How to Write a Killer Author Bio

Last month, we took a look at what goes on a "One Sheet" or "Pitch Sheet." One of the MUST HAVE items is an author bio.

In a single paragraph, you're supposed to capture your entire writing resume, personality, and social media platform. It's supposed to be informative, relatable, and NOT boring.

Sounds easy, right? You can knock that out in a couple minutes, right?

If you're like me, probably not.

So, how does one go about putting together this marvel of succinct awesomeness?

Here are a few tips to help you craft a Killer Author Bio:


Use third person, make it sound like you, and establish your credibility - Author bios are written in third person. Readers will know that the bio is written by the author, but pretend it wasn't. 😄 Tailor your bio to fit your personality and what you write. Your bio will sound different if write YA, or Sci-fi, or thrillers. Put something in your bio that gives your bona fides for writing the genre you write.

Examples: 

Jan Drexler brings a unique understanding of Amish traditions and beliefs to her writing. Her ancestors were among the first Amish, Mennonite, and Brethren immigrants to Pennsylvania in the 1700s, and their experiences are the basis for her stories. Jan lives in South Dakota with her husband of thirty-four years and their two active dogs. She is the author of several novels, including Hannah's Choice. 

• Note that Jan has Amish and Mennonite ancestry, which aids her and gives her Amish fiction veracity. Totally cool that she mentions it in her bio.

Mary Connealy writes "romantic comedies with cowboys" and is celebrated for her fun, zany, action-packed style. She has more than half a million books in print. She is the author of the popular series Wild at Heart, Kincaid Brides, Trouble in Texas, Lassoed in Texas, Sophie's Daughters, and many other books. Mary lives on a ranch in eastern Nebraska with her very own romantic cowboy hero. Learn more at www.maryconnealy.com.

• Mary living on a ranch in Nebraska gives her writing about cowboys the ring of truth and authenticity. People are drawn to that! 

Carrie Schmidt is an avid reader, book reviewer, story addict, KissingBooks fan, book boyfriend collector, and cool aunt. She also loves Jesus and THE Story a whole lot. A reviewer and a co-founder of the Christian Fiction Readers' Retreat, Carrie lives in Kentucky with her husband Eric. She can be found lurking at various blogs and websites (because she can't stop talking about books) but her main home is the blog she started in 2015 - ReadingIsMySuperPower.org. You can also connect with Carrie on Facebook @ meezcarriereads and everywhere else social at @meezcarrie

• Carrie is a book reviewer who cannot stop talking about books. That's an ESSENTIAL qualification! :)

Brag but don't brag - If you've hit a best-seller list, won an award or contest, or had J. K. Rowling ask to co-author a book with you, you should mention it. But in a classy way. Don't list all your awards from "Won the three-legged race at the 1979 church picnic" to "Voted most likely to become an astronaut by her graduating class." Keep it relevant to writing. Award-winning, or best-selling, or both are appropriate. If you've won a Pulitzer, it's okay to say "Pulitzer Prize Winning" in your bio, but otherwise, keep it simple.

Examples: 

Annie is proud to be one of the founding stewards of the Christian Fiction Readers Retreat (CFRR). CFRR is a one day event gathering of Christian Fiction readers and authors, with a focus theme of “Honoring God through Christian Fiction." It features speaker sessions, author panels, breakout sessions, prayer & worship and author signings. You can reach Annie on her blog, Just Commonly , Facebook , Twitter or Instagram.

• Annie and Co have done something amazing with the CFRR, and it has grown out of all proportion. Annie has included it as part of her bio, but she isn't bragging about it. Here it is used as an identifier, something that makes Annie unique in the world of book bloggers. Readers will begin (and have begun!) to make that connection: Annie + CFRR. Annie loves Christian Fiction. Annie must be a great CF blogger. (And she is! :) )

CBA Bestselling author PAM HILLMAN was born and raised on a dairy farm in Mississippi and spent her teenage years perched on the seat of a tractor raking hay. In those days, her daddy couldn't afford two cab tractors with air conditioning and a radio, so Pam drove an Allis Chalmers 110. Even when her daddy asked her if she wanted to bale hay, she told him she didn't mind raking. Raking hay doesn't take much thought so Pam spent her time working on her tan and making up stories in her head. Now, that's the kind of life every girl should dream of. Connect with Pam online at her website (pamhillman.com) or on either of these social media platforms: Facebook.com/PamHillmanAuthor
Twitter.com/PamHillman

• Here, Pam keeps it simple. She's a best-selling author in the CBA. Not too many flourishes, and straight to the point. Readers like that.

