You are an expert, you just have to figure out how to make that apparent. At PageMaster Publishing Services we can help. We’ve looked at Gathering Your Credentials and Gathering Your Endorsements in this post we’ll look at How to Write Your Short Author Bio.
There are 2 types of bios you’re going to need. The long bio and the short bio. The long bio is great for your media kit and “About Me” blog page. The short bio is for the back of books and possibly Twitter bio.
For the first time author – actually any author who hasn’t reached there personal goals – it’s a daunting task. Here are some tips to get you started.
6 Tips for Writing Your Short Author Bio
- Write in the third person (only use the first person when your bio is in a query letter).
- The opening sentence needs to sell you as the expert. Never mention your personal life, but do mention your professional titles. Don’t think you have them? Have you ever sent a poem into a publisher? Congratulations you’re a freelance writer and poet.
- If you don’t have publishing credits mention if you’re a member of a writer’s organization or if you have a degree in literature and writing.
- Read author bios in a couple dozen different books. Note what you like and don’t like.
- Make a list of things you MIGHT want to say about yourself. Try to list 20 to 30 things—don’t self-edit, because you don’t want to leave anything out. Later you can choose the best elements to include.
- Trade author bios with a writer friend and help each other make them interesting.
Elements of a Short Bio
Line One – Line one usually highlights what degrees and certifications the author has (speaking to the theme, if possible). If you don’t have a degree, show off the experience you have.
Line Two – The second of the 3 sentences in your bio should tell why you are writing the book, or what prompted you to start writing in the first place.
Line Three – This last sentence is your spot to tell something more personal and/or professional than you have in the previous two. Many, many authors use this line to share the number of children, pets, and whatnot that they write around. The rest of the authors usually use this line to tell what other kinds of writing they’ve published.
If you’re not happy with what you’re able to factually put into your bio: Write a fantasy one. What would you like your bio to read eventually? Include the awards, the best-sellers, the degrees and certifications. Then, use this as your daily inspiration. Plan out how can you can work toward achieving that dream bio today.
Contact us if we can help you write your short author bio. Why not leave your short author bio in the comments? Our team will leave there thoughts about them for you.