how to write a biography about yourself for a book

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Alex Birkett

How to write a personal bio (+ 15 personal bio examples).

Your personal bio could be the deciding factor in whether someone hires you, follows you, or buys from you.

However, writing one isn’t the easiest task in the world. It’s especially true if you’re one of those people who gets stage fright just thinking about having to talk about yourself.

So, how do you muster the courage to write a personal bio that stands out from the crowd? How do you make it witty, engaging, and memorable?

In this article, I’ll share some tips for crafting a personal bio (with some personal bio examples) that capture the attention of even the most distracted reader.

Before we start, here’s a quick overview of key elements you should include in your personal bio:

Editor’s note: I’m going to use some affiliate links when possible to try to earn some revenue from my content. These don’t change the opinions espoused in the content nor the style in which they are written.

What to include in a personal bio?

Here are some key elements that you should consider including in your professional bio:

• Brief background information: Start your bio by introducing yourself and your current job title. This helps to establish your professional credentials right away. For example: “Hi, I’m Jane, a freelance writer and editor with over ten years of experience in the industry.”
• Career highlights and achievements: Highlight some of your most notable achievements and accomplishments. This can help to establish your expertise and credibility in your field. Example: “I’ve worked with various high-profile clients, including XYZ Corporation and ABC Publications.”
• Your unique skills and qualities: What sets you apart from others in your industry? Mention those unique skills and qualities in your bio.
• Personal interests and hobbies: A few details about your life can help humanize your bio and make you more relatable to readers. Example: “In my free time, I enjoy hiking and exploring new places with my dog, Max.”
• A call-to-action or contact information: For example: “To see more of Jane’s work, visit her website at www.janesmithdesign.com or follow her on Instagram @janesmithdesign.”

Now that we’ve covered the key elements to include in a personal bio, let’s focus on some tips for crafting an effective and engaging bio.

Before that, it’s important to clear one pervasive doubt.

Should you write your personal bio in the first person or third person?

When a company first requested my personal bio, I remember scurrying here and there on the internet, frantically searching for examples of how other writers crafted their bios.

Was it customary to write in the first person or in the lofty, third-person perch of professional grandeur?

And I came to a conclusion.

Writing in the first person can be useful when writing a bio for a personal website or social media profile, or when trying to build a personal connection with the reader.

The tone is also often more personal and informal, as if you are speaking directly to the reader.

Hemingway’s autobiographical work , “A Moveable Feast,” is also written in the first person.

On writing in Paris…

This approach in his personal biography allowed Hemingway to share his personal experiences and insights into the literary world of Paris in the 1920s. The book is a classic of literary non-fiction.

On the other hand, writing in the third person is suitable when writing for a professional website , resume , or when trying to establish authority or expertise. The tone is more formal and objective, as if someone else is describing your accomplishments and background.

For instance, Albert Einstein’s professional bio on the official Nobel Prize website is entirely in the third person.

This approach emphasizes Einstein’s achievements and contributions to the field of physics while maintaining a sense of objectivity and professionalism.

So, it’s simple. For personal bios, it’s first person. And for professional bios, it’s the third person POV!

Tips for writing a compelling personal bio

To create a bio that leaves a lasting impression, think of it like a mini-story highlighting your achievements, quirks, and passions.

Here are some tips to help you get started:

1. Know your purpose

Before you start writing your bio, you need to know why you’re writing it and what tone you want to convey.

Are you trying to showcase your expertise? Introduce yourself to potential clients or customers? Connect with fellow professionals in your field?

Whatever your purpose, you need to tailor your bio accordingly. Duh!

It should also show you have the skills and experience to do the job well. This is especially true if you seek work in a particular field.

For example, if you want to work as an accountant, architect, or teacher, you need to show that you are qualified for this type of work.

2. Address your audience

The best personal bios are written with a specific audience in mind. If you don’t know who that audience is, how can you write for them?

That’s why before writing anything at all, ask yourself who will be reading it.

Who do you want to reach out to with this information?

Are they looking for someone like you?

What do they need from someone like you?

Once you have an answer or two (or three), start writing.

Let’s say you’re writing a bio for a professional website or portfolio that targets potential employers or clients in the creative industry.

In that case, you might want to include background information such as:

• Your education and qualifications in a relevant field
• Your work experience and current position in a creative role
• Your professional goals and interests related to creativity
• Your hobbies and passions that showcase your creativity
• Your awards and recognition for your creative work

Allie Decker’s professional bio is a shining example of how to address your audience from the get-go.

By stating, “I love to write and help organizations produce content that builds and converts communities and drives revenue,” she immediately captures the attention of businesses needing content marketing expertise.

She’s also using specific language relevant to her audience – “builds and converts communities” and “drives revenue.” By using these terms, she’s showing that she understands her audience’s needs and priorities and can deliver results that matter to them.

What makes this short professional bio even better is how Allie strikes a balance between giving a glimpse into her professional and personal life.

Melinda Gates ‘ bio is another excellent example of how to tailor your personal bio for your target audience.

Her bio focuses on her work as a philanthropist and co-chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, highlighting her passion for improving global health and empowering women and girls.

By focusing on these topics, she appeals to a broad audience of people who share her values and interests.

3. Keep it concise and focused

When it comes to your bio, Alexandre Bocquet , Founder and CEO of Betterly , has some great advice:

“In today’s digital world, people tend to skim rather than read, so it’s crucial to keep your descriptions short and to the point. If your “Personal bio” page looks more like a book, it will deter people from reading it.”

Alexandre adds, “keep your word count to roughly a thousand words, bullet point key attributes and accomplishments, and keep paragraphs to four sentences or fewer.”

And there are studies to support this.

A study found that recruiters typically spend an average of 6 seconds on a profile before deciding whether to pursue a candidate further – highlighting the importance of making a strong first impression with a concise and impactful personal bio.

Writing a lengthy, meandering introduction has its appeal. But if you’re looking to catch the eye of a recruiter or potential clients, or even snag a coveted byline, a snappy and concise personal bio will be more suitable.

Alex Birkett’s personal bio is a prime example of how to make a reader care with only a few sentences.

He succinctly mentions his professional expertise and accomplishments as a product growth and experimentation expert and co-founder of a content marketing agency. Additionally, he shares his personal interests and hobbies, such as skiing, giving the reader a glimpse into his personality.

The mention of his dog Biscuit provides a human touch that can make the reader smile. Overall, his bio is concise, engaging, and balances professional and personal information.

4. Highlight your unique qualities and accomplishments

When you’re writing your personal bio, you want to make sure that you highlight your unique qualities and achievements.

Think about what you have achieved in your professional or personal life. These could include awards, recognitions, publications, promotions, or other significant milestones.

To highlight your unique qualities, think about what sets you apart. What are your strengths, skills, and experiences that make you unique? Is it your uncanny ability to solve complex problems or your talent for playing the ukulele?

It’s a shame I didn’t pay more attention to my Bharatnatyam (a classical Indian dance form) classes when I was younger.

But if you’ve got a unique accomplishment, own it!

5. Show your personality and character

When writing a personal bio, using the same template as everyone else is tempting. But that’s a mistake: Your brand is unique, so your bio should be too.

You have a few precious seconds to make a good impression. You have to be memorable and stand out from the crowd.

One way to do this is by injecting your personality into your personal bio.

Just take it from Natalia Brzezinska , Marketing and Outreach Manager at UK Passport Photo , who cites the bio of Polish journalist Maciej Okraszewski as the best-crafted she’s ever seen.

Okraszewski briefly highlighted his educational background and shared some of his best articles before ending with a hilarious quip about his love for Italian movies, old hip hop, and potatoes with kefir.

According to Brzezinska , “this bio demonstrated Okraszewski’s easygoing nature and sense of humor, proving that showcasing your human face can be more impactful than simply listing achievements.”

Tom Hanks’ Twitter bio is a great example of a personal bio that showcases personality and humor. It’s short, concise, and gives readers a glimpse into his life and personality.

Hanks’ bio gives readers a sense of who he is as a person while also making them laugh and feel more connected to him. Such personal bios are especially perfect for social profiles, where you want to connect with your audience.

Your turn now to infuse your personal bio with your unique personality and character. Here are a few tips for doing that:

• Use action verbs: Instead of saying, “I am an entrepreneur,” say, “I build businesses from scratch.” Instead of saying, “I am a writer,” say, “I write stories that make people laugh, cry and think.”
• Be specific about what you do – and why you do it: Say you’re a marketing director at an online retailer because you love helping consumers find products they love, not because it pays well or gives you flexibility in your schedule.
• Inject humor: Humor is a great way to get people’s attention and make them like you more. You can do this by using jokes or puns in your bio or even being funny.
• Be yourself: This one should go without saying, but if you’re too formal, then it’s going to sound fake. If you want people to see another side of you, be natural and casual about it. People will appreciate an honest approach more than anything else.

6. Use keywords and industry-specific language

If the aim is to attract more clients or connect with other people in your industry, don’t forget to include keywords and industry-specific language in your bio.

For example, if you’re a software developer, you might include keywords like “Java,” “Python,” or “web development” in your bio. If you’re a freelance writer, you might mention specific industries or topics you specialize in, such as “B2B SaaS writer,” “healthcare writing,” or “content marketing for small businesses.”

The more specific you can be with your keywords, the better your chance of being found by your intended audience.

However, add these terms organically – don’t just cram a bunch of buzzwords into your bio unless they actually reflect your skills or experience. Instead, think about the key skills or areas of expertise you want to highlight and find ways to incorporate those naturally.

For instance, if you look for keywords like “SaaS freelance writer” or “content strategist,” you’ll come across Marijana Kay’s personal bio .

By using terms like “SaaS,” “marketing,” and “content strategist,” she’s making it clear what industries she specializes in and what types of clients she works with.

At the same time, her bio is also personal and engaging. By sharing her background and how she became interested in marketing, she’s giving readers a glimpse into who she is as a person and what motivates her in her work.

Another great aspect of her bio is that it includes a call to action, encouraging readers to learn more about her and her work. This can be a great way to get potential clients to take the next step and contact you for more information or to start a conversation.

7. Keep it up-to-date

If you think you can stick with your old, dusty bio from half a decade ago and still manage to wow potential clients, think again.

Your target audience will probably think you peaked once and still piggybacking on that one accomplishment.

Instead, your bio should give a current picture of who you are and what you’ve been up to.

When should you change your bio? There are key moments in your life and career when it becomes imperative to refresh it.

