author bio, in fact, many of the best examples below do NOT fit this template. But, many people asked for an easy to follow template, and this is what we use with our authors.

• First sentence: “[Author] is [statement to establish credibility on this subject and / or authorship of previous books]”
• Second sentence(s): Statement(s) further establishing credibility or qualifications of author to write the book.
• Third sentence (optional): Historical “before that” information that is at least tangentially relevant to the book, or very compelling in another way.
• Fourth sentence: Endorsement of author’s credibility by others, awards, or some other social proof, if available.
• Fifth sentence: Tidbit of personal information or insight into life experience.
• Sixth sentence: Link to website or other resource (if relevant).

Here is how that looks in practice:

Will Leach is the founder of TriggerPoint Design, a leading behavior research and design consultancy specializing in using behavior economics and decision design to drive consumer decision making. He is a behavior design instructor at the Cox School of Business at Southern Methodist University and has more than twenty years of behavior insights experience working with Fortune 50 companies to solve their most important behavior challenges. Will is the only two-time winner of the EXPLOR Award for his work in behavior design and is known as America’s foremost authority in applying behavior science to marketing. Will lives in Dallas with his wife and family.

If You Can’t Write About Yourself, Have Friends Help You

People, especially writers, have a hard time writing about themselves. Often, the Author Bio is the most difficult part of the marketing process for an author to write effectively.

If you are unsure about whether your author bio seems either incomplete, or too arrogant, run it by a few friends for feedback.

For example, when I was doing my first bio, I made all the mistakes I outlined above. I eventually had to have my friend Nils Parker write my bio for me. It’s always easier for your friends to praise you and see the amazing things you do.

If you don’t have writer friends, then hire a freelance writer to help you. It won’t cost much, but their creative writing know how will pay big dividends for you.

Examples of Author Bios

I’m going to show you a lot of different bios. Some are the best author bios I’ve read, whereas some feel like they were written by cheap self-publishing companies. The point is to give you an idea of how many different authors did them, so you can find your own author bio writing style:

Example 1 – High Status And Short: Lynn Vincent

This bio is the perfect “less is more” for an author with a lot of credentials. When you have done what Lynn has done, you can just say it quickly and succinctly.

Lynn Vincent is the New York Times best-selling writer of Heaven Is for Real and Same Kind of Different As Me. The author or coauthor of ten books, Lynn has sold 12 million copies since 2006. She worked for eleven years as a writer and editor at the national news biweekly WORLD magazine and is a U.S. Navy veteran.

Example 2 – High Status But Undersells: Michael Lewis

Contrast this to Michael Lewis, who is a very well known author, but still leaves quite a bit out of his bio that would help many readers understand who he is and why they should care (even Michael Lewis is not famous enough to assume people know him).

Michael Lewis, the author of Boomerang, Liar’s Poker, The New New Thing, Moneyball, The Blind Side, Panic, Home Game and The Big Short, among other works, lives in Berkeley, California, with his wife, Tabitha Soren, and their three children.

Example 3 – Bad Amanda Ripley

Many authors have different bios on different books (because they leave the bio writing to their publisher, which is a huge mistake). You can see the difference in the author Amanda Ripley.

Her bad bio is strangely both boring and overselling:

Amanda Ripley is a literary journalist whose stories on human behavior and public policy have appeared in Time, The Atlantic, and Slate and helped Time win two National Magazine Awards. To discuss her work, she has appeared on ABC, NBC, CNN, FOX News, and NPR. Ripley’s first book, The Unthinkable, was published in fifteen countries and turned into a PBS documentary.

Example 4 – Good Amanda Ripley

Contrast that to this good bio, where she comes off as much more of an authority—mainly because her other books are mentioned, as were her awards.

Amanda Ripley is an investigative journalist for Time, The Atlantic and other magazines. She is the author, most recently, of THE SMARTEST KIDS IN THE WORLD—and How They Got That Way. Her first book, THE UNTHINKABLE: Who Survives When Disaster Strikes–and Why, was published in 15 countries and turned into a PBS documentary. Her work has helped Time win two National Magazine Awards.

Example 5 – Bad Doctor Bio: Dr. David Perlmutter

This is a long, uninterrupted string of hard to process things. Dr. Perlmutter is very qualified, but mentions everything (including medical school awards) which detracts from the overall effect.

David Perlmutter, MD, FACN, ABIHM is a Board-Certified Neurologist and Fellow of the American College of Nutrition who received his M.D. degree from the University of Miami School of Medicine where he won the research award. Dr. Perlmutter is a frequent lecturer at symposia sponsored by such medical institutions as Columbia University, the University of Arizona, Scripps Institute, and Harvard University. He has contributed extensively to the world medical literature with publications appearing in The Journal of Neurosurgery, The Southern Medical Journal, Journal of Applied Nutrition, and Archives of Neurology. He is the author of: The Better Brain Book and the #1 New York Times Bestseller, Grain Brain. He is recognized internationally as a leader in the field of nutritional influences in neurological disorders. Dr. Perlmutter has been interviewed on many nationally syndicated radio and television programs including 20/20, Larry King Live, CNN, Fox News, Fox and Friends, The Today Show, Oprah, Dr. Oz, and The CBS Early Show. In 2002 Dr. Perlmutter was the recipient of the Linus Pauling Award for his innovative approaches to neurological disorders and in addition was awarded the Denham Harmon Award for his pioneering work in the application of free radical science to clinical medicine. He is the recipient of the 2006 National Nutritional Foods Association Clinician of the Year Award. Dr. Perlmutter serves as Medical Advisor for The Dr. Oz Show.

Example 6 – Good Doctor Bio: Dr. Benjamin Carson

Contrast this to Dr. Carson, who focuses only on the credentials and status signifiers that the reader would care about and understand, like his specialties and companies he works for.

Dr. Benjamin Carson is a Professor of Neurosurgery, Plastic Surgery, Oncology, and Pediatrics, and the Director of Pediatric Neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions. He is also the author of four bestselling books—Gifted Hands, Think Big, The Big Picture, and Take the Risk. He serves on the boards of the Kellogg Company, Costco, and the Academy of Achievement, among others, and is an Emeritus Fellow of the Yale Corporation.

He and his wife, Candy, co-founded the Carson Scholars Fund (www.carsonscholars.org), a 501(c)3 established to counteract America’s crisis in education by identifying and rewarding academic role models in the fourth through eleventh grades, regardless of race, creed, religion and socio-economic status, who also demonstrate humanitarian qualities. There are over 4800 scholars in forty-five states. Ben and Candy are the parents of three grown sons and reside in Baltimore County, Maryland.

Example 7 – Good Balance: Tim Ferriss

Tim does lean aggressively into the idea of listing all the cool things he’s done and noteworthy outlets that have talked about him, but still makes his bio interesting and relevant to the reader of his books:

Timothy Ferriss is a serial entrepreneur, #1 New York Times best- selling author, and angel investor/advisor (Facebook, Twitter, Evernote, Uber, and 20+ more). Best known for his rapid-learning techniques, Tim’s books — The 4-Hour Workweek, The 4-Hour Body, and The 4-Hour Chef — have been published in 30+ languages. The 4-Hour Workweek has spent seven years on The New York Times bestseller list.

Tim has been featured by more than 100 media outlets including The New York Times, The Economist, TIME, Forbes, Fortune, Outside, NBC, CBS, ABC, Fox and CNN. He has guest lectured in entrepreneurship at Princeton University since 2003. His popular blog www.fourhourblog. com has 1M+ monthly readers, and his Twitter account @tferriss was selected by Mashable as one of only five “Must-Follow” accounts for entrepreneurs. Tim’s primetime TV show, The Tim Ferriss Experiment (www.upwave.com/tfx), teaches rapid-learning techniques for helping viewers to produce seemingly superhuman results in minimum time.

Example 8 – Out of Balance (Confusing & Overselling): Cheryl Strayed

Cheryl is similar to Tim, but runs several unrelated things together in a confusing way, and mentions things that no reader would ever care about (e.g., the director of a movie based on her book). This same bio could be 25% shorter and much stronger.

Cheryl Strayed is the author of #1 New York Times bestseller WILD, the New York Times bestseller TINY BEAUTIFUL THINGS, and the novel TORCH. WILD was chosen by Oprah Winfrey as her first selection for Oprah’s Book Club 2.0. WILD won a Barnes & Noble Discover Award, an Indie Choice Award, an Oregon Book Award, a Pacific Northwest Booksellers Award, and a Midwest Booksellers Choice Award among others. The movie adaptation of WILD will be released by Fox Searchlight in December 2014. The film is directed by Jean-Marc Vallée and stars Reese Witherspoon, with a screenplay by Nick Hornby. Strayed’s writing has appeared in THE BEST AMERICAN ESSAYS, the New York Times Magazine, the Washington Post Magazine, Vogue, Salon, The Missouri Review, The Sun, Tin House, The Rumpus–where she wrote the popular “Dear Sugar” advice column–and elsewhere. Strayed was the guest editor of BEST AMERICAN ESSAYS 2013 and has contributed to many anthologies. Her books have been translated into more than thirty languages around the world. She holds an MFA in fiction writing from Syracuse University and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Minnesota. She lives in Portland, Oregon with her husband and their two children.

Remember: Your Bio Grows as You Grow

Treat your author’s bio as a living document. Just because you’ve written it once, doesn’t mean it’s finished. As you grow and change as a writer so should your bio, and the best part is that it’s easy to change a byline.

Also, remember that if you are writing for different genres or different topics that some of your accomplishments and past works will be more relevant to your readers than others. It’s a good idea to tweak your author bio for the next book you release.

Getting your author bio right is an important task. In fact, this small section is usually the ONLY source of information potential readers have about you (except maybe Google), and that’s why it is one of the most important pieces of marketing material you write for your book.

Take it seriously, get it right, and it will help you sell books.

The Scribe Crew

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How To Write An Author Bio – Ideas from Bestsellers

POSTED ON Mar 24, 2021

Written by P.J McNulty

Your author bio is the perfect chance to let readers know more about you, your background, and why you’ve written your books.

But how do you make sure your bio engages people rather than repelling them?

What are the technical aspects of an author bio you need to know?

And what are some shining examples you can use to inform your own bio?

Need A Nonfiction Book Outline?

We’ve gathered together some examples to help you sell more books and turn your readers into fans. 

What is an author bio?

Where is an author bio used, what are the benefits of an author bio, how do you write an author bio.

• Author bio examples – Hal Elrod
• Author bio examples – Ramy Vance
• Author bio examples – Tony Robbins  

Action steps for your author bio

An author bio is a short piece of writing, usually between 150 and 300 words, that lets readers know more about the author whose book they are thinking of reading. 

A good author bio establishes not only who an author is, and a little bit about their life, but also why they have written the book and some of their professional achievements. 

There are lots of places where an author bio can be featured. 

Some of the most common include:

• Books. It’s rare to find a book without some kind of author bio in. This helps both readers browsing in a bookstore to know if your book is right for them, as well as people who have read the book to learn more about you.
• Retailers. A lot of online book retailers allow you to upload a bio. Amazon Author Central is a great example, but it’s common to a lot of other bookstores as well. 
• Social media. You might feature your full bio on social media, or have extracts, for example in a Twitter bio. You can also use parts of your bio as visual content, for example on Pinterest or Instagram. 
• Author websites. For established authors, a full website is a must-have. Any good author website should have a bio section where interested people can find out more. 
• Blogging biographies. If you want to post on other authors' blogs as a guest writer, a shortened version of your bio should feature at the end of your posts and contain links to your author platform. 

A version of your bio is useful anywhere and everywhere you can think of that potential readers might want to learn more about you.

So if you’re going to take the time to write a good author bio, how can you expect to benefit? What makes it worth taking the time to craft the best bio possible?

Here are four powerful benefits of a good author bio. 

• Differentiation. It's unlikely that your book is unique among all the books out there. Hopefully, it has a unique and fresh angle, but there are probably similar books on offer. However, there's only one you! Your author bio makes your book stand out from others like it.
• Credibility. Your bio is a chance to show exactly why you are qualified to write that book in particular. Have you won awards? Do you have a certain educational or professional background that makes you suitable? Don’t brag, but calmly and clearly state your relevant achievements. 
• Connection. You can also use your author bio as a way to offer a bit of flavor about your life and who you are. If you’re humorous, show it! You can form a sense of connection with readers by authentically expressing your personality and who you are.
• Platform. An author bio is also the perfect place to promote your wider platform. You can include links to your author website, social media handles, Goodreads page, or anywhere else that people can deepen their connection to you.

