An author bio is unique to the writer, so everyones will look different but by following our 4-step process and using the author bio template, youll include everything you need to maximize your chances of winning over readers. MASTER LIST of Gestures and Body Language. But I dont want to just go with the first hit on the google search, you know? No, you cannot just leave out your author bio, even if you wrote a short story or novella. Recently I asked, Whats the difference between wisdom and foolishness? There were a lot of great ideas in the replies. I think its great that youre using what you have and rebranding it. Readers should want to know what you have to say based on your author bio. I began blogging a few years ago, then felt embarrassed by a story and then kind of sat on my domain for a year. Aim for a bio of 60-90 words in length. Is this ok? Mia has a degree in Masters of Letters (Creative Writing) from CQUniversity. Start With An Introductory Byline. She received her Bachelors degree in English Language and Literature from the University of Washington. on multiple combat deployments. Reedsy is more than just a blog. My road trip book! One of the not-quite-yet-author websites you listed, Emilyrae, happens to live in a nearby town, so I reached out to her. Member of Florida Writers Association, Sisters in Crime, and Sisters in Crime Guppies. She writes the Moccasin Cove Mystery series featuring a quirky amateur sleuth with too much empathy and wit for her own good. Great tips and examples too! Check out this post by Kellie Rendina to understand their differences. I get more response when I post photos of my mother and little tidbits about her. ), If youre an indie author or not publishing, you can share as much as you want. However, gauge this based on your writing and your understanding of your audience, or the type of audience you'd like to have. Now you need to write the actual words of the bio. Behold, our favorite author bios of the day: Mindy Kaling, Why Not Me? This is so great. Im looking at revamping my own website right nowits always just been functional, but I want to make it pretty. Adam Silveras bio is short and focuses on his publications, but he throws in something at the end to make you smile. My name is [Name] and Im an unpublished author from the United Kingdom. WebFollowing one of the examples or templates below, you can create a bio that effectively summarizes your experience without having to write it from scratch. (89 words). All three dogs got regular walking breaks and they were very good travelers! His bio lends himself credibility, demonstrates his personality, and has one of the most unique calls to action you'll ever read. You can email Wimpy Fart to tell him about your favorite Minecraft books, or to talk about really loud farts. She speaks on issues of cultural bias, the stigma of cancer, and more. If your middle-grade comedy has an author bio that reads like a middle school. When youre self-publishing on Amazon, you need to put some serious thought into the author bio on your Amazon book page. How can independent bookshops and self-published authors support each other? Also Im thinking of what content I can add while I work on the cover. Thanks so much for reading, and happy writing! This mostly depends on your day job and what role your professional career plays in your writing life, but LinkedIn bios should be far more, well, business-likefocused on business outcomes and achievements. Say you don't have manyor anyachievements like the ones mentioned. This article was a godsend for me in terms of giving me the confidence to create a website even though I am unpublished. Add links to relevant interviews (on NPR or PBS, for example), news articles (ever been featured in. Special thanks to John Scalzi for inspiring me to write this specific type of bio. The bold font and background convey a sci-fi feel. When hes not writing, he can be found at a pool table calculating the next shot or the next story. Thats 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.. 1. Author Please help! Mia K Rose is a statistics and data analyst who lives in Gold Coast and, though the job may be analytical, loves the realms of fantasy. (No shame, I promise!). A couple of them havent yet published anything yet. Start with the facts readers need to know, 2. Looking forward to our meaningful conversation! Is that what an Author Website is? This can be tricky to wrangle in a website presence. JJ, I apologize to be answering such a sensitive question over 5 months laterI sometimes get behind on the comments with old blog posts. Hey friends! Weirs mega-blockbuster novel The Martian famously started as a series of blog posts, so its no wonder hes got a sharp-looking blog. Penn. If you mention your spouse or now-estranged children in your bio, you may want to change that. A professional bio is not at all different from a persuasive article and Lena Alexson proves it through a very engaging professional bio. Excellent post! Themes make everything so much easier. Maybe your serial killer novel is inspired by your interest in true crime, and for the writing of the book you read as many serial killer biographies you could get your hands on and conducted hundreds of hours of research. This is such a great example of a bio. And when writers set up a website, an about the author paragraph or statement is often front and center. Click on the author names to see their websites. I have always had a passion for writing and enjoy the process of crafting stories. Should I or should I not say what my day job is? Boomer Sooner! A safe way to introduce readers to your other work is to direct them to your website, but keep in mind you're not selling them on this, only