Don’t forget to change your bio when you:

• Change jobs or roles
• Complete a new project or course
• Receive an award or recognition
• Learn a new skill or tool
• Achieve a personal or professional goal

Make sure to double-check all the details in your bio, including your current job title, any recent projects or clients you’ve worked with, and any new skills or certifications.

Additionally, updating your bio can be a fun way to flex your creative muscles and inject a little personality into your online presence.

Finally, an up-to-date bio can make a big difference in how people perceive you and how likely they want to work with you.

Pro Tip: To keep your bio up-to-date, set a reminder for yourself to review it regularly. This might be once a month, once a quarter, or whenever you have a major change or accomplishment to add.

8. Name-drop previous clients or famous employers

A personal bio is a great place to name-drop previous clients or famous employers. The idea is to show you have experience working with other big names in your industry.

If you don’t have any big-name clients/employers, that’s OK! You can still use this technique to list small businesses and organizations relevant to your target market.

9. Include your personal story

Your bio is a great place to tell your story – especially if you’re writing for your personal website. It’s an opportunity to share your experiences and how you got where you are.

To get started, choose a central theme for your personal story that ties it all together. This could be a particular struggle you overcame, a key life lesson, or a defining experience that has shaped your worldview.

And while narrating your story, use vivid details and sensory language to bring it to life. This will help readers visualize the events and emotions you’re describing and make your story more engaging.

For example, instead of “I was nervous,” you could describe your sweaty palms and racing heartbeat.

That said, you don’t need to include every single detail of your life story. Focus only on the most impactful moments, and try to weave them together in a way that makes sense.

Marie Forleo , an author and entrepreneur, has nailed the art of spicing up her bio with her personal story.

Marie Forleo’s personal bio stands out from being just another generic bio as she takes a refreshingly honest approach by not only sharing her successes but also her struggles.

In her bio, she shares:

• Her curiosity and passion for human potential and various fields of interest
• Her journey from corporate jobs to odd jobs to building her own coaching business
• How coined the term “Multipassionate Entrepreneur” to describe her unconventional approach
• Her achievements and recognition as an author, speaker, TV host, and digital education company founder
• Her philosophy and mission – to help people thrive in today’s world and change their lives

A bio like this is perfect for sharing your struggles with your audience and building a personal rapport with them.

That said, if you’re anything like me, you might be hesitant to share too much personal information in your bio.

But fear not, my fellow introverted friend, because I have a solution!

Check out this nifty template for a personal bio that cleverly weaves in your personal story:

For instance:

Lily Jones is a travel writer and blogger who loves exploring new places and cultures. She has visited over 50 countries and written for publications such as Lonely Planet, National Geographic, and Travel + Leisure. Lily’s passion for travel started when she was a teenager and went on a school trip to France.

She was amazed by the beauty and history of the country and decided to pursue a career in journalism that would allow her to see more of the world. Lily believes that travel is not only fun but also educational and transformative. She hopes to inspire others to follow their dreams and discover new horizons through her stories. When she’s not on the road, Lily enjoys reading, yoga, and cooking. You can follow her adventures on her blog: www.lilytravels.com

10. Use AI tools for assistance

Despite all these tips and tricks, writing a bio is not easy.

You may still need some help getting started.

And that’s where AI writing tools come into the picture.

And rather than taking the approach of “AI bad,” once you start thinking of these AI writing tools as your assistants, you’ll realize just how much they can help you achieve.

They especially come in handy when you’re facing writer’s block or having a hard time coming up with something creative to write. Something creative like writing a personal bio.

So, which AI writing tool should you use to pen your bio?

Should you use Jasper or ChatGPT ? Or Copy.ai ?

Since I am more familiar with Jasper.ai and often use it to get inspiration for my blog post intros, let’s see how it works for personal bios.

For the uninitiated, AI writing tools like Jasper use natural language processing (NLP) and machine learning algorithms to generate human-like text.

It’s going to be similar to creating your ” About page copy ” using Jasper (which we already discussed in the linked article).

Jasper has a pre-built “ Personal Bio ” tool that, in their own words, helps you “write a personal bio that captures attention.”

You just need to provide some basic information about yourself, such as your name, occupation, skills, achievements, and hobbies. Jasper will then generate a personal bio for you based on your input.

You can also pick your tone of voice, such as friendly, formal, professional, and the like.

Here’s how it works in action:

Once you hit the “Generate” button, you’ll get 4-5 personal bio results. The generated bios are all unique and customized to your input.

Now once you have the first draft, you can tweak it a bit to add more information or keywords. You might also change the wording of certain phrases or sentences if it appears too robotic – or even rewrite certain sections entirely to reflect your unique style and voice better.

You can also use the Personal Bio tool in tandem with other tools like sentence rewriter to improve the writing style. I talk about this in more detail here .

While these AI-generated bios are a great starting point, don’t forget to play around a bit and infuse your personality and voice into the final product.

Write a personal bio that makes you shine!

Crafting a personal bio that accurately reflects your unique personality and professional accomplishments can be challenging. That said, it’s also an essential part of building your personal brand and standing out from the competition.

By following the tips and taking inspiration from the professional bio examples in this article, you’ll be well on your way to writing your own professional bio that captures your audience’s attention.

Don’t forget to proofread and edit the bio, especially if you plan to use AI for better productivity . You can ask someone else to read it over for feedback or use an online tool like Grammarly.

Deepti Jain

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How to write a book about yourself

1. What is a book that you write about yourself called?

2. How to start writing a book about your life

3. What to put in an autobiography or memoir

4. How to write an introduction for an autobiography or memoir

5. Tips for writing an autobiography or memoir

6. I want someone to write a book about my life

7. How to write a biography about someone else

8. Examples of published life stories, autobiographies and memoirs

9. How to publish an autobiography

➡️   An autobiography is a book about your entire life up until you write your book, while a memoir focuses on a specific event or time period in your life.

➡️   Autobiographies and memoirs are almost always written in the 1st person. They should include emotive descriptions of key events in your life, as well as background information about your past and hopes for your future.

➡️   Self-publishing is a powerful approach for memoirists and autobiography writers. It allows you to share your story with greater freedom than traditional publishing.

Everyone has a story to tell. Whether you’ve travelled the world, danced with movie stars, or brought up an incredible family, many people have fantastic life experiences they want to share with the world. Writing a book about yourself is a powerful, rewarding way to revisit and record some of the most important moments in your life.

But writing a book about yourself can be daunting. You need to be able to craft your experience into a story. That means writing a book that’s full of suspense, intrigue - and real-life experience.

This guide is designed to help you learn how to write a book about yourself - and get it published.

What is a book that you write about yourself called?

Let’s start with the basics. Books about the author’s life typically fall into one of two categories: memoirs and autobiographies. While there are some similarities between these two formats - the major one being that they’re both subjective, first-person accounts of real-life events - there are also some key differences.

What is a memoir?

A memoir is usually focused on a specific event, or a particular time period of a person’s life. For example, your memoir could focus on your formative adolescent years, or a traumatic event that affected you. Memoirs are often written by non-famous people about larger-than-life events.

What is an autobiography?

An autobiography usually recounts the writer’s entire life up until the point the book is written. Autobiographies are usually reserved for celebrities and other famous figures.

What is a biography?

A biography is an account of a person’s life written by someone else. Biographies can be authorised or unauthorised. Authorised biographies have the cooperation and approval of the person the biography is about. Unauthorised biographies, meanwhile, rely on external sources for their information.

How to start writing a book about your life

Writing a book takes a lot of time. It’s extremely rewarding, but can be frustrating - particularly if you’re not sure where to begin. These 4 steps will help you take the plunge into writing a book about yourself.

• Make sure you’re ready - Delving into your memory can be exhilarating, joyful, and painful - so make sure you’re emotionally prepared for the experience. Take some time for self-reflection before you begin planning your autobiography or memoir.
• Make a list of the events in your life you want to include - If possible, take a few minutes to journal about these events as you list them. This can help jog your memory and stir up emotions that will help you write vividly and honestly.
• Tell your loved ones you’re writing a book about yourself - This is especially important if they’re going to feature as identifiable characters in the story. They may have some reservations about their inclusion in the book, so make sure you’re on the same page before you start writing.
• Plan your story - If you haven’t written a book before, mapping your memoir out in advance may be beneficial. An outline can help you stay on track, and give structure and pace to your story. The importance of these elements can’t be underestimated, so planning your book puts you in a strong position to start writing.

What to put in an autobiography or memoir

If you’re writing a book about yourself, you probably already know which key moments you want to include. But it’s important that you take the time to build up context and intrigue in the reader, so you’ll also need to give them some background information about you.

Here are 5 key components every autobiography and memoir should include:

• Your childhood and adolescence - Your formative years will help your readers understand the actions you take and feelings you have in later life. Make sure to explore the events that shaped you in your early years.
• Key life events - These events are the reason you want to write your autobiography or memoir - so be sure to give them the colour and depth they deserve. Write honestly. Give readers details that help them understand and envisage the situation.
• Information about the other characters in your story - The real people in your life who feature in your book also need some backstory. That said, it’s important to discuss the details you’re including in your book with your friends and family before you publish it.
• Episodes of despondency - Without some degree of grief or loss, most stories would be pretty boring. So even if you’re happy, successful and rich now, it’s important to include moments of failure or sadness you’ve experienced in life. This gives the reader a more rounded view of you, and helps them to sympathise with your story.
• Your hopes for the future - Even when the book is finished, your story continues. Ending your autobiography or memoir with a hopeful message is a satisfying way to tie things up.

How to write an introduction for an autobiography or memoir

As in any book, the introduction to your autobiography should be intriguing and make the reader want to learn more. That means you don’t necessarily need to start at the beginning of your life. In fact, unless you had a particularly interesting birth, it’s probably best to skip ahead to a more pivotal moment.

This is particularly true if you’re writing a memoir. In a memoir, you’re writing about a particular time period or event you experienced - so your introduction should relate to that event.

Remember that your introduction sets the scene for the rest of your book, so it should be punchy, relevant, and captivating.

Tips for writing an autobiography or memoir

No matter what theme or tone your book will take, here are some useful tips for how to write a professional autobiography or memoir.

• Write in 1st person - Use the pronouns ‘I’ and ‘we’ throughout your book. Not only is this the accepted perspective for this kind of writing, it also lends your work subjective authority. This is your story, so make sure the reader knows that by using the 1st person voice.
• Read other autobiographies and memoirs - Reading published work that’s similar to the book you want to write will help you understand the conventions of autobiographical writing.
• Do your research - Even though you’re writing about your own life, it’s possible that you won’t recall the correct details of every incident you’re recounting. Double check all kinds of factual information - such as dates, ages, and names - before you publish your story.
• Write with the benefit of hindsight - You know things now that you didn’t know when the events took place. Writing honestly means being truthful about mistakes you may have made in the past, and acknowledging them with the information you now have.
• Be emotive - You want your readers to understand what you felt at each life stage you’re writing about. Express your emotions in writing to give your readers a sense of empathy.