 Of course, you only get these benefits if you write your bio the right way. A bad or boring author bio only risks alienating readers and dissuading them from checking out your book further. 

Now that you know exactly what an author bio is, and how it can help you succeed, let’s check out exactly how to create one.

To write an author bio, simply follow these five simple steps.

Step 1 – Read relevant bios 

It’s difficult to get a feel for the type of content found in an author bio unless you read some relevant examples in a careful, considered way. 

Take the time to read five or ten bios of authors you admire who write the same type of book as you. 

What do you notice? Is there a particular tone they all seem to take? Are the bios structured similarly? Which strike a chord with you the most, and why is that?

This step isn’t about plagiarising or copying. 

Instead, it's about finding the type of author bio you like and find effective and then creating your own authentic version of that.  

Step 2 – Brainstorm your key points

Before you write a draft of your bio, make a list of the must-have information it will contain. 

This could include your most pertinent biographical details, lists of your awards and achievements, and a few little flavorful details to show your personality and create some rapport with your reader.

Step 3 – Draft your bio 

Now that you’ve got the list of key points to include, it’s time to shape them into a readable draft of your bio. 

But what kind of structure should you use?

As a guideline, you might find this template to be a good starting point:

• Start with a powerful and gripping introductory sentence
• State your background and how it is relevant to the book you are writing
• Show your credibility by mentioning awards and other professional achievements 
• Sprinkle in a little flavor and personality 
• End your bio on a funny note or include a link to a part of your author platform 

After you’ve finished drafting, read back over your bio. Make sure it fits with the word count guidelines and includes all the key points you hoped for. 

Step 4 – Create alternative versions 

Because author bios are fairly short, you have the luxury of being able to create several alternative versions and deciding on the best. 

You can also have slightly different bios for different purposes, such as some that are more professional and others that lean into humor to a greater extent. 

If you don’t see any value in this step, feel free to skip it. 

Step 5 – Get feedback and refine

Now that you have a series of alternative reader bios, or even just a solid draft of a single version, it’s time to get some feedback and make improvements. 

If you already have people in your network you feel would be suitable to get feedback from, by all means reach out and ask them. But don't take the feedback of just anyone. You want to avoid people who will sugarcoat or aim to please you, as well as those who don't read the type of book you are working on. 

Step 6 – Update your bio as needed

Your author bio isn’t something you should write and forget about. Instead, be sure to update it over time as you achieve new things. This isn’t to say that you should constantly tweak it. That would be annoying. But give it a refresh from time to time, both in terms of its content, and also to make sure it still conveys the tone you want to get across. 

Author bio examples

While it’s one thing to read some best practice tips on writing your author bio, it’s another entirely to see some effective examples from the real world. 

To get your author bio juices flowing, here are some examples from bestselling authors. 

Hal Elrod 

Hal Elrod is one of the best-known modern motivational and self-help authors. Let’s take a look at Hal’s author bio. 

“Hal Elrod is on a mission to Elevate the Consciousness of Humanity, One Person at a Time. 

As the author of one of the highest rated books on Amazon, “The Miracle Morning” (which has been translated into 37 languages, has over 3,000 five-star reviews and has impacted the lives of over 2,000,000 people in more than 70 countries)… he is doing exactly that.

What's incredible is that Hal literally died at age 20. His car was hit head-on by a drunk driver at 70 miles per hour, his heart stopped beating for 6 minutes, he broke 11 bones and woke up after being in a coma for 6 days to be told by his doctors that he would probably never walk again.

Not only did Hal walk, he ran a 52-mile ultra-marathon and went on to became a hall of fame business achiever, international keynote speaker, author, and grateful husband & father-all before he turned 30.

Then, in November of 2016, Hal nearly died again – his kidneys, lungs, and heart were failing, and he was diagnosed with a rare, and very aggressive form of cancer and given a 30% chance of living.

After enduring the most difficult year of his life, Hal is now cancer-free and furthering his mission as the founder of The Miracle Morning book series, host of the “Achieve Your Goals” podcast, creator of the Best Year Ever [Blueprint] LIVE event, and Executive Producer of The Miracle Morning MOVIE – a documentary that reveals the morning rituals of some of the world's most successful people.

Hal is grateful to be alive and living his mission alongside his wife and their two young children in Austin, TX.

To contact Hal about media appearances, speaking at your event, or if you just want to receive free training videos and resources, visit www.HalElrod.com .”

As you can see, Hal Elrod’s bio touches on a lot of the ideas we found in this article. 

Some of the things we most liked about it include:

• First sentence. Hal Elrod's bio has a first sentence that is concise and tells you everything you need to know about his personal mission. 
• Emotionally engaging. By sharing details of Hal’s life, his bio takes you on an emotional journey. This makes you admire Hal and feel inspired to learn from him. 
• Small personal touches. Aside from the deeper emotional aspects, the bio contains some of the more usual personal information, such as living in Austin with his wife and kids. 
• Call to action. This bio ends with a clear call to action to visit Hal’s author website.

Ramy Vance is a self-publishing rockstar. Let’s take a look at his author bio. 

“Ramy Vance is the creator of the GoneGod World – a universe dedicated to myth, magic, mischief and mayhem. 

He lives in Edinburgh with his wife, demonic baby, monstrous 5-year old and imaginary dog.

Terrified, he pretty much stays in his office and writes.”

• Funny. This is a genuinely hilarious bio. It not only uses jokes but the humor ties in with his writing by using words like demonic and monstrous. 
• Punchy. Vance’s bio is one of the shortest on the list, clocking in at under 50 words. This is shorter than recommended, but it does a good job for a brief bio. 
• Light personal touches. You learn a little bit about Ramy’s life here, but it doesn’t bore you or give too many details. 

Tony Robbins

Tony Robbins is probably one of the best-known motivators and self-help gurus (although he doesn’t use that word) in the world. Let’s see what his author bio contains. 

“Tony Robbins is a bestselling author, entrepreneur, and philanthropist. 

For more than thirty-nine years, millions of people have enjoyed the warmth, humor, and transformational power of Mr. Robbins's business and personal development events. 

He is the nation's #1 life and business strategist. He's called upon to consult and coach some of the world's finest athletes, entertainers, Fortune 500 CEOs, and even presidents of nations. 

Robbins is the chairman of a holding company comprised of more than a dozen businesses with combined sales exceeding five billion dollars a year. 

His philanthropic efforts helped provide more than 100 million meals in the last year alone. He lives in Palm Beach, Florida.”

• Credible. Tony Robbins’ bio drips with credibility. It makes big claims but backs them up with convincing justifications. 
• Quantified. Tony’s use of numbers is great here. Mentioning “five billion dollars” and “100 million meals” is very effective. 
• Tone. The tone of Robbins’ bio is professional and concise. It’s businesslike and straight to the point. 

Hopefully, you've taken a lot from this guide to crafting an effective author bio. 

If you’re ready to take action and start working on your own bio, follow these five simple steps:

• Identify 10 relevant bios to read and make notes on. 
• Combine and summarize your author bio notes, looking for commonalities. 
• Bullet point the essential info for your bio. 
• Draft a bio using the structure shown above.
• List 5 people in your network you will reach out to for feedback when you have a full bio ready.

After you’ve taken that initial action, you’ll have plenty of momentum to build upon to write the full thing.

An effective author bio really can help you sell more books, so why not get started right away?

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How to Write An Author Bio That Attracts Readers 

Has a stranger ever asked you, “What can you tell me about yourself?”

And did you feel all the blood drain from your face as you thought, “Who even am I?!”?

Pretty much everyone can relate to that feeling…but it’s even worse for authors.

Because a reader is not just trying to get to know you. They’re trying to figure out if they want to buy your books.

Calling this a daunting task is an understatement…so we’re going to walk you through writing an author bio that grabs attention. And we’ve included over 20 unique examples because seeing them in action is the best way to learn!

What is An Author Bio

An author biography briefly tells the reader everything they need to know about the author’s credentials, writer journey, and previous works.

It’s not just a simple overview, it’s a book marketing tool used to summarize who you are while convincing them that your books are worth buying.

Do You Need An Author Bio?

With 99.9% confidence, we can say that most readers don’t know who you are. Your author biography will be the first contact for them. You need one because:

• It helps build trust with the reader.
• It allows the reader to relate to you.
• It promotes your books and other work.
• It increases book sales.

The biography of an author carries the same essence as their books. Therefore, if a reader likes yours, they’ll feel more confident that they’ll like your books too.

How to Write an Author Bio

A successful author bio will paint yourself as interesting and your books as worthwhile. These tips will help you create one that fits you best:

Aim for the target audience

You can only nail your author bio if you’ve considered who you’re writing it for. If it helps, you can create an image in your head about who this reader could be. Use these to help you form that picture:

• Their age group,
• Their hobbies and lifestyle,
• Where they are from, etc.

Then you need to write what this type of reader wants to get out of reading your bio.

For example, if you’ve written cookbooks about quick meals for busy parents, it would be worth mentioning that you’re also a parent and how many kids you have so the reader can build trust in your brand.

How long should it be?

It can be anywhere from 60-150 words, but never over (unless you’re doing a tasteful ‘About’ page on your website).

If you’re using it for your book, we suggest 60-90 words, but you could do much less if it suits you.

The length will be determined by a few factors:

• How much privacy would you like to maintain about your personal life
• What else would you like to promote, for example, a podcast or your organization
• How many awards have you won
• How many quotes or endorsements would you like to share
• What perception of your brand do you want to create

Want To Give Your Readers An Engaging Online Experience?

Get an author website that showcases your books, grows your list, and attracts publishers and promoters.

Write in the Third Person

Why does it have to be in the third person, you ask?

It’s a tale as old as time. Or in other words, it’s industry standard.

You come off as professional if it’s in the third person and it can be used anywhere.

Speaking of…

Where will you use it?

You’ll have to write a few variations of your author bio so you’re prepared for every situation. 

You’ll need:

• A longer one for your author website ,
• A punchy one for social media,
• A captivating one for your book’s product page (for example your Amazon book page – you can use Amazon Author Central to do this),
• A compelling one to go alongside a book blurb
• A convincing one for book proposals  
• An informative one for book signings , interviews, speaking engagements articles, book press releases , etc.

Balance facts with personality

Let the readers into your world with some cool facts about you, whether it’s awards you’ve won or accomplishments of the company you’re a part of – if it relates to your work. This creates an outline for your professional prowess.

Without professionalism, readers may be tempted to run for the hills. But that doesn’t mean your author bio can’t have personality.

As a matter of fact, when you add some personal details that’s your chance to reel them in.

With personal details, you can color in that outline to form a fuller, beautiful image for readers to have in their minds when they think of you.

Author Bio Example: Christopher Paolini

Check out this example:

Christopher Paolini is the creator of the World of Eragon and the Fractalverse. Holder of the Guinness World Record for youngest author of a bestselling series. Qualified for marksman in the Australian army. Scottish laird. Dodged gunfire . . . more than once. As a child was chased by a moose in Alaska. Has his name inscribed on Mars. Firstborn of Kenneth and Talita. Husband. Father. Asker of questions and teller of stories. His latest novel, Fractal Noise, will be published on May 16th, 2023.

Why it works

The biography of this author has many personal tidbits but the one that may appeal the most to a reader is near the top of the paragraph.

Keep it concise and relevant

An author bio includes a magnitude of information, and you are tasked with keeping all of it concise and to the point.

To do this you have to share your accolades and achievements with caution. If you add too much then you’ll likely leave the reader snoring. And if there’s irrelevant information, the reader will just be confused.

An author bio is about saying a lot in a few words.

Include contact links

There’s nothing wrong with plugging your social media and author website links at the bottom of your author bio.

It’s a great way to get your readers to stay connected with you and it serves as a neat CTA (call-to-action).

And that leads us to…

Call them to action

If the reader is interested after reading your author bio, you’ll want to have a CTA that tells them what to do next.

It could be as simple as asking the reader to follow you on your social media profiles or to check out your latest book release.

If they’ve made it to the end of your biography, you might as well try and keep that momentum going!

