Being asked for your author biography can be daunting – perhaps you have no idea how to summarise everything about yourself into a paragraph or two, or maybe you think you won’t have anything to say!
It’s important to remember that whilst publishers will use your bio to get a better sense of you and your writing experience – or anything interesting you could talk about to help publicise your book – a bio for a fiction author is supporting information. Ultimately, your book is the most important part of your submission!
There are, however, a few things you can include to ensure your bio is as useful as possible, and help you catch the eye of an acquiring editor:
- Authenticity: why did you write this particular story? Whether your book is about an SAS soldier, a cancer survivor, a mother of four or a forensic specialist, tell us if your own experiences inspired the story. A lot of authors write from a combination of imagination and research, so you don’t necessarily have to ‘write what you know’, though! If you did any special research in order to write about something wholly outside your own experiences, you can mention that.
- Previous writing: is this your first book, or have you written or been published previously? Short stories are relevant experience, too. This shows an editor that you’re committed to writing and have the staying power to write multiple books. Previous experience can enhance your submission in this way, but it’s not a must-have.
- Prizes: if you’ve ever won a prize for your writing, don’t be shy about mentioning it!
- Media experience: if you’ve ever done public speaking, a Facebook Live or been on your local radio station, let us know.
- Social media: if you’re on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook, you can include your social media handles.
- General information: don’t forget the basics – tell us where you’re from and what you do for a living.
One last piece of advice is that your bio should be short and sweet, largely sticking to the categories above.
We hope this post helps you write your author bio, and we look forward to seeing your submission!