I want someone to write a book about my life

If you think your life story would make an intriguing read, but you want someone else to write the book on your behalf, you can hire a ghostwriter to write the book for you.

Unlike biographers, ghostwriters write your autobiography as if they are you. Often, you can decide whether or not to credit the ghostwriter. If you credit them, their name will appear on the cover alongside yours - for example: My Story by Joe Bloggs, as told to Jane Doe. If you choose not to credit them, their name won’t appear on the cover. Most ghostwriters charge more for non-credited work.

How to write a biography about someone else

Biographies are similar to autobiographies in structure, but the form is usually very different. Because biographies are written about someone other than the author, they are almost always written in the 3rd person, rather than 1st person. Biographies also tend to depend less on emotion and more on factual information, because the author isn’t writing about their personal experiences.

While research is key for autobiographical writing, it’s doubly important for biographies. If you’re writing a book about someone else’s life, you’ll need to ensure you have all your facts right. That means reading and researching multiple accounts of the same event to ensure you’ve corroborated your information. Biographical inaccuracies can discredit you at best; at worst, they can result in libel lawsuits. So if you’re planning to write a book about someone else, make sure to do as much research as possible.

Examples of published life stories, autobiographies and memoirs

Many famous and non-famous people have published successful autobiographies and memoirs over the years. Here are some bestselling autobiographies and memoirs from well-known public figures:

• I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings - Maya Angelou
• On Writing - Stephen King
• Becoming - Michelle Obama

Many self-published memoirs and autobiographies have also achieved mainstream success. Some examples of these include:

• Grit: The Banter and Brutality of the Late-Night Cab - Karl Wiggins
• When I Was Lost: A Mother's Struggle with Bipolar Disorder - Glenna Gill
• Beautiful Affliction - Lene Fogelberg

Reading work by other writers is a great way to find out what works in an autobiography or memoir. It’s sure to help you avoid many of the common pitfalls of writing and self-publishing a book .

Penguin has a great list of the best memoirs of all time , as voted by their readers.

How to publish an autobiography

Autobiographies and memoirs from previously unpublished authors are notoriously difficult to market to risk-averse traditional publishers. But that doesn’t mean you should quit before you’ve begun.

Self-publishing is a great publishing option for memoirists who haven’t previously been published. With a self-published book, you’ll receive a higher percentage of royalties than if you’re traditionally published. Plus, there are lots of self-publishing companies out there who can help you get your book in front of a wider audience.

If you choose to self-publish your autobiography or memoir, you’ll be responsible for marketing, printing, and selling your book. This gives you much greater freedom around the content of your book, as well as your marketing and pricing strategy .

Find out more about the world of self-publishing in our writing advice .

Advice from a published writer

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7 Killer Tips for How to Write a Bio

by Pamela Hodges | 30 comments

You have just opened your email from the magazine you submitted your article to. You read the email you have been hoping for and dreaming of: “Hey there, we want to publish your article. Please reply with a fifty-word killer bio. We will post it at the end of your article. You can include up to three links.”

Wow, your writing has been accepted! Now you have to say who you are.

Writing your biography can seem almost as challenging as writing the piece you submitted. But it is a necessary part of publishing your writing. How will your readers know who wrote your wonderful article if you do not tell them?

How to Write a Bio

• Write your name
• Share your accomplishments
• Use third person
• Say something personal
• Link to your writing
• Follow the rules

A Few Author Bio Examples

A good place to find examples of other writers' biographies is right here on The Write Practice. You can meet the Write Practice team on the About page . The Write Practice also includes bio examples with all articles, so click on the byline on any post or scroll to the bottom to read the author's bio.

But you do not need a bio from the About page of The Write Practice. You need a bio for your own amazing article that is being published soon. So now it is your turn to write a killer bio.

7 Killer Tips for How to Write a Bio (Including More Examples)

Let me share with you seven tips on how to write a bio and some bio templates to get you started.

1. Write your name

Start with your name. Might seem obvious, but you want to make sure readers know who you are.

2. Share your accomplishments

Don't be shy. Say what you have done.

A list of accomplishments might include things like where you went to school and where you have been published. This is not a time to brag or list every award you've won since grade two. Pick the major accomplishments that are relevant and recent.

For example:

Mary Jones, a graduate of ____________, has been published in____________ and ______________.

If this is your first publication, you can say:

Mary Jones, a graduate of _______________, writes about ________________ and ______________.

3. Use third person

Write in the third person, even if you are the one writing it.

Instead of saying, “I have lived in Tokyo and have six cats,” say, “Pamela has lived in Tokyo and has six cats.”

4. Say something personal

End with a personal statement about you. There's not room to tell your life story or share too many personal details, but including a personal detail or two shows readers you are a real person beyond the written page. See the ending of the following examples.

Here is Stephen King's biography from the back of his book  On Writing . It has 65 words.

Stephen King is the author of more than fifty books, all of them worldwide bestsellers. Among his most recent are 11/22/63 , Under the Dome , Lisey’s Story , Duma Key , Cell , Dreamcatcher , Hearts in Atlantis , and Bag of Bones . He was the recipient of the 2003 National Book Foundation Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters. He lives in Maine with his wife, novelist Tabitha King.

Stephen King's biography begins with his name and then lists his accomplishments. But it ends on a more personal note. Now you know that he lives in Maine and his wife is a novelist. This helps you to connect with him as a regular human being, not just a very accomplished celebrity.

(His biography is long, though. If you were Steven King, and they said, “Mr. King, you have only fifty words,” what would you take out?)

Or read this biography from the back of The War of Art by Steven Pressfield. This one is 42 words.

Steven Pressfield is the author of Gates of Fire, Tides of War, The Afghan Campaign, The Profession, The Warrior Ethos and Turning Pro, among others. He lives in Los Angeles. In 2003, he was made an honorary citizen of Sparta in Greece.

If I wanted to know what books Steven Pressfield wrote, I could look up his page on Amazon. But I would not know to look up whether he was made an honorary citizen of Sparta in Greece.

Take a look at this one, from the back inside cover of Jon Acuff’s book Finish . This has 49 words.

Jon Acuff is the New York Times bestselling author of Start , Quitter , and Do Over , among other books. He is a popular public speaker, blogger, Tweeter, and the creator of the “30 Days of Hustle” online challenge. He lives in Nashville with his wife, Jenny, and their two daughters.

Jon Acuff's biography tells me about his accomplishments. Then it ends with a note about his family. It is a good idea to share a piece of personal information about yourself so readers can connect with you.

5. Be funny

Include humor if it fits the publication you are submitting to. Remember, you don't want to make off-color jokes in your biography, so pretend your mother is reading it.

Unless, of course, it is for an adult magazine. Then you can write humor that fits that publication.

6. Link to your writing

Use only one link. Decide what is the most important place you want your readers to find you. Twitter? Instagram? Your blog signup list?

If you only have one link, have it go to your blog signup page. An email list is the most important, as it gives you direct access to make friends with your readers. You own your blog; you don't own Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook. (Unless of course you DO own them.)

7. Follow the rules

Follow the rules. If they ask for a fifty-word biography, don't give them 324 words. Stick to fifty.

Bonus Tip: Be Yourself

It can seem intimidating to write a killer bio. But you are a writer. You have already written an article or story so amazing that someone wants to publish it.

You can write a fantastic bio, too.

Now You Try

It's a good idea to try out a few different bios for different target audiences. Mix and match professional accomplishments and personal experiences until you have a blend that really captures you as a writer.

You can practice using a conversational tone and then a more formal tone. See which one fits the audience or market you have in mind.

Keep cutting extraneous details until you have a killer bio that represents you, and then polish and edit until it shines.

The handy template above and your own brilliant writing are all you need!

Do you have any tips for how to write a bio? Let us know in the comments .

Take fifteen minutes to write a fifty-word biography. This is the length of biographies Alice, my editor, asks for on The Write Practice.

What will you include in your biography? Share the bio you write in the practice box below. Tell us what you cut and why.

Please read other readers' biographies and help them write a clear biography.

Pamela Hodges

Pamela writes stories about art and creativity to help you become the artist you were meant to be. She would love to meet you at pamelahodges.com .

Join over 450,000 readers who are saying YES to practice. You’ll also get a free copy of our eBook 14 Prompts :

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How to Write a Biography

Last Updated: May 14, 2023 References Approved

This article was co-authored by Stephanie Wong Ken, MFA . Stephanie Wong Ken is a writer based in Canada. Stephanie's writing has appeared in Joyland, Catapult, Pithead Chapel, Cosmonaut's Avenue, and other publications. She holds an MFA in Fiction and Creative Writing from Portland State University. There are 7 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. This article has 12 testimonials from our readers, earning it our reader-approved status. This article has been viewed 1,816,654 times.

Writing a biography can be a fun challenge, where you are sharing the story of someone’s life with readers. You may need to write a biography for a class or decide to write one as a personal project. Once you have identified the subject of the biography, do your research so you know as much about them as possible. Then, dive into the writing of the biography and revising it until it is at its finest.

Researching Your Subject

• If the subject does not give you permission to write the biography, you may want to choose a different subject. If you decide to publish the biography without the subject’s permission, you may be susceptible to legal action by the subject.
• If the subject is no longer alive, you obviously do not need to ask permission to write about them.

• You may create research questions to help focus your research of the subject, such as, What do I find interesting about the subject? Why is this subject important to readers? What can I say that is new about the subject? What would I like to learn more about?

• For in person interviews, record them with a tape recorder or a voice recorder on your computer or phone.
• You may need to interview the subject and others several times to get the material you need.

• You may also want to visit areas where the subject made a major decision or breakthrough in their life. Being physically in the area can give you a sense of how the subject might have felt and help you write their experiences more effectively.

• When researching the time period ask yourself: What were the social norms of that time? What was going on economically and politically? How did the social and political climate affect the subject?

• You may also include historical events or moments that affected the subject on the timeline. For example, maybe there was a conflict or civil war that happened during the person’s life that affected their life.

Writing the Biography

• You may end up focusing on particular areas of the person’s life. If you do this, work through a particular period in the person’s life chronologically.

• For example, you may have a thesis statement about focusing on how the person impacted the civil rights movement in America in the 1970s. You can then make sure all your content relates back to this thesis.