Author Bio Example: Suzanne Leonhard

Check out the CTA in this author bio for example:

Suzanne Leonhard is an award-winning novelist and screenwriter. Formerly published with Harper Collins, she now writes post apocalyptic thrillers to satisfy her love for end times fiction. She lives on the beautiful Florida coast with her husband and a whole lotta cats. You can email Suzanne at [email protected], visit her website at suzanneleonhard.com, or join her on her Facebook page @TheGoliathCode.

Suzanne’s bio briefly shares what she’s comfortable with and effectively ends off with a few CTAs that encourage her fans and newcomers to keep in touch.

19 Inspiring Author Bio Examples

Authors are not just limited to the words they write on the page, and no one author is the same as another.

So, to make sure you write the best author bio you can, we’ve included 20 examples that highlight a different element. You have the pick of the bunch!

1. Fantasy author bio

Author Bio Example: Chloe Gong

Check out this Fantasy author bio:

Chloe Gong is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the critically acclaimed Secret Shanghai novels, as well as the Flesh and False Gods trilogy. Her books have been published in over twenty countries and have been featured in The New York Times, People, Forbes, and more. She is a recent graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, where she double-majored in English and international relations. Born in Shanghai and raised in Auckland, New Zealand, Chloe is now located in New York City, pretending to be a real adult. You can find her on Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok under @thechloegong, or visit her website at www.thechloegong.com.

Chloe’s author bio is classy and shares just the right amount. Her accoladed books followed by her reach to twenty countries show off her worldwide appeal and her writing ability. Fantasy readers will be intrigued by the book names and have more trust in her after seeing her many achievements. Her last line does all the heavy lifting on her personality. Her target readers will definitely relate to her.

2. Romance author bio

Author Bio Example: Maggie Carpenter

Check out this Romance author bio:

International and Amazon Best-Selling Author Maggie Carpenter, pens thrilling, romantic tales starring Rope Wrangling Cowboys, Motorcycle Bad Boys, Mafia Masters, Amorous Aliens, and Sexy Shifters. Regardless of love’s challenges, her books always end in a heart warming HEA. For her daily brain break, she heads off to a barn where she spends time with her beautiful, smart, dark bay mare, Miss Bonny.  Social Media Links. Newsletter: https://tinyurl.com/MaggieNL (Free book at sign up) https://www.MaggieCarpenter.com https://www.facebook.com/MaggieCarpenterWriter/ https://www.facebook.com/MaggieCarpenterWriter/ (Friends Page) https://tinyurl.com/MaggiesGroup (Facebook Group) https://www.instagram.com/maggiesub/ https://twitter.com/magcarpenter2 https://tinyurl.com/MaggiesAmazonPage https://www.bookbub.com/profile/maggie-carpenter Email: [email protected]

Maggie’s author bio has all the markings to get romance readers’ eyes widened. It cleverly mentions the types of tales you may encounter in her novels while using a well-known acronym in the community (HEA – Happily Ever After). This actively engages the target reader along with the backing in the first-line hook: “International and Amazon Best-Selling Author.” We then get to peek inside her life as she ends the paragraph with a personal anecdote.  Don’t forget the plentiful links she’s shared – endless possibilities to connect with her!

3. Thriller Adventure author bio

Author Bio Example: Andrew Clawson

Check out this Thriller Adventure author bio:

Andrew Clawson writes thriller and adventure novels that make readers think and keep them turning pages long into the night, blurring the line between fact and fiction.  He is the Amazon best-selling author of multiple series, including the Parker Chase thrillers, all of which have been #1 Amazon category best-sellers. ​His other series include the TURN novels and the Harry Fox adventures. Andrew’s books are action-packed journeys blending fact and fiction, often taking a wild ride through the past to reveal mysteries and conspiracies that threaten the world today in stories where the action never stops and each page turns faster than the last. Andrew lives in Pittsburgh with his family and their rescued black cat, a wonderful little guy who thinks he’s a dog. To learn more, please visit his website at andrewclawson.com.

We like Andrew’s author bio because the purpose is clear: convince the reader to buy the book. The first sentences describe how readers experience his book. Then he backs that up with past work done and a notable accolade.  He sells the themes inside his books with a pacey middle paragraph that again hints at what to expect. 

4. Sci-Fi author bio

Author Bio Example: Andy Weir

Check out this Sci-Fi author bio:

ANDY WEIR built a two-decade career as a software engineer until the success of his first published novel, The Martian, allowed him to live out his dream of writing full-time.  He is a lifelong space nerd and a devoted hobbyist of such subjects as relativistic physics, orbital mechanics, and the history of manned spaceflight. He also mixes a mean cocktail. He lives in California.

Which Sci-FI reader wouldn’t want to read Sci-Fi from a nerd with experience in software and knowledge of physics?  This author’s biography says so much in very little time, expanding on both his personal and writing life in a concise manner.

5. Children’s author bio

Author Bio Example: Tonya Flores’s

Check out this Children’s author bio:

Children’s author Tonya Flores is an outgoing, energetic, busy mom of two who believes in real life superheroes! Passionate about child development, Tonya is thrilled to now be able to dedicate her time to pursue a long-time dream of helping children grow to become the best version of themselves. Known for her dedication in the pursuit of goals, Tonya is committed to helping children around the world recognize their unique abilities and grow up to be happy, confident, and fulfilled. 

Tonya’s author bio does less to sell her books and more her background. This will instill confidence in the parents who are looking to read books to their children which will impact them positively while entertaining them.

6. Non-fiction author bio

Author Bio Example: Robert M. Sapolsky

Check out this Non-Fiction author bio:

Robert M. Sapolsky is the author of several works of nonfiction, including A Primate’s Memoir, The Trouble with Testosterone, and Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers. He is a professor of biology and neurology at Stanford University and the recipient of a MacArthur Foundation genius grant. He lives in San Francisco.

This author bio screams non-fiction with a sophisticated voice.  This short piece manages to list a few past books, an accolade, and share Robert’s field of knowledge. This biography’s main purpose is to show the link between the author’s expertise to the books written.

7. Multiple genres author bio

Author Bio Example: Macy Blake

Check out this Multi-genre author bio:

Macy Blake believes in unicorns and fairies, in moonbeams and stardust, and that happily ever after comes in all colors of the rainbow. She loves to lose herself in paranormal romance, living vicariously through her favorite sexy fictional heroes. These days you can often find her lost in her imagination, trying to capture the magic of her own worlds. When she’s not writing, she’s busy arguing with her feisty German Shepherd, Minerva, and attempting to train her adorable pound puppies, Pomona and Severus.

Macy’s bio skillfully expands upon the themes and genres of her work in the first sentence, leaving the rest of her bio the responsibility of laying out her personal side. This author bio is full of personality, giving the reader an idea of the writing style inside her many genres.

8. Achievements

Author Bio Example: Fonda Lee

See how this author bio displays achievements:

Fonda Lee is the World Fantasy Award-winning author of the Green Bone Saga, beginning with Jade City and continuing in Jade War and Jade Legacy. She is also the author of the acclaimed young adult science fiction novels Zeroboxer, Exo and Cross Fire, and has written comics for Marvel. Fonda is a three-time winner of the Aurora Award, and a multiple finalist for the Nebula and Locus Awards. Fonda is a recovering corporate strategist, black belt martial artist, Eggs Benedict enthusiast, and action movie aficionado. Born and raised in Canada, she now resides in Portland, Oregon. Follow Fonda online at www.fondalee.com and on Twitter @fondajlee.

We’re hit immediately with an achievement to grab our attention in this author bio. Some of Fonda’s popular work is sprinkled in and a coating of wonderful accolades solidifies the author’s impressive CV.  The end of the paragraph lets us get to know Fonda in a way that intrigues and makes the reader relate.

9. Experience & Expertise

Author Bio Example: Brit Bennett

See how this author bio provides proof of expertise:

Born and raised in Southern California, Brit Bennett graduated from Stanford University and earned her MFA in fiction at the University of Michigan, where she won a Hopwood Award in Graduate Short Fiction as well as the 2014 Hurston/Wright Award for College Writers. She is a National Book Foundation “5 under 35” honoree, and her essays are featured in The New Yorker, The New York Times Magazine, The Paris Review, and Jezebel.

This author bio example is packed with lines that explain the author’s experience and expertise. Although it can seem harder to show expertise in fiction writing, Brit has represented it well here.  Her work with the publications will go a long way to bolster her author brand for readers and industry professionals.

10. A nice picture

Author Bio Example: Angie Thomas

Check out the headshot to the left and the author bio below:

Angie Thomas was born, raised, and still resides in Jackson, Mississippi as indicated by her accent. She is a former teen rapper whose greatest accomplishment was an article about her in Right-On Magazine with a picture included. She holds a BFA in Creative Writing from Belhaven University and an unofficial degree in Hip Hop. She can also still rap if needed. She is an inaugural winner of the Walter Dean Myers Grant 2015, awarded by We Need Diverse Books. Her debut novel, The Hate U Give, was acquired by Balzer + Bray/HarperCollins in a 13-house auction. Film rights have been optioned by Fox 2000 with George Tillman attached to direct and Hunger Games actress Amandla Stenberg set to star.

This author bio example is all about the headshot.  Picking the right picture to go alongside your bio is vital. It needs to suit the text next to it while corresponding to your brand. We love Angie’s picture because it conveys personality while being very welcoming. With some good lighting and camera work, you can do your headshot that hits all the checkmarks.

11. Past jobs

Author Bio Example: J. Z. York

Check out how this author bio reveals past jobs:

J Z York is new to fiction writing, with Pulse her debut novel.  An Air Force Veteran, she enthusiastically accepted assignment as a first woman in an all-male career field.  She’s been a professional photographer, cat rancher, dog magnet, miniature horse breeder, and unlucky guinea pig grandmother (sorry Jenniva). Working in several aspects of the film and television industry, she enjoyed collecting anecdotes while crashing numerous Cannes and Telluride Film Festivals, and L.A. gold statue award events.  She loves things that zoom, above, or over the ground. This week she’s living in Southern California.

As a new author, you may want to share your past jobs to either show how interesting a life you’ve led or how your experiences relate to your writing.  This a fun way to provide an overview while engaging the target reader with your personality and your life pre-writing career.

12. Endorsements

Author Bio Example: Katherine Center

See how this author bio displays endorsements:

BookPage calls Katherine Center “the reigning queen of comfort reads.” She’s the New York Times bestselling author of ten novels, including How to Walk Away, Things You Save in a Fire, The Bodyguard, and her newest, Hello Stranger. Katherine writes laugh-and-cry books about how life knocks us down—and how we get back up. She’s been compared to both Jane Austen and Nora Ephron, and the Dallas Morning News calls her stories, “satisfying in the most soul-nourishing way.” The movie adaptation of her novel The Lost Husband (starring Josh Duhamel) hit #1 on Netflix, and the movie of her novel Happiness for Beginners, starring Ellie Kemper and Luke Grimes, opens July 27 on Netflix. Katherine’s summer 2022 book, The Bodyguard, was an instant New York Times bestseller, a People Best New Books pick, and nominated for Book of the Year by Book of the Month Club. Bestselling author Emily Henry calls The Bodyguard “a shot of pure joy,” and bestselling author Helen Hoang calls it “a perfect feel-good rom-com.” Katherine lives in her hometown of Houston, Texas, with her husband, two kids, and their fluffy-but-fierce dog.

You could either pick one stellar review or decorate your bio with a few. This author bio example uses endorsements to further expand on Katherine’s branding as well as the themes of her books. Sometimes it’s overkill to go all in on so many aspects in a bio, other times, like in Katherine’s case, it’s the right amount to attract your ideal reader.

13. First-Time Author

Author Bio Example: Jennifer Ballow

This is how you do an author bio if you’re a first-time author:

Jennifer Ballow is a licensed master-level social worker & holds a degree from the University of Texas at Austin. She is a devoted mother to twin girls and a passionate advocate for children, people with disabilities, and older adults. As a children’s book author, Jennifer hopes to inspire children and their caregivers to connect through reading, imagination, and creative writing activities.

When you’ve just put out a debut novel, you need to immediately build trust with your audience and appeal to their needs. Jennifer Ballow’s author bio takes into account her branding and her personal life to provide a mixture just perfect for a newcomer’s bio.

