write an author biography

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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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Last updated on Feb 24, 2022

How to Write a Killer Author Bio (With Template)

An author bio is a brief passage, usually about a paragraph , that introduces an author and sums up their work, their authorly credentials, and anything else their readers might need to know about them. 

While author bios may seem like an afterthought, or something to fill up the backmatter of your book , it’s actually an unassuming but valuable piece of copy. Done well, an author bio can give you credibility and introduce your readers to your other works. It can also be used in other promotional or publishing materials, as former Penguin Random House marketer Rachel Cone-Gorham explains:

“An author bio is something that will let readers get a sense of who you are, and is an important part for pitching media and book proposals.” 

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

1. Start with the facts readers need to know

2. open up with relevant biographical details, 3. wow them with your credentials, 4. finish it off with a personal touch.

Start your bio with an opening byline that quickly summarizes your profile, plus your most recent release. In a world full of skimmers, some readers may not get past the first couple of lines of your bio, so it’s important to frontload the essentials. 

For instance, a byline might read:

“Jane Doe is a Professor of Anthropology at UCLA and author of Insights Into Our Past: Tracing the Legacy of Intergenerational Trauma in 19th Century America .”

“Jane Doe is a poet, writer, and author of the new novel We Were Already There .”

If your work has won any prestigious awards or earned bestseller status, make sure to mention that here, too.

The great part about writing a one-liner as your opener is that it can double as a short bio for guest articles, social media, etc. — all of which can be a valuable part of your book publicity plan . 

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Example: An attention grabbing intro

Novelist and short story writer Brandon Taylor's whole bio is great, but check out his heavy hitting first sentence that instantly tells you everything you really need to know:

If you’re stuck for words, you can use his bio, and other great “ About the Author ” examples for inspiration. 

RESOURCE: Your free author bio template

FREE RESOURCE

Grab our Author Bio Template

Use this to write an awesome “about me” in less than 5 minutes.

Your author bio is, naturally, a chance for you to introduce yourself, but it’s also an opportunity for you to introduce readers to your body of work, and share a little about your writing history. If you have other titles that you’ve released previously, now’s the time to mention them.

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

With over a decade of writing obituaries for the local paper, Jane has a uniquely wry voice that shines through in her newest collection of essays, which explore the importance we place on legacy.

A professionally trained electrician, Jane has spent the last decade reading and writing romance novels giving her characters a palpable spark! Her latest work is the sequel to her debut novel, In the Arms of a Stranger .

Have an author bio already, but want a second opinion on it? Take our quick quiz to see if it checks off all of the boxes.

Let us grade your author bio

Find out if your author bio is a 10/10. Takes one minute.

Top Tip: Write in the third person

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

Example: An author’s lived experience

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

Niyati Tamaskar is a mother, engineer, entrepreneur, public speaker, and author. She speaks on issues of cultural bias, the stigma of cancer, and more. Her speaking and media appearances include her signature TEDx talk, a cover and feature spread in Columbus magazine on her journey and message of destigmatizing cancer, and a video created by Breastcancer.org on “How Niyati Tamaskar Overcame Cultural Cancer Stigma to Become an Advocate”—aimed at highlighting the minority experience while facing cancer.

An important job of an “About the Author” section is to boost your credentials, says editor Rachel: “You want to show your qualifications and credibility so that a reader will feel validated in choosing your book to read.”

That being said, it’s not a good idea to start listing every softball trophy you won in middle school. Only stick to credentials that directly relate to the content of your book. According to Rachel, “Qualifications can include writing courses, college degrees, awards, bestseller lists, and accolades or, for fiction authors, even a lifetime of interest.” Here are a few of her examples:

Jane has an MFA in creative writing from Vermont College, and was the recipient of the Vermont College creative writing award.

Jane is a historian at Vermont College and has spent over a decade researching World War 2.

Jane has traveled extensively around Eastern Europe, learning about the history of the region and walking the paths of her characters.

For non-fiction authors, your credentials are incredibly relevant as readers are far more likely to trust an authority on a subject, while fiction authors can focus more on why they write in a specific genre.

Book marketing consultant Rob Eagar suggests that another way to boost your credibility is to “to weave in any endorsements you may have received from well-known outlets… Readers pay more attention to authors with a proven track record.”

For example:

[Famous author] says Jane Doe is a unique new voice in the thriller genre.

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Example: Amanda Ripley’s expert qualifications

One author using their credentials to their best advantage is non-fiction author Amanda Ripley. Check out her “About the Author”: 

Top tip: Keep it short

A good author bio is efficient beyond just the first line, as book launch specialist Joel Pitney suggests:

“People don't want to read long bios! Keep it under 300 words. Only include relevant materials and be as succinct as possible. If you've won a lot of awards, for example, only include the most impressive ones. Same goes if you’ve published a couple of books; only include your most successful three.”

Author bios are not a place for you to delve into a lengthy explanation of your history. However, you also don’t want your bio to be devoid of any personality. Adding a bit of color to your bio helps readers imagine who you are. Plus, if they can relate to you, it might be an extra push for them to buy your book. 

That’s why Joel Pitney suggests: “If there's room, and it's relevant, you can add some color, like where you live or something interesting that might not obviously relate to your writing career, but that makes you a more interesting person.”

This can be done subtly, like by referring to your location in your byline: 

“New-York based psychologist, Jane Doe…”

Or you can include a brief illustration of your lifestyle, says Rachel: “Jane lives and works out of her home at the base of Mount Washington in New Hampshire, and spends her summers hiking and camping with her two children and husband.”

Finally, marketing consultant Rob suggests closing out with a quippy-one liner that illustrates what kind of writer you are. “If your writing is known for its humor, let it show in your bio.” For example:

Jane hopes to write her next novel soon, if she can stop reading other people's novels instead.

Example: Natalie Barelli’s chatty tone

Check out fiction writer Natalie Barelli’s bio for an example of personalization done right: 

Natalie Barelli can usually be found reading a book, and that book will more likely than not be a psychological thriller. Writing a novel was always on her bucket list, and eventually, with Until I Met Her, it became a reality. After He Killed Me is the second and final book in her Emma Fern Series. When not absorbed in the latest gripping page-turner, Natalie loves cooking, knits very badly, enjoys riding her Vespa around town, and otherwise spends far too much time at the computer. She lives in Australia, with her husband and extended family.

An author bio is unique to the writer, so everyone’s will look different — but by following our 4-step process and using the author bio template, you’ll include everything you need to maximize your chances of winning over readers.

And if you’re looking for more inspiration on how to build your online presence, check out more examples of the “ About the Author ” section or our course on how to build an author mailing list:

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8 responses

Diane says:

07/06/2018 – 09:10

Excellent post! I really liked the way explained each point with examples. Author can write a big book but broke into sweat when it comes to write a bio about themselves. Sometimes they also need paper writing help. It have to be short and interesting, not boring. In that case your article will help them to write a killer one.

