In Preparation: Crafting Your Author Bio
Your Author Bio Starts with a List
Before you begin to create your author bio, draft a list of your experiences related to your writing/your book. Include your life experiences, research you’ve done, your work experience, accreditations, other books you’ve written, or awards you’ve won. Give this some thought…you may surprise yourself, when you start to see how all your life experiences drive your writing.
Review the Points to Ponder at the end of this document before starting…
(This list can and should include related childhood experiences, groups or organizations you belong to, and your formal education. — I recommend you save this list in a text file or in your Notes if on a Mac, you’ll refer to it often.)
Focus on Your Reader
What do you want your readers to walk away with upon finishing your book…How will your book influence your readers? Your “WHY” statement is appropriate here…you want to give them a reason to read and more importantly a reason to pass it along!
Represent the True You
You want your readers to connect with you. Your writing may be funny, ironic or reflective. Whatever your style, let your bio reflect your personality.
Include a Call to Action & How Readers Can Find You
You want your readers to take action…give them a reason. Include your website address, a link to your “author give-away,” and to your social media pages.
Keywords Make a Difference
Keywords really do matter…especially in your author bio on Amazon. (Your author bio listing posted on your Author Central Page). These are the words your readers may be typing to find your book. Amazon search works a bit like Google…in that it’s a search engine. It spiders your page for keywords, and will send users to it, if it finds your page is relevant to their search. It’s a tool you want to take advantage of. That said, your keywords should be specific to your book category and your genre.
Refresh, Revise and Customize
Does your book relate to current events?…Take advantage and mention it in your bio. When you refresh your Facebook pages, and your Linkedin Profiles your followers are notified. When should you modify your author bio? … When you win awards, get mentions, or even new reviews.
Points to Ponder When Writing Your Author Bio
- Why are you writing and who do you write for?
- Has your writing won any honors or awards? Any other boast-worthy credentials?
- Highlight interesting or unusual stories leading to your inspiration… What’s the backstory behind the book, the process of writing it or of getting it published?
- What are your favorite types of books to read? Is there any single book that changed your life for the better? What was it?
- Consider this: Include something random, amazing, and wonderful about yourself. Entertain me!
- What are you working on now? When can readers expect more?
- List your social media account links.
- What is the best way to get in touch with you?
- Do you like being contacted by readers?
- What do you blog or tweet about most often?
Once you’ve prepared your list for your author bio, you’ll want to construct your story. Remember, you’re looking to help your readers understand why you wrote this book, and why you are the best qualified to share your story/content. Have fun with it, and entertain your readers. Give them a reason to pick up your book, read it, and share it!
If you find this article helpful, please comment below!