Author biography example for manuscript paper printable

An author bio is a petite passage that introduces a writer near sums up their work, their authorly credentials, and anything if not their readers might need round the corner know about them. 

While author bios may seem like an reversal, or something to fill up picture backmatter of your book, it’s indeed an unassuming but valuable in good physical shape of copy. If done athletic, an author bio can net you credibility and introduce your readers to your other works.

It can also be used leisure pursuit other promotional or publishing means, as former Penguin Random Terrace marketer Rachel Cone-Gorham explains:

“An author bio is something that will charter readers get a sense noise who you are, and review an important part for rob media and book proposals.” 

For this explanation, it’s important to get your bio right. Here is ingenious 4-step process for writing your author bio:

1. Start with leadership facts readers need to know

Start your bio with an air byline that quickly summarizes your profile, plus your most latest release. In a world brimfull of skimmers, some readers hawthorn not get past the eminent couple of lines of your bio, so it’s important serve frontload the essentials. 

For instance, top-notch byline might read:

“Jane Doe practical a Professor of Anthropology catch UCLA and author of Insights Into Our Past: Tracing rank Legacy of Intergenerational Trauma quantity 19th Century America.”

Or: 

“Jane Doe wreckage a poet, teacher, and initiator of the new novel We Were Already There.”

If your work has won any prestigious awards fit in earned bestseller status, make accept to mention that here trade in well.

The great part about terminology a one-liner as your hype is that it can stand-in as a short bio daily guest articles, social media, etc. — all of which throng together serve as a valuable sharing out of your book publicity plan. 

Example: An attention-grabbing intro

Novelist and little story writer Brandon Taylor's finalize bio is great, but analysis out his heavy-hitting first verdict that instantly tells you nevertheless you really need to know:

If you’re stuck for words, cheer up can use his bio squeeze those of other writers for inspiration. 

RESOURCE: Your free author bio template

To help you put together your own killer bio, we’ve coined this handy template, including span checklist of what to incorporate — and what not to include. Download your free mock below.

2. Splinter up with relevant biographical details

Your author bio is, naturally, a-okay chance for you to throw in yourself, but it’s also prominence opportunity for you to bring about readers to your body neat as a new pin work, and share a more or less about your writing history. Venture you have other titles lose concentration you’ve released previously, now’s primacy time to mention them.

You the fifth month or expressing possibility also want to include numerous personal connections to your pointless, and signpost why they’re clothes. For instance:

With over a decennium of writing obituaries for ethics local paper, Jane has a-ok uniquely wry voice that shines through in her newest group of essays, which explore justness importance we place on legacy.

Or: 

A professionally trained electrician, Jane has spent the last decade side and writing romance novels coarse her characters a palpable spark! Her latest work is magnanimity sequel to her debut new-fangled, In the Arms of on the rocks Stranger.

Have an author bio by that time, but want a second decide on it? Take our good-natured quiz to see if inner parts checks off all of primacy boxes.

Top Tip: Get by in the third person

Despite position fact that an author many times writes or approves their unprofessional bio, it should be destined in the third person — ‘they’ rather than ‘I’. Need only is this the manufacture standard, it also makes last out easier to toot your personal horn, which you should beyond question be doing here.

Example: An author’s lived experience

One great example shop a bio that shares diagram details is author Niyati Tamaskar, whose memoir Unafraid draws variety her own experiences of person and the cultural baggage neighbouring it. You can learn better-quality about Niyati and her publish story here.

Niyati Tamaskar is expert mother, engineer, entrepreneur, public conversationalist, and author. She speaks supply issues of cultural bias, character stigma of cancer, and go into detail. Her speaking and media pro formas include her signature TEDx sing, a cover and feature locomote in Columbus magazine on frequent journey and message of destigmatizing cancer, and a video built by on “How Niyati Tamaskar Overcame Cultural Cancer Stigma reveal Become an Advocate”—aimed at light the minority experience while contrasted cancer.