Nancy Man says:

20/06/2018 – 00:10

This was super helpful -- thanks! Sticking to these four elements worked great for me. I've finally got a bio that I'm not rolling my eyes at. :)

Antigone Blackwell says:

08/12/2018 – 19:01

If someone is reading this article, it is highly unlikely that they can boast being bestselling authors or share that they are on the third book of a highly successful series. More examples with start up authors would be great.

India Government Schemes says:

12/03/2019 – 11:42

This is awesome, but i am seeing in this days mostly hide there Bio in Blogs, But they don't know In The Blog Author Bio is also a Ranking Factor in the Google Search Ranking.

Joe Robinson says:

08/05/2019 – 12:28

Very helpful article that has helped me write my author bio for my upcoming book "Move Your Marriage to Greatness" a Marriage Replenishment Work designed to help couple achieve extraordinary accomplishments that are uncommon in many marriages today. I appreciate you making this article available.

Jitender Sharma says:

10/09/2019 – 05:00

Thanks for your post

Mike aantonio says:

14/11/2019 – 10:06

After reading the bio. samples mentioned above. Is it really necessary to introduce the author as a third party. Can't we directly say " Hi I am a blogger from so and so ......."

↪️ Martin Cavannagh replied:

15/11/2019 – 09:15

You can do... but it's not standard practice.

Comments are currently closed.

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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.”

Comments are closed.

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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.

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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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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 (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!

Join 100,000+ marketers writing with Hypotenuse AI

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.

Drop us a message, we'll be happy to help.

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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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Blogs / Book Publishing / 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!

• Do Not Sell My Personal Info

•  ⋅ 

How to Write an Author Bio: E-A-T, SEO Tips & Great Examples

Looking for author bio writing tips? Learn why it's important for SEO, readers, E-A-T, and UX, plus see examples and a sample template here.

Since the disruptive algorithm update some in the industry call the “ Medic Update ,” SEO professionals have seen consecutive broad core algorithm updates from Google.

The search engine has indicated that “there is no ‘fix'” required to recover from these types of updates.

However, some SEO pros have put forward convincing studies, including this one from Lily Ray, that not demonstrating E-A-T (Expertise, Authority, and Trust) in a site’s content can be a demolishing factor in its search engine visibility.

In fact, Google mentions E-A-T 137 times in the current iteration of its 167-page search quality raters guidelines . It also advises that raters check to see if the page says who the author is and lists their biography and credentials.

We must not take the quality raters guidelines as indicators of ranking signals, as they do not directly influence rankings.

And Google has confirmed that they do not rank websites based on author reputation.

So why even care about author bios for SEO? In this column, you’ll learn why author bios matter and how to write an SEO-friendly author bio.

You’ll also find writing tips and an author bio template to help you get started.

Author Authority and Google

Google’s John Mueller downplayed the necessity of author bio pages for SEO. He has suggested that they do help, but are more for user experience.

“With regards to author pages and expertise, authority and trustworthiness, that’s something where I’d recommend checking that out with your users and doing maybe a short user study, specifically for your set up, for the different set ups that you have, trying to figure out how you can best show that the people who are creating content for your website, they’re really great people, they’re people who know what they’re talking about, they have credentials or whatever is relevant within your field.”

But Google has always cared about author authority.

Take the idea of “author rank” for a start.

This was discussed by Bill Slawski when Google filed its Agent rank patent in 2005 .

The idea was that the “reputation scores of all of the people who put together the content of a page played a role in the ranking of that page.”

Then in 2011, Google announced its authorship markup , “a way to connect authors with their content on the web.”

Back then, marking up author pages with an accompanying Google Plus profile link using Schema.org’s rel=”author” and rel=”me” was standard practice.

Authorship markup never claimed to offer any direct ranking benefit.

Instead, it was put forward as a means to help search engines have more confidence about the author’s identity and “highlight authors in search results.”

Google long ago stopped showing authorship in search results and shut down Google Plus .

Despite this, their recent announcement on how they rank news sources revealed ongoing interest in authorship on the search engine’s part.

It reaffirmed the importance of author authority to Google.

Within that announcement , author bylines and author bios featured as important ways to build trust:

“This includes information like clear dates and bylines , as well as information about authors , the news source, company or network behind it, and contact information”

In addition, on a recent SEO webinar for publishers, Google Search Liaison Danny Sullivan stressed the importance of having a specific byline, not “By staff” for transparency.

Only recently, Google recently updated its article on structured data and recommends adding the author’s URL in article schema.

Google also claims to know which content belongs to the same author.

They are testing new knowledge panels for journalists, highlighting their most recent articles.

The official word from Google may be that author bios are not a ranking factor, but there is benefit in having clear bylines and information demonstrating expertise in an author’s bio page.

It can only assist Google’s algorithms in understanding the author’s E-A-T.

And this, in turn, may help the rankings of those articles in search results. This is purely interpretation on my part, but this is what all of the evidence seems to tell us.

So how can you write a compelling author bio of your own?

8 Tips for Writing an SEO-Friendly Author Bio

1. write in the third person.

Writing in the third person increases the perceived authority and simply reads better than a biography one has written about who they are.

It may feel a bit self-congratulatory, but it adds more credibility.

2. Keep the Bio Short and Concise

A good author bio should be relatively short. Look around at other websites and you’ll see that between 50 and 100 words is the general norm that is found on most author bios online.

There also may be a fixed amount of space predetermined by the CMS.

3. Include Information on Job Title and Function

Including information about your work and function adds credibility to your writing.

For example, if you were writing on the topic of SEO, being an SEO specialist would be considered more credible than if you were a PPC specialist and vice versa.

Function is important, too.

Although SEO pros need to wear multiple hats, understanding if someone is a generalist or specialist adds further topical expertise when reading an author bio.

4. Include Your Experience

Here, you can include information about:

• Years of experience working in relevant areas.
• Published works.
• Degrees and/or titles.
• Conference appearances and other speaking engagements.
• Media coverage.

5. Highlight Expertise & Trustworthiness

Summarize your expertise on the topic that you are writing about.

For example, if the topic you are writing about is health, letting your audience know about your credentials in that topic is far more credible than a similar article written by a blogger, or copywriter.

It is very important in the health and finance spaces, in particular, to demonstrate knowledge and expertise in their field. These are referred to as Your Money, Your Life (YMYL) , as misinformation has the potential to do a person serious harm.

Stating expertise on the author bio is important not only for SEO, for users to help them identify you as a credible source on a specific subject matter.

6. Include Social Media Profiles

Including links to social media on author pages is also another great way for users to be able to access more content from you, as you can link your personal or business website, and even your social media profiles.

It can also help people to find your social media handles to tag you and/or your company into their posts. As well as a means to help readers continue on the discussion.

7. Include a Good Photo

Adding a picture of yourself as part of your bio can be a great visual way to show the reader that there is a real human behind the words that they have read.

Using the same photo, ideally professionally taken can be a great way of associating a person with a profile image.

