How to Write a Successful Author Biography.

Sometimes you have to write more than one.

Author biographies are an essential part of your writing journey. It is essential when writing, that you have a biography.

You will need a longer bio for your website and a shorter for social media. These biographies shouldn’t be static, they will need updating on occasions. I am on edition twenty of mine.

A good author biography is your way to introduce yourself to your writers. It is the first area where you can make a positive impression. You should spend many hours revising and changing this short piece of writing.

Here are 10 tips to write your author biography.

1. Write in 3rd person

Although this is difficult to do, an author bio should be written in the third person. This might feel unnatural at first, but it will soon flow. When you have written your first draft then reread it, to check how many times you have used, he or she. It may be that you need to replace some of these with your name.

2. It isn’t about you it is about the reader.

Include in your bio what a person, who follows you, is going to learn. What is the reader going to gain from reading your work? Write for your readers, not for yourself.

3. Establish your credibility and remain honest

Why are you qualified to write about this subject? Why should the readers listen to you, as opposed to the hundreds of other writers out there? What is your experience that makes you qualified to write about this? This is where you can boast and list some qualifications. Make sure, however, they are relevant to what you are writing about.

4. Explain what you do

What is your profession, is it related to your writing? Again you need to clarify why you are an expert on this subject. Avoid using the word freelancer when you write. Using the word freelancer can reduce your credibility.

5. Be appropriately personal

Write about the fact you are a car lover if it is relevant to you. Keep these details to a minimum, as the readers are not that interested. You can introduce your personality through your social media later.

6. Focus on value.

What is in it for the reader? In my bio, I mention that I am a teacher and can use this experience to teach others. You might offer a free eBook to followers.

7. Don’t be afraid to brag.

This can combine with your value statements. It is okay to brag about your achievements. Have you written for a big publication? Did you win a relevant award in your profession?

8. Keep it concise

For the longer biography, I would aim for nothing more than 200 words. When you shorten this for your social media bio, you need to condense it to 200 characters.

9. Use different bios for different purposes.

Although all my biographies are similar, I change them for different audiences. The changes you make are to add more value to certain reader groups. When I am writing for a teaching magazine, I mention my job title more than on general biographies.

10. A call to action (CTA)

The most important part of your biography is to make a request of your readers. It might be to join your email list; buy your book or follow you on social media.

Once you have completed your biography, let it sit for a couple of days. Then go back and alter the parts that don’t flow. Reading a piece of writing out loud is always a good way to listen for mistakes. Once you have completed this I would suggest asking a couple of friends to look over it.

If you follow these tips you will have a professional biography that you can use in many different places. Remember to revisit it regularly and update it as your writing career evolves.