• Flashbacks should feel as detailed and real as present day scenes. Use your research notes and interviews with the subject to get a good sense of their past for the flashbacks.
• For example, you may jump from the person’s death in the present to a flashback to their favorite childhood memory.

• For example, you may focus on the person’s accomplishments in the civil rights movement. You may write a whole section about their contributions and participation in major civil rights marches in their hometown.

• For example, you may notice that the person’s life is patterned with moments of adversity, where the person worked hard and fought against larger forces. You can then use the theme of overcoming adversity in the biography.

• For example, you may note how you see parallels in the person’s life during the civil rights movement with your own interests in social justice. You may also commend the person for their hard work and positive impact on society.

Polishing the Biography

• Revise the biography based on feedback from others. Do not be afraid to cut or edit down the biography to suit the needs of your readers.

• Having a biography riddled with spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors can turn off your readers and result in a poor grade if you are handing in the text for a class.

• If the biography is for a class, use MLA, APA, or Chicago Style citations based on the preferences of your instructor.

Biography Help

Community Q&A

Video . By using this service, some information may be shared with YouTube.

• Be careful when publishing private or embarrassing information, especially if the person is not a celebrity. You may violate their "Right of Privacy" or equivalent. Thanks Helpful 30 Not Helpful 5
• Have the sources to back up your statements about the subject's life. Untruthful written statements can lead to litigation. If it is your opinion, be clear that it is such and not fact (although you can support your opinion with facts). Thanks Helpful 15 Not Helpful 15

You Might Also Like

• ↑ http://grammar.yourdictionary.com/writing/how-to-write-a-biography.html
• ↑ https://au.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/how-to-write-a-bio
• ↑ https://grammar.yourdictionary.com/writing/how-to-write-a-biography.html
• ↑ https://www.writersdigest.com/writing-articles/3-tips-for-writing-successful-flashbacks
• ↑ https://www.grammarly.com/blog/how-to-write-bio/
• ↑ https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/editing-and-proofreading/
• ↑ https://www.plagiarism.org/article/how-do-i-cite-sources

About This Article

Before you write a biography, gather as much information about the subject that you can from sources like newspaper articles, interviews, photos, existing biographies, and anything else you can find. Write the story of that person’s life, including as much supporting detail as you can, including information about the place and time where the person lived. Focus on major events and milestones in their life, including historical events, marriage, children, and events which would shape their path later in life. For tips from our reviewer on proofreading the biography and citing your sources, keep reading! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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Last updated on Feb 24, 2022

How to Write a Killer Author Bio (With Template)

An author bio is a brief passage, usually about a paragraph, that introduces an author and sums up their work, their authorly credentials, and anything else their readers might need to know about them. 

While author bios may seem like an afterthought, or something to fill up the backmatter of your book , it’s actually an unassuming but valuable piece of copy. Done well, an author bio can give you credibility and introduce your readers to your other works. It can also be used in other promotional or publishing materials, as former Penguin Random House marketer Rachel Cone-Gorham explains:

“An author bio is something that will let readers get a sense of who you are, and is an important part for pitching media and book proposals.” 

For this reason, it’s important to get your bio right. Here is a 4-step process for writing your author bio:

1. Start with the facts readers need to know

2. open up with relevant biographical details, 3. wow them with your credentials, 4. finish it off with a personal touch.

Start your bio with an opening byline that quickly summarizes your profile, plus your most recent release. In a world full of skimmers, some readers may not get past the first couple of lines of your bio, so it’s important to frontload the essentials. 

For instance, a byline might read:

“Jane Doe is a Professor of Anthropology at UCLA and author of Insights Into Our Past: Tracing the Legacy of Intergenerational Trauma in 19th Century America .”

“Jane Doe is a poet, writer, and author of the new novel We Were Already There .”

If your work has won any prestigious awards or earned bestseller status, make sure to mention that here, too.

The great part about writing a one-liner as your opener is that it can double as a short bio for guest articles, social media, etc. — all of which can be a valuable part of your book publicity plan . 

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Example: An attention grabbing intro

Novelist and short story writer Brandon Taylor's whole bio is great, but check out his heavy hitting first sentence that instantly tells you everything you really need to know:

If you’re stuck for words, you can use his bio, and other great “ About the Author ” examples for inspiration. 

RESOURCE: Your free author bio template

FREE RESOURCE

Grab our Author Bio Template

Use this to write an awesome “about me” in less than 5 minutes.

Your author bio is, naturally, a chance for you to introduce yourself, but it’s also an opportunity for you to introduce readers to your body of work, and share a little about your writing history. If you have other titles that you’ve released previously, now’s the time to mention them.

You may also want to include any personal connections to your work, and signpost why they’re relevant. For instance:

With over a decade of writing obituaries for the local paper, Jane has a uniquely wry voice that shines through in her newest collection of essays, which explore the importance we place on legacy.

A professionally trained electrician, Jane has spent the last decade reading and writing romance novels giving her characters a palpable spark! Her latest work is the sequel to her debut novel, In the Arms of a Stranger .

Have an author bio already, but want a second opinion on it? Take our quick quiz to see if it checks off all of the boxes.

Let us grade your author bio

Find out if your author bio is a 10/10. Takes one minute.

Top Tip: Write in the third person

Despite the fact that an author often writes or approves their own bio, it should be written in the third person — ‘they’ rather than ‘I’. Not only is this the industry standard, it also makes it easier to toot your own horn, which you should definitely be doing here.

Example: An author’s lived experience

One great example of a bio that shares biographical details is author Niyati Tamaskar , whose memoir Unafraid draws on her own experiences of cancer and the cultural baggage surrounding it. You can learn more about Niyati and her publishing story here .

Niyati Tamaskar is a mother, engineer, entrepreneur, public speaker, and author. She speaks on issues of cultural bias, the stigma of cancer, and more. Her speaking and media appearances include her signature TEDx talk, a cover and feature spread in Columbus magazine on her journey and message of destigmatizing cancer, and a video created by Breastcancer.org on “How Niyati Tamaskar Overcame Cultural Cancer Stigma to Become an Advocate”—aimed at highlighting the minority experience while facing cancer.

An important job of an “About the Author” section is to boost your credentials, says editor Rachel: “You want to show your qualifications and credibility so that a reader will feel validated in choosing your book to read.”

That being said, it’s not a good idea to start listing every softball trophy you won in middle school. Only stick to credentials that directly relate to the content of your book. According to Rachel, “Qualifications can include writing courses, college degrees, awards, bestseller lists, and accolades or, for fiction authors, even a lifetime of interest.” Here are a few of her examples:

Jane has an MFA in creative writing from Vermont College, and was the recipient of the Vermont College creative writing award.

Jane is a historian at Vermont College and has spent over a decade researching World War 2.

Jane has traveled extensively around Eastern Europe, learning about the history of the region and walking the paths of her characters.

For non-fiction authors, your credentials are incredibly relevant as readers are far more likely to trust an authority on a subject, while fiction authors can focus more on why they write in a specific genre.

Book marketing consultant Rob Eagar suggests that another way to boost your credibility is to “to weave in any endorsements you may have received from well-known outlets… Readers pay more attention to authors with a proven track record.”

For example:

[Famous author] says Jane Doe is a unique new voice in the thriller genre.

How to Build an Amazing Author Blog

10 lessons to help you start your blog and boost your book sales.

Example: Amanda Ripley’s expert qualifications

One author using their credentials to their best advantage is non-fiction author Amanda Ripley. Check out her “About the Author”: 

Top tip: Keep it short

A good author bio is efficient beyond just the first line, as book launch specialist Joel Pitney suggests:

“People don't want to read long bios! Keep it under 300 words. Only include relevant materials and be as succinct as possible. If you've won a lot of awards, for example, only include the most impressive ones. Same goes if you’ve published a couple of books; only include your most successful three.”

Author bios are not a place for you to delve into a lengthy explanation of your history. However, you also don’t want your bio to be devoid of any personality. Adding a bit of color to your bio helps readers imagine who you are. Plus, if they can relate to you, it might be an extra push for them to buy your book. 

That’s why Joel Pitney suggests: “If there's room, and it's relevant, you can add some color, like where you live or something interesting that might not obviously relate to your writing career, but that makes you a more interesting person.”

This can be done subtly, like by referring to your location in your byline: 

“New-York based psychologist, Jane Doe…”

Or you can include a brief illustration of your lifestyle, says Rachel: “Jane lives and works out of her home at the base of Mount Washington in New Hampshire, and spends her summers hiking and camping with her two children and husband.”

Finally, marketing consultant Rob suggests closing out with a quippy-one liner that illustrates what kind of writer you are. “If your writing is known for its humor, let it show in your bio.” For example:

Jane hopes to write her next novel soon, if she can stop reading other people's novels instead.

Example: Natalie Barelli’s chatty tone

Check out fiction writer Natalie Barelli’s bio for an example of personalization done right: 

Natalie Barelli can usually be found reading a book, and that book will more likely than not be a psychological thriller. Writing a novel was always on her bucket list, and eventually, with Until I Met Her, it became a reality. After He Killed Me is the second and final book in her Emma Fern Series. When not absorbed in the latest gripping page-turner, Natalie loves cooking, knits very badly, enjoys riding her Vespa around town, and otherwise spends far too much time at the computer. She lives in Australia, with her husband and extended family.

An author bio is unique to the writer, so everyone’s will look different — but by following our 4-step process and using the author bio template, you’ll include everything you need to maximize your chances of winning over readers.

And if you’re looking for more inspiration on how to build your online presence, check out more examples of the “ About the Author ” section or our course on how to build an author mailing list:

How to Build Your Author Mailing List

Learn how to connect with your audience and sell more books with email.

8 responses

Diane says:

07/06/2018 – 09:10

Excellent post! I really liked the way explained each point with examples. Author can write a big book but broke into sweat when it comes to write a bio about themselves. Sometimes they also need paper writing help. It have to be short and interesting, not boring. In that case your article will help them to write a killer one.

Nancy Man says:

20/06/2018 – 00:10

This was super helpful -- thanks! Sticking to these four elements worked great for me. I've finally got a bio that I'm not rolling my eyes at. :)

Antigone Blackwell says:

08/12/2018 – 19:01

If someone is reading this article, it is highly unlikely that they can boast being bestselling authors or share that they are on the third book of a highly successful series. More examples with start up authors would be great.

India Government Schemes says:

12/03/2019 – 11:42

This is awesome, but i am seeing in this days mostly hide there Bio in Blogs, But they don't know In The Blog Author Bio is also a Ranking Factor in the Google Search Ranking.