8. Inject Your Personality

Although not necessarily required for SEO, sharing personal interest and humor can make an author bio page more engaging and interesting.

However, readers may only be marginally interested in your personal life, so your bio is probably not the best place to share too much personal information.

Tips for Optimizing Your Author Bio

Use separate urls for author bio pages.

For SEO, having an author bio page on a separate URL is a lot easier to optimize for author names, than including all authors on a single about us page .

For example, let’s examine the Harvard Business Review (HBR) and The Guardian.

HBR uses a standalone about us page to list their authors.

Most author searches use the author’s first name.

If we take [Alison Beard] and use her as a random example we can see that Google has associated her with [HBR].

If we make a more navigational search [Alison Beard HBR], we actually get a third-party website with the featured snippet.

If we compare this search result to The Guardian for another author at random [Katharine Murphy].

This is a great place to read her latest articles.

Allow Author Bio Pages to Be Indexed

The common misconception around author bio pages is that they should be no-indexed.

Why have Googlebot drop that page entirely from Google Search results?

Similarly, the page may be blocked via the robots.txt file, as is the case with the Harvard Business Review:

People search for journalists or authors. Readers follow them and even subscribe to their personal newsletters.

This type of traffic suggests loyal, navigational search traffic.

There is the argument that some profile pages are low quality and used for link spam, and you may wish to no-index these.

However, if Author Bio Page SEO is the focus and authors have expertise in which they are writing, ensuring they are indexed and optimized is a no-brainer.

On-Page SEO Tips for Author Profile Pages

The keyword for author profile pages is understandably the author’s name.

On-page SEO best practice, using the keyword throughout, and hierarchy of the page are all important factors.

For example, if we take the same example of Katharine Murphy from the Guardian above:

The Guardian also does a great job of author profile page internal linking.

On the article detail pages, their template links to their author profile pages via the byline on each article created;

As well as in their author HTML sitemap :

They also provide internal link equity to this page by placing a link to its page using “All writers” on their footer template:

Use Structured Data

The use of article-specific structured data is required to appear in Google’s top stories , once the content meets the basic Google News policies.

Since December 2019, when Google launched its Publisher Center , a manual process is no longer required when submitting sites to Google News.

With authorship markup retired, marking up authors in article structured data may not only be beneficial for publisher sites, but may also be beneficial for all sites that create news content.

However, be warned, being eligible for Google News, and actually being included are two different things.

Using structured data may also support E-A-T by helping create new connections Google wouldn’t have otherwise made in its Knowledge Graph.

Common Types of Author Bio Pages

There are a few different types of author bio pages you’ll see around the web. Here are some examples.

The Author’s Name Only

Example: Dr. Jeff Grognet

Author’s Name and Headshot

Example: Mike Eckstein

The Full Bio (Name, Headshot, Biography, and Supporting Features)

Dr Gayathri Perera’s profile on Top Doctors UK in the medical space is particularly strong for SEO , UX , and CRO .

For SEO, the metadata is well optimized:

Here’s what her profile does right:

• Excellent use of breadcrumbs to display website hierarchy and provide internal link equity and relevance.

Home > Doctors > Dermatology > Dermatologists in Central London > Dr Gayathri Perera

• Areas of her “expertise” listed which all link to treatment information pages.
• A professional personal statement written in the third person listing credentials, areas of expertise, and qualifications.
• A contact form to encourage lead generation “Book an appointment now.”

• Videos, articles written, verified reviews, and detailing her areas of expertise with publications in which she has written and links to her social media profiles.

• Structured data is on point.

Arguably, Top Doctors may have the best author bio page example out there.

Other Author Bio Page Examples for SEO

Top Doctors is particularly impressive in the medical space, however, the following are also good author bio examples for SEO.

David Leonhart’s profile in the New York Times is particularly impressive.

Here, the bio links to their “The Morning” newsletter to encourage sign-ups, his background, industry awards, internal links to his notable pieces including the “rise of digital media” as well as information on his education.

Outside of the good profile page basics such as written in the third person, information about experience and demonstration of expertise, the use of the CTA on Andy Crestodina’s profile page is what makes this particularly good for a marketing author bio example.

Jill Greenfield’s personal injury bio again follows the author bio SEO best practice as discussed above. The use of awards won in image format is powerful.

What’s smart here for SEO is the internal link equity that can be leveraged.

Example member event where Jill Greenfield was a speaker:

Health & Wellness

There is an abundance of good SEO examples of author bio pages on authoritative health and wellness websites.

These types of sites fall directly into the YMYL category. And those unlucky enough to be in that niche from an SEO perspective were believed to be hit the hardest from previous core updates.

Google’s John Mueller has stressed the importance of E-A-T for this niche and raters have been directed to put more weight on it when providing feedback to engineers.

This could be due to Google and other tech giants falling into the media spotlight for assisting the rise in misinformation and “fake news” , poor quality of online medical information, and vaccine misinformation.

Nevertheless, Verywellfit.com does a great job in this niche with its article pages and a great example to follow.

As displayed below, both the byline and the author bio page of the fact-checker pops out when either your finger or cursor hovers over them.

They create a great user experience and encourage reader engagement without necessarily taking them to a new URL or window.

The other smart move here to encourage reader trust is the quick link to their editorial process. This is a step some news websites fail to share despite having rigorous standards.

Sample Author Bio Template

Writing a good author bio should be considered as important as writing the article itself.

However, if you are stuck on time, or need a template you can share with your client/team member you could use the following template. Combine into one paragraph:

[Your Name] is [Your Role] with [Your Company] where [he/she] [information on job function]. [Interesting facts about your history that adds credibility to your authority on your subject.] [Your Name] [Include/mention and link if possible to professional achievement related to your subject]. [Fun fact with personality related to your subject].

Final Thoughts

There is more to writing a good author bio than SEO and demonstrating E-A-T.

At the end of the day, it is all about the reader and how you can best serve their needs, capture their interest, and keep their attention.

Take, for example, this Dutch publisher’s subscriber functionality on their author bio pages.

As a subscriber, it is possible to follow her writing by receiving a push alert when she publishes next and have her articles included in your daily newsletter.

For SEO, have standalone URLs for author profiles, allowing them to be indexed, and make sure their on-page optimization for the author’s name are fundamental best practices.

But if you are in a more scrutinized niche such as YMYL, make sure to go into the details that demonstrate E-A-T as the Top Doctors example above has shown.

Related Resources:

• 5 ways to evaluate your authors for SEO
• How to improve your website’s E-A-T
• How structured data can support E-A-T
• How Google patents can help explain how E-A-T
• 5 Things You Can Do Right Now to Improve Your EAT for Google

Featured image: yelosmiley/Shutterstock

Dan Smullen, a News SEO Consultant from Dublin, Ireland has an MBA with a specialism in Marketing from the prestigious ...

