If you’re anything like me, you’ve probably found that writing a bio about yourself (as an intending author) is tougher than it looks. We can spin a story or craft a useful business model, but when it comes to summing up our own lives in a few short paragraphs, we get stuck. We may stay too humble.
It’s a common struggle for authors, but your bio is too important to gloss over. It should create authority with new readers and is a crucial part of your author brand.
You might think it’s all about listing your achievements, but it’s really about connecting with people. A great bio tells your story, builds credibility, and invites readers to explore your work. Fortunately, writing one doesn’t have to be a nightmare. This guide will walk you through each step, helping you craft a compelling author bio that you can use on your book jacket, website ‘about’ section, or professional profiles.
1: The Building Blocks
Step 1. Identify Your Goal and Audience
Goal: What do you want your bio to achieve? (e.g., impress a book publisher, sell books, connect with fans or attract new leads).
Audience: Who are you writing for? This is key to deciding what to include. A bio for a book jacket might be different from one for a self-publisher’s website, where that person promotes other things.
Step 2. Gather Your Key Details
List the essential information: your name, your book’s title and genre, and a one-sentence summary of what you write.
Note your core achievements and credentials (e.g., academic life, awards, relevant professional experience, or perhaps a life-defining experience). What makes you a credible author in your genre?
Include a personal touch or a fun fact that is relevant to your work and will resonate with your readers. For example, a fantasy author might mention a love for mythology, while a mystery writer might talk about a penchant for solving puzzles.
2: Crafting the Content
Step 3. Understand Your Author Brand Tone of Voice
This step is crucial for maintaining consistency in your communication and connecting with your target audience. This is not only for your Bio but your whole suite of online communications.
Start by considering what you want your Author Brand to convey. Is it warmth, humour, honesty, thoughtfulness, or something else?
Collect examples of articles, books, or authors whose tone of voice you admire. Also observe their message. But don’t try to mimic them – you have your own personality, am I right?
Choose a few keywords that capture the essence of your brand’s tone. These keywords will guide your communication and keep your tone consistent. E.g. Mine are empowering growth, unvarnished truth, helpful guide.
Write sample messages, snippets that deeply resonate with you and are not trite. Imagine your target audience will read them. Will they get the necessary emotional experience? These will later become the base for marketing your book, your program, and showing up as your creative, unique self.
Share samples with trusted friends, writing groups, or beta readers. Ask for their impressions. This feedback can help you refine your tone and ensure it’s coming across as intended.
Step 4. Write Your First Draft
Start with a strong opening line that quickly establishes your identity as an author.
Write in the third person, as this is the standard for book jackets and professional profiles. (For LinkedIn, write in first person and make changes so that it’s more career or business focused).
Connect your experience and personality to your writing.
Keep it concise. The most effective bios get straight to the point.
3: Polishing and Finalising
Step 5. Choose the Right Length and Format
I always make three bios, because I write articles, regularly update my Amazon Author Central, update my LinkedIn Summary (~400 words) or pitch for a speaking gig – and most of these require different lengths.
- Short Bio (under 100 words): Ideal for the back of a book, social media profiles, and professional directories. Focus on the essentials.
- Medium Bio (100-250 words): Great for a website’s “About” page or guest blog post bylines. Allows for more detail on your experience and personality. This could also go into your Media Kit.
- Long Bio (250+ words): Suitable for a full author page on your website, where readers or the media can dive deeper into your story.
(Media Kit ideal length is 4 x A4 pages).
Step 6. Proofread and Edit
- Read your new author bio out loud to catch awkward phrasing.
- Check for spelling and grammar errors.
- Ask an editor or colleague to review it for clarity and tone. Make sure it feels like you. Well, you with your good hat on.