pointing it out. Best Author Websites (Including Unpublished Author Website Examples). Sometimes they also need paper writing help. You can do but it's not standard practice. But first-time writers can include relevant expertise that pertains to your book. Tinkering with my own right now at http://www.eoconnors.com. I completely disagree that youre putting out a bad message. How To Write a Good Author Bio (When You Havent Done Much Yet) But the authority you should have is a clear understanding of how storytelling mechanics function. Bingley during a road trip break. She also runs her own business as a freelance editor and virtual assistant for other business owners. Mention that. I certainly do. It was wonderful to see family and old friends. Happy writing! The author of A Gentleman in Moscow features a book trailer right on the home page, which is something I would probably do with my book trailers (see here and here) if I had a more traditional author website instead of or in addition to a blog. I made up the example to talk about putting the action before the reaction and making more of dramatic moments. Niyati Tamaskar is a mother, engineer, entrepreneur, public speaker, and author. <3. If someone learns more about and relates to the author, they are much more likely to buy. Heres how Joanne handled it in her sassy, fun, but informational author bio. No, how about you just let me in automatically? How to Write a Terrific Author Bio - Rachelle Gardner Will your target audience care about each word? (By the way, if youre interested in setting up a website, be sure to check out my post on author website examples!). Unpublished Writers and Websites: Should You Have One and This could be a good place to list your relevant interests and hobbies. carleneshulerbrown.com Carlene, Carlene, just wanted to say that your artwork is beautiful! Bryn, great links! Looking to publish? Bio I would say this had a bit of a slow start, but I didnt mind. What do you say on your website if youre an unpublished author? It can be a big undertaking but I know itll be worth it, and Im sure youll find that to be true, too. Read on for some tips on how to write a bio for work to make it easy for readers to connect with your work and you as well. I also love taking naps and listening to music. samples mentioned above. Hi PJ! Unpublished Author Website Examples Emily Rae I love it that Emilys picturewith a big smileis front and center in this website. If your work has won any prestigious awards or earned bestseller status, make sure to mention that here, too. Emily R. King is the author of the Hundredth Queen series, as well as Before the Broken Star, Into the Hourglass, and Everafter Song in the Evermore Chronicles. Experts encourage authors to start their writers bio with a byline (one-liner) that summarizes their profile and the titles of the latest publications. To help you put together your own killer bio, weve created this handy template, including a checklist of what to include and what not to include. If you write political thrillers, maybe your credentials come from the time you spent working for a three-letter agency, or maybe you write police procedurals because you were once a cop. Build credibility without overly bragging. If youre building up your author social media presence and it includes Instagram, you may also want to check out my post about the 200 best Instagram hashtags for writers! This website was built on Squarespace, and it looks really good. I said to her, Hey, okay if I take a bath? She said, Oh sure, hang on and brought me THIS BASKET full of loofahs and soaps and lotions and a new candle! In this post, well explain why Amazon editorial reviews matter, how to secure them, and how to use them to impact your launch. Adam Wallace writes this short bio in the first person, which is unusual and feels more friendlyas if hes personally introducing himself to you. She does a wonderful job of differentiating the characters voices and perspectives. Its funny that one of the hardest things for some writers to write is a paragraph about themselves! Jane is a historian at Vermont College and has spent over a decade researching World War 2. :). As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. I love Jim Butcher. If anyone is interested, that website is at https://www.chrisvpowers.com (I only found one f-word among all 11 posts, so I think that meets Hollywoods current PG guidelines?). Open up with relevant biographical details. My website includes both. Im currently using the Twenty Seventeen theme. Lots of good stuff here that I need, especially the examples of published and not yet published authors. He has written several articles on Medium as well as multiple fiction stories. Chris, I think your blog looks great! If youve used levity in your writing, then you can say something like Architect by day, crime novelist by night.. You end up with a behemoth of a bio that no one reads because its too daunting and unfocused. WebFor example, for an unpublished author bio, you will need to highlight the personal projects you are working on, personal interests and career/academic trajectory. You can get to his blog by typing the word Whatever into Google. 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. You should also place an author bio on your website that goes into a little more detail than the bio in your book. Enter your email or get started with a social account: 1. Read her writing-related rants and reflections on her Moccasin Cove Mysteries blog. Kiowa. In no particular order: Courtney Milan's Author Bio Sarah J. Its my favorite scent in the whole world. Book 2, AppleJacked was a 2021 Daphne du Maurier Mystery/Suspense finalist. Ive got a lot to think about and a lot of great resources to look to. Learn seven tried-and-true strategies for boosting book sales. Become a member today to discover how we can help you publish a beautiful book. Your backstory. Hi Bryn, I know Im arriving late to the party. Thanks for bringing this post to our attention (again) via Twitter, Bryn. Its so clean and easy to read. Thank you for your timely advice. You pay a little more if you wanted penname.com rather than penname.wordpress.com, and the former is a little nicer. 