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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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About the Author: How to Write a Quality Author Bio

Updated: March 08, 2022

Published: March 29, 2017

If contributing guest posts is part of your content distribution and promotion strategy, you're probably familiar with the following scenario: You write a great article for a guest publication, and at the end, you’re compensated with a teeny, tiny paragraph about yourself.

Unless you wrote the article for purely altruistic reasons, this paragraph, though short, is quite critical. Not only does it connect you to the article on a level beyond your byline, but also, it provides space for links back to your website or social profiles. And who wouldn't want even that little bit of glory?

But what are you supposed to write in that brief paragraph, anyway? How do you make your author bio compelling, powerful, and effective -- without a whole lot of space?

How to Write an Author Bio

1) Write in the third person.

Different publications will have different standards -- Forbes , for example, seems to encourage guest contributors to write in the first person, as per below:

However, the general practice is to write your bio in the third person. If it feels a bit self-congratulatory, that's okay -- you can even turn it into a joke, like Mark John Hiemstra did in his bio for a post on the Unbounce blog : 

Once you've written the bio, be sure to re-read it to make sure you're not overusing “he” or “she.” And if you are, try replacing some instances of these pronouns with your name to improve the flow.

2) Remember: It's not really about you .

Even though this paragraph is allegedly about the author, it’s not actually about you . It’s about your reader, and what that person is looking to learn or gain from your article. It helps to think of this setup as a well-composed sentence -- you're the object , and the reader is the  subject.

That concept can be a bit confusing without context, so have a look at how Matt Southern pulled that off below:

Notice how Southern's bio focuses on both himself and the reader. By explaining that his real passion is to help marketers, it serves as a nod to his readership -- after all, your readers are the ones who ultimately decide if your piece is worth sticking around until the end, sharing, or discussing. Write for them.

3) Establish credibility -- truthfully.

As the digital landscape only becomes increasingly crowded, it's important to have a prepared, accurate way to answer the masses asking, "Why should I listen to you?"

Readers are right to ask that question, especially with many now questioning the accuracy and reliability of news . So, in your bio, establish your credibility, and be honest. Why are you qualified to write on this subject? Why should readers believe you?

If you write about conversion optimization, for example, explain what kind of experience you have with it. If you have academic degrees, list them -- but only if they're relevant to the publication or article. A bachelor's degree might not be considered outstanding enough to warrant a mention in your bio, though there are exceptions to that rule. Let's say you're writing about women's issues. If you attended a women's college, it might be worth mentioning in that particular instance. 

Let's have a look at how this concept looks "in the wild."

When Forbes contributor Ian Morris wrote the above article on a mobile device, he used his one-line bio to explain why he's qualified to write on that subject. "I cover mobile," he explains, as well as "internet services and the good and bad of tech.” And in his full bio, he expanded even further on that:

4) And while you're at it, explain what you do.

It's the inevitable -- and often dreaded -- question of any social or networking gathering. "What do you do?"

Chances are, someone reading your work will have the same question -- it goes along the same lines of explaining why you're credible enough to be writing about a certain topic. So think of your bio as an opportunity to answer it -- after all, it’s a meaningful fact about you, and it deserves a line.

Notice how Yvette Tan immediately addresses that question in the first sentence of both her author and Twitter bio, highlighting the importance of keeping information consistent across different channels: 

And Kiel Berry does the same thing for his contribution to the Harvard Business Review :

5) Be (appropriately) personal.

You've probably come across the occasional author bio that features a personal tidbit thrown in, like "cat lover" or "coffee addict." But when is that okay or smart -- or even more important, appropriate?

To answer that question, you need to think about where your article is appearing, and who's likely reading it. Not every publication, for instance, is going to be the best fit for a quip about your affinity for craft beer. That said, it's also good to remind readers that you're human, especially among your professional credentials. Still, keep it to a minimum -- readers are only marginally interested in your personal life, so your bio isn't the place to divulge a lot of those details.

Buffer's Alfred Lua uses his bio to share his hobbies like swimming. But by keeping it short, and sandwiching his personal interests between his job title and his personal one, he's able to show personality, while maintaining his credibility: 

6) Focus on value.

It can be tempting to turn your bio into a celebratory display of your interests and accomplishments -- you’ve won awards, started a billion companies, and have been published in top journals. But readers, more often than not, might be responding with, "Who cares?"

That's because they want to know what's in it for them. By putting content out there, you're essentially asking readers to borrow their time for what you've written. Sure, your status might be impressive, but they don’t really care unless they have something to gain from it. That’s where the idea of value comes in.

Use your bio to communicate that bio, and what you can do for your readers. Danny Wong does that well in his guest bio on ConversionXL's blog: 

Notice the key word in the second sentence: "Teach." That’s the kind of value that might help Wong connect in a meaningful way -- by telling them, "I teach people, and I can teach you, too."

7) Don't be afraid to brag.

Let's have one more look at Wong's bio:

After he explains the value he can provide to readers, he uses the opportunity to mention a pretty big accomplishment: Founding what sounds like a highly profitable business.

When done correctly -- like Wong did above, by combining it with a value proposition -- bragging can be both effective and appropriate. But it might be easier to do so in the third person. "She co-founded a multi-million dollar company" sounds a bit more humble than, "I co-founded a multi-million dollar company."

Don't be afraid to toss out a few awards that make you the proudest -- just make sure that they’re relevant to the subject matter and the publication.

8) Avoid writing something obnoxiously long.

Just as you want to avoid bragging too much, you should probably avoid saying too much in general. Writing a super long bio might make you seem less than humble -- if all the other authors on the site have three lines and you have thirty, it only emphasizes your sense of self-importance, even if that's not what you intended. A great way to control the length of your bio is by using a dedicated author box that limits the space of your bio.

Author Richard Ridley recommends that authors “keep it brief.” Here’s how he explains it :

Brevity is the soul of wit. Even if you're William Shakespeare, you don't want to write an author bio that fills up the entire back cover. In an odd twist of logic, the more accomplished you are as an author, the shorter your author bio can be."

It's okay -- we all have an ego. We just have to keep it in check sometimes. Here's a great example of a short-and-sweet bio from Orbit Media's Andy Crestodina:

9) Customize it.

If the publication allows you to occasionally update your bio according to the season, take advantage of the ability to customize it. A universal bio that you copy/paste everywhere is okay, but tailoring it to a specific scenario can help enhance it for a particular outlet.

Here's how HubSpot's Lindsay Kolowich does that with her bio:

By fine-tuning it to resonate with the season, your bio stands out against some generic messaging you might be used to seeing.

10) Add a CTA.

Ah, the call to action, or CTA. It's a powerful force in the marketing world, and it’s no different in your bio.

After your audience reads about you, they should take further action -- but what action do you want them to take? Most often, it's reading more of your material, or following you on social media.

In those cases, common CTAs would be to follow you on Twitter, or visit your blog. And while these options are effective, make sure the CTA is strategic within the given context.

