If youre writing this for an agent or publisher, remember books that didnt sell well are. For nonfiction, establishing yourself as an expert and differentiating your book from the others. October 22, 2015 by diana urban writing your author bio can be a daunting task, but a wellcrafted bio can help readers learn more about what makes you and your books so interesting. If this is a first book by new author, then why are their 2nd and 3rd installments of books on here. In a blog post, one writer goes so far as to say that readers bought copies of his first book after reading only his bio. Your bio will be burned into permanent existence in print or on the internet. Official website for best selling author elizabeth gilbert. Writing an author bio examples of professional bios.
The author bio is where you establish yourself as the. Known for tackling tough subjects with humor and sensitivity, her work has earned numerous national and state awards, as well as international recognition. Jun 24, 2015 most of your sales are going to be online. An effective author bio is short and highlights basic professional information about the author.
If youre afraid the above sentence may describe you, well, dont be too hard on yourself. Id show the book to people at book fairs and signing events, and theyd flip the book over, read the bio, and laugh. This can be horrifying, and we authors often fret more. Include achievements that build credibility or are interesting to the reader. Alan gratz has wanted to be a writer ever since he was a kid. Now alan is the author of sixteen books for young readers, many of which have won state awards, appeared on the new york times bestseller list, and been voted their. Maurice sendak is a caldecott awardwinning childrens book author and illustrator best known for his book where the wild things are. Firsttime readers glancing at the bio of a new indie author frankly dont want to hear about your first pet or the list of authors who have inspired you to pick up writing. He dreamed of becoming a cartoonist from the age of six, and, at age twelve, apprenticed himself to his favorite cartoonist, noro shinpei. Its the media relations tool that tells reporters, producers, bloggers and other media gatekeepers that your personal history gives you the perfect credentials for this novel or that your professional.
Salinger, the catcher in the rye as we embark on our quest for information, the author bio is our first port of call, a snapshot of the authors contact details, credentials, previous publications and personal life. His books have been translated into 42 languages and published worldwide. Looking for a short bio to read before an alan gratz presentation. How to write an authors page for a book pen and the pad. First of all, know that what ill teach you in this article can be adapted for several uses. For first time indie authors, writing a compelling author bio can be difficult. This article will cover both what you need to include in your author bio and some examples of tight professional bios. Whether its just your first time to write a book or you already have several titles under your name, it pays to pay attention to seemingly minute details which will give your book a distinct advantage over other titles in your genre including your author profile. About the author examples that youll actually want to read. I am the author of this or that book, and i am a word wrangler. He lives with his wife and two children in manhattan.
How to write a first time authors autobiography synonym. How to write your first author bio writing forward. Theyd walk off with a copy of the book based on the bio. I found a copy of that bio, first published in late 2005, and read both books, comparing as i went along. Mar 23, 2017 an author s page, or author s bio, is typically located at the end of a book and is meant to tell readers a little about the author of the book. This book, her first work of nonfiction, was a finalist for both the national book award and the national book critics circle award. The third example shows how part of the back cover copy the author bio, in this case can show up on the inside flap of a hard cover book. If youve never been published before, it might be challenging to come up with things to list in your bio. However, you also dont want your bio to be devoid of any personality. Mention any books youve written, and your website but dont oversell.
Sell more books with a kickass amazon book page author marketing experts, inc. A brief history of tomorrow 2016, and 21 lessons for the 21st. Things i learned while publishing my first book and writing my second book duration. You can also use the author bio to guide the reader into understanding what the personality of the book will be like which is particularly useful when the tone of the book is unusual or surprising compared to the subject matter. How to write a terrific author bio rachelle gardner. Author bio where the red fern grows by wilson rawls. Theres nothing wrong with being a firsttime author, and when it comes to the credible portion of this amazon bio you are working, or reworking. Book summary and author bio on the back of the book. You author image should be professional but it doesnt have to be professionally taken and reflect the tone of your writing. Now that the writing is done, it is time to write your author bio. Sep 14, 2018 veronica roth is the new york times bestselling author of divergent, the first book in a trilogy that she began writing while still a college student. Its an invigorating feeling, receiving ones first acceptance letter from an editor. Rowling, is a british author and screenwriter best known for her seven book harry potter childrens book series.
While your books are a great way to introduce yourself, an author bio can set. When writing a book, there are two potential places to include your author bio. But at the end of that email, youll usually realize they want you to provide an author bio. Your books author bio tells potential readers who you are, and why they. Rawls and winnie hatfield rawls in scraper, oklahoma on september 24, 19.
Here is a great blog post from rachelle gardner about how to. How to write a kickass amazon bio to sell more books author. Create a compelling author bio with this formula mill city press. Pop the champagne cork, and put a party hat on your cat. The beauty, part of her successful bride quest series, was her first book to land on the new york times list of bestselling books. You can also use the author bio to guide the reader into understanding what the personality of the book will be like which is particularly useful when the tone of the book is. Laurie halse anderson is the new york times bestselling author who writes for kids of all ages. When i first wrote this article how to write an author bio when youve never been published, the yahoo shine website was accepting guest posts.
Jul 07, 2011 your author bio is an important book press kit element because it is pretty much the only tool you have to make the case that you are the best person to write this book and to write it well. However, as a first time author, you can write an attentioncatching autobiography by discussing relevant educational and work experience, as well as joining professional organizations. Tony cliff is the author of delilah dirk and the turkish lieutenant. Dec 17, 2019 welcome to our website for all author and journalist philip normans first book which is considered a biography of the beatles. Your author bio is an important book press kit element because it is pretty much the only tool you have to make the case that you are the best person to write this book and to write it well. Apr 23, 2018 i suspect that the last time you considered buying a nonfiction book you took a look at who the author was. The differences between the example author bios i copied above and those i mentioned in the first paragraph are very easy to spot.