14. Keeping it short

Author Bio Example: Veronica Rossi

Here’s how you keep an author bio short and sweet:

VERONICA ROSSI is the NY Times and USA Today Best Selling author of the UNDER THE NEVER SKY series for young adults. She was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, grew up in California and graduated from UCLA. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband and two sons, one of whom just surpassed her in height.

Veronica’s author bio is short, concise, and informative. She includes her past work, her genre, and some personal elements from her life. However, the personal element that stands out is her cultural background. It’s subtle yet effective at representing what is important to her – where she came from.

15. Your image and brand

Author Bio Example: Marie Forleo

This is how you let your brand shine:

A born-and-raised Jersey girl with nothing more than passion, a laptop, and a dream, Marie Forleo has created a socially conscious digital empire that inspires millions across the globe. Named by Oprah as a thought leader for the next generation, she’s the star of the award-winning show MarieTV, with over 52 million views, and host of The Marie Forleo Podcast, with almost twelve million downloads. Marie has taught entrepreneurs, artists, and multipassionate go-getters from all walks of life how to dream big and back it up with daily action to create results. She runs the acclaimed business training program B-School and the writing program The Copy Cure. Her latest book, Everything is Figureoutable, was an instant #1 New York Times bestseller. Learn more at www.MarieForleo.com.

This author bio is more focused on branding than the book itself – which is fine given this author’s goal! Marie name-drops and showcases her main cause. It all supports her image and gives the reader justification for why she was equipped to write her book.  The lesson is if you have statistics and endorsements to work with, let them speak for themselves. 

16. Pen names

Author Bio Example: Lily Menon

This is how you reveal your pen name:

Lily Menon has always been enamored of romantic comedies and happily-ever-afters in all shapes and sizes. Her very first love story, written at age nine, was about a handsome young boy who wooed the heroine with books, chocolates, and a very fat puppy. Now Lily lives with her own handsome boy (who indeed wooed her with books, chocolates, and fat puppies) in the mountains of Colorado, where she spends her days dreaming up kissing scenes and meet-cutes. When she’s bored, Lily also masquerades as New York Times bestselling YA author Sandhya Menon. MAKE UP BREAK UP is her first adult romance. Visit her online at www.lilymenon.com.

By day you may be an author, and by night you may be…a different author. And you can share that in your author biography too! Just in case your ideal target may be interested in other genres, you leave the door open for them to discover your pseudonym’s work. Lily (or Sandhya) does this well. She’s curated an engaging author bio with her books’ themes and personal aspects. She finally caps it off with a clever line leading to her pen name’s work.

17. Author website

Author Bio Example: maggiecarpenter.com

Check out this ‘About The Author’ Page example:

WHO IS MAGGIE CARPENTER? The Answer May Surprise You. Yes, she is prolific author, penning over a hundred published titles, with heroes ranging from hunky cowboys, Harley-riding bikers and handsome billionaires, to brawny barbarians and amorous aliens. She’s known for page turning, nail biting suspense, steamy scenes and dreamy HEA’s. But Maggie has a history as colorful as one of her characters.  Hailing from a tiny town in New Zealand, her first taste of notoriety came as a Dallas Cowboy Cheerleader. Then it was off to Los Angeles where she was picked up by a modeling agency, and went on to star in film and episodic television. But her foray into the entertainment world didn’t stop there. She launched a highly successful live show as a stage hypnotist. Known as Sonjia: The Mistress of Mesmerism, she performed for the boys in uniform at Camp Pendleton, thrilled crowds in L.A. nightclubs, flew down to Sydney, where she incorporated illusions into her act, then returned to her homeland and wowed the audiences across the country. Now she works late into the night writing sexy, intriguing stories. Always at her side is her adorable terrier mix rescued from a junk yard in Tijuana, and she never misses a day riding her beloved dark bay mare .

The limit on word count kind of goes out the window on an author website – which, if used well, can really pull in your ideal audience. Maggie Carpenter has a colorful background matched with a conversational tone that can grab the reader’s attention. She starts by describing themes and then she gives some context to her personal life, intertwined with her writing life.

18. Your book’s themes 

Author Bio Example: Lauren Eckhardt

Check out this example on how to use themes:

Lauren Eckhardt is an award-winning Young Adult and Women’s Fiction author, who has a particular love of writing stories centered around second chances in life and the self-strengthening journeys of the characters through them. She currently lives in Illinois with her husband and two boys, happily surrounded by books . www.AuthorLaurenEckhardt.com

In the first line, the genre and the author’s accolades are planted as hooks. Lauren understands her target readers and what they’re looking for so she displays her genre’s themes in a conversational tone. 

19. Social media bio

Author Bio Example: Susan Dennard – @stdennard

Check out this Instagram author bio:

✍️ NYT bestselling author. 🎮 Come for the #ChooseWithSooz… 📚 Stay for the awesome books. 🌙 Next up: #TheHuntingMoon, in stores Nov 7! 🔗 linktr.ee/stdennard

Susan’s Instagram bio is excellent for the fast-paced social media world. It’s laid out in a bullet point format with appropriate emojis. It’s catchy and straight to the point while clearly aiming at the target audience.

A Simple Author Bio Template

You can be creative with your author bio while still being concise and brief. But if you’re stuck and you need an outline, we’ve got you covered with this author bio template:

• Credibility: Establish the author’s credibility with accolades, popular books published, experience and expertise, etc.
• Endorsements (if none, leave out): Add Endorsements that back up the credibility well.
• Other Work: Include other works like podcasts, TV shows, pen name’s works, or any other ventures the target reader would find of interest.
• Personal Touch: 1-2 lines of personal information that add flare and color to the author bio – only add what you are comfortable with.
• Call To Action: Include a call to action (CTA) and links to social media profiles, newsletters, new book releases, etc.

Remember to keep your author bio between 60-150 words and only include what you think readers would want to know!

Author Bio Mistakes To Avoid

Avoid these common author bio mistakes if you don’t want readers rolling their eyes or falling off to sleep:

• Qualification overload: Please refrain from adding your irrelevant qualifications and awards – but if you have a lot of relevant ones (good for you!), keep them to the headliners.
• The salesman: Your readers shouldn’t feel like they’re avoiding eye contact with the Mall kiosk employees selling samples when they read your bio – keep the sales talk to a minimum 
• Missing the target: Make your genres’, themes, and selling points clear, so you don’t make your target reader feel like they’re in the wrong place.
• The time-traveler: Some phrasing may have worked back in the day but it’s outdated now, so steer clear of cliches and putting dates in your bio that will make it very clear when you haven’t updated it in a while.

Where You Can Put Your First Author Bio

It’s easy for a reader to find an author on the all-knowing online oracle (Google!), so an author bio is an essential part of building an online presence. This is how readers will learn about you and your work, so you must make sure it’s as appealing as possible.

That means the words you use and the style in which it’s delivered. While you can’t exactly make your Amazon book page any color you like, you can do that on your author website.

Unlike social media, with an author website , you get to set the rules. And it’s a great place to put your first author bio too.

You’re just one inquiry form away from a stunning online presence that represents your brand. If you’re interested, get in touch!

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How To Write A Biography Of An Author?

Writers find creating an author bio one of the most daunting tasks. A perfectly written author bio can make it easier for the readers to know the writer better giving a concise and quick overview of their writing.

Ideally, it is a brief passage, mostly a paragraph, which introduces the author, mentions their credentials, work summary, details of other creations, and provides details of anything else that a reader may be interested in knowing.

An author must try to regularly update their bio so potential readers and fans seeking them can get access to the essential details about them. This guide contains everything you need to know about how to write a biography of an author. Further, we will also give you some author biography examples for easier understanding.

• What does an author bio include?

What Is The Basic Template For An Author’s Bio?

• How To Write An Author Biography For A Book?
• Author Biography For The Journal
• Author Biography For A Research Paper
• Author’s Bio For A Blog?

Tips To Keep In Mind

Frequently asked questions, what does an author bio include.

In all honesty, there is no one-size-fits-all formula. However, if you know about the author, you can easily personalize and compile the information to match your requirements.

So, ideally, what should an author bio have? The author bio should include author’s name, distinguished accomplishments, and a call to action. Ideally, contain the biography in a maximum of sixty to ninety words in length.

See, if, for instance, the bio is to be attached with a dramatic book, you can include some drama based books in the author’s bio. Similarly, if you have a funny book at hand, you can include some humor related work done by the author in the bio.

Personalize the bio to suit your target audience (both readers and future publishers) and genre. Further, in the author bio, you can include links to the author’s socials. It will help your readers get an insight into author’s personal life.

A photograph should also be a part of the author’s bio.

Now, let us look at the biography template and what should it cover with some author biography examples.

How to write an author biography? Here is a basic template for an author’s bio.

1. Commence with a Byline

It is a single-line statement that gives an insight into who the author is and includes the book’s name.

2. Talk about the theme of the book

Next, you need to state what the author writes about:

• Fiction or non-fiction
• Previously published books
• Area of interest

3. List down the credentials.

Herein, you will provide author’s credentials. It can include best-seller lists, college degrees, and accolades. If you are a fiction writer, you can also talk about your life interests.

4. Add a personal touch.

Adding color to the bio helps the reader imagine who you are and if they can relate to you. It is your way of nudging the reader to buy the book. Some things you can add are:

• Including the location in your byline.
• Some peek into your lifestyle.
• One-liner to illustrate the kind of author you are.

How To Write An Author Biography?

How to write a biography of an author? Here is a guideline for assistance.

1. Use a professional picture.

Typically, authors also like to include a picture in their author bio. It should be a professional headshot of you looking grave or smiling. Be very careful with the headshot. Readers automatically equate an unprofessional picture with your book’s quality.

2. Keep the opening catchy for an instant connection.

Your Byline is the first thing that the reader reads about you. So, do not let it go in vain. You can use the vital and relevant facts that the readers and agents care about the most. It should also have the name of your book.

Adding personal information like:

• Your place of birth
• When you started writing
• Your contributions to the writing field
• Where you are from
• Your previous publications and awards

These personal details can help formulate a bond between you and the reader. The idea is to ensure the reader knows your background to feel connected and motivated to know further.

3. Know the genre and the audience

To decide the audience and genre, answers the two questions:

• Who are you writing for?
• What is this book about?

Ideally, the author’s bio should complement the subject matter and the genre. You may confuse your potential audience if the biography is irrelevant to the book and genre.

Now, think about the target audience. You probably had a type of reader in mind when you wrote this book. Every writer should know who will buy and read the book. After understanding the target audience, you can write the bio to meet that person’s needs.

You can include an excerpt from your personality if you are a fiction author. Also, if you have achieved something extraordinary, talk about it in the credentials.

On the contrary, for the non-fiction authors, readers are interested more in your life and credentials. It helps them know what qualifies you to create a book on this subject.

Some authors have adopted a unique strategy of creating an avatar of their ideal customer – with a name, personality, and location. It is an excellent marketing effort and helps create a concise author bio.

4. Write in the third person.

Of course, you are writing the bio, but you should still write it in the third person. It gives it a professional and trustworthy tone and makes it easy to display and read everywhere.

For instance:

Instead of – I am a three-time published author.

Go for – Ravin is a three-time published author.

5. Keep it short

Your bio should be as impactful and informative as possible. Also, list your hobbies and all facets of your careers, but you should still curtail it to 400 words.

6. Mark your achievements and awards

Do not shy away from including things you have achieved in your life. It becomes essential if you do not have direct authority in the subject matter or credentials. It makes it easy for the audience to know why they must spare their time to go through your book.

For instance, it can be a significant show point if you win a national championship in chess. These tell the reader that you have done several other things in life beyond this book.

However, if you have nothing specific to include in your achievements and credentials, you can list your interests and passions. It can have anything you love writing about or enjoy doing, or a hobby, particularly if it is associated with the book.

7. Make it relatable

An author bio should be a peek into your views, world, personality, and values. It also should give away what a reader must expect from your writing. Ideally, if a reader likes you, they will also enjoy what you write. Because in your book, every page has your essence in it.

So, if you make the bio relatable and depict your personality, the readers connect with it better. It invokes curiosity, and they want to read the book to satiate this.

8. Make it look credible.

We live in a digital-friendly world. So, you never know, when someone comes up and asks you, ‘why should I listen to you?’ Readers who pay for the book have every right to question you, especially if it relates to the authenticity, reliability, and accuracy of something mentioned by you.