For example, when Heather Hummel's work is syndicated by Huffington Post , her author bio contains a CTA to check out her books, creating a source of possible sales:

Of course, some outlets might not have the bandwidth or allow such a full-scale dedication to this kind of CTA within an author bio. But if the opportunity is available, use it to your advantage.

11) Steer clear of the word "freelance."

Freelance writers are an exceptional group of people who are skillful, qualified, and expertly positioned to write great content. But there's something about the word "freelance" that, for whatever reason, can chip away at credibility. It suggests that you might be more of a generalist, and less of an expert -- which, while not necessarily true, has grown to connote that while you might be good at writing, you might not excel at a particular subject.

If you’re a freelance writer, we tip our hats to you. But in your bio, there are ways to replace the word “freelance,” for the reasons above. Here are some examples:

• "Fred is a conversion optimization writer, specializing in split testing best practices and cognitive biases."
• "Angie, a Portland-based author, helps people unleash their inner interior designer."
• "As a marketing writer, Todd’s favorite place to publish uncensored marketing content is his own blog."

Ready to Write?

The best way to create a meaningful bio is to write it with care and intention. Think about your readers, establish your credibility, and make it memorable. But go ahead and have some fun with it -- you want to prove that you’re human, too.

At the end of the day, your little bio matters. People care. They’re going to read it. Make it count.

And please -- don’t judge me by my bio.

Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in July 2015 and has been updated for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

Don't forget to share this post!

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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?

https://freefirenews.in/

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

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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. […]

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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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First Time Author Bio Writing Examples and Guidelines

by Gatekeeper Press | Jul 17, 2020 | Blog , Writing

You have sailed through your first manuscript, nailing each benchmark of the self-publishing formatting process while writing a truly captivating story. Suddenly, though, you hit stop when you arrive at that last step: writing your author bio.

Facing this final step in the writing process can leave a first-time author shuddering as they wonder, “How do I write an author bio with no experience in writing?”

Penning an unpublished author bio is not as difficult as it might initially appear. After all, an author has to start somewhere! Think about it—all great authors had to write their first book at some point, meaning they were faced with the same problem of how to write an author bio with no experience.

These great writers undoubtedly struggled to solve the dilemma, too, but managed to push through and establish amazing literary careers—as will you.

First Time Publishing? Here’s What to Include in Your Author Bio

Think of your author bio as an opportunity to connect with your readers, versus a staid resume outlining your professional accomplishments.

The author bio should cultivate a sense of relationship with prospective readers; to entice them just enough to buy your book. Even as a first-time author, you can craft an interesting synopsis, including who you are, what you write, and why someone should read your book.

When grappling with the challenge of writing your first author bio, it helps to know that there is a general format to follow. These guidelines can assist you in assembling the important aspects of your first author bio, providing the kinds of information about you that the reader will enjoy knowing.

Author bio guidelines include:

1. Keep it brief.

Instead of attempting to list every facet of your career or all your hobbies, it is always best to keep the bio under 300 words.

2. Use a third-person voice.

Author bios come across as more professional when using the third person point of view, versus the first person.

3. Start with a one-liner.

Write an interesting opening line that incorporates your name, your profession (generally relevant for non-fiction titles), and the title of your book.

4. Sell yourself.

An author’s bio is akin to an elevator pitch, an interesting summary of your life, and how it relates to the book you wrote. Everything mentioned should be relevant to the book’s theme. For example, if you are a pediatric psychotherapist by trade and have decided to write a non-fiction book about parenting, that connection will increase your credibility.

5. List achievements sparingly.

Noting your college alma mater and degree is fine, but resist the temptation to list every career achievement ever accomplished, as doing so may come across as somewhat boastful and unnecessary.

6. Include some personal tidbits.

Adding a few personal hobbies or interests helps the reader feel a sense of familiarity with the author. Be selective and include those interests that further complement the theme of the book or that target your reader persona.

7. Use a professional photo.

Include a high-quality photo that does not have a distracting background. An unprofessional headshot will appear amateurish.

The primary difference between a first-time author’s bio and a seasoned professional’s is that the latter will be able to include other titles he or she has written in their bio. In addition, a career writer can include in the bio their “best-seller” status and any awards they have won, if these accomplishments were achieved.    

4 First Time Author Bio Examples that Rock

Figuring out exactly how to write an author bio with no former experience may feel like a daunting task. Sure, you can locate bio templates online, but templates only provide the framework. It is up to you to pen something catchy and engaging that shines the most flattering light on your background, sans prior authorship. Here are some first-time author bio examples to hopefully inspire you:

1. Hannah Lee, author of Bloom Where You’re Planted

Hannah Lee was born and raised outside the city of Charleston, in the beautiful mountain state of West Virginia. Hannah considers her faith and family to be most important to her. If she isn’t spending time with her friends and family, you can almost always find her around her sweet yellow Labrador retriever, Tupelo. Bloom Where You’re Planted is Hannah’s first children’s book.

Note: Hannah Lee paints a picture of a person who values her loved ones in her short, succinct bio. This gives the reader a comforting sense that the writer is compassionate, which is an attractive trait in a children’s book author.

2. Dan DalMonte, author of The Realm of Possibility

Dan DalMonte was born in 1984 in San Francisco, California. Growing up, he was fascinated with baseball, and this interest led to some early exposure to reading since he was drawn to stories related to baseball. Later, Mr. DalMonte, who now teaches philosophy at the college level, developed a passion for ideas. In The Realm of Possibility, Dan explores the issue of how past events are unchangeable by introducing an ability to manipulate past events. The Realm of Possibility is Mr. DalMonte’s first book.

Note: Dan DalMonte describes the trajectory of his background that culminates in his passion for ideas. He piques the curiosity of the reader as to how exactly one can manipulate past events.

3. Victoria Lee, author of The Fever King

Victoria Lee grew up in Durham, North Carolina, where she spent twelve ascetic years as a vegetarian before discovering 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.

Note: Victoria Lee conjures up an eclectic, even eccentric image through the diverse collection of endeavors she has experienced in her young life and delivers these with humor. Quirky is what you might expect from an author of a dystopian novel, which inspires the reader to go check out her book.

4. Bruce Clarke, author of Death by Grand Jury

Bruce Clarke practiced criminal law as a defense attorney in Washington, D.C., as a partner in the firm Clarke & Graae and as a staff attorney with the Public Defender Service (PDS) for the District of Columbia. He later worked at the Federal Judicial Center, where he served as Director of its Education Division. While on sabbatical from the law, Clarke studied script analysis in New York with Stella Adler and began writing plays. His plays Bluesman and Fifteen Rounds with Jackson Pollock have been produced in D.C. and regionally. He is the recipient of a playwrighting grant from the D. C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities, a playwrighting residency at the Edward Albee Foundation, and the Larry Neal Award for Dramatic writing.

Note: Bruce Clarke lays the foundation for his book by describing his vast experience in the field of law. Readers of his bio will quickly grasp by his background that he has the inside scoop, allowing him to create some intriguing short stories centering on Washington D.C.