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. Do you have questions about it? She notes her pronouns, Myers-Briggs type, and zodiac sign under Classifications, which I think is fun, even if you believe in neither! Finish with a call to action perhaps a link to your sales page. On the other hand, if you're writing a book about personal finance or navigating mental health issues, then perhaps you might focus on a more neutral tone and highlight your credentials instead. 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 Publishers On the other hand, a biography for a published author should focus on the published content rather than the personal projects. Our Best Examples of Amazon Author Pages Thanks for letting us share our own bio. This means the bio will probably make a better impression. Credentials can look differently depending on the author and the kind of book being written, but they do need to align with the writing somehow. Many authors use the about me section on their website to do this, and its smart. Unless these details are relevant to his book if, for example, the book is set in St. Louis or about parochial education or mens hairstyles not much of this tells us why hes the right author for this story. Thank you! I just kind of blogged about life in a data science program, and most recently on matters I was interested in. I love reading BIOS and learn so much when I do. Can't we directly say " Hi I am a blogger from so and so .". (43 words). Check out this guide on how to create a customer avatar. I loved Jesss characterI ALWAYS love a character whos a little scruffy, a little bit of a grifter. Example: An authors lived experience One great example of a bio that shares biographical details is author Niyati Tamaskar, whose memoir Unafraid draws on her https://www.servicescape.com/writers/grammarmaven, College Application Proofreading Services, Statement of Purpose Proofreading Services, How to Write a Bone-Chilling Dark Fantasy Tale. Also called About the Author, an author bio is: An author biography is your chance to connect with readers beyond just a byline. Done well, an author bio can give you credibility and introduce your readers to your other works. A man who writes romances, a self-starter who self-publishes and a dreamer who thinks growing old should take longer. 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 especially love that you included examples from unpublished authors. However, there have been a few authors who have broken this rule, with great success (see Andy Weir, below. Adding a bit of color to your bio helps readers imagine who you are. David Crumm Media, an imprint of Front Edge Publishing has published three books by author Rodney Curtis. Im still experimenting with that, but I have a feeling Im going to separate my brands into three categories: My Novel/Screenplay site, My Personal Homepage (debating what theme to settle on), and My Medium page (where I put general interest articles). Download your free copy below. This was a fantastic post. Thanks in advance. 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. You can learn more about Niyati and her publishing story here. So today, Im sharing what I think are some great author bio examples. Thanks. See the Publisher Rocket effect, when you use the right keywords and categories to help get your book seen more on Amazon. He is tall for no reason. At that time, I would say dress simply, work with a professional photographer if possible, and as long as people can see your eyes and your smile, theyll get a sense of who you are and make a positive connection. Find out if your author bio is a 10/10. 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. Its entertaining and it suits you so well! If that is the case, a mention of something that is important to you is fine, but dont drag it on and focus on it. She lives and continues to cook non-stop in Los Angeles, with her corgi, Butters. I think Ive done okay on both those fronts, but Im always open to suggestions. When asked to offer a dozen things people should know about him, Lentz says he: He resides in Southern California with his high-school-sweetheart wife and family. Jane has traveled extensively around Eastern Europe, learning about the history of the region and walking the paths of her characters. I really liked the way explained each point with examples. Youre doing great writing! I've finally got a bio that I'm not rolling my eyes at. Book lover. I have a website/mailinglist/newsletter/readermagnet-thing going on in parallel with my rather ambitious WIP. Want to come along? . So many people loved her. Thats good information. Medium (eBook only, literary magazine, etc. I believe the hosting costs $4 a month, and many of the themes or design looks are free. I really like the use of the evocative illustration at the top. Its where you forge a connection with potential readers and get them to trust you. We are in KC for a couple of days to see some old friends. She is always like this I told her Id leave a 5-star review on Yelp. And Ive either got to make major changes to my Pinterest board or make a whole new account for my writing career, as it just screams insecure dude with too much interest in news and an addiction to