What to Put in Your Author Bio (and What to Leave Out)
Published 27 days ago • 3 min read
An author bio is the place to introduce yourself. It’s there so the reader, editor, or programmer knows who you are and whether they need to remember your name.
This is precious space. Use it well.
Think like the person you want to attract with this bio. Are you publishing and trying to get people to grab a copy of your book? You need to tell them you have one. If you are trying to get an agents eye, something along the lines of "she is putting the final touches on her first novel" could help. Who is your ideal reader here and what do you want them to do with this information?
If your piece is published, the bio often sits at the bottom like a footer. Its job is to provide more information for people who care enough to look. If they’re bothering to look, that’s good for you—you want to lead them to where else they can find you.
What to Include (and What Not To)
Start with where your work has appeared, or where it's forthcoming. If you have no publications yet, that’s fine—you can include what you're working on or where you’re studying, but you don’t need to over-explain. Don’t bring in hobbies, family, or pets, unless they’re relevant to the work or requested by the publication.
If you have a book, include it. If it’s forthcoming, say so and include the press. If you’ve won an award or fellowship with a recognizable name, add that too. But don’t try to fill space with contest longlists or local honorable mentions.
Use third person. That’s the standard. No exceptions unless a journal asks otherwise.
Real Examples That Work
Here are a few bios that do the job without trying too hard—and still manage to leave a clean impression.
K-Ming Chang K-Ming Chang is the author of the books Bestiary (One World/Random House), Gods of Want (One World), and Organ Meats (One World, 2023). She is a Kundiman fellow and a National Book Foundation 5 Under 35 honoree.
— leads with books, then includes recognizable affiliations that place her in a literary community. The mention of 5 Under 35 is doing work here, it is an external credential.
Tommy Dean Tommy Dean is the author of two flash fiction chapbooks, Special Like the People on TV and Covenants. He is the editor at Fractured Lit and Uncharted Magazine. He lives in Indiana with his family.
— includes current editorial work and location (location works here because he’s active in U.S.-based lit spaces)
Jami Nakamura Lin Jami Nakamura Lin is the author of The Night Parade (Mariner Books/HarperCollins, 2023), an illustrated memoir. Her work has appeared in Catapult, Guernica, The New York Times, and other publications.
— leads with her most relevant book, includes high-recognition publications, and stops there. The “illustrated memoir” descriptor helps situate her work’s form.
If You’re Early in the Process
If you don’t have publications yet, say what you’re working on.
Template for Early Career: [Your Name] is a writer based in [City/Region, optional]. Their work is forthcoming in [Press/Journal], or they are currently working on a [short story collection/essay series/novel]. They are a graduate of [Program] or have attended [Residency/Fellowship, if applicable].
Template for Established Credits: [Your Name] is the author of [Book Title] (Publisher, Year). Their work has appeared in [Journal 1], [Journal 2], and [Journal 3]. They have received support from [Fellowship/Grant], and they live in [Location, optional].
Keep a master version of your bio somewhere easy to update. You’ll adapt it slightly depending on the word count or context, but the core should stay the same for awhile. Start working on this today. If a journal asks for a 50-word version or a long version for a feature, you’ll be ready.
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