So, from your bio, you need to be honest and maintain credibility. For this, your bio should answer three questions:

• Why should the readers believe you?
• Why are you qualified to write on the subject?
• Why should they buy your book?

9. Social media links

Lastly, you want the reader to connect with you. You do not want the relationship with your reader to end with this book. It is vital to hold on to them. It will help you in the second book and so on.

When they connect with you outside of the book (on social media), they know about you as a person in your skin and blood. It makes them feel closer to you. So, leave your link to give them a peek into your life.  

Bio Writing Based on Types of Publication

How to write a biography of an author for a book.

• Your author bio should be brief. So, do not talk about every facet of your hobbies and career. You can keep it short and crisp. It is best to contain all the information in 400 words.
• Write it in the third person to make it seem more professional.
• Commence the bio with a one-liner, stating your name, the book’s title, your profession, and where you are from.
• So, make it exciting and relevant, and get creative. Keep it as close to the book’s genre and theme. You can mention your achievements, but unless directly associated with the book or too exciting or adventurous, please keep it brief.
• Include some information about your interests and hobbies to establish a bond with the reader. Lastly, put a professional, good-quality picture. Let us see one of the best author biography examples.

“Victoria Lee grew up in Durham, North Carolina, where she spent twelve ascetic years as a vegetarian before discovering that spicy chicken wings are, in fact, a delicacy. She’s been a state finalist competitive pianist, a hitchhiker, a pizza connoisseur, an EMT, an ex-pat in China and Sweden, and a science doctoral student. She’s also a bit of a snob about fancy whiskey. Victoria writes early in the morning, then spends the rest of the day trying to impress her Border collie puppy and make her experiments work.”

Source: Victoria Lee Press Kit

How To Write An Author Biography For The Journal?

It should include a biographical statement with your complete name. Further, list your academic program, interest in the writing’s subject and genre, personal history, and field placement. The word length should not be over 75 words for a journal author bio. Here is one of the best journal author biography examples.

“Kathryn Saclarides is a second-year social administration student at the University of Chicago Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice. She received a bachelor’s degree in anthropology and Spanish from Vanderbilt University and a master’s in bioethics from La Universidad Pontificia de Comillas in Madrid, Spain. Her current field placement is with the National Alliance of Latin American and Caribbean Communities (NALACC). She is interested in migration patterns, ethnic neighborhoods, and transnational communities.”

Source: The University of Chicago

How To Write An Author Biography For A Research Paper?

An author bio for the research paper should list your degrees, information about your alma mater, year of qualifications, and subject of study. In addition, you can also talk about your current area of work. Lastly, to make the reader feel familiar, including some personal details can help. You can also include your awards and accolades. Keep it brief, but try to include all vital information. Write the whole bio in the third person.

“Paul Linn received the M.Sc. degree in engineering from the ABC University of Technology, Poland, in 1991 and a Ph.D. degree in applied mathematics from the University of XYZ, the US, in 1990. He currently works as an assistant professor at the Institute of Computer Engineering, ABC University of Technology. His current research interests include the dynamics and control of robotic systems, adaptive control and social robots.”

How To Write An Author Biography For A Blog?

Start with personal details about yourself. Explain what you do in the third person. Include an element of validation so that the readers see you as a credible source. In addition, list some interesting details about yourself. Provide links to your social media and include an inbound link to the website for SEO optimization. Overall, the bio should be concise. You can have a professional-looking headshot to add as a picture with the bio.

“Kiel Berry is the Executive Vice President of Machine Shop. Prior to Machine Shop, Kiel worked at Creative Artists Agency and began his career at JPMorgan Investment Banking. Kiel is the author of STUNT: Navigate The Journey. Follow him on Twitter at @kielberry.”

• Inject a sense of your personal, unique style
• Speak about endorsements from renowned figures
• Include only relevant details.
• Link the title to the book’s sales page.
• Add headlines like bestselling or award-winning to the Byline if applicable.
• Use the bio to cross-promote other books.
• Do not forget to update the bio regularly.
• Do not write in anything other than the 3rd person.
• Make it engaging and personal.
• Use a friendly, warm tone.

Bonus Tip – Do not exceed more than 100 words.

Related : Article Title Writing Guide , How to Write an Academic Book Review? , How to write a synopsis? , How to prepare an article outline?

Ques 1. Can I write a book with no experience?

Ans . Yes, you can always write a book without any experience. There is always a first time for everything.

Ques 2. How do I write a biography about myself?

Ans . You should start in third person and go on to

• Introduce yourself – your first name and last name.
• State your brand or company’s name.
• List your professional role
• Discuss your values and passions
• Mention your interests
• Talk about your professional achievements
• Include links to your socials and a headshot

Ques 3. Where does the author bio go in a book?

Ans . You will find the author’s bio on the last left-hand page of the book. Some writers also place it on the book’s back cover, toward the bottom.

Ques 4. Are Author bio generators useful? Name a few tools for the same.

Ans . Yes, author bio generators can be beneficial for creating a good biography.

Some tools that can help are:

• Author Bio Box
• Molongui Authorship
• Co-Authors Plus
• Simple Author Box
• About Author
• Awesome WordPress Author Bio
• Avatar Elementor Author Box

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You need to create a brief and compelling author bio for use on your website, book jacket, and press releases. But do you know how to write an author bio? We take a look at the key elements of an interesting bio (and which details should be omitted).

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

Updated April 2022.

Your book is riveting, but your author bio is a snooze.

If you’re afraid the above sentence describes you, well, don’t be too hard on yourself; plenty of brilliant authors freeze up when it comes to writing about themselves in sound bites. They’re more comfortable creating lush fictions, not highlighting their own career achievements and personal anecdotes in (as Morpheus from The Matrix says) “the desert of the real.”

Table of Contents: 1. Keep your bio short 2. Write in the third person 3. A little history goes a long way 4. Your older books may not matter 5. List SOME of your literary achievements 6. Mention the most relevant professional, educational, travel, or personal experiences 7. Get some outside perspective 8. Write multiple bio versions 9. Don’t forget the human touch

Comfortable or not, you need to create a brief and compelling author bio for use on your website, book jacket, press releases, etc., so let’s take a closer look at the key elements of an interesting bio — while determining which details should be omitted.

1. Keep your bio short

Your author bio isn’t the place to tell your whole life story. 250 words is a good starting place . Once you’ve got that version firmed up, you can create a slightly longer version for PR purposes, or cut it down to 50 or 100 words for other uses such as contributor pages in a print publications, social media profiles, etc. Many poetry journals have asked me to send them a bio as short as 25 words, which is the same length as this very sentence.

2. Write in the third person

Telling your story in the third person may seem a little pretentious at first, but it does make it easier to talk confidently about your achievements. Give it a try.

3. A little history goes a long way

Ask yourself, “does anyone care where I’m from?”

If you’re writing a series of detective stories set in San Francisco and you were born and raised in the Bay Area, sure — that detail could be crucial to your bio. But if your book is a paranormal romance set in Russia, do we really need to know you were born in Iowa and now live in Maryland? (I’m guilty of this myself; just look at my author bio below!)

Mentioning your birthplace, your year of birth, your parents’ occupation, they’re just some of the default things we put in bios: Mary was born in Dayton, Ohio in 1953 .

We begin at the beginning by habit. Boring! Cut to the good stuff that really matters to your audience. Maybe your parents’ occupations are crucial to your own story. Maybe a recent accident or current event sparked your latest creative effort. If so, try starting with that. Just be sure of its importance before taking up any extra words in what should be a succinct bio.

4. Your older books may not matter

Again, this isn’t a dictum, merely a consideration, but mentioning the books you’ve already published MIGHT be a waste of words.

Think about it: if you’re Stephen King, everyone already knows what you’ve written; if you’re a relatively unknown author, no one cares what you’ve written.

If you’re in the latter camp, the only thing that matters (other than your author name) is that the details of your life which you choose to include in your bio make the reader want to crack open your book.

5. List SOME of your literary achievements

It’s usually wise to mention any big literary prizes or awards you’ve won, plus the most impressive moments from your publication history. This sort of stuff establishes credibility.

If you’re a highly celebrated writer, no need to be exhaustive (and probably no need to read this article further, since I’m assuming your author bio is already killer).

One thing that is common in the poetry world is to mention where you currently teach, since many poets are also academics. While this does establish credibility, that detail is so ubiquitous in bios that it’s rendered somewhat meaningless. Plus, the way things are going in higher education, you might be adjunct-ing at a new school in a new city every 12 months anyway.

6. Mention the most relevant professional, educational, travel, or personal experiences

Once again, it’s about pulling in the details that will resonate with your readers and fit snugly with the topics you’re writing about. If you’re a crime novelist, your background as a NYC arson detective is going to interest people. If you’re a cancer survivor writing about healthy attitudes towards aging, mentioning your personal medical history is crucial. Writing a Mediterranean cookbook? Talk about how you spent a year going back and forth between Spain, France, Italy, and Greece.

7. Get some outside perspective

It’s tough to see your own life and career objectively. So ask your friends, family, potential readers, and fans what they consider to be the most important or interesting aspects of your life story. Get the advice of your editor, agent, or writing group. And be sure to take good notes on what they suggest!

8. Write multiple bio versions

I always recommend writing a few different versions of your bio. Pass them around and ask for feedback. Then combine the most compelling sections from each version to create an unbeatable Voltron of an author bio!

9. Don’t forget the human touch

Whether you write fiction, essays, self-help, or instruction manuals, you’re hoping to make a connection with your readers. Your bio is also a chance to make a connection, so be sure the thing doesn’t read like a Wikipedia entry. Give it some quirk and character. Make the vibe match your aesthetic. Light and chatty. Dark and brooding. Urbane, but with a weak spot for Wendy’s hamburgers. Remind us that you’re human.

What does your author bio look like? What difficulties did you have writing it? How has your author bio changed as you grow in your writing career? Let me know in the comments section below.

75 COMMENTS

Good words of wisdom. I am writing a children’s book so I will include my background of being a child psychologist.

A resume in a collection could (50/50 here, IMHO) be delivered in a third-person voice, as it then represents one in a list of others who are involved with [whatever]. It would be there at the behest of whomever is running the show and not the individual whose bio material we’re reading. gygulhjljk

Hi sir your blog is very important Their par very good & important for me

If you’re writing a series of detective stories set in San Francisco and you were born and raised in the Bay Area, sure — that detail could be crucial to your bio. But if your book is a paranormal romance set in Russia, do we really need to know you were born in Iowa and now live in Maryland? (I’m guilty of this myself)

Good advice Chris… However, the important question to ask yourself, before you commence writing a bio: “Why do you do, what you do?”… it is more important than – “Who you are?”. The Bio is also assisting potential readers to choose your work. To connect readers to your work, one needs to tell them why have I written that book?

Good advice Chris… However, the important question to ask yourself, before you commence writing a bio: “Why do you do, what you do?”… it is more important than – “Who you are?”. The Bio is also assisting potential readers to choose your work. To connect readers to your work, one needs to tell them as to why have I written that book?

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thanks for the information

Good advice Chris… However, the important question to ask yourself, before you commence writing a bio: “Why do you do, what you do?”… it is more important than – “Who you are?”. The Bio is also assisting potential readers to choose your work. To connect readers to your work, one needs to tell them as to why have I written that book? https://www.ffdataminer.in/

Thanks for sharing. I think the author bio should be short and informative.

This is a great piece of content on how to write an effective bio, which definitely helped me a lot. I made changes as soon as I read this.

Great content, but did you intend to have the story’s photo show someone smoking a pipe? Around the world people are working to stop young people from smoking and these outdated archetypes interfere with that process.

Excellent overview of bio does and don’ts.

Catch you later. Gotta go re-do my bio! Thanks for the tips!

Thank you for the suggestions. This is one of the hardest thing to write on blogs and proposals for me.

Candice http://Candice.yamnitz.us

[…] Popular BookBaby Posts How to legally quote song lyrics in your book 10 Tips For Creating Your First Children’s Picture Book My 20-Step Plan to Writing a Book: Part 1 (Steps 1-10) Nine Manuscript Editing Software Programs You Should Consider Things I Wish I Had Known Before Self-Publishing My Book How to write a great author bio that will connect with readers […]

This is a great post Chris, with some extremely valid points, I wanted to add a bio to my blog author page and this guide was spot on.