Joe Robinson says:

08/05/2019 – 12:28

Very helpful article that has helped me write my author bio for my upcoming book "Move Your Marriage to Greatness" a Marriage Replenishment Work designed to help couple achieve extraordinary accomplishments that are uncommon in many marriages today. I appreciate you making this article available.

Jitender Sharma says:

10/09/2019 – 05:00

Thanks for your post

Mike aantonio says:

14/11/2019 – 10:06

After reading the bio. samples mentioned above. Is it really necessary to introduce the author as a third party. Can't we directly say " Hi I am a blogger from so and so ......."

↪️ Martin Cavannagh replied:

15/11/2019 – 09:15

You can do... but it's not standard practice.

Comments are currently closed.

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How to Write a Biography (Examples & Templates)

A biography is a written account of a person’s life that details their life in chronological order. Another person usually writes this detailed account, and it contains reports of their childhood, career, major life events, relationships, and social impact. It also details their relationships with their family, children, and life accomplishments.

The best way to find out more about a popular figure is through reading their biographies, so you need to make sure you get the correct information. Before writing a biography, you need to do a lot of research and interviews to represent a person’s life accurately.

Types of Biography

A biography is the story of someone’s life as written by another writer. Most biographies of popular figures are written years, or even decades, after their deaths. Authors write biographies of popular figures due to either a lack of information on the subject or personal interest.

A biography aims to share a person’s story or highlight a part of their life.

There are different types of biographies, depending on the story. Some biographies are written true to the story, while some are written as fictional works. Biographies can give you true understanding of a person on an internal as well as external level along with a lot of life lessons.

Autobiography

An autobiography is different from a biography because it is written by the subject of the story, themselves. The author writes in the first-person narrative, and it flows step-by-step like a story of their life. Autobiographies contain personal accounts of the subject’s life, along with their perspectives and opinions on events in their life.

How To Write a Biography

Pick a subject.

Picking a subject is the first step in writing a biography. You can pick an already famous person or a relatively unknown person with a great life story. If you already have a few in mind, you can start by asking yourself some questions such as;

• What has the subject accomplished that makes them a good subject?
• Have they had an impact on society?
• Is the subject a celebrity or a well-known personality?
• Will the biography appeal to a wide audience?

Get Permission

When you pick a subject, the next thing to do is to get permission from them or their family or rights owners. Although, with some historical figures, there may not be any need for permission. Getting permission from your subject makes it easier for you to get stories to put into your book. You can get the chance to obtain additional personal stories and anecdotes that will make your book more interesting by doing so as well.

Do The Research

Research is the most important part of a biography’s process as the entire content of the book is dependent on it. Irrespective of what you know about the subject, you need to carry out as much research as possible to get the story’s facts precisely.

Biography research comes from various sources, depending on the book’s subject. Firsthand reports from family, friends, or personal accounts from the subjects are primary sources. They are usually the most accurate and reliable, and they are crucial for a biography. Secondary sources come from other sources like magazines or documentaries.

Pick a Format

Biographies come in various formats, with each of them having their pros and cons. A typical biography will start at the beginning, usually with the birth and childhood of the subject. Yet, if the biography’s theme involves a different event in their life, the author may want to explore the flashback option or one with concurrent events from different times.

Usually, biographies have a theme or a general life lesson at the center. The author’s role is to tell the subject’s story leading up to the major event.

Which-ever format you choose should place the theme at the center, with the other events detailing the journey.

Create a Timeline Of The Story

Since a biography takes place in chronological order, there needs to be a timeline of the events in the right order. The timeline should contain the key events in the subject’s life, in the order the author plans on revealing them. A great way to declutter the story and keep it interesting is to use flashbacks . This way, the author can introduce past events and explain later events excluding the element of monotony.

Add In Your Thoughts

The good thing about biographies is that you don’t have to stick to the hard facts only. As the author, you can share your opinions and emotions in writing. The author has the freedom to do this by commenting on a significant action by the subject in a manner that describes why they feel the subject may have done what they did.

The author can also include commentary on events depicted in the biography – how it was influenced society or its impact on the lives around them. Recounting these events through a different perspective can make the biography more relatable and interesting to read.

Free Templates

Nоw that we hаvе соvеrеd mоѕt of the tірѕ and ѕtерѕ уоu nееd to rеmеmbеr in уоur jоurnеу оf writing a biography, lеt uѕ gо one ѕtер аhеаd in helping make thе рrосеѕѕ convenient fоr уоu bу рrоvіdіng you with frее аnd fullу сuѕtomizable biography templates below!

FAQ’s

Why is a biography template important.

A biography template has an outline that makes the writing easier for the author. Biography templates usually contain a sample timeline, format, and questions that provide more information about the subject. With a great biography template, you can cut your writing time in half and spend less time coming up with an outline.

How are biographies better in comparison to autobiographies

Since a different person writes biographies, they tend to be more objective and somewhat accurate than autobiographies. An autobiography tells things from the author’s perspective, so their views and perspective cloud it. Thus, a biography will likely tell a more factual story.

These are the important steps you need to take to help you write a great biography. Now, to make things easier for you, we have a free customizable autobiography and biography template that you can use to start your first book. Get the template and start writing today

What are some of the most important elements to keep in consideration while writing a biography?

Any author looking to write a biography must consider the factors below. They aren’t the only important factors, but a biography isn’t complete without them. • Date and place of their birth • Academic background • Professional expertise • Death, if deceased • Facts and anecdotes about the person • Main accomplishments • Detailed accounts of their child and adult life

Biographies tell the untold stories of some incredibly relevant people in the world. But biographies are not always strictly accurate. So, every biographer needs to follow the necessary steps to provide a biography with all the requirements.

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Writing Your Author Bio? Here Are 20 Great Examples. (Plus a Checklist!)

October 15, 2020 by Diana Urban

Writing your author bio can be a daunting task, but a well-crafted bio can help readers learn more about what makes you and your books so interesting. You should regularly maintain your bio on places like your BookBub Author Profile so fans and potential readers seeking you out can learn more about you and why they should pick up your latest book.

Stuck on what to include? While there is no one-size-fits-all formula, here are some examples of author bios we love so you can get some inspiration when crafting your own bio. We’ve also created an Author Biography Checklist with recommendations on what to include, as well as where to keep your author bio up to date online.

Download a printable checklist!

Subscribe to the BookBub Partners Blog to download this checklist as a printable PDF, and keep it handy any time you want to write or update your author bio!

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1. Ramona Emerson

Ramona Emerson is a Diné writer and filmmaker originally from Tohatchi, New Mexico. She has a bachelor’s in Media Arts from the University of New Mexico and an MFA in Creative Writing from the Institute of American Indian Arts. After starting in forensic videography, she embarked upon a career as a photographer, writer, and editor. She is an Emmy nominee, a Sundance Native Lab Fellow, a Time-Warner Storyteller Fellow, a Tribeca All-Access Grantee and a WGBH Producer Fellow. In 2020, Emerson was appointed to the Governor’s Council on Film and Media Industries for the State of New Mexico. She currently resides in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where she and her husband, the producer Kelly Byars, run their production company Reel Indian Pictures. Shutter is her first novel.

Why we love it: Ramona makes a splash as a new author by detailing her extensive experience in both writing and filmmaking. Her background makes an effective setup for her debut novel about a forensic photographer.

2. Courtney Milan

Courtney Milan writes books about carriages, corsets, and smartwatches. Her books have received starred reviews in Publishers Weekly , Library Journal , and Booklist . She is a New York Times and a USA Today Bestseller. Courtney pens a weekly newsletter about tea, books, and basically anything and everything else. Sign up for it here: https://bit.ly/CourtneysTea Before she started writing romance, Courtney got a graduate degree in theoretical physical chemistry from UC Berkeley. After that, just to shake things up, she went to law school at the University of Michigan and graduated summa cum laude. Then she did a handful of clerkships. She was a law professor for a while. She now writes full-time. Courtney is represented by Kristin Nelson of the Nelson Literary Agency.

Why we love it: Courtney concisely leads with her accolades and bestseller status before diving into more personal information with a witty tone. She also includes a call-to-action for readers to sign up to Weekly Tea, one of her mailing lists.

3. Adam Silvera

Adam Silvera is the number one New York Times bestselling author of More Happy Than Not , History Is All You Left Me , They Both Die at the End , Infinity Son , Infinity Reaper , and—with Becky Albertalli— What If It’s Us . He was named a Publishers Weekly Flying Start for his debut. Adam was born and raised in the Bronx. He was a bookseller before shifting to children’s publishing and has worked at a literary development company and a creative writing website for teens and as a book reviewer of children’s and young adult novels. He is tall for no reason and lives in Los Angeles. Visit him online at www.adamsilvera.com .

Why we love it: Adam begins his bio with his bestseller accolades and a list of his popular titles. But we especially love how he also includes his previous experience in children’s literature. It’s a fantastic way an author can craft a unique and credible bio using information besides accolades or bestseller status.

4. Farrah Rochon

USA Today Bestselling author Farrah Rochon hails from a small town just west of New Orleans. She has garnered much acclaim for her Crescent City-set Holmes Brothers series and her Moments in Maplesville small town series. Farrah is a two-time finalist for the prestigious RITA Award from the Romance Writers of America and has been nominated for an RT BOOKReviews Reviewers Choice Award. In 2015, she received the Emma Award for Author of the Year. When she is not writing in her favorite coffee shop, Farrah spends most of her time reading, cooking, traveling the world, visiting Walt Disney World, and catching her favorite Broadway shows. An admitted sports fanatic, she feeds her addiction to football by watching New Orleans Saints games on Sunday afternoons. Keep in touch with Farrah via the web: Website: https://www.farrahrochon.com/ Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/farrahrochonauthor Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/FarrahRochon Instagram: https://instagram.com/farrahrochon/ Newsletter: http://bit.ly/2povjuZ Join my online Fan Club, the Rochonettes! https://www.facebook.com/groups/FarrahRochon/ Farrah’s Books In Order: The Holmes Brothers Deliver Me (Mar. 2007) Release Me (May 2008) Rescue Me (Jan. 2009) Chase Me (Jan. 2017) Trust Me (May 2017) Awaken Me (Jan. 2018) Cherish Me (Jun. 2018) Return To Me (Aug. 2019) New York Sabers Huddle With Me Tonight (Sept. 2010) I’ll Catch You (Mar. 2011) Field of Pleasure (Sept. 2011) Pleasure Rush (Mar. 2012) Bayou Dreams A Forever Kind of Love (Aug. 2012) Always and Forever (Jan. 2013) Yours Forever (Mar. 2014) Forever’s Promise (Apr. 2014) Forever With You (Feb. 2015) Stay With Me Forever (Aug. 2015) Moments in Maplesville A Perfect Holiday Fling (Nov. 2012) A Little Bit Naughty (Mar. 2013) Just A Little Taste (Jan. 2014) I Dare You! (Nov. 2014) All You Can Handle (June 2015) Any Way You Want It (Feb. 2016) Any Time You Need Me (June 2016) Standalones In Her Wildest Dreams (Jan. 2012) The Rebound Guy (July 2012) Delectable Desire (Apr. 2013) Runaway Attraction (Nov. 2013) A Mistletoe Affari (Nov. 2014) Passion’s Song (Feb. 2016) Mr. Right Next Door (Sept. 2016) Anthologies A Change of Heart (The Holiday Inn Anthology – Sept. 2008) No Ordinary Gift (Holiday Brides Anthology – Oct. 2009) Holiday Spice (Holiday Temptation Anthology – Sept. 2016) Christmas Kisses (Reissue–Contains Tuscan Nights and Second-Chance Christmas previously published by Harlequin Kimani

Why we love it: Farrah packs a lot of information into that first paragraph, elegantly describing the awards she’s received and has been nominated for. We also love how she makes it easy for readers to find her on whichever social media platform they prefer and to discover which book to start with for each series.