Keep it short! - Four or five sentences. Anything longer means the reader has to work too hard to get to know you, might lose interest, and/or assume you're boring. Get pithy. Get succinct. Pack a lot in!

Examples: 

Born and raised in Kentucky, Missy Tippens met her very own hero when she headed to grad school in Atlanta, Georgia. She promptly fell in love and has lived in Georgia ever since. She and her pastor husband have been married over twenty-five years and have been blessed with three children. After ten years of pursuing her publishing dream, Missy made her first sale to Love Inspired in 2007.

• Look at how much Missy has packed into four sentences. And there are so many places for people to feel a kinship. She is a pastor's wife and a mom. She had a cool career, and she knows what perseverance is all about. 

Glynna Kaye treasures memories of growing up in small Midwestern towns, and vacations spent with the Texan side of the family. She traces her love of storytelling to family gatherings where they shared hours of what they called “windjammers”—candid, heartwarming, poignant and often humorous tales of their youth and young adulthood. Glynna now lives in Arizona, and when she isn’t writing she’s gardening and enjoying photography and the great outdoors.

• Three sentences. Yet, Glynna has shared her history and her heart. If you get a chance to meet Glynna in person, you will already know her from this biography. She's gentle and kind and welcoming, and her bio gives the flavor of all those things.

It took Mindy Obenhaus forty years to figure out what she wanted to do when she grew up. But once God called her to write, she never looked back. She’s passionate about touching readers with Biblical truths in an entertaining, and sometimes adventurous, manner. Mindy lives on a ranch in Texas with her husband, and when she’s not writing, she enjoys cooking and spending time with her grandchildren. Find more at MindyObenhaus.com.

• Mindy tells so much about herself in this bio! She's a Texan, a grandma, and she's passionate about God. I can hear all this in Mindy's Texas twang! 

Tell one thing that makes you unique in the writer-world - There are thousands of authors on this planet, and every one of them has a bio. You want to stand out a little bit in that crowd. What else are you known for besides writing...or what angle do you use in your fiction that makes it stand out? Are you an archaeologist? A baker? A phrenologist? Mention that. It will make your bio memorable.

Examples:

Debby Giusti is a medical technologist who loves working with test tubes and petri dishes almost as much as she loves to write. Growing up as an Army Brat, Debby met and married her husband--then a Captain in the Army--at Fort Knox, Kentucky. Together they traveled the world, raised three wonderful Army Brats of their own and have now settled in Atlanta, Georgia, where Debby spins tales of suspense that touch the heart and soul.

• Test tubes and petri dishes? What? That is unique! Folks will remember that! And they'll remember Debby, which is the whole purpose of an author bio.

Melanie Dickerson is a New York Times bestselling author and a Christy Award winner. Her first book, The Healer’s Apprentice, won the National Readers’ Choice Award for Best First Book in 2010, and The Merchant’s Daughter won the 2012 Carol Award. Melanie spends her time daydreaming, researching the most fascinating historical time periods, and writing stories at her home near Huntsville, Alabama, where she gathers dandelion greens for her two adorable guinea pigs between writing and editing her happily ever afters. Visit her online at MelanieDickerson.com; Facebook: MelanieDickersonBooks; Twitter: @MelanieAuthor.

• What? Guinea pigs? How cute is that? How many authors do you know who have guinea pigs? Memorable for sure! And something that will help Melanie relate to her target readers, Young Adults, the vast majority of whom love animals.

Add a dash of humor - Humor makes you relatable and friendly. (...or in Ruthy's case, endearingly snarky!)

Examples: 

Ruth Logan Herne is the bestselling author of more than forty novels and novellas, including Welcome to Wishing Bridge, the first book in her Wishing Bridge series. With millions of books in print, she’s living her dream of touching hearts and souls by writing the kind of books she likes to read. The mother of six and grandmother to fourteen, she loves God, family, country, chocolate, and dogs and lives with her husband on a small farm in Upstate New York, where she can be found prepping chicken eggs for local customers—who know not to say too much (or they just may end up in a book). Visit the author at www.ruthloganherne.com.