Regards…

I’m currently preparing my very first poetry submission. They are asking for a 50 word bio. I have absolutely no idea what to write so I went searching for suggestions. This article is great for people who are already published, but what does a person who is not put in their author bio? Because honestly, if I’d got that far I wouldn’t be needing to find out how to write an author bio.

Great article! I have given serious thought to having another writer to describe my trilogy.

I realize I can’t do everything

Thanks for information…nice post.

I found this article to be most enlightening. Thanks for taking the time to write share your advice.

This is what I wrote as a result:

Edmund Alyn Jones is a of course a novelist. He is also an award-winning playwright, and classically trained Shakespearean actor. He claims Detroit, Michigan as his hometown, and the lessons he learned therein as his “PhD in Perseverance.” Edmund is the proud ‘bonus dad’ of two strapping young men, and helped to create a third with his uber-talented (albeit messy) wife, Kennikki Jones-Jones. Edmund has performed in venues from Singapore to Denmark, and has even produced a stage play Off-Broadway in New York City. He has been a game show host, professional clown, retail assistant manager, and television spokesperson. As of the reading of this bio, who knows where he may be living. Edmund really likes video games.

such a great tips thank you so much

Very good information on Importance of Author Bio.

And we were not showing author bio till now, Did not know it needs that much.

By d way, This line is awesome – If you’re Stephen King, everyone already knows what you’ve written; if you’re a relatively unknown author, no one cares what you’ve written.

I always put “boulevardier, bon-viveur, ex-KGB assassin & liar. Only one of these is true.”

Chris, every author should read your “How to write a great author bio that will connect with readers” and understand what makes them unique, so that reader’s get a glimpse of a life’s accomplishments earned and what makes their works worth a reader’s time. Today, author’s need to be chief cook and bottle washers, becoming more than they should be. Writer’s should be writhing and leave all the marketing to the so called experts. Marketing is far from a perfect science, but when done right it sets that writer above the crowd. A short bio done right can connect reader and author together that would otherwise not exist.

1. per your request, below is my author bio.

Mark Glamack’s professional history includes director, animator, producer, and writer for family entertainment in the motion picture and television industries from Disney to Hanna Barbara, and most other animation studios: Nominated for an EMMY for the series “Life with Louie”; elected six terms as Governor for the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences; and as a patented inventor.

Then one day out of the blue, God appeared to Mark asking him to write “Littluns: And the Book of Darkness,” the most powerful experience of pure love he ever experienced, changing his life forever.

The awards won for “Littluns” include: two GOLD “Mom’s Choice Awards;” one for Fiction, and also for “Young Adult Books” in the category of Fantasy, Myths & Legends; the “Dove Award”, “The Indi Award”, and Honorable Mention at the New York Book Expo. You can read about the awards won, and reviews for “Littluns” at http://www.littlunsblog.com

Mark’s full bio can be found at http://www.littluns.net/pages/about.html?osCsid=781f1bb5d1b5f7544379b463 …

2. You also asked, “What difficulties did I have writing my bio?”

It wasn’t so much about being difficult, as it was trying to be thorough in 250 words, or less. That’s why I included the link to my full bio.

3. How has my author bio changed as I’ve grown in my writing career?

When I was on jury duty the Judge asked everyone to say a little about themselves. I asked him if he wanted the long or short version. After I gave the short version, and finished with his request, he called me a Renascence Man. I never thought of that before, but I guess he was right given all the diverse things I’ve done.

Although I’ve written scripts and other works, not in a million years would I have even considered becoming an author. Not that I wouldn’t be interested in becoming an author, but with seven projects developed over the last decade, I already had more on my plate than I could handle. Just goes to prove that when with God, all things become possible.

Now with sales to justify a sequel to “Littluns”, it looks like there will be more to my bio as an author than I had ever thought possible.

Give me the chance to tell a story any day. The requirement to write about me, not so much. I like to include an “Author’s Note” in the back of my historical fiction. But writing “About the Author” for a book or my websites always leaves me stressed. Thanks for the great suggestions – now to figure out how to put them to work, and hopefully reduce the stress at the same time.

I struggle with writing bios! Your article was just what I needed to polish mine. Thank you so much, Chris, for your wonderful suggestions!

Third person is good. It gets us past our self-consciousness. But first person brings us closer to our reader. So, start with third. And then edit to first when you think your book (or career) might benefit or when first might seem less artificial and liven this precious bio up a bit! Stick to third person when you contact seems like the type who prefers formality. Best, Carolyn Howard-Johnson

…And we thought it doesn’t matter. Added a perfect author bio now. :) Thanks

Thank you for this, I really needed this for my website!

Good article.

The point that is kind of insinuated but not said directly is this: your bio should help sell the book. Start there and some of the resulting sections become easier. 3rd person has more credibility than first person statements (the exception might be a memoir). Facts about you as an author that either lend credibility in writing on the topic or just plain make you an interesting person win over boring lists of other traits. For example, where you live only matters somewhat if that is that is a predominant element in the book or your market wants to read stories by local writers.

Sure, you can include statements in your bio just because they are important to you but put that inside the book. Use the published bio for the facts about yourself that qualify you as an expert, or tip people’s interest in you which tips them into reading the book.

I go for self-deprecating: I know just five languages, have edited just five orthopaedics books and just twelve engineering- and computer-related theses.

Such great advice here. Last one is so important–don’t forget the human touch. I infuse what I hope is some humor into mine. I’m going to check the rest of my bio and compare it to this list. Thanks!

Great Suggestions and will follow them!!!

Thanks for these tips! I just needed some of them for inspiration to create my own About page. Check it out here:

http://playingwriter.com/about/

What do you think? :) I tried to make it short, human, and funny.

Ok, well done.

[…] most books, the “about the author” blurb is a brief paragraph of roughly 250 words. How long do you think the “about the author” section of Great […]

Third person or first i think depends on the person writing it; but both can be done well. Always get someone to check it for you also, so it sounds natural and to the point – i believe this is most important.

Yeah, for me writing in third person is odd, I prefer telling the story about me from my own, not someone else.

Actually, it usually depends on an editor or publisher’s editorial policy. I hate writing third person bios but I have seldom been given the option. The one time I submitted without following the guidelines, I got it back with a “no, no” note.

Good advice Chris… However, the important question to ask yourself, before you commence writing a bio: “Why do you do, what you do?”… it is more important than – “Who you are?”. The Bio are also assisting potential readers to choose your work. To connect readers to your work, one needs to tell them as to why have I written that book?

As well the useful info, I really enjoyed the humor in your piece, Chris. There is such a deluge of advice about the right way to do things (such as write an author bio), that it’s very refreshing to have humor woven in! Thanks!

Also want to add that as I was tackling writing an “about the author” page for the back of my novel, I found myself really favoring first person as a way to connect more directly with those who had just read my 500+ page historical novel. (I wanted to say thank you–but didn’t.)

Catch you later. Gotta go re-do my bio! Thanks for the tips! :)

good information for how write their bio for blog’s. Thanks

[…] Chris Robley warns that a little bit of personal history goes a long way. […]

[…] Chris Robley warns that a little bit of personal history goes a long way. […]

[…] Chris Robley, with Book Baby blog: https://blog.bookbaby.com/2014/03/how-to-write-a-great-author-bio/ […]

[…] Are Essential For Authors Radio 101: Tips For Authors & Speakers Doing Radio Interviews How To Write A Great Author Bio That Will Connect With Readers Venn Zen: Authors, Be One With Your Audience Self-publishing Budget Advice From Miral Sattar […]

My current e-book is a character drama about three troubled women in an international modelling contest. With no promotion whatsoever, it went viral for a few months, downloaded 2000 times.

I cannot see any relationship between my life and my story. I am a man to begin with. My first success was as a headline hero racing bike in Mexico. My book about engineering won first prize in an international literary contest, got included in reading at high schools and universities, and got fan clubs at OxBridge, Harvard, and UBC, that I know of, as well as other awards. I got six years of school. Expelled five times for writing what the schools did not want to read. The second expulsion became a series in MACLEANS that sparked the interest in alternative schooling. Why would any woman wanting to read a story about competing women be interested in this CV?

Um, off the top of my head – If your female characters come across to your female readers as believable, you being a male author sets you apart. Many male authors create female characters who display behaviour more typical of men than of women. (For example: stress response – fight or flight, or tend and befriend?) Obviously, typical “male” and “female” behaviours show up only when we look at large groups of people; any given individual is most unlikely to be average or typical in everything in all situations. But if all your female characters display male-type behaviour on all fronts all the time, I’d be wondering if there was a new type of exogenous androgen leaching into the drinking water. Your racing bike background suggests that whether you were making bikes or racing bikes or both, you should have a good understanding of the nature of competition, of how to balance risk vs. reward, of when you get better results from cooperating than opposing, etc. – all principles that could apply to other competitive situations such as modelling contests. Getting expelled from school for writing that which your schools thought should not be written might say things about you that would make you interesting to a thoughtful reader – for example, was your being expelled related to characteristics such as being observant, analytic, accurate, not bound by political correctness, thinking outside the box, refusing to comply with directives you saw as stupid/dangerous, a tendency to relay unpopular messages impolitely (now that could make for fun reading), and/or . . . . ? As for engineering background/knowledge, it’s totally relevant if your target audience is female or male nerds and things like wardrobe engineering, social engineering, gaming theory, AI, neuroperceptual engineering, or any other kind of engineering is involved in your story. (As Wikipedia says, “Engineering is the application of mathematics and scientific, economic, social, and practical knowledge in order to invent, innovate, design, build, maintain, research, and improve structures, machines, tools, systems, components, materials, processes, solutions, and organizations.” Any of that going on in your story?) In the spirit of full disclosure – I’m a female, motorcycle-riding, risk-averse science fiction reading mother of an engineer –

Dear Ms. Arsenault,

I am grateful for your thoughtful and well-considered response to my pique about authors’ bios. Although this is not the place for a conversation, I want to answer your points. My reply extends to 1000 words. I think this longer than the monitor will pass, so I am Sending merely one paragraph on the chance that a live monitor will think it will interest other story tellers who peruse these responses.

I have sensed that the average woman has better communication between the two sides of her brain than the average man; her senses are keener by resonance. All-together women are more likely to consider all sides of a conflict; manly men bulldoze through. Men see only what they look at; peripheral vision enables women to spot signals of intent like a martial artist. Women are implicit, men are explicit, like East and West; the East does by magic what the West does by engineering — any unknown technique looks like magic or woman’s intuition. Women lack muscle mass; they must avoid collisions like a bicycle. Women have one centre of gravity whereas men have two. The lagging upper centre causes the adolescent male swagger; actresses can’t imitate it in gender benders — they should weight their shoulder pads with 10 pounds. Women have an inner stability affording quick reflexes that surprise men. Women are oppressed; they get their way by learning to pretend submission, as do children and menials. Their act is mistaken for their nature. Girls manipulate male weakness; men hate them. Women use male power; men love them. Women are more supportive and intimate than men; isolated women suffer anxiety. Women have children and hormones that want children; responsibility handicaps women. Nothing would change the world so drastically as making men sick for a week of every month; no general would start a war he could not win in three weeks.

Men see women as children with boobs; women write their male characters paper thin. Romantic women do not realize that their hero’s dashing urbanity is supported on a sense of superiority like a Southern gentleman’s genuinely generous and kindly noblesse oblige is built on slavery; the highest virtue rises on the basest vice. That is what subtext is all about. Women should write male characters only when they feel that men hurt, too.

Many words to say women should write male characters unafraid to admit vulnerability. Sparks can fly when strong women connect with vulnerable men and only when both parties are aware of which head (big head or little head) is driving the action.

It looks like 1/4 of my reply to you got on. This is the rest.

A few trials proved my bio counterproductive. I was seated on stage as guest of honour behind Buckminster Fuller when he spoke here to a packed house of 3000. Bucky graduated from Harvard, I did not graduate from high school; culture clash makes me poison ivy in academe. Neither does my track record sell a character drama.

My first expulsion ended my public schooling. My photographic memory wrote exams without error. I was working a 40-hour week doing a man’s job and I lived on my earnings. I refused to be treated as a child. I was there to learn, not to be taught; pedagogues do not know the difference.

