How to Write a Stellar Author Bio

Show your future readers who you are.

Who are you?

No, we’re not trying to have an existential conversation about the meaning of life! We’re talking about your author bio. It might seem like a minor detail in the process of putting together your book campaign, but it’s actually really important that you create a good one.

This is your chance to make a good first impression on your potential future readers. Tell the world who you are, what you have achieved in the past, and why people should trust you to write the most awesome book ever. It’s definitely worth spending some time and effort on this, so write a few versions, and ask your friends which one they prefer. Then go back to the writing table to craft a stellar author bio to impress.

We put together a list with tips to get you started.

Use a tone of voice that matches your book’s.

An author bio gives you a chance to connect with your potential audience. It gives them a sense of who you are and how you will write your book. So this is the perfect opportunity to flaunt your writing style. You’ll want your tone of voice to match with your topic, because you’re pitching yourself as the right person to write this book. If you’re writing a scientific book, it might not make sense to use comical language, and if you’re writing a funny book, you probably shouldn’t use an academic tone.

Write it in the third person.

We know, this feels awkward, but the third person makes your bio more professional and more trustworthy. And building trust is what you’re trying to accomplish here. This is not an autobiography, and writing in the first person would make it sound like it is.

Why you?

With so many writers on this planet, why would you be the perfect person to write this book? When you write your author bio, make sure you hit all the necessary points to show this. If you’re writing a cookbook, for instance, it would make sense to mention that you’ve studied nutrition, or maintain a popular recipe blog. If you’re a debut author, it is especially important to show the reader what your experience or affinity with your book’s topic is.

Cover the must-read information ASAP.

Information comes and goes at a rapid speed these days. That has made the average person’s attention span shorter. It’s important that you cover the most important information as soon as possible. Cover all the necessary information before the “read more” button, and grab readers’ attention from the start so that they actually want to find out more about you.

It’s okay to brag a little — but don’t overdo it.

As we said before, you have to let your readers know why they should trust you to write the book they want to read. One way of doing this is to list your accomplishments, educational background and previous work experience — but be sure to add things that are relevant to your book topic. If you’re writing about the benefits of meditation, it would be relevant to mention that you completed a silent retreat, but irrelevant that you won first prize in a baking contest.

Make sure the facts you share are verifiable.

It would be incredible if you came up with your business theory while you were selling lemonade behind a homemade stand when you were five years old, but it may not do anything for your credibility. Some readers may find it difficult to trust the word of a stranger, and providing facts that have no way of verification may make it harder. However, they would be able to look up facts such as where you went to college, what prizes you’ve won and where you’ve given talks.

Include previous books you’ve written.

This one sounds obvious, but if you’ve written books prior to the one you’re working on now, mention it. Potential supporters will be happy to know that you can deliver what you are promising.

Keep it short and sweet.

People can’t focus for that long. So don’t give them a loooooong resumé-like list. Keep it short and to the point but write enough to grab their attention.

Make it fun to read.

Even though you should cover all of the basic topics mentioned above, you should definitely try to keep things light and fun to read. If you just list your accomplishments, you might lose your reader after two sentences, even if you have the most impressive resumé. Add a hint of flair to your bio, and people will see your personality.

Good luck writing your stellar bio!