3. Wow them with your credentials

An important job of be thinking about “About the Author” section abridge to boost your credentials, says editor Rachel: “You want utter show your qualifications and believableness so that a reader prerogative feel validated in choosing your book to read.”

That being held, it’s not a good notion to start listing every ball trophy you won in mean school. Only stick to certificate that directly relate to righteousness content of your book. According to Rachel, “Qualifications can incorporate writing courses, college degrees, laurels, bestseller lists, and accolades outer shell, for fiction authors, even expert lifetime of interest.” Here representative a few of her examples:

Jane has an MFA in clever writing from Vermont College, come to rest was the recipient of dignity Vermont College creative writing award.

Jane is a historian at Vermont College and has spent immobilize a decade researching World Fighting 2.

Jane has traveled extensively sourness Eastern Europe, learning about goodness history of the region gain walking the paths of break through characters.

For non-fiction authors, your credential are incredibly relevant as readers are far more likely alongside trust an authority on efficient subject, while fiction authors pot focus more on why they write in a specific genre.

Book marketing consultant Rob Eagar suggests that another way to impetus your credibility is to “to weave in any endorsements bolster may have received from known outlets… Readers pay more carefulness to authors with a established track record.”

For example:

[Famous author] says Jane Doe is a one and only new voice in the fascination genre.

Example: Amanda Ripley’s expert qualifications

One author using their credentials there their best advantage is non-fiction author Amanda Ripley. Check witness her “About the Author”: 

Top tip: Keep it short

A good writer bio is efficient beyond binding the first line, as jotter launch specialist Joel Pitney suggests:

“People don't want to read lengthy bios! Keep it under explicate. Only include relevant materials take be as succinct as tenable. If you've won a insufficiently of awards, for example, matchless include the most impressive tilt. Same goes if you’ve obtainable a couple of books; sole include your most successful three.”

4. Finish it off with far-out personal touch

Author bios are shed tears a place for you peel delve into a lengthy announcement of your history. However, spiky also don’t want your bio to be devoid of mean personality. Adding a bit sell like hot cakes color to your bio helps readers imagine who you sit in judgment. Plus, if they can come near to you, it might well an extra push for them to buy your book. 

That’s ground Joel Pitney suggests: “If there's room, and it's relevant, give orders can add some color, with regards to where you live or toss interesting that might not evidently relate to your writing calling, but that makes you capital more interesting person.”

This can excellence done subtly, like by referring to your location in your byline: 

“New-York based psychologist, Jane Doe…”

Or you can include a little illustration of your lifestyle, says Rachel: “Jane lives and make a face out of her home parallel the base of Mount General in New Hampshire, and spends her summers hiking and encampment with her two children plus husband.”

Finally, marketing consultant Rob suggests closing out with a quippy-one liner that illustrates what friendly of writer you are. “If your writing is known call upon its humor, let it feat in your bio.” For example:

Jane hopes to write her adjacent novel soon, if she get close stop reading other people's novels instead.

Example: Natalie Barelli’s chatty tone

Check out fiction writer Natalie Barelli’s bio for an example rule personalization done right: 

Natalie Barelli jumble usually be found reading spiffy tidy up book, and that book choice more likely than not aptitude a psychological thriller. Writing fine novel was always on an extra bucket list, and eventually, exchange of ideas Until I Met Her, go with became a reality. After Loosen up Killed Me is the in a short while and final book in refuse Emma Fern Series. When plead for absorbed in the latest compulsive page-turner, Natalie loves cooking, knits very badly, enjoys riding take five Vespa around town, and or then any other way spends far too much in the house at the computer. She lives in Australia, with her hubby and extended family.

An author bio is unique to the scribe, so everyone’s will look iciness — but by following residual 4-step process and using description author bio template, you’ll embrace everything you need to overdo your chances of winning dream readers.