Author Bio Formula
You're going to want to make two author bios: a long one and a short one. In this post, you'll learn the formula to write your short author bio.
Why you need an author bio
There are many places where you will use your short author bio, including:
social media
Amazon author page
query letters
book back cover
Here are some basic tips:
Write it in third person (he/she/they).
Keep it fewer than 300 words.
Limit it to about four sentences.
If possible, include a link to your sales page.
Format:
1. Professional Summary (who you are and what you do)
Keep in mind that the "what you do" part doesn't have to be your job. You could put in "novice genealogist," "mother," "bon vivant ," whatever works for you.
Example: Jane Doe is a physicist and author.
2. Theme of Your Work (what genre & category you write under, what topics you like to write about)
Example: She writes whimsical fiction books for girls about women in the field of science.
3. Credentials (writing experience, degrees, awards, how many books you’ve sold, endorsements)
What you include depends on the exact credential in relation to what you’re writing about. Say you’re a rocket scientist. This will matter more if you’re writing about how humans will colonize Mars than crafts you can make with googly eyes.
No publishing experience? That’s okay. What else can you use? How long have you been writing? Are you in any writing clubs and organizations?
Example: Doe has won the Nobel Prize in Physics and has written three series of children’s books.
4. Personal Touch (family life, hobby, something that makes you interesting and relatable)
Example: When she isn’t writing, Doe knits sweaters and binge-watches The Young and the Restless.
Here is how that example bio looks all together.
Jane Doe is a physicist and author. She writes whimsical fiction books for girls about women in the field of science. Doe has won the Nobel Prize in Physics and has written three series of children’s books. When she isn’t writing, Doe knits baby blankets and binge-watches The Young and the Restless.
Now it's your turn. You can download your free Author Bio Formula worksheet here.
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