As an author, at some point in the publishing process, you will find yourself faced with the task of writing an author bio. An author bio will appear in the back pages of your book, and a shorter version of this bio, consisting of one to three sentences and featuring only the most important of this information, is often included on the cover. It will be used as marketing material online (such as on Amazon) and can be a very useful tool for selling your book to potential readers, especially if done well. But how do you write about yourself in this way? And what should you include

When it comes time to write your author bio, some of the things you may wonder about are how long it should be, what personal facts you should include, and what tone you should convey. Other than writing this content in third person and mentioning any other published books you have written, there are really no fixed rules on this, but there are some tips you should keep in mind that will help you write an impeccable and interesting author bio.

• Keep it short and sweet.
• Include relevant information.
• Make it personal and engaging.
• Use warm and friendly tone.

Keep It Short and Sweet

Brevity is key. You want your readers to actually read your author bio. If it’s lengthy, they may just skip right over it. Your author bio should be concise and to the point. You should make sure every sentence that is included is necessary; stay away from wordiness. A good rule of thumb is to keep your author bio to less than 200 words—it should be short and digestible.

That being said, if you’re writing nonfiction and your believability hinges on your status an as expert in your field, such as in the business or self-help genres, your author bio may be a bit longer to include necessary credentials—which brings us to the next tip.

Include Relevant Information

You should make sure that what you include in your author bio is pertinent to your subject matter. Mention what it is you are writing about, include high-level degrees and certifications, if you have them, and list any other notable experience or accomplishments related to your subject matter that readers might appreciate knowing. Include anything that helps establish your expertise in your field.

Mentioning your accomplishments lets readers know why it is they should pay attention to what you have to say on the matter at hand.

Make It Personal and Engaging

Besides including your degrees and professional experience, you want to also in some way connect with your reader through this content. Regardless of the genre, if someone is taking the time to read your author bio, they want to know more about you as an individual, so make it personal. For your bio that is longer and included on the interior of your book (rather than for the bio on the cover, which should be more brief), you should include something about yourself that is unique to you, such as if you are particularly adept at underwater basket weaving or if you skydive from time to time. Maybe mention something about your family or that you volunteer at your local homeless shelter twice a month. This is particularly important for business books, when we can get caught up in credentials and jargon. Knowing that the author has three kids or volunteers their time with a special cause or even likes to knit can humanize you. Make it memorable, and remember that this personal information you include should still make you sound credible.

Use a Warm and Friendly Tone

No matter what you include in your author bio, you should make sure you come across as warm and friendly. This is your opportunity to (briefly) introduce yourself to your readers and connect with them, and you want to convey an inviting tone. Make them want to get to know you better.

An author bio is a very important piece of the publishing puzzle, and it’s necessary to have a strong one when it’s time to release your book out into the world. By following these tips, you can create a strong bio that will be useful when it’s time to market your book and yourself as an author.

Would you like to discuss your author bio with the editors at Greenleaf Book Group? Do you need help deciding what to include in your author bio? Contact us at contact@greenleafbookgroup.com, or visit our submissions page. If you have any questions for Greenleaf Editorial about your author bio or your project, tweet us @GreenleafBookGr.