5 years later, I was designer-salesman and paid public speaker. My employer started training me to supervise the largest construction projects in the country; with little schooling, my employer led the local industry. That is how I learned the practical engineering that made my best-seller, reviewed in the NY TIMES.

I was expelled a second time for an assigned term essay telling Why Kids Quit School. I told it like it is. Submitted to the national magazine, that rejected essay inspired a series fomenting the popular interest in alternative schooling that swept the country in the ‘60s.

I was rejected again for writing a term narrative that was “too mature for a student.” The next year, it was performed as an audio opera starring Canada’s #2 actress of stage and big screen. My opera was mature; my school teachers were not.

My e-trilogy is an action crime mystery with song and dance scenes, an almost paranormal character drama in a tragicomedic road show about naive fish out of water. It is soap opera for the thinking woman.

The market returned its verdict on my essay, my opera, my best-seller, and my first novel went viral briefly. My stories can’t be sold, only discovered.

You question that a man can create female characters. I agree. And women write men skin thin. What do you think of STEEL MAGNOLIAS?

My main protag is a singleton raised as a son by her General Dad in an overprivileged home; I do not expect many readers to know such an unusual character better than me, so I have a wide margin for error. Most readers know a humble family like my second protag’s, a girl who wants it all; I am not a girl, not a sib, not popular, and I don’t want it all, so what do I know? I speak through the third character whom no reader will believe.

Fledgling story tellers are told to know everything about their characters. Detail is not character; motive creates character. Complex motives create complex characters. Circumstance creates motive; complex circumstance creates complex motives. Motive drives character. Character drives plot. A story is about somebody who wants something; ET wants to go home. Writing is blocked when motive is lacking.

Culture dichotomizes reality into subjective and objective, inner and outer, female and male, yin and yang. Women are supposed to live inside; a man with an inner life is disparaged as effeminate. My observer is blind; she can function only by bringing her outside inside. My characters are searching for their other halves —- which is basically what romantic fantasy is all about. Everybody believes the authorized fantasies; whole people are not believed in the demimonde of illusion. Whole people are paranormal.

In stories, people seek to find or escape from what is missing in their lives. My protags are are not proper women because their parents did not provide all their spirits need to be whole. They search for their whole selves throughout their stories. The whole self is the treasure in the cave guarded by the fearsome dragon, the pearl beyond price, the Kingdom.

Every morning, I read a couple dozen bios of my competition. I downloaded books by a couple dozen of the most interesting. Not a half-dozen held my interest; one is delightful. An awesome flair for words and expert knowledge do not construct a story. I should not read the bio before I read the book; likewise, no one should read mine.

For the curious and for readers who know, I wrote strategies and engineering into my story.

A veteran winner whose parents won’t let her lose, my main protag tells how to win. “Never lead. You will be exhausted. Stay behind the leader. All the trouble will be behind you, and you have only one to beat in the dash to the line. And never forget the one behind you.”

Leslie spun on the ball of her foot as she dropped her left knee, hands on the floor, to sweep her extended left foot behind Nikki’s advancing heel. The girl went down with a painful yelp as her legs split. Still turning, Leslie straightened both legs against oncoming Erin’s rearward thigh to roll the tall girl over her rising hips. “What are you?” Nell gasped. Ann sneered, “Aw, she’s just a cranky old gymnast showing off her floor routine.” Ann was Argo champ before entering the modelling contest.

Whether my protags are feminine depends on defining nature from culture. My main protag is a dancer; she tumbled her attackers with a dance routine. Is dance unfeminine? A woman who can’t defend herself is a child.

A motorcycle mama might appreciate the car chase when my character shows how they drive in a Bemidji blizzard, describing tach and traction, heel and toe, clutch and gear, and weight distribution for controlled skids; her big brother races stock. Don’t try it at home, girls.

I am driven to write only when nobody will listen to me about some pernicious, popular persuasion. The publishing industry is striving for popularity. I am not. I have a message. One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest told a message. The Spy Who Came In From The Cold carried a message. 1984 and Fahrenheit 451 are warnings. 007 is popular. Harry Potter is popular. The Hunger Games isn’t even trivial.

Mea culpa for responding impulsively to Mr. Robley’s blog. There is no fault in his telling what readers expect of authors’ bios. My petty plaint at feeling left out served nobody’s interest. You made my day.

Served my interest. Thank you, Tom, who is not petty.

You are a good read and atypical. Hooray!

Great advice!

The only element I should except would be the speak-in-the-third-person one. Having read tons of resumes, knowing that a third-person voice is likely being written by the person whose name is on the resume makes him seem as if he’s trying to artificially elevate his stature by subtly suggesting someone else feels this way about him, too.

I think it’s not an ego trip to present one’s accomplishments with a personal thrust. It does, however, require a delicate touch to not appear overly self-effacing.

A resume in a collection could (50/50 here, IMHO) be delivered in a third-person voice, as it then represents one in a list of others who are involved with [whatever]. It would be there at the behest of whomever is running the show and not the individual whose bio material we’re reading.

As always, just IMHO, of course.

I very purposefully wrote my website in the first-person, because I wanted to brand myself as relatable and I thought that writing in the first-person was a very practical way to do that. My author bio seemed like it belonged somewhere else when it was the only page written in third-person; so I changed it. I do, however, keep an updated third-person copy of my bio in case it ever comes in handy some place else.

Worth considering.

Something else to consider for the short-short version of one’s author bio, the version which will accompany your author photo on the back of your next book: If the themes of your books differ significantly from each other, you may find it better to custom-design a separate bio for each book. For my novel “Bead of Sand,” in which Civil War reenactors figure largely, I mentioned my lengthy experience as a living history reenactor in my bio blurb, and my author photo showed me in uniform playing the fife. Neither this photo nor this bio blurb will be appropriate for the story I’m currently writing, which is completely unrelated.

I think we might call this kind of maintenance of author bios, adjusting the blurbs to suit their purpose, sort of “keeping it green” – live and lively.

During the Korean War, I was an assassin for the United States Government. 65 years later I cover three live missions in a full length account during that time. No one, from the top down, would ever admit to what my story covers.

[…] Secrets to Writing a Killer Author Bio How to Write a Great Author Bio That Will Connect with Readers Tips for Writing Your Author […]

Thanks for this awesome guidance chris Robley. I am a new author and was looking for this type of stuff.

I thought the achievements go from newest first, and oldest last. It that correct? Thank you so much!

Typically, yes, your most recent work/awards should go first, unless there are others in your history that make you more recognizable. If you have a bestseller in your catalog, or a prestigious award – you might want to lead with that info.

[…] Need help? Check out “How to write a great author bio.” […]

is it alright to use the phrase ‘is a poet and wordsmith’, in my author bio

Well, if space is limited, I think it’d be better to say those things while also pointing out something you’ve written. Like, “… is the author of …” That way you’re getting at the accomplishment AND the skill in the same sentence.

@ChrisRobley

If you guys are like me, and agree with Chris about ‘freezing up’, I highly recommend Odesk or Elance. Post the job and what you’re willing to pay. You’ll receive tons of replies, which you then need to sort through. I usually pay $25.00 for a 250 word write up.

Hire two or three writers to sum it up for you, then edit, or combine the best parts if need be.

Cheating? Sort of.

Guilty as charged.

Thanks for the suggestions. Will check ’em out.

Thanks BookBaby, all I want is a Book Review from someone who I know has already read my book. Having difficulty getting them to write one is not easy, especially the most successful in Business people I know. I will never buy a Review. You are welcome to read my book, it is Non-Fiction. After working with “Pearls in the Oyster” for 3 years, drilling and mounting the lovely Akoya pearls for the Customers, my passion for pearls had given me the incentive to write my first Edition of “Pearls of Creation A-Z of Pearls”. Marketing it was a pleasure as I did talks even to the ‘Pearl Society of Chicago’ at Eve Alfille’ Studio and Gallery. As my book was well received I gathered as much info on pearls as I could, even visiting 3 of the 7 Pearl Farms. One Freshwater pearl farm in Camden, Tennessee. Paspaley Pearling Co, with their perfect pearls in Australia and New Zealand with the Abalone mabe’, all came in to the 2nd Edition, with their contact details and lovely color pics. A comprehensive cross-referenced Dictionary and all came together like a puzzle.

[…] 10. How to write a great author bio that will connect with readers […]

[…] 9. Use your Author Bio to intrigue your readers. Time to tell the world about YOU. What is it about your own life experiences that will make your book worth reading? For some tips on what to include, check out our article “How to write a great author bio that will connect with readers.” […]

[…] How to Write a Great Author Bio on The BookBaby Blog [Free, Reading Time: 5 mins] This shorter guide covers all the absolute basics to keep in mind as your write your author bio. […]

[…] How to write a great author bio that will connect with readers – by @chrisrobley – Because writing bios is hard … and important […]

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11 Good Author Bio Examples

It’s funny that one of the hardest things for some writers to write is a paragraph about themselves! Many writers—especially unpublished writers and first-time authors—aren’t sure how to write a short author bio or a longer introductory one. So today, I’m sharing what I think are some great author bio examples.

Sooner or later, we all have to write one. Some agents and editors ask for biographical information as part of a query or submission. Publishers usually ask their authors for them for their website and the back of the book. Most authors want to set up profiles on platforms like Amazon, Goodreads, and BookBub, and some writers want a short author bio for Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or other social media accounts. And when writers set up a website, an “about the author” paragraph or statement is often front and center.

(By the way, if you’re interested in setting up a website, be sure to check out my post on author website examples !)

I’m including author bio examples from several different kinds of writers here. A couple of them haven’t yet published anything yet. The right approach for you will depend on your goals, your personality, where you are on your writing journey, and where the biographical information will appear, so I’ve tried to include several approaches.

If you’ve ever been intimidated by author bios that are basically a long list of publishing credentials and awards, let me share a little secret. Readers may not connect with those bios as much as they connect with yours! Serious and academic authors often have professional reasons to have author bios that function as resumes. However…

Readers respond to honesty, simplicity, originality, and sometimes, a sense of humor.

I do think it helps to have some personal information in an author bio, but don’t share anything about your personal life that you don’t feel 100% comfortable putting out there.

But first, let’s talk about:

How Long Should an Author Bio Be?

Short author bios are very versatile. In my day job in publishing, when I ask authors for bios, I ask for 100 words or less . This ensures some consistency on our publisher website and in our “About the Author” pages, plus the shorter length also forces a person to make some smart decisions and keeps them from rambling. This means the bio will probably make a better impression. I think it’s a great length for the inside of a book.

If you’re writing an “About Me” on your blog or website, however, it may be quite a bit longer! It can become more of an introductory blog post…and it can serve other purposes as well (as you’ll see in a couple of the examples below.)

I’ll note the word count on all of the examples below so you get a feel for length!

Author Bio Examples

1. an unpublished middle grade author bio.

This first one is a Twitter bio, and I should note here that the author, Liz Hanson, has rewritten her name on Twitter to “Liz Hanson is querying her MG novel in verse.” This is so smart: if she participates in Twitter pitch events or if an agent looks her up on Twitter, she looks serious about her writing career.

Her short Twitter bio continues that same impression.

Inspired by young minds and wise words. ELD teacher, mother, MG writer. Member of SCBWI. (15 words)

SCBWI is the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, and being part of a professional organization suggests that you’re taking the time to learn all about a writing career and the industry.

2. A Bestselling Fantasy Author Bio

Emily R. King shares her favorite snack and her interest in wildlife (I think?) in her bio.

Emily R. King is the author of the Hundredth Queen series, as well as Before the Broken Star, Into the Hourglass, and Everafter Song in the Evermore Chronicles. Born in Canada and raised in the United States, she is a shark advocate, a consumer of gummy bears, and an islander at heart, but her greatest interests are her children and their three cats. (63 words)

3. A Bio From an Author Who Writes In More Than One Genre

Multiple pen names aren’t unusual for authors, and Patricia Sargaent has three of them because she writes in different genres. I work with her as Olivia Matthews (cozy mystery), and I didn’t realize for quite a while that I had enjoyed one of her books that she published as Regina Hart!

This can be tricky to wrangle in a website presence. Patricia has one author bio to cover all of them. Notice that the bio is doing much more than just introducing her: it’s also inviting you to follow her on social media, hire her as a speaker or teacher, and sign up for her newsletter. Many authors use the “about me” section on their website to do this, and it’s smart.