Ready to Make Your Name Known?

Even the above author bio examples for first-time authors may not be enough to help you create your eloquent bio. Worry not, when you sign up for one of our editing packages, the editorial team at Gatekeeper Press will review your bio, and help you to create a captivating author bio. Contact us today!

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Looking for more in Writing and Authors or Getting published: submitting to a publisher ?

How to write an author bio

An author bio provides a quick and concise overview of you and your writing, so it's an essential part of your toolkit.

You're likely to need an author bio when you submit to an agent, publish a story in a magazine or even receive an award, so it's well worth taking the time to craft a good one. Here are some tips to help you along the way.

What is an author bio?

An author bio is a short and sweet biography that lists your professional accomplishments. It is a multipurpose peice of text that might be used in query letters to agents or publishers or run alongside your name when you have short fiction or poems published. If you are appearing at a live event or show, there's a good chance the organiser will ask for an author bio to both advertise in advance and to introduce you on stage. Your author biography may be the first thing someone sees about you, so make sure it's a good one.

How to write a great author bio

Not all author bios will be the same, there's definitely space for creativity!, but here are some top tips for making sure yours shines.

Write in the third person

Even though you're the one writing this short biography, it's best written in third person so that it can easily be displayed (or read out) elsewhere. It also makes your bio sound more professional – and even more trustworthy. So rather than, ‘I’ve published stories in…’ go for ‘Adora Book has published stories…’

Skip your extended life story

It’s great to start with a little bit of context – where you’re from, where you live, what other jobs you do – but the most important thing here is to talk about yourself as a writer. Keep your background brief, one or two lines at most, then get into details about what you’ve been up to, writing wise. Don’t be worried if you’re just starting out, just put the focus on how much you enjoy writing in the space you’ll later be listing your publications.

Don’t be shy about your achievements

This is a place for you to let people know what you’ve been up to – so don’t let yourself be shy. List publications, prizes and projects and anything you’ve been doing that potential readers or publishers might be interested in.

Update your author bio often

Be sure to come back to your bio every once in a while, so you can update your writing achievements and take out anything that isn't relevant anymore. You want your author profil to be an accurate representation of your work.

Go for long, short and shorter

There is no catch-all standard length for an author bio. Be sure to write an extended version, around 150 words, a shorter one, 100 words, and an even shorter one, 50 words. That way, you should have something to fit the bill no matter what.

Add your own spin or hook

The best bios make readers want to find out more about the writer, so think about what makes you unique and add it in. Maybe you once had a job as a horse tamer or you’ve broken the world knitting record. That said, one or two hooks are enough – don’t be tempted to overdo it. 

Only add information you're comfortable with

Never include any information that you might one day come to regret sharing - you’re entitled to privacy! If you’d rather not disclose where you live, how many children you have or whether you are married you can be vague: for example, instead of saying ‘She lives in Thurso with two daughters’ you could write ‘She lives with her family in the north of Scotland’.

Avoid accidentally dating your copy

Try not to use phrases that could quickly become outdated. For example, try 'In 2019, she visited Cove Park' rather than 'she recently paid a visit to Cove Park'.

Include any online profiles

If you've got an X (formerly known as Twitter) profile, a website or somewhere else people can find you online, be sure to add the details at the end of your author biography.

Beth Anderson, Children's Writer

Reader, writer, miner of moments, behind the scenes: “top 10 things to know about writing a basic—but effective—author bio for promotion” by laura stegman.

Sharing your books with the public takes authors and illustrators into a whole new world. So much to think about and so much to learn. In this post, author Laura Stegman share tips for writing an author bio for promotion, an excellent place to start.  

GIVEAWAY! Laura is offering a copy of Summer of L.U.C.K. to one random person who comments below.

Top Ten Things to Know About Writing A Basic – but Effective – Author Bio for Promotion 

We’re storytellers, right? So why is it that writing a book seems almost easy compared to the stuff we must write about our books? Log lines, for example. The dreaded synopsis. Even putting together a simple bio feels overwhelming. But it needn’t be.

Here are some tips to help craft a basic author bio for promotional use.

• Whether you’re published, about to debut, or writing a book, it’s never too soon to establish a web site, and it’s never too soon to fill it with content, starting with an author promotional bio.

The first thing to know is that an author’s promotional bio differs from a bio intended to tell an author’s entire story. Promo bios are simple – but essential – tools that contain just the facts. They range from 50 to 300 words (also see #8 below), and they position the most important, relevant information right at the top.

Yes: Mary Smith is the award-winning middle grade author of [book name/s]…

No: Mary Smith was born in New York and began writing when she was seven years old…

• Promotional bios are ALWAYS written in third person present tense.

Yes: Mary Smith is the award-winning….

No: Mary Smith wrote the award-winning…

• The bio’s opening sentence should include your name, book title/s*, genre, publisher name/s, and a reference to awards if you’ve won any.

Why is it structured like this? Because when you’re working with the media, bloggers, reviewers, podcasters, influencers, bookstores, and other book promotion collaborators, the first sentence is often all that they’ll have time to read – or use. Avoid making someone’s job harder by forcing them to wade through less important information — like how many kids (or dogs) you have, etc. Your author-related Who and What should be addressed immediately.

*If more than three of your books have been published, refer to the number (see Example A below), and name your key books a bit later.

Example A: [Name] is the award-winning author of more than thirty nonfiction books for children, including [name two or three with publisher name and awards reference if any].

Example B: [Name] is the author of [title, title, and title, publisher], three middle grade fantasies about [brief description and/or awards reference].

Example C: Debut author [name’s] picture book, released by [publisher] in [month/year], is [title]…

Real-Life Example #1:   Laura Segal Stegman is the author of Summer of L.U.C.K. (her debut), sequel Ready or Not (both Five-Star Readers’ Favorite Award winners), and The Chambered Nautilus , third in Young Dragons Press’s middle grade fantasy trilogy.

Real-Life Example #2: Author/illustrator Debbie Ohi ‘s four versions of her bio are HERE ; take a look.

• If you have a second career along with being an author, include that too, especially if it’s particularly compelling.

Real-Life Example: Rajani LaRocca was born in India, raised in Kentucky, and now lives in the Boston area, where she practices medicine and writes award-winning books for young readers.

• If you write non-fiction, your credentials, including your education, can be part of the first paragraph. Otherwise leave them for the end, if you include them at all.

Real-Life Example:

Award-winning author Laurie Wallmark writes picture book biographies of women in STEM. Her titles include [list of titles and awards]. Laurie has an MFA in Writing from VCFA and is a former software engineer and computer science professor.

• To emphasize the difference between an author’s promotional bio and a bio used elsewhere (on a book jacket, for instance), click on the Real-Life Example links above. You’ll see that all are from each author’s press kit.
• The second and third paragraphs of your author bio should go into more detail about the most colorful, the most important, or the most interesting information related to your writing career, including a few review quotes or other praise.
• Create several versions of your bio, each with varying word counts to use in different situations. Basically, they’re just edited versions of the longest one. See Debbie Ohi examples in #2 above.

