How To Write a Short Bio April 20, 2009

The first time a magazine editor accepted my article I was ecstatic.  Then my health pitch for a baby article was accepted shortly after by a different magazine. I was stoked!  But, as I read the editor’s guidelines I noticed she mentioned a few things.  She said I would receive masthead credit (Yay!), a byline (Super!), and a two-three sentence bio (Yikes!).

A bio — what would I say about myself?!  After the panic set in, I took a chill pill and began brainstorming.  I didn’t have published clips yet.  And with no previously published clips, I was at a loss.  Thankfully, I came up with an idea pretty quickly.

The first thing I did was check out the magazine’s website to get a look at how other writer bios looked.  At first, I noticed that the authors were not only credentialed, but they had a lot of information included in their bios.  I didn’t panic because I remember reading that the magazine was open to new writers with great ideas and solid pitches (and “new” equaled me).  So, with a little more persistence I was able to find a couple of writer bios that included a simple sentence.  The sentence included where they’d written before and their area of interest.

Example: Jane Doe has written about women’s health issues for magazine X.

I decided to follow that format as well and not worry too much about my lack of abundant clips.  After all, every writer started without clips at one point, right?  Right.  I found many similar bios on their website that were simple and super-short (considering she asked for two or more sentences in the bio).  I realized that once my health piece came out for magazine number two, the first article would have already been published.  So, I included the first magazine’s name and submitted my lonely one sentence bio.  The editor was pleased with my article, she never mentioned my measly bio, and I’ve worked with her again since.  I’ve written a lot more since and wanted to share with other writers my how to advice on getting over writing about yourself (especially when you have limited writing experience).

• The Omniscient Point of View: Write your bio in the third-person because it sounds more professional than saying “I” all the time.  Reserve the first-person approach for your pitch letters when you’re describing your experience to an editor or agent.  When writing a bio, the third-person format sounds like someone else is writing about you and it comes off looking more polished.

• Check out the Doers: If you’re at a loss on how to start your bio whether it’s for your website, blog, book, or magazine article then just look at the experts for some direction.  Visit the library or bookstore and flip through magazines and books to get a sense for what works.  Book jackets are a great place to get ideas; you can find the bio in the back (usually with a picture of the writer).  Other places you can check out include Amazon.com and Google’s book search engine.  These online resources provide snippets of pages you can view which sometimes include the author’s bio.  Or you can just grab a few books from your own collection and read the bio’s of your favorite authors.

• Get Growing: So you’ve read some bios and realize that you don’t have anything that great.  You’ve been only writing for a few months and don’t have anything published.  Well, let me tell you that you probably have more than you realize.  Let’s say you’ve scored your first pitch for a scrapbooking or golfing magazine and you’ve never written anything before.  The fact that an editor said yes means your pitch was great.  Now, think about why you were interested in writing this particular subject to begin with.  For the scrapbooker, maybe it’s because for the past 5 years you’ve gone to scrapbooking conferences, run a home business making creative albums for customers or volunteer at a local YMCA teaching kids and adults scrapbooking activities.  Or maybe you’re a golfer in need of a bio to accompany you first article. Your bio should include the fact that you teach golf classes, work at a golf resort, or that you’ve been playing leisurely for several years.  The key is that you have experience and you need to highlight your strengths when writing your author bio.  It’ll show people why you’re capable of writing the article. The challenge of writing your first bio is overcoming the hurdle of not having any or a lot of experience.  Stay active in the writing world and realize that the more you pitch the more doors for writing opportunities will open up for you.  So get growing and write for a variety of publications.  It’s fine to pitch to the major players.  But, don’t forget to try out local and trade magazines — try college and university publications as well.  For the breakout novelist also pitch to smaller agencies or consider taking the self-publishing route.

• Be Interesting: Don’t just layout the facts about yourself.  Use engaging language and make yourself sound interesting — because you are. And if you don’t sound captivating then readers won’t think so either.  Let’s say you’re writing a piece about the health risks of spelunking or writing a book about the world of caves.  The chances are you’ve stepped into more caves than the average Joe.  When writing your bio share fun facts about yourself.

• Switch up Your Bio: Change your bio as your portfolio grows.  Don’t just cut and paste the same old stuff over and over again.  You’re evolving as a writer and you want to keep readers abreast of what you’ve been doing and the things to come.  Your bio should cater to the type of reader you’re writing for.  For instance, if your first book is for young children and you decide to write fiction book for teens tweaking your bio goes without saying.  For articles, you’ll want to keep your bios relevant — don’t include that you’ve written for AARP when you’re writing up your bio for a pregnancy magazine.

Writer bios are needed for a myriad of things such as press releases, websites, conferences, magazines and books. Remember it doesn’t have to be an overwhelming process to write your bio.  If an editor or agent is willing to take you on then you’re doing something write — ahem, I mean right.  So, take a deep breath and think outside the box when writing your bio.  Be creative; include facts while staying interesting, and use a tone that makes you look professional and confident.

The moral of the story today: Don’t sweat the short stuff.

I’d love to hear your thoughts about writing bios and your tips on how to overcome writing a bio (especially if you’re a new writer).

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