5. Angie Fox

New York Times bestselling author Angie Fox writes sweet, fun, action-packed mysteries. Her characters are clever and fearless, but in real life, Angie is afraid of basements, bees, and going up stairs when it is dark behind her. Let’s face it. Angie wouldn’t last five minutes in one of her books. Angie is best known for her Southern Ghost Hunter mysteries and for her Accidental Demon Slayer books. Visit her at www.angiefox.com

Why we love it: We love how Angie distinguishes herself from her characters, making herself relatable to readers. She also mentions her bestseller status and best-known works in a humble way.

6. Tiffany D. Jackson

Tiffany D. Jackson is the critically acclaimed author of Allegedly , Monday’s Not Coming , and Let Me Hear a Rhyme . A Walter Dean Myers Honor Book and Coretta Scott King–John Steptoe New Talent Award winner, she received her bachelor of arts in film from Howard University, earned her master of arts in media studies from the New School, and has over a decade in TV and film experience. The Brooklyn native still resides in the borough she loves. You can visit her at www.writeinbk.com .

Why we love it: This is an excellent example of a short, concise bio — a perfect snippet for journalists, bloggers, or event coordinators who need to grab Tiffany’s bio for their article or programming.

7. Kwame Alexander

Kwame Alexander is the New York Times Bestselling author of 32 books, including The Undefeated ; How to Read a Book ; Solo ; Swing ; Rebound , which was shortlisted for prestigious Carnegie Medal; and his Newbery medal-winning middle grade novel, The Crossover . He’s also the founding editor of Versify, an imprint that aims to Change the World One Word at a Time. Visit him at KwameAlexander.com

Why we love it: We adore how Kwame calls out his aim to “change the world one word at a time” along with a handful of his best-known books. Short and sweet!

8. Glynnis Campbell

For deals, steals, and new releases from Glynnis, click FOLLOW on this BookBub page! Glynnis Campbell is a USA Today bestselling author of over two dozen swashbuckling action-adventure historical romances, mostly set in Scotland, and a charter member of The Jewels of Historical Romance — 12 internationally beloved authors. She’s the wife of a rock star and the mother of two young adults, but she’s also been a ballerina, a typographer, a film composer, a piano player, a singer in an all-girl rock band, and a voice in those violent video games you won’t let your kids play. Doing her best writing on cruise ships, in Scottish castles, on her husband’s tour bus, and at home in her sunny southern California garden, Glynnis loves to play medieval matchmaker… transporting readers to a place where the bold heroes have endearing flaws, the women are stronger than they look, the land is lush and untamed, and chivalry is alive and well! Want a FREE BOOK? Sign up for her newsletter at https://www.glynnis.net Tag along on her latest adventures here: Website: https://www.glynnis.net Facebook: bit.ly/GCReadersClan Goodreads: bit.ly/GlynnisGoodreads Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/GlynnisCampbell Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/GlynnisCampbell Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/GlynnisCampbell BOOK LIST: The Warrior Maids of Rivenloch: THE SHIPWRECK A YULETIDE KISS LADY DANGER CAPTIVE HEART KNIGHT’S PRIZE The Warrior Daughters of Rivenloch: THE STORMING A RIVENLOCH CHRISTMAS BRIDE OF FIRE BRIDE OF ICE BRIDE OF MIST The Knights of de Ware: THE HANDFASTING MY CHAMPION MY WARRIOR MY HERO Medieval Outlaws: THE REIVER DANGER’S KISS PASSION’S EXILE DESIRE’S RANSOM Scottish Lasses: THE OUTCAST MacFARLAND’S LASS MacADAM’S LASS MacKENZIE’S LASS California Legends: THE STOWAWAY NATIVE GOLD NATIVE WOLF NATIVE HAWK

Why we love it: Like other authors, Glynnis leads with her bestseller status, but not before making sure readers know to follow her on BookBub! We like how her personality shines through in her all-caps calls to action and that she includes the characteristics of her books in a fun way so readers will know what to expect from her work.

9. Laurelin Paige

Laurelin Paige is the NY Times , Wall Street Journal , and USA Today bestselling author of the Fixed Trilogy . She’s a sucker for a good romance and gets giddy anytime there’s kissing, much to the embarrassment of her three daughters. Her husband doesn’t seem to complain, however. When she isn’t reading or writing sexy stories, she’s probably singing, watching edgy black comedy on Netflix or dreaming of Michael Fassbender. She’s also a proud member of Mensa International though she doesn’t do anything with the organization except use it as material for her bio. You can connect with Laurelin on Facebook at facebook.com/LaurelinPaige or on twitter @laurelinpaige. You can also visit her website, laurelinpaige.com , to sign up for emails about new releases. Subscribers also receive a free book from a different bestselling author every month.

Why we love it: We love Laurelin’s bio because she lets her fun personality shine through! She also includes information about a monthly giveaway she runs through her mailing list, which is enticing and unique.

10. Mia Sosa

Mia Sosa is a USA Today bestselling author of contemporary romance and romantic comedies. Her books have received starred reviews from Publishers Weekly , Kirkus Reviews , Booklist , and Library Journal , and have been praised by Cosmopolitan , The Washington Post , Buzzfeed , Entertainment Weekly , and more. Book Riot included her debut, Unbuttoning the CEO , in its list of 100 Must-Read Romantic Comedies, and Booklist recently called her “the new go-to author for fans of sassy and sexy contemporary romances.” A former First Amendment and media lawyer, Mia practiced for more than a decade before trading her suits for loungewear (okay, okay, they’re sweatpants). Now she strives to write fun and flirty stories about imperfect characters finding their perfect match. Mia lives in Maryland with her husband, their two daughters, and an adorable dog that rules them all. For more information about Mia and her books, visit www.miasosa.com .

Why we love it: This is such a well-constructed bio, with a paragraph for each (1) listing accolades and praise from trade reviews, (2) including a blurb about Mia’s overall author brand, (3) describing her previous work experience and how she became an author, and (4) sharing personal information and directing readers to where they could learn more.

11. Aiden Thomas

Aiden Thomas is a trans, Latinx, New York Times Bestselling Author with an MFA in Creative Writing from Mills College. Originally from Oakland, California, they now make their home in Portland, OR. Aiden is notorious for not being able to guess the endings of books and movies, and organizes their bookshelves by color. Their books include Cemetery Boys and Lost in the Never Woods .

Why we love it: A well-known advocate of diverse books, Aiden leads with their identity markers to connect right away with readers of similar identities. The rest of their concise bio fits information about their bestseller status, education, location, personality, and popular titles into just a few short sentences!

12. Wayne Stinnett

Wayne Stinnett is an American novelist and Veteran of the United States Marine Corps. Between those careers, he’s worked as a deckhand, commercial fisherman, divemaster, taxi driver, construction manager, and over the road truck driver, among many other things. He now lives on a sea island, in the South Carolina Lowcountry, with his wife and youngest daughter. They also have three grown children, five grand children, three dogs and a whole flock of parakeets. Stinnett grew up in Melbourne, Florida and has also lived in the Florida Keys, the Bahamas, and Cozumel, Mexico. His next dream is to one day visit and dive Cuba.

Why we love it: What better way to introduce an author of novels about travel, seafaring, and military adventures than to share his first-hand experiences! By weaving in relevant professional background and a glimpse of his home life by the sea, Wayne demonstrates deep knowledge of his subjects to his readers, as well as connecting with them on a personal level by describing his family and goals for the future.

13. June Hur

June Hur was born in South Korea and raised in Canada, except for the time when she moved back to Korea and attended high school there. She studied History and Literature at the University of Toronto. She began writing her debut novel after obsessing over books about Joseon Korea. When she’s not writing, she can be found wandering through nature or journaling at a coffee shop. June is the bestselling author of The Silence of Bones , The Forest of Stolen Girls , and The Red Palace , and currently lives in Toronto with her husband and daughter.

Why we love it: We love how June includes her background and what inspired her writing. Sharing a story’s origins is a wonderful way to meaningfully connect with readers.

14. Claire Delacroix

Bestselling author Claire Delacroix published her first medieval romance in 1993. Since then, she has published over seventy romance novels and numerous novellas, including time travel romances, contemporary romances and paranormal romances. The Beauty , part of her successful Bride Quest series, was her first book to land on the New York Times list of bestselling books. Claire has written under the name Claire Cross and continues to write as Deborah Cooke as well as Claire Delacroix. Claire makes her home in Canada with her family, a large undisciplined garden and a growing number of incomplete knitting projects. Sign up for Claire’s monthly medieval romance newsletter at: https://view.flodesk.com/pages/622ca9849b7136a9e313df83 Visit Claire’s website to find out more about her books at http://delacroix.net

Why we love it: While Claire has an extensive backlist, she succinctly describes her publishing success and subgenres. She also includes all of her pen names so readers can easily find her, no matter which name they’re looking for.

15. Vanessa Riley

Vanessa Riley writes Historical Fiction and Historical Romance (Georgian, Regency, & Victorian) featuring hidden histories, dazzling multi-culture communities, and strong sisterhoods. She promises to pull heart strings, offer a few laughs, and share tidbits of tantalizing history. This Southern, Irish, Trini (West Indies) girl holds a doctorate in mechanical engineering and a MS in industrial engineering and engineering management from Stanford University. She also earned a BS and MS in mechanical engineering from Penn State University. Yet, her love of history and lattes have overwhelmed her passion for math, leading to the publication of over 20+ titles. She loves writing on her southern porch with proper caffeine.