• What if you’re not published yet? No problem. Simply describe the work you do AND your connection to writing.

Example A: [Name] is an electrician and writer of middle grade books. Her current work in progress is about [log line]. Some of her recent favorites in that genre are [give a few].

Example B: [Name] is a father of three and writer of picture books.

You can then add something that illustrates your involvement in the writing world, like your SCBWI membership or a subject you’re researching for a work in progress.

• Speaking of research: Check out the press kit bios of other authors in your genre to see what their bios contain and how they’re structured.

So, there you have a set of tips for transforming a bio into a potent promotional asset. Hope you find it helpful.

Don’t forget to leave a comment to enter the GIVEAWAY for your very own copy of SUMMER OF L.U.C.K.!  [U.S. addresses only, please. Winner announced 5/24/24]

AND if you enjoy a book, please support authors and illustrators by leaving online reviews.  😃

Laura Segal Stegman is the author of Summer of L.U.C.K., Ready or Not , and The Chambered Nautilus , a middle grade trilogy from Young Dragons Press. She is president of her own public relations firm and creator of PR TIPS FOR AUTHORS, a guide to building a digital author media kit, which has been presented by SCBWI, The Writing Barn, and elsewhere.

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4 thoughts on “ behind the scenes: “top 10 things to know about writing a basic—but effective—author bio for promotion” by laura stegman ”.

WOW! So much great information here! Thank you.

Like Liked by 1 person

Thanks for all the great examples! So very helpful!

Hi Laura, these are great examples and suggestions. I will definitely be revising my various bios! Thank you! And thanks Beth!

Thank you for these great tips. An editor at a conference mentioned she appreciates a short bio in third person. 🙂 I still need to update my website.

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Montclair woman sheds light on popular children's author's private life in new biography

Maya Linder loves to watch as the wild horses of Assateague Island off the shores of Maryland and Virginia are rounded up and driven into the water so they can swim during slack tide, heads straining forward, salt water dancing in their manes, to the nearby island of Chincoteague for auctioning.

“The horses were calm,” Linder, a sixth-grader in Hoboken, recalls of past family visits to the annual Pony Penning Days hosted by the islands each July. “One horse had a bird on its back, but didn’t care.”

The scene, as brief at 5-10 minutes as it is thrilling, is the same one that moved Lettie Teague, an author and award-winning wine columnist for "The Wall Street Journal," as a child — when she read a depiction of the ceremony in the bestselling book "Misty of Chincoteague" by Marguerite Henry. Teague grew up in Indiana, Ohio, and North Carolina, pining for her own horse for years. Her mother encouraged her love of horses in part by buying her Henry’s books.

“The one that really resonated for me was Henry’s 'Born to Trot,'” says Teague, who lives in Montclair with her husband. The true story is about a young boy with tuberculosis whose father, a famous harness racer and trainer, gives him a filly to help him recover.

Four years ago, Teague began looking for information on Henry’s life. She was shocked to find that no one had written Henry’s biography. “Henry wrote 59 books, and so many of them were bestsellers,” she says. “How isit possible that this woman who did so much and so memorably, who resonated so deeply with readers, and whose 1947 book, 'Misty of Chincoteague,' still sells 50,000 copies a year, does not have a biography?”

With the encouragement of her agent, Alice Martell, Teague traveled to the University of Minnesota, where Henry’s papers are housed, and Wayne, Illinois, where Henry spent most of her life. The trips left Teague inspired, but hesitant. “I thought, this is crazy, I’m a wine columnist, I write wine books,” says Teague. “Theoretically, I haveno right to write a biography of a children’s author, but on the other hand, why not?” 

Martell, Teague’s agent, was supportive. “I’m always happy when clients do something completely different,” she says. Teague took the leap, and on May 21, her book "Dear Readers and Riders: The Beloved Books, Faithful Fans, and Hidden Private Life of Marguerite Henry," will be released by Trafalgar Square Books.

Researching and writing Henry’s biography took nearly three years, complicated by the fact that Henry was very private and left little ephemera. She was, however, a diligent researcher. “For 'The White Stallion of Lipizza,' she wrote to a librarian in Vienna to learn about the sound a clock made,” Teague says. “She took multiple trips to Skiatook, Oklahoma, to stand in the fields and see what it felt like to be in the Osage grass.”

Henry, who published books from 1940 until her death in 1997 at age 95, wrote back to every child who sent her a fan letter. “We’re talking tens of thousands of letters over the years, and Henry wrote them without artifice or pandering,” Teague says. Henry, who did not have children of her own, developed real relationships with some of her readers, referring to them as her “book children.”

Writing about two great loves

Teague began riding horses at age 9, about the same time she started writing. “Reading and writing were everything in my life, from when I was a child all the way until now,” she says.

At age 16, while living in Deerfield, Indiana, Teague finally bought herself what she calls “a cheap horse.” “We were city people, and we bought a farm of 12 acres, which of course wasn’t a farm by normal standards,” she says. “Because we had land, we could afford to keep a horse.” It was the first of many horses Teague would ride.

Teague attended Kenyon College and joined the equestrian team. She moved to New York City after graduation and rode at Claremont Riding Academy on the Upper West Side. “It wasn’t until I became the wine columnist for 'The Wall Street Journal' that I began riding seriously again,” she says, buying and leasing several horses and competing in local shows. She gave away her last horse two years ago. “I’m temporarily retired from riding, but not completely,” she says. “There’s another horse in my future.”

Her wine education began during her junior year of college in the unlikely city of Dublin, Ireland, where she attended the School of Irish Studies. “It was sheer luck that I ended up living with Peter Dunn and his family. He’s the director of Mitchell & Son, then the most important wine retailer, wholesaler and importer in Ireland,” Teague says. “He talked about wine the way I talked about books. That’s what fascinated me.”

Back in the U.S, Teague got herself into the wine business, holding a variety of jobs in wholesale and retail sales, marketing, public relations, and restaurants. “I ended up acquiring a lot of really practical wine business experience,” she says. She segued into writing about wine at the now-defunct "Diversion" magazine and became wine editor at "Food & Wine" in 1997.

Beth Kracklauer, the food and drinks editor at "The Wall Street Journal," says Teague’s columns appeal to everyone, from those with deep wine knowledge to those just starting to learn. “She has excellent taste but always looks at the consumer perspective,” Kracklauer says.

Teague has received three James Beard writing awards and was inducted into the Wine Media Hall of Fame in 2015. Previous books include Wine in Words: Some Notes for Better Drinking (Rizzoli, 2015) and Educating Peter: How Anybody Can Become an (Almost) Instant Wine Expert (Scribner, 2007). She was the illustrator and co-author of Fear of Wine: An Introductory Guide to the Grape (Bantam, 1995).