Harari is gay and in 2002 met his husband itzik yahav, whom he calls my internet of all things. From what i can tell, a couple of authors have listed their entire series here. A wellexecuted author bio will intrigue potential readers and entice them to buy your book. Im not saying its the very best way to write an author bio, in fact, many of the best examples below do not fit this template. I copied above and those i mentioned in the first paragraph are very easy to spot.
Veronica roth is the new york times bestselling author of divergent, the first book in a trilogy that she began writing while still a college student. Below is a bio, awkwardly written in the third person. Here is a great blog post from rachelle gardner about how to write a terrific author bio. How to write a great author bio that will connect with readers. Allen say books, author biography, and reading level. Aim for 80100 words, unless they ask for a one page author bio. One thing to avoid, especially in your first bio, is mentioning that this is your first publication.
Many writers struggle to figure out how to write an author bio for themselves. Since you are already here then chances are that you are looking for the daily themed crossword solutions. How to write an author bio that sells books ben zackheim. Yuval noah harari was born in kiryat ata, israel, in 1976 and grew up in a secular jewish family with eastern european and lebanese roots in haifa, israel.
Aug 09, 2018 the purpose of your author bio isnt simply to describe you accurately and summarize your life or work. An authors page, or authors bio, is typically located at the end of a book and is meant to tell readers a little about the author of the book. When it comes to writing a bio, never use words like i and me because writing a bio in first person is an awkward read. I first encountered him on the internet where i saw some of his art and it was pretty. The purpose of your author bio isnt simply to describe you accurately and summarize your life or work. He went to the university of tennessee to study creative writing, and ten years and more than sixtyfive rejections later he was finally able to get his very first book published. Amor towles was born and raised just outside of boston, massachusetts. For instance, if the first book in a fiction series gets most of the attention and sales, use your bio to remind readers of the next books in the series.
Write the bio for the site where it will live, and mention your reading interests. Palacio lives in brooklyn, ny with her husband, two sons and two dogs bear and beau. Claire has written under the name claire cross and continues to write. Not only is it useful to know what you need to include in an author bio, it is also useful to see examples of how your vital information should look. Please send the first fifty pages, and an author bio. Nov 16, 2017 youve got your book ready to go, but its time to consider the auxiliary writing you must do in order to support the publication of your masterpiece. I dont know but its your job as a freelancer to find out. How to write an author bio when youve never been published. A short biography downloadable bio and brochuremonica brown, ph. While i was reading this book, i saw that author evan thomas mentioned joan biskupics biography of sandra day oconnor titled sandra day oconnor as a source one of many sources while writing the book. How to write an author bio when you dont feel like an author. I found a copy of that bio, first published in late 2005, and read both books, comparing as. How to write an author bio how to self publish a book. Author bios are not a place for you to delve into a lengthy explanation of your history.
If you are an author, probably you will want an author bio. Your book is riveting, but your author bio is a snooze. However, as a firsttime author, you can write an attentioncatching autobiography by discussing relevant educational and work experience, as well as joining professional organizations. Welcome to our website for all author and journalist philip normans first book which is considered a biography of the beatles. Author and journalist philip norman s first book which is considered a biography of the beatles. He graduated from yale college and received an ma in english from stanford university. The main one being that the verb to be is not used when referring to the author. Bride quest series, was her first book to land on the new york times list of bestselling books.
But if you rely on your publisher to write your author bio for you, it may end up something like this. For firsttime indie authors, writing a compelling author bio can be difficult. The series has sold more than 500 million copies and was adapted into a. Two of her books, speak and chains, were national book award finalists. For nonfiction, establishing yourself as an expert and differentiating your book from the others written about the same topic will help sell your book.
Please welcome author nicolas frame with some good advice on writing your first author bio. But those are the elements that get users to your book page in the first place not what keeps them there. Author is statement to establish credibility on this subject and or. Its the first stepping stone to truly understanding what makes a. But, many people asked for an easy to follow template, and this is what we use with our authors. If you published a paperback version of your book on createspace, you can enter the bio in the author biography section for your book. You could say, jane doe is the author of the popular book, lightning strikes which started the nonstop thrill ride readers experience in the followup books, in the eye of the storm and dark horizons. He is the author of the popular science bestsellers sapiens. The books message of kindness has inspired the choose kind movement, and has been embraced by readers, young and old, around the world.
Also avoid mentioning anything you might regret later. How to write a memorable author bio with template reedsy blog. Popular first time authors books goodreads share book. Rick mofina is a former journalist who has interviewed murderers on death row. For more on the dreaded 240word author bio, see my post on how to write an author bio when you dont feel like an authoryet. Author and journalist philip normans first book which is. Pitch article ideas to big and little blogs, websites, online magazines. Her debut novel, wonder, has been on the new york times bestseller list since march, 2012, and has sold over 5 million copies worldwide. Woodrow wilson rawls, known professionally as wilson rawls, was born to minzy o. Some authors choose one or the other, though i recommend taking advantage of both. The small farm community in northeastern oklahoma, just east of tulsca, is where he spent the first few years of his life. For the next four years, say learned to draw and paint under the direction of noro, who has remained says mentor. Elizabeth is best known, however for her 2006 memoir eat pray love, which chronicled her journey alone around the world, looking for solace after a difficult divorce. Are they still publishing new and inexperienced writers.