• Doesn't this sound JUST like Ruthy? That little zinger at the end is so very HER! 

Winnie Griggs learned the art of storytelling as a child when she and her siblings spent countless hours exploring the overgrown area around her South Louisiana home, building forts, stalking big game and keeping watch for pirate ships on the nearby bayou. She now happily shares the product of her active imagination with the readers of Love Inspired Historical books. You can learn more about Winnie at winniegriggs.com or connect with her at www.facebook.com/WinnieGriggs.Author

• Don't you love the touch of whimsy Winnie added to her bio? Can't you just see her as a child, conquering the wilds of Louisiana, her siblings by her side, vanquishing pirates and capturing bullfrogs? The imagery here gives you a glimpse into the writing style and imagination in her books.

Put in social media contact points - Give your readers a way to find you online via your bio. Website, Instagram, email. Something. It's a call to action, an invitation to find you online and deepen the new relationship.

Examples: 

Beth Erin lives with her husband and their four children in a close-knit rural southern Illinois farming community. They love their laid-back lifestyle and small country church family. When she isn’t reading, Beth enjoys indulging in a favorite show or movie with her family, completing DIY projects with her husband, and seeing the country on long family road trips. You can connect with her on Faithfully Bookish, Facebook, and other social media platforms @betherin02!

• Beth has given several platforms where folks can connect with her...and you should! She's awesome!

Audra Harders writes "rugged stories with heart" featuring cowboys and ranchers who haven't a clue about relationships rescued by ladies who think they have all the answers. In real life, she's married to her own patient hero and is surrounded by everything conducive to writing about farming, ranching and cowboys at her day job in the county Extension office. She began writing right after her son was born and sold her first book to Steeple Hill Love Inspired mere months before her daughter graduated from college. Surviving those years in between remind her God does have her plan for her life...and that He has a tremendous sense of humor. You can visit her at www.audraharders.com. Don't be shy!

• Audra actually TELLS her readers to not be shy, get themselves over to her website! :) Now THAT is a call to action! I love it!

One Last Example:



Best-selling, award-winning author Erica Vetsch loves Jesus, history, romance, and sports. She’s a transplanted Kansan now living in Minnesota, and she married her total opposite and soul mate! When she’s not writing fiction, she’s planning her next trip to a history museum and cheering on her Kansas Jayhawks and New Zealand All Blacks. You can connect with her at her website, www.ericavetsch.com where you can read about her books and sign up for her newsletter, and you can find her online at https://www.facebook.com/EricaVetschAuthor/ where she spends way too much time!

Let's dissect it and see if I hit all the points:

 (Keep it short. Four sentences.)

Best-selling, award-winning author Erica Vetsch loves Jesus, history, romance, and sports. (Bragging but not bragging. This tells people that I'm not a novice at this writing thing.)

She’s a transplanted Kansan now living in Minnesota, and she is married to her total opposite and soul mate! When she’s not writing fiction, she’s planning her next trip to a history museum (Third person bona fides - I love history, and I write history.)  

and cheering on her Kansas Jayhawks and New Zealand All Blacks. (Throw in something unique...as far as I know, I am the only historical romance writer in the Christian market that loves both the Kansas Jayhawks basketball team and the New Zealand All Blacks rugby team and roots for each vocally and often.)  

You can connect with her at her website, www.ericavetsch.com where you can read about her books and sign up for her newsletter, and you can find her online at https://www.facebook.com/EricaVetschAuthor/ (The social media connection points) 

where she spends way too much time! (A bit of humor that I can poke at myself and that people can relate to easily. Besides, it's TOTALLY true.)

As you can see from the examples given here, you don't have to follow a strict order to these points. Mix things up. It's best to get your name in early, but after that, be creative.

Before you write your own author bio, go online or to a bookstore and READ a lot of them. Pick out the ones you like best and see how you can creatively incorporate the things you like. Utilize the tips given here, and before you know it, you'll have a KILLER Author Bio of your own!

SHARE your author bio in the comments. We'd love to get to know you better!