Earlier this year, Teague sponsored a “Dear Marguerite National Essay Contest” for youth members of the Interscholastic Equestrian Association. Riders in grades 4-12 were asked to write on themes related to equestrian life, horse welfare, and historical horse figures. The contest received nearly 300 submissions, and the winners were announced in April.

Teague remains in awe of Henry’s talents. “She melded feeling and facts so consistently, I can’t think of another children’s author who has done that,” Teague says. “Henry was incredibly modest. The only thing that was flashy about her was that she wore crazy hats.”

Teague will be discussing and signing Dear Readers and Writers in the Kid’s Room at Watchung Children’s Bookstore, 44 Fairfield St. in Montclair, on Wednesday, May 22 at 7 p.m.

Alice Munro, Canadian author who mastered the short story, dead at 92

A lice Munro, a Canadian author who was revered worldwide as master of the short story and one of few women to win the Nobel Prize in Literature, has died at the age of 92.

Her publisher said she died at her home in Port Hope, Ont., on Monday evening.

"Alice Munro is a national treasure — a writer of enormous depth, empathy, and humanity whose work is read, admired, and cherished by readers throughout Canada and around the world," read a statement from Kristin Cochrane, CEO of McClelland & Stewart, which is owned by Penguin Random House Canada.

"Alice's writing inspired countless writers too, and her work leaves an indelible mark on our literary landscape."

Munro wrote more than a dozen acclaimed collections over the course of her career, seamlessly blending ordinary people with extraordinary themes — womanhood, restlessness, aging — to develop complex characters with the nuance, depth and clarity most writers can only find in the wider confines of a novel.

In honouring her with the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2013, the Swedish Academy hailed Munro as "master of the contemporary short story," affirming what her peers, critics and readers had proclaimed for years.

"Alice Munro was one of the world's greatest storytellers. Her short stories about life, friendship, and human connection left an indelible mark on readers. A proud Canadian, she leaves behind a remarkable legacy," read a statement from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Tuesday.

"On behalf of the Government of Canada, I offer my condolences to Mrs. Munro's family, friends, and many fans. Her creativity, compassion, and gift for writing will remain an inspiration for generations."

Early years in small-town Ontario

Munro was born Alice Laidlaw in Wingham, Ont., on July 10, 1931. The eldest child of Robert and Anne Laidlaw, she was raised on what she described as a " collapsing enterprise of a fox and mink farm " in the throes of the Great Depression.

An avid reader by 11, Munro was drawn to the work of literary legends Lucy Maud Montgomery and Charles Dickens. She began "making up stories in her mind" after discovering the works of Alfred Tennyson, according to her official Nobel biography.

As the eldest child, Munro took on most of the domestic roles in the household after her mother, who had been a schoolteacher, was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. Though only 12 or 13, Munro said the work gave her "a sense of responsibility, purpose, being important. It didn't bother me at all."

Despite the family challenges, she began writing short stories when she was a teenager. She graduated valedictorian of her high school class in 1949 with a two-year scholarship to the University of Western Ontario in London.

Her first published story, The Dimensions of a Shadow , appeared in Western's undergraduate creative writing magazine, Folio, in the spring of 1950 . Two more pieces followed, with all three receiving praise for their exploration of the lives of girls and women.

It was there that she met and began dating honours history student James Munro. She also noticed Gerald Fremlin, an older student and another contributor to Folio.  Laidlaw and Munro married at her parents' home in Wingham on Dec. 29, 1951. The following year, James gave his wife a typewriter as a 21st birthday present.

The Munros had three daughters — Sheila, Catherine and Jenny — in the early years of their marriage. (Catherine died the same day she was born.) Munro left university when the scholarship money ran out and the family eventually settled in West Vancouver's Dundarave neighbourhood.

The monotony of the girls' early years was reflected in 1978's The Moons of Jupiter , which described "wives yawning, napping, visiting, drinking coffee, and folding diapers; husbands coming home at night from the city across the water."

"We had become a cartoon couple, more middle-aged in our twenties than we would be in middle age," she wrote.

Devotion to the short story

Munro later said she devoted her career to the short story medium — regarded by many as notoriously difficult and by others as inferior to the novel — because the demands of marriage and motherhood didn't allow her the time to complete longer works.

In 1963, the Munros moved to Victoria and opened Munro's Books on Yates Street. Munro credits the bookstore, which made a "marvellous" $175 on its first day and is still flourishing, as helping her overcome the writer's block she experienced from her mid-20s to her mid-30s: "The writing ceased to be this all-important thing that I had to prove myself with. The pressure came off."

"Just as she would shape Munro's, Munro's would shape Alice," the shop wrote in a tribute to its founder. "Jim enjoyed recounting his wife's urge to write something better than the 'crappy books' that sold alongside the store's more palatable titles."

Munro's first collection of stories, Dance of the Happy Shades , was published in 1968 — two years after she gave birth to her fourth daughter, Andrea. The anthology drew attention from other Canadian literary giants such as Margaret Atwood and earned her comparisons to the famed Russian short story writer Anton Chekhov.

After her marriage ended in 1972, Munro moved back to Ontario. She reconnected with Fremlin — whom she'd shared pages with in Folio back at Western — after he deduced from an interview of hers on CBC Radio in 1974 that she was back in Ontario. The pair married and moved to Clinton, Ont., not far from her hometown in Wingham.

Fremlin, a retired geographer and cartographer, was the one to use the office in the couple's home. Munro opted to write at a tiny desk facing a window overlooking the driveway from the corner of their dining room, according to a 2013 profile . 

International recognition came after the New Yorker bought its first Munro story, Royal Beatings , in 1977. Munro nurtured a decades-long publishing relationship with the magazine, cementing the Canadian author's status with an elite group of contributors who defined the American publication's celebrated love affair with short fiction .

An unapologetic revisionist, Munro was known to keep reworking stories even after her publisher had sent them back without asking for any changes.

In one instance , she personally paid financial penalties in order to add an entirely new story and change the voice from first to third person after the printing deadline for Who Do You Think You Are? — a collection of short stories that went on to win Munro the Governor General's Award in 1978.

Munro won a litany of literary honours over the next decades of her career, including two more Governor General's Awards, two Giller Prizes and the Man Booker International Prize. She also received an honorary degree from her alma mater, Western University — the "only such honour" she ever accepted, the school has said .

In mid-2013, shortly after the death of her second husband, Munro told the National Post that she was content with her career and "probably not going to write anymore."

She won the Nobel Prize in Literature that October, becoming the 13th woman to receive the honour.

In an interview with CBC after her Nobel win, Munro said: "I think my stories have gotten around quite remarkably for short stories, and I would really hope that this would make people see the short story as an important art, not just something that you played around with until you'd got a novel written."

Munro's last collection of work, Dear Life , was published in 2012. She introduced the final four stories in its pages, called Finale , as "autobiographical in feeling", if only partly.

"I believe they are the first and last — and the closest — things I have to say about my own life."