Why we love it: Vanessa launches into her bio by sharing the specific time periods she writes in, as well as the diverse characters and emotions her readers can look forward to, appealing directly to her ideal audience . She then shares a bit of personal info, leaving readers with an image of her in her element: writing on a porch while sipping tea.

16. April White

April White has been a film producer, private investigator, bouncer, teacher and screenwriter. She has climbed in the Himalayas, survived a shipwreck, and lived on a gold mine in the Yukon. She and her husband share their home in Southern California with two extraordinary boys and a lifetime collection of books. Her first novel, Marking Time , is the 2016 winner of the Library Journal Indie E-Book Award for YA Literature, and her contemporary romantic suspense, Code of Conduct , was a Next Generation Indie Award and RONE Award Finalist. All five books in the Immortal Descendants series are on the Amazon Top 100 lists in Time Travel Romance and Historical Fantasy. More information and her blog can be found at www.aprilwhitebooks.com .

Why we love it: April’s bio is short and sweet, but is packed with interesting information. She was a private investigator and survived a shipwreck? How can you not want to learn more about this author? She also elegantly includes her books’ status and subgenre in the last paragraph, along with a call-to-action for readers to learn more.

17. Julia Quinn

#1 New York Times bestselling author Julia Quinn loves to dispel the myth that smart women don’t read (or write) romance, and if you watch reruns of the game show The Weakest Link you might just catch her winning the $79,000 jackpot. She displayed a decided lack of knowledge about baseball, country music, and plush toys, but she is proud to say that she aced all things British and literary, answered all of her history and geography questions correctly, and knew that there was a Da Vinci long before there was a code. On December 25, 2020, Netflix premiered Bridgerton , based on her popular series of novels about the Bridgerton family. Find her on the web at www.juliaquinn.com .

Why we love it: Julia takes a unique approach, making her bio more voicey and focused on her interests. Yet she keeps it up to date, including her latest news in the last sentence (above the call-to-action).

18. Rick Mofina

USA Today bestselling author Rick Mofina is a former journalist who has interviewed murderers on death row, flown over L.A. with the LAPD and patrolled with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police near the Arctic. He’s also reported from the Caribbean, Africa and Kuwait’s border with Iraq. His books have been published in nearly 30 countries, including an illegal translation produced in Iran. His work has been praised by James Patterson, Dean Koontz, Michael Connelly, Lee Child, Tess Gerritsen, Jeffery Deaver, Sandra Brown, James Rollins, Brad Thor, Nick Stone, David Morrell, Allison Brennan, Heather Graham, Linwood Barclay, Peter Robinson, Håkan Nesser and Kay Hooper. The Crime Writers of Canada, The International Thriller Writers and The Private Eye Writers of America have listed his titles among the best in crime fiction. As a two-time winner of Canada’s Arthur Ellis Award, a four-time Thriller Award finalist and a two-time Shamus Award finalist, the Library Journal calls him, “One of the best thriller writers in the business.” Join Rick Mofina’s newsletter from his website and receive a free eBook! You can also find Rick Mofina’s new exclusive serialized thriller, The Dying Light , by subscribing to Radish Fiction com For more information please visit www.rickmofina.com https://www.facebook.com/rickmofina or follow Rick on Twitter @Rick Mofina

Why we love it: Including Rick’s first-hand experiences as a journalist lends him credibility in his genres of Crime Fiction and Thrillers. He also includes a list of well-known authors who have praised his work, and these endorsements may encourage those authors’ fans to give Rick a try. The free ebook offer effectively sweetens the deal!

19. J.T. Ellison

J.T. Ellison is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of more than 25 novels, and the EMMY® award winning co-host of the literary TV show A Word on Words . She also writes urban fantasy under the pen name Joss Walker. With millions of books in print, her work has won critical acclaim, prestigious awards, been optioned for television, and has been published in 28 countries. J.T. lives in Nashville with her husband and twin kittens, where she is hard at work on her next novel.

Why we love it: This is a great example of a concise bio suitable for use in any blog or publication. J.T. keeps to just the essential ingredients of a professional author bio: accolades, genres, experience, and a bit of what she’s up to today for a personal touch.

20. James S.A. Corey

James S.A. Corey is the pen name for a collaboration between Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck. James is Daniel’s middle name, Corey is Ty’s middle name, and S.A. are Daniel’s daughter’s initials. James’ current project is a series of science fiction novels called The Expanse Series. They are also the authors of Honor Among Thieves: Star Wars (Empire and Rebellion).

Why we love it: We love co-author bios that reveal how the duo came up with their pseudonym as a fun fact for readers! We also like that the reminder of this bio simply points readers straight to their buzziest works.

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Click to tweet: If you’re writing your author bio, these examples are so helpful! #writetip #pubtip http://bit.ly/1OSBcDO

Click to tweet: Make sure to keep your author bio updated! Here are some great bio examples, PLUS a printable checklist of what to include and where to keep it up to date. #amwriting http://bit.ly/1OSBcDO

This post was originally published on October 15 2015 and has been updated with new examples and a PDF checklist!

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Home / Book Publishing / How to Write an Author Bio [With Examples and Templates]

How to Write an Author Bio [With Examples and Templates]

To write a great author bio, you need to know your target audience, cater to your genre, brag (but not too much), keep it brief, and call the reader to action.

When you’re self-publishing on Amazon , you need to put some serious thought into the author bio on your Amazon book page. Don’t haphazardly throw together some sentences and hit the publish button.

The author bio isn’t your most important tool. (The most essential tools are the book reviews , book cover , and synopsis/blurb .) But the author bio is another critical tool that you shouldn’t leave out.

Can I just leave my author bio out? No, you cannot just leave out your author bio, even if you wrote a short story or novella. It looks unprofessional, scares away potential readers, foregoes an opportunity to connect with your target audience, and leads to fewer book sales.

Plus, writing a good author bio doesn’t take that long.

If you’re not Grisham, or Godin, or Ferriss, or Fleming, very few people will buy a novel by you purely based on name recognition. So put a little work into your bio, and you won’t regret it.

Note: The Author Bio is just one of many parts of a book. We have a whole series of posts on the subject, and we highly recommend you check those out as well!

• What is an author bio?
• Examples of phenomenal author bios
• Tips on making a persuasive, engaging author bio
• How to add the bio to your book page
• An author bio template checklist

Table of contents

• What should an author's bio include?
• Is an author bio actually important?
• What’s your book about?
• Who are you writing for?
• 4 Writing Tips For Creating an Author Bio:
• Step 3: Add the Bio to Your Book Page
• Podcast Episode: The Perfect Picture For Your Author Bio
• 6 Examples of Phenomenal Author Bios
• Can you hire a freelancer to write your author bio?
• How to Write a Bio for Your Author Website
• Author Bio Template
• Where does your author bio go?
• How often should you update your “About the Author” page?

For clarification, on Amazon, there are 2 kinds of bio:

• The generic bio on your “ Author Page ”
• Separate bios for each of your books

The advice in this post is aimed at your bio on your individual book pages, although much of it will still be relevant to your main Author Page.

Also called “About the Author,” an author bio is:

• A paragraph about you as a writer
• Your credentials
• Your interests
• A call to action
• Other relevant information you want to share with your target audience

An author biography is your chance to connect with readers beyond just a byline.

Everyone needs a stellar front cover design, an attention-grabbing book title , and a sophisticated keyword strategy . But those book marketing musts simply draw users to see your book’s product page.

A good author bio (and book reviews and book description ) compels them to actually buy the book.

The author bio establishes you as the kind of writer whom your target market ought to read. It’s where you forge a connection with potential readers and get them to trust you. Readers should want to know what you have to say based on your author bio.

If you take the author bio seriously and get it right, you’ll sell more books.

You should include your name, relevant accomplishments, and a call to action in your author’s bio. Aim for a bio of 60-90 words in length.

If your book is humorous, inject humor. If your book is melodramatic, add a little melodrama. Tailor your bio to your genre, target audience, and the individual book it’s for.

If possible, include links to your website or social media , so people can find out more about you.

Include a picture when possible. This picture should be a professional headshot of you smiling or looking serious, depending on your genre. Do not skimp on the headshot. An unprofessional author headshot screams low-quality content.

Yes, a good author bio is actually important because:

• It builds credibility
• It affirms whether what you have to say is worth reading
• It tells your target audience that you have written a book for them
• Readers may relate to your personal story
• You will sell more books

“No one reads the author bio,” I hear you say. But you’re wrong. While not everyone cares about the author’s bio, some care a lot.

First of all, unless you’re a household name, you must build credibility with the reader. If a reader doesn’t think you’re credible, they will read your book with a cynical eye and judge every mistake they find. Or worse, they won’t buy your book in the first place.

Second of all, more than ever, consumers are buying books from writers they want to support. If someone learns more about and relates to the author, they are much more likely to buy.

Increase Your Book Marketing

See the Publisher Rocket effect, when you use the right keywords and categories to help get your book seen more on Amazon.

How to Write a Powerful Author Bio for Your Book

Here are 3 steps to write an awesome author bio (About the Author) and upload it onto Amazon:

• Figure out your genre and target audience
• Write the bio
• Add the bio to your book page

How do you write a bio for a first-time author? First-time authors might not be able to include any literary accomplishments, like other best-selling books and prestigious awards. But first-time writers can include relevant expertise that pertains to your book. Also, any author can inject personality and a call to action, no matter if this is their first book.

Step 1 : Figure Out Your Genre and Target Audience

Answer these 2 crucial questions to understand your genre and target audience:

Your author bio needs to compliment the genre and subject matter of your book. Bios irrelevant to the book confuse potential readers.

While this may seem like obvious advice, a lot of irrelevant content finds its way into many author bios. Consider:

• If your nightmare-inducing horror novel contains a perky and cheerful author description about your love for puppies and former career as a glassblower, you forfeit an opportunity to connect readers with your writing.
• If your middle-grade comedy has an author bio that reads like a middle school textbook , your audience may be confused whether you’re able to write comedy.
• If your book is a contemporary romance novel with a middle-aged female protagonist, your author bio’s personality and content should relate to the right target audience.
• If you’re writing about tax-deduction strategies for real estate investors, your bio should present your expertise — why anyone should listen to you on the subject.
• If your book is a spiritual guide to personal growth, some life-affirming positivity will improve your bio.

You need to think about your target reader. Hopefully, you had a type of reader in mind when writing the book . You always need to know who would want to buy and read your book.

