What do I include in my author bio?

Authors may be able to tap out a whole 80,000 word manuscript, but when it comes to a short paragraph about ourselves? Impossible!

If you have serious writers block trying to write an author bio, don’t worry. We have the easy three step process to write a bio worth reading.

Step 1: One line summary

Begin with a sentence that summaries who you are and what you do. For example, ‘Sarah Booker is a writer and illustrator living in Melbourne, Australia.’

Step 2: Add some credibility

This next step will depend on what kind of writer you are. For fiction authors, you may want to include any previous publications. For example, ‘Her short fiction has been published in anthologies and journals including Voiceworks, Litro and Above Water’. For non-fiction authors, mention your qualifications for writing this book. For example, if you have written a book on giraffes and you’re a zookeeper, you should definitely say that!

Step 3: Include some personality

Add a little flavour to your bio with some personal information about your hobbies, interests and more. Readers like to get a sense of the person behind a book, so include details like your love of baking, your interest in football, or your rescue greyhound.

What if it’s my first publication?

Don’t worry — everyone starts somewhere! If you feel like you have nothing to add to the credibility section, don’t sell yourself short. Maybe you’ve done a writing course or degree. Maybe you were writing short stories since you were six. You don’t need a distinguished writing career to write a bio!

Some other tips

Keep your bio short — about 200 words is usually enough. Always write in the third person as this feels more professional. List your achievements, but don’t feel you need to put down every publication, course and piece of writing history. Pick the top four and let them speak for themselves!