Patricia Sargeant is the national best-selling, award-winning author of more than 20 novels. Her work has been featured in national publications such as Publishers Weekly, USA Today, Kirkus Reviews, Suspense Magazine, Mystery Scene Magazine, Library Journal and RT Book Reviews. She’s also been interviewed on podcasts including Destination Mystery with Laura Brennan, Conversations LIVE! with Cyrus Webb, Read You Later with Lasheera Lee and Katara’s Café with Katara Johnson.

Patricia has been a keynote speaker and presenter at various events. She’s conducted numerous writing craft workshops for writers groups and book conferences, and offers online fiction writing courses. Visit her  The Write Spot website for details. To contact Patricia about attending your event, email her at [email protected].

Patricia loves to hear from readers. You can email her at [email protected] Other ways to stay in touch with Patricia: Enewsletter Facebook Twitter YouTube channel: BooksByPatricia

Click here to watch  her author brand video. (151 words)

4. A Self-Published Romance Author Bio

Lucy Score is an exceptionally successful self-published romance author. Her bio on her website focuses on her personal background and her development as a writer.

Lucy grew up in rural Pennsylvania with a lot of time on her hands and a big imagination. She was the oldest of three in a literary household. Dinners were often spent in silence while family members had their noses buried in books. A passion for writing took hold at five when she taught her brother to write his name on the bathroom door.

She started writing (on paper) in the second grade, first about pilgrims on the Mayflower and over the years graduated to essays, articles, blogs, and finally books.

Before becoming a full-time writer, Lucy pretended to be a normal adult by holding down jobs that included event planner, bartender, newspaper lackey, and yoga instructor.

Lucy and Mr. Lucy, enjoy spending time with their ten nieces and nephews and are determined to learn to sail so they can live on a sailboat in the Caribbean someday. (148 words)

5. A Bio of an Unpublished Author Who Also Offers Other Services

Joanne Machin does other things besides write, and that’s true of a lot of writers. (Lots of them are also visual artists, for instance!) You can definitely combine the two in a bio for a website. Here’s how Joanne handled it in her sassy, fun, but informational author bio.

Joanne Machin is an author of flirty, nerdy, feminist contemporary adult #ownvoices romance. She also runs her own business as a freelance editor and virtual assistant for other business owners. In her free time, she likes to find new coffee shops and restaurants, obsess over stationery and all things planner-related, read, practice hot yoga, and play video games.  Joanne Machin resides in the Pacific Northwest with her husband, Thomas, and their Welsh terrier, Oliver. She received her Bachelor’s degree in English Language and Literature from the University of Washington . (89 words)

6. A Bestselling Young Adult Author Bio

Adam Silvera’s bio is short and focuses on his publications, but he throws in something at the end to make you smile.

Adam Silvera is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of THEY BOTH DIE AT THE END, MORE HAPPY THAN NOT, HISTORY IS ALL YOU LEFT ME, INFINITY SON and INFINITY REAPER. He has also co-written WHAT IF IT’S US and HERE’S TO US with Becky Albertalli. He was born and raised in the Bronx and now lives in Los Angeles. He is tall for no reason. (67 words)

7. A Bestselling Children’s Author Bio

Adam Wallace writes this short bio in the first person, which is unusual and feels more friendly—as if he’s personally introducing himself to you. Again, there’s a bit of humor, and the bio also explains what he hopes to do for his readers. Authors of books for adults can do this, too! I personally think that if you’ve hit the NYT and the USA Today , saying you’re also an Amazon bestselling author is a bit beside the point, but it’s no big deal!

I am a New York Times , Amazon and USA Today bestselling author who loves writing stories that make children laugh and get excited about reading and drawing and writing. I also love taking naps and listening to music. Not at the same time. (43 words)

8. A Bestselling Romance Author Bio

H elen Hoang has a really endearing “about the author.” Notice that she also uses the bio to establish that she brought personal experience to the writing of her breakout mega-bestseller, The Kiss Quotient , which features a heroine on the autism spectrum.

Helen Hoang is that shy person who never talks. Until she does. And the worst things fly out of her mouth. She read her first romance novel in eighth grade and has been addicted ever since. In 2016, she was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder in line with what was previously known as Asperger’s Syndrome. Her journey inspired THE KISS QUOTIENT. She currently lives in San Diego, California with her husband, two kids, and pet fish. (76 words)

9. Social Media Author Bio With One-Word Sentences.

Delaney Williams packs a whole lot of information into a short Twitter bio using one-word sentences. She also conveys a certain attitude by adding “a mother****ing Unicorn” after her name. I’m actually not sure what SUP stands for, but I think this is a really effective approach for a social media site.

Author. Advocate. Artist. BLM. Pan. Wife. Mom. SUP. Kiowa. Story collector. Book lover. Tattoo fiend. Feminist hippie, ME/MS, cancer survivor, she/they. (21 words)

10. A Self-Published Author Bio That Uses Bullet Points

Christopher Lentz ‘s bio on his website is very long, which is fine, because it’s his website! What’s the point of having a website or blog if you don’t get to write whatever you want there?

What I find interesting is his use of bullet points in a bio. I hadn’t seen anyone else do this, and I’m stealing the idea from him, so credit where credit is due. I also love the opening sentence!

A man who writes romances, a self-starter who self-publishes and a dreamer who thinks growing old should take longer.

Christopher Lentz is the acclaimed author of  Opening Doors  (biography, 2019),  My Friend Marilyn  (historica l fiction, 2018) and  The Blossom Trilogy  (historical romance). His books are about hope, second chances and outcasts overcoming obstacles. But most of all, they’re about how love changes everything. Lentz made his mark as a corporate-marketing executive before becoming a full-time storyteller.

When asked to offer a dozen things people should know about him, Lentz says he:

• Is an author who gave Marilyn Monroe a second chance
• Kissed the love of his life atop the Eiffel Tower
• Lives in a haunted Victorian house
• Earned a paycheck dressing up as Winnie the Pooh at Disneyland
• Stands in awe of lightening, thunder and his wife’s from-scratch chocolate cake
• Was born on the 6th of July, but he’s a firecracker just the same
• Loves a book that reads like a movie
• Climbed the Great Wall of China…yes, climbed, one does not just walk on it
• Snorkeled the Great Barrier Reef
• Firmly believes it isn’t hoarding if your stuff’s cool
• Survived acupuncture, cupping (which is nothing like spooning) and a spinal tap
• Discovered that life’s second chapter is the sweetest

He resides in Southern California with his high-school-sweetheart wife and family. To learn more, please visit www.blossomtrilogy.com. (227 words)

11. An Unpublished YA Fantasy Writer Bio

Mia K Rose has another example with bullet points! She notes her pronouns, Myers-Briggs type, and zodiac sign under “Classifications,” which I think is fun, even if you believe in neither! (Personally, I kind of get into both.)

Mia K Rose is a statistics and data analyst who lives in Gold Coast and, though the job may be analytical, loves the realms of fantasy. She is a member of SCBWI, QWC and Brisbane Writer’s Festival. Mia has a degree in Masters of Letters (Creative Writing) from CQUniversity.

Classifications:

• She/Her (54 words)

Do you struggle with writing an author bio? Do you have questions about it? Share your thoughts in the comments section!

And if you’d like to share your own author bio in the comments section and link to your author page on Amazon or your website, go for it. Thanks so much for reading, and happy writing!

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15 thoughts on “ 11 good author bio examples ”.

Thank you Bryn for putting these excellent bio samples together for us. This has been really helpful.

Thanks for the kind words, Naomi! I appreciate it!

Thanks for sharing these great bios. All were engaging. I especially like the ones with a bit of humor. Thanks for letting us share our own bio. https://www.amazon.com/Judith-Gonda/e/B084KPD5D5?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1&qid=1635362583&sr=1-1

Thanks, Judith—and thanks for sharing your own! I love the alliteration 🙂

I love reading BIOS and learn so much when I do. Here is mine:

Liz Boeger’s stint as a bikini model peaked in kindergarten. Her fallback career writing mysteries didn’t kick-in until she neared the mid-century mark. In between, she wrangled children, adults, and the occasional Florida panther as a teacher and school administrator. Don’t ask her about her work with the U.S. Secret Service, she’s sworn herself to secrecy.

She writes the Moccasin Cove Mystery series featuring a quirky amateur sleuth with too much empathy and wit for her own good. ChainLinked, Book1, misterio press. Book 2, AppleJacked was a 2021 Daphne du Maurier Mystery/Suspense finalist. Member of Florida Writers Association, Sisters in Crime, and Sisters in Crime Guppies. Read her writing-related rants and reflections on her Moccasin Cove Mysteries blog.

Liz, those two opening sentences are so good! This is such a great example of a bio. I’m jealous! Thanks for sharing.

Here’s the Bio from my web site.

My mother was a dragon slayer; my father, a dreamer of great dreams. I fall somewhere between, but Mama always thought I was more kin to Papa than to her.

Raised in the mountains of Colorado, I had the advantage of what some would call a disadvantaged childhood. We didn’t have a lot of what money could buy, but plenty of opportunity to develop our own ingenuity and creativity.

I studied human behavior in college right after high school, but didn’t really start to understand people or myself until I explored life with characters in my own fiction.

I eventually returned to college and earned a Bachelor’s degree from Marylhurst University.

I’ll never be a dragon slayer like my mother, but riding dragons is a different matter entirely and getting acquainted with them has led me on some amazing adventures. Want to come along?

Perhaps the first paragraph and the last would make a short bio.

I agree, the first + last would work for that! I love the invitation at the end. That’s original and so, well…inviting!

I did make an attempt to write a version of my bio in 3rd person for a query letter. It just didn’t work.

Jessie, this is awesome! I just love it. It’s entertaining and it suits you so well!

Thank you so much. I need to update mine.

The funny thing is, I need to update mine, too. 🙂

I always have a hard time writing my bio. After reading some of the examples, and stressing a lot, I came up with this.

Micheal is an eclectic minded writer. When he’s not writing, he can be found at a pool table calculating the next shot or the next story.

As an INFJ/INTJ, he has an insatiable curiosity about multiple topics including Mental Health and the surreal. He has written several articles on Medium as well as multiple fiction stories.

Thank you Micheal, this has given me inspiration after a long time of contemplation. Now my first book will soon be dressed with a bio!

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Do You Know These Films Based on Great Biographies?

By J. D. Biersdorfer April 22, 2024

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Welcome to Great Adaptations, the Book Review’s regular multiple-choice quiz about literature that has gone on to find new life in the form of movies, television shows, theatrical productions and other formats. This week’s quiz highlights films that were adapted from the biographies or autobiographies of their notable subjects.

Just tap or click your answers to the five questions below. And scroll down after you finish the last question for links to the books and their screen adaptations.

“Oppenheimer,” a film about the man who was instrumental in developing the first nuclear weapons for the United States, won seven Academy Awards earlier this year. The film’s screenplay was adapted from a 2005 biography by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin. What was the main title of the book?

“American Prometheus”

“Burning the Sky”

“A Wing and a Prayer”

The 1972 film “Lady Sings the Blues” was loosely based on which singer’s 1956 autobiography?

Ella Fitzgerald

Bessie Smith

Billie Holiday

Mildred Bailey

“Alan Turing: The Enigma” is Andrew Hodges’ 1983 biography of the gay British mathematician who helped the Allies decipher encrypted Nazi messages during World War II, but was later punished for his sexuality. What was the name of the 2014 film based on the book?

“The Turing Test”

“The Code Breaker”

“The Imitation Game”

“Julie & Julia” is a 2009 film about the chef Julia Child and the blogger Julie Powell, who tried to make all the recipes from one of Child’s cookbooks years later. The screenplay was based on two different books, Powell’s 2005 memoir about the project (and source of the movie’s name) and Julia Child’s posthumously published 2006 autobiography. What was that book’s title?

“Blood, Bones and Butter”

“My Life in France”

“Kitchen Confidential”

“A Year in Provence”

After reading Louis Fischer’s 1950 biography of this global figure, the film director Richard Attenborough spent years trying to make a film about that person’s life. The picture was finally released in 1982 and won eight Academy Awards. Who was the subject of the movie?

Harriet Tubman

J. Edgar Hoover

Mahatma Gandhi

Frida Kahlo

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