fried garbage. Other than that, I love having my site. In my day job in publishing, when I ask authors for bios, I ask for 100 words or less. If you want to link to some of the best author blogs or websites, or share your opinions on how to make awesome author websites, I know wed all appreciate that, too. Begin with a punchy, impactful first sentence. Book Marketing for Self-Publishing Authors, Home / Book Publishing / How to Write an Author Bio [With Examples and Templates]. Require as few clicks as possible. Join a community of over 1 millionauthors. Determine what your books about, and tailor your bio to compliment the style and tone. Tiny light gray type will make a lot of people bounce. In summary, the steps in this post take you through everything you need when writing your own author bio. I am a New York Times, Amazon and USA Today bestselling author who loves writing stories that make children laugh and get excited about reading and drawing and writing. And they're also apt to purchase your next one. And there are other differences as well. Dont call yourself a novelist if you havent published yet. For very new writers, a website might consist of only one or two pages, mainly focused on your bio BLM. Unfortunately, Suffusion is no longer available, but Im pointing that out to say that you can get great professional results from free WordPress themes! Conversely, if you're writing more serious fiction like literary fiction, hard sci-fi, epic fantasy or historical, then you might want to go easy on the humor and instead focus more on your expertise. 25 Eye-Catching Author Bio Examples - ServiceScape Determine your target audience, and tailor your bio to attract those specific readers. Thinking about using BookFunnel to deliver your ebooks? Pan. Join 111,585 other authors who receive weekly emails from us to help them make more money selling books. ChainLinked, Book1, misterio press. Here is mine: Liz Boegers stint as a bikini model peaked in kindergarten. Shes brought everything together very nicely here. Finally, marketing consultant Rob suggests closing out with a quippy-one liner that illustrates what kind of writer you are. Her site, TheCreativePenn.com has been voted in the Top 100 sites for writers by Writer's Digest. I think its a great length for the inside of a book. She also conveys a certain attitude by adding a mother****ing Unicorn after her name. You can add the About the Author page into your back matter for a physical book. You are so smart to think about ease of use! As a quick recap, an unpublished authors website should have two goals: The first goal would be to provide editors, agents and the publishing world with a better picture of who you are and what youre about. Bio Examples Unpublished Author Website Examples Emily Rae I love it that Emilys picturewith a big smileis front and center in this website. Ill admit to wanting to crop off the top half of her author photo because shes only in the bottom half of it, but this is one of the best author blogs Ive seen in the cozy mystery genre. Helen Hoang has a really endearing about the author. Notice that she also uses the bio to establish that she brought personal experience to the writing of her breakout mega-bestseller, The Kiss Quotient, which features a heroine on the autism spectrum. Featured on a famous talk show? All three dogs got regular walking breaks and they were very good travelers! Going through a divorce or other major family issues? Spring here is ahead of Chicagoland and all the lilacs are in bloom. Patricia has one author bio to cover all of them. Figure out your target reader, then write your author bio for that person. Web10+ Unpublished Author BIO Examples. In her free time, she likes to find new coffee shops and restaurants, obsess over stationeryand all things planner-related, read, practice hot yoga, and play video games. I really am tech-phobic with a high dose of author-avoidance. Dark and edgy? If you take the author bio seriously and get it right, youll sell more books. There's no one-size-fits-all approach, but the following checklist provides a structure you can use as an author bio template: If you browse bestselling author bios, you'll notice they tend to follow this sequence. WordPress.com is extremely easy to use and inexpensive. Ultimate Guide: How To Write A Killer Author Bio | Writer's Edit Thank you, thank you, thank you for this post and especially for the examples from unpublished writers! Not at the same time. Consider: You need to think about your target reader. Yes, you can hire a freelance writer or a ghostwriter to write your author bio to make sure its as amazing as it should be. ELD teacher, mother, MG writer. Web3. Wattpad: What Self-Published Authors Need To Know Launched in 2006, Wattpad is a free online publishing platform with over 70 million writers and readers. Here's what it has to offer, from stellar reader support to group promotions. I love it when you share resources like this . Web10+ Unpublished Author BIO Examples 1. While you might be able to write about yourself for pages and pages, the truth is most readers only want to read about a couple of paragraphs about you, just enough to get to know, learn why you wrote the novel if that's applicable, and where they can keep up with your work. And then theres a low monthly fee. Excellent post! I built my website about 8 years ago but with my second book scheduled to be released Spring 2022, I have been thinking of different ways to refresh it. The more fans you have, it follows the more sales you'll see. I already get your email posts. 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. This website features the authors completed, unpublished novel (which sounds terrific, by the way.).