So, you’ve done the brunt of the work already by getting your work ready to publish. When scrolling through the journal’s website, you see the requirements asking for an author bio – but just what does that actually entail?
This article will be going over what you should be including in your author bio. You can choose to forgo some of the finer details for a shorter bio, and add only as much detail as you feel comfortable with. Of course, make sure you read those guidelines from the place of submission, too!
How to write an author bio
Many publications will ask for an author bio if they are going to publish your work. Depending on where you send it, you may only need to send them a bio if you get accepted, or you may need one as standard along with your submission.
A lot of author bios start with an introduction – give a brief outline of yourself as if you were summarising a book. Many current students mention where they’re studying — you can also mention your schooling if its relevant — or some otherwise relevant credentials. Others will simply add descriptions of their personality, where they live, any pets they have, or tidbits about themselves. You’re free to choose!
There are also many templates available out there for you to follow along. This is your chance for the reader to learn more about you, so make sure you’re ticking all the boxes and showcasing yourself in the best light.
What information do you need to include in an author bio?
If your work has been previously published, be sure to include this! If a reader likes what they see, they can find your other work — which is handy, especially if you’ve got a collection floating around. If your work has won any awards, even better! Make sure to shout this from the rooftops!
Along those lines, it’s now practically a given to include your social media handles. Make sure you double-check that these are entered correctly, as you could be sending readers on a wild goose chase when all they want is to support you! Be selective, and include active accounts that you’d be happy with the general public coming across.
What format/length should an author biography be?
Well, usually the length of an author bio will be entirely dependent on where you’re submitting. Many presses will specify a one or two-sentence bio, but if you’re pitching a larger work, you may be asked to provide more information. It’s best to be on the shorter side, as a press can ask for clarification on anything additional they require. Aim for about 50 words as your baseline – you can always prune or expand on it if the publication asks you to.
A general rule is to always write an author bio in the third person – this makes it sound less boastful, so use ‘she/he/they’ for this. But this can also leech the personality out of it, so make sure to include some colourful details about your life, like hobbies or interests.
Coming up with an effective author bio
If you’re struggling, you should definitely take a look at what other people are doing. It’s not wrong to pinch from other people, as long as you’re only being lightly inspired, and not downright copying from them.
Injecting humour and personality is the way to go with an author bio – be playful, and remember that this also acts as marketing for you and your work. It may be worth mentioning a little bit about your writing style, focal points or other information about you as a writer, as that’s a good way of adding a little bit of backup to your work.
Bi-o! See you next time!
So, an author bio should be short, informative, personal and accurate. Highlight your strengths, interests and previous work, as well as making sure you’re staying loyal to your writing style. Your reader will feel less alienated if there’s a concurrence between your author bio and the work they’re about to read.
Impish Fen 
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