How Do I Write a Perfect Author Bio?

You are finally really to jump out there and introduce yourself to the world but suddenly, the words freeze on the tip of your tongue. Character descriptions are breezy, but describing yourself? It can be quite intimidating. You will undoubtedly write and rewrite your author bio, it will evolve over time, but as you practice it will become easier and changes will effortlessly fill any gaps you feel there are now. The common feature among the various author bios you will need is to include a call to action. Make sure that your bio funnels readers to your website and encourages them to sign up for your mailing list.

The Short Author Bio:

This is a condensed, 140 character description. It can be written in the third person or made more personal in first person. A reader should be able to discern what you do and get a small taste of your personality. Even though it is the shortest, it tends to be the most difficult to write.

Some examples:

There's a cat hair in my tea cup. OWS Editor. Author and bibliophile, redeeming villains and scandalizing saints one chapter at a time. #ourwriteside (@ScorpioScribes)

#Fantasy author & lawyer. Contents explosive in presence of idiocy. Chaotic Good. #INTJ. Seven Circles of Hell (@CiaraBallintyne)

Author of The Summer Solstice Series, an enchanting Contemporary Fantasy / Romance based on an original mythology set in #ApolloBeach Florida. ( @KKAllen_Author)

As you can see, authors can slip in bits of humor or straight forward information that gives you a peek into who they are. Also, note how hashtags are used strategically within the author bio. These condensed bios are most commonly used on Twitter and adding in a hashtag or two will help readers with a common interest find you when they search.

The Medium Author Bio:

This author bio will be a bit longer, three to five complete sentences, written in the third person. In this version, you may want to focus more on the professional aspect of your persona. It should be succinct and in your authentic voice. Let your passion for your writing shine through. If you have other published work, share that as well.

Sample:

Stephanie Ayers is the CEO of Our Write Side and a graphic designer, editor, and proofreader for Mothe Spider Publishing. She is also a full-time world-building ninja, six-time published author, and part-time freelancer from central Virginia, crafting her own story and avoiding growing up at all costs. She mothers her children, loves her husband, attends church, and avoids all things zombies.

The Long Author Bio:

The long author bio is where you can really open the closet door and parade those skeletons. Okay, maybe you don't want to share THAT much, but you can really give readers a taste of both your professional and your private persona. Readers love getting little tidbits and trivia about their favorite authors. You will also want to include any accolades you have received and any of your other published works. Avoid being too modest, brag! You earned them and your readers want to know.

An example:

Author, A.G. Riddle, has a great long author bio on his Amazon Author page:

A.G. Riddle spent ten years starting internet companies before retiring to pursue his true passion: writing fiction.

He released his first novel, The Atlantis Gene, in March of 2013. It became the first book in The Origin Mystery, a trilogy that has sold well over one million copies in the US, is being translated into 18 languages, and is in development at CBS Films to be a major motion picture. The trilogy appeared in bookstores around the world in 2015.

His recently released fourth novel, Departure, follows the survivors of a flight that takes off in the present and crash-lands in a changed world. HarperCollins published Departure in hardcover in the fall of 2015, and 20th Century Fox is developing the novel for a feature film.

Riddle grew up in the small town of Boiling Springs, North Carolina and graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill. During his sophomore year of college, he started his first company with a childhood friend. He currently lives in Florida with his wife, who endures his various idiosyncrasies in return for being the first to read his new novels.

No matter where he is, or what's going on, he tries his best to set aside time every day to answer emails and messages from readers. You can reach him at: ag@agriddle.com

** For a sneak peek at new novels, free stories, and more, join the email list at:
www.agriddle.com/email

The Feature Article:

The feature article falls under the author bio category; however, it is generally focused on a current book. It should generally run about 400 to 600 words. The purpose of the other author bios is to sell the author while the special article really sells the book. You will need to prepare a new feature article with each new book you publish and it should be worded like a press release. Readers want to know what makes your book special. Make sure you include as much information as possible by using the 5's: Who (are you and why did you write the book), What (is the best part of this book), Where (is the setting, where are you from, is there a relevance in the location), When (is the story set, when was it published), Why (should a reader care about this book or you as an author). Remember, they have thousands and thousands of options, make yours impossible to ignore.

DIYAuthor offers a great example of a featured article.

Create a file on your computer or within your cloud storage (OWS team members really love Google Drive) and place these bios in there so they are available as you need them.

Until next time, scribe happy and stay sassy,

alsig

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