Figure out your target reader, then write your author bio for that person.

For non-fiction authors, your ideal reader probably wants to read your credentials, your life experience, and what qualifies you to speak on a particular topic.

For fiction writers, your ideal reader may be looking for a unique, exciting personality to come out through the bio. You may briefly include credibility-building credentials, such as if you earned an MFA in Creative Writing.

In many cases, creating an “avatar” of your customer — with a name, location, and personality — is a valuable way to both develop your author bio and strategically target your book marketing efforts. Check out this guide on how to create a customer avatar.

Don’t add information “just in case” a different kind of reader might appreciate it. You end up with a behemoth of a bio that no one reads because it’s too daunting and unfocused.

Step 2 : Write the Bio

Now you need to write the actual words of the bio. Stick to this checklist on how to write an author bio:

• Begin with a punchy, impactful first sentence.
• Introduce your area of expertise or your unique personality, depending on the genre.
• Build credibility without overly bragging.
• Add a personal touch, such as a relatable profession or quirky hobby.
• Finish on a call to action (check out the new book, follow you on social media, etc.).

While you’re writing, always ask yourself, “Is this relevant to my reader?”

Most readers won’t care where you were born (unless it’s a book about where you live), what high school you went to, or that you always wanted to become a full-time writer.

This isn’t to say that your bio should be impersonal. On the contrary! This is your opportunity to make readers feel like they know you. Your personality and/or expertise should make them want to read what you wrote.

• Write in the third person. “About the author” demands the third person. While it may feel a bit weird to write “he” or “she” rather than “I” in the first person, there’s one significant benefit: Your relevant accomplishments and accolades will sound far less boastful.
• Don’t brag too much . Don't go overboard showing off because everyone knows you wrote it. Even if the author bio is in the third person, state your achievements, but don’t become a braggart. Sprinkle in a bit of humility and modesty as well.
• Keep your author bio short. The faster they can read about you, the faster they can buy your book. Aim for 60-90 words and don’t go above 150. It takes effort and practice to distill everything into such a short space. Once you’ve nailed it, you can fit a great deal of personality and information into those 60-90 words.
• Use the bio like a business card . Give readers a way to interact with you by adding your website or social media info. At the very least, they’ll be able to find out more about you and explore your other works. Adding this info at the end is the most common call to action in author bios.

Step 3 : Add the Bio to Your Book Page

You can add your author bio to your Amazon book page by visiting Amazon Author Central , select your book, and add it in the “About the Author” section.

You can add the “About the Author” page into your back matter for a physical book. On most word processors like Scrivener or Vellum, you should be able to generate the author bio into your print-ready file.

But one really annoying bit about adding an author bio to most books is that you have to copy and paste it for every book. This gets cumbersome when you have ten books and need to make one tiny change in each of them.

Unfortunately, most programs like Vellum and Scrivener do not have a way to do “templates” where you update a single Author Bio page, and it gets updated across all your books.

But Atticus can.

In Atticus you can save as a template and then reuse that template wherever you want. And the best part is, if you change the template, it will change it for all your books. Check it out!

Here are some real-life author bios from Amazon or on a back cover that combine most or all of the tips above:

Forgotten Legacy : Robin Perini, the Publisher’s Weekly and internationally bestselling author of Forgotten Secrets, is devoted to giving her readers fast-paced, high-stakes adventures with a love story sure to melt their hearts. A RITA Award finalist and winner of the prestigious Romance Writers of America Golden Heart Award in 2011, she is also a nationally acclaimed writing instructor. By day, she’s an analyst for an advanced technology corporation, but in honor of her mother, Robin has become a passionate advocate for those who battle Alzheimer’s disease. She loves to hear from readers. Visit her web­site at www.robinperini.com.

[Length: 97 words]

D a mn Delicious Meal Prep: 115 Easy Recipes for Low-Calories, High-Energy Living : Chungah Rhee is the founder, recipe developer, and photographer of Damn Delicious. What began as a grad school hobby is now a top food blog, with millions of readers coming to her site for easy weeknight recipes and simplified gourmet meals. She lives and continues to cook non-stop in Los Angeles, with her corgi, Butters. Her first cookbook was published in 2016 by Oxmoor House. Visit her at damndelicious.net.

[Length: 70 words]

Long Range Shooting Handbook: Complete Beginner's Guide to Long Range Shooting : “Ryan Cleckner served as a special operations sniper team leader with the U.S. Army's elite 1st Ranger Bn. on multiple combat deployments. He is a graduate of the premier Special Operations Target Interdiction Course (SOTIC), among other military training courses, and has taught snipers and police sharpshooters from around the world. Ryan has a series of online instructional videos known for their ability to explain complex topics in a simple and digestible way. Ryan is currently a firearms industry professional and an attorney.”

[Length: 83 words]

Diary of a Farting Creeper: Why Does the Creeper Fart When He Should Explode? (Volume 1) : Who is Wimpy Fart? Wimpy Fart loves Minecraft and writes awesome Minecraft books for YOU because you are the best Minecraft fans in the world. You can email Wimpy Fart to tell him about your favorite Minecraft books, or to talk about really loud farts. [email protected] Oh – Wimpy Fart reads all your awesome Amazon reviews and likes to know what you want to read about in Minecraft books!

[Length: 68 words]

Joanna Penn writes non-fiction books for authors and is an award-nominated, New York Times and USA Today bestselling thriller author as J.F. Penn. She’s a podcaster and an award-winning creative entrepreneur. Her site, TheCreativePenn.com has been voted in the Top 100 sites for writers by Writer's Digest.

[Length: 49 words]

John Scalzi writes books, which, considering where you’re reading this, makes perfect sense. He’s best known for writing science fiction, including the New York Times bestseller Redshirts, which won the Hugo Award for Best Novel. He also writes non-fiction, on subjects ranging from personal finance to astronomy to film, was the Creative Consultant for the Stargate: Universe television series. He enjoys pie, as should all right thinking people. You can get to his blog by typing the word “Whatever” into Google. No, seriously, try it.

[Length: 85 words]

If you're looking for author bio perfection, Scalzi’s is as close as you're gonna find. His bio lends himself credibility, demonstrates his personality, and has one of the most unique calls to action you'll ever read. How many of you actually googled “whatever” just now?

Yes, you can hire a freelance writer or a ghostwriter to write your author bio to make sure it’s as amazing as it should be. Their creative writing know-how can produce a bio worthy of a good read and help you better connect with your audience if you’re having a hard time with the bio.

Hopefully, because you’re a writer, you’re able to follow the steps in this article to create your own bio. But in many cases, writing about yourself is more challenging than writing any other prose. (No shame, I promise!)

To write an author bio for your website, follow these 8 tips and tricks:

• Determine what your book’s about, and tailor your bio to compliment the style and tone.
• Determine your target audience, and tailor your bio to attract those specific readers.
• Begin your bio with a punchy first sentence.
• Build credibility by demonstrating your accomplishments, but don’t brag too much.
• Add links to relevant interviews (on NPR or PBS, for example), news articles (ever been featured in The Wall Street Journal ?), and Amazon sales pages.
• Finish with a call to action — perhaps a link to your sales page.
• Make sure your word count is 60-90 words.
• When you review it, take out all irrelevant words. Will your target audience care about each word? If not, take that word out.

On an author’s website , you can go into more detail, list more important works or achievements, and link to other pages on your website to find more info.

Also, an author website bio lends itself more to the first-person than a book page bio. Feel free to use first person or third person, as long as you stick to one or the other.

There's no one-size-fits-all approach, but the following checklist provides a structure you can use as an author bio template:

• Add a personal touch, such as a hobby or favorite TV show.
• Finish on a call to action (check out the new book, follow on social media, etc.).

If you browse bestselling author bios, you'll notice they tend to follow this sequence.

The content and tone you include in your author bio will depend on several factors:

• Content and tone of your book
• Genre (or multiple genres)
• Previous works
• Previous achievements
• Personal preference
• Medium (eBook only, literary magazine, etc.)

In a print book, your author bio should go in the back matter of your book or on the dust jacket sleeve.

You should also place an author bio on your website that goes into a little more detail than the bio in your book.

For an eBook on Amazon, your author bio goes below the suggested books. Here are the headings that appear before the “About the Author” section:

You should update your “About the Author” page or individual author bios any time something significant changes in your life or career, especially honors and awards or when your next book comes out.

Publish a new book? Update all your old bios.

Win an award? Update all your old bios.

Featured on a famous talk show? You may want to update all your old bios.

Going through a divorce or other major family issues? If you mention your spouse or now-estranged children in your bio, you may want to change that. (I know that’s dark, but it happens and is worth considering.)

Earn a prestigious honor or academic position? You know what you should do.

I’ll show you mine…

In summary, the steps in this post take you through everything you need when writing your own author bio. Refer to them when you start writing – and you’ll have an engaging author bio that should easily sell more books.

My own author bio is listed just below for reference (and ridicule, if you like).

I don't have to tell you, I'm pretty much a techy goofball. Hopefully, my bio does a great job of conveying just that. Using humor and an upbeat tone, I want to let Kindlepreneur readers know exactly who I am as a content writer in 34 words.

Special thanks to John Scalzi for inspiring me to write this specific type of bio.

Dave Chesson

When I’m not sipping tea with princesses or lightsaber dueling with little Jedi, I’m a book marketing nut. Having consulted multiple publishing companies and NYT best-selling authors, I created Kindlepreneur to help authors sell more books. I’ve even been called “The Kindlepreneur” by Amazon publicly, and I’m here to help you with your author journey.

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67 thoughts on “ How to Write an Author Bio [With Examples and Templates] ”

After one year locked at home because of COVID-19, I decided to have as much fun as I had when teaching at school. That’s how “A Modern Superhero” was born. I enjoy good food, that’s why I need to do some exercise. By the way, run to my social media for some free perks.

Should I or should I not say what my day job is? Yes it has and no it hasn’t to do with my books. As I am an architect, I have well-structured novels! Lol. But is that boring? As I am not a van driver or pizza delivery girl, why would it interest anyone. I don’t know what’s boring anymore. Please help! Thanks.

Depending on your niche or subject, not sure. I’ll guess that you’re writing some sort of fiction. If that is the case, a mention of something that is important to you is fine, but don’t drag it on and focus on it. If you’ve used levity in your writing, then you can say something like “Architect by day, crime novelist by night.”

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How to Write an Online Bio

Which three words would you use to explain your personality to a stranger?

If you could only think of “human with face,” or “professional needs job,” you’ve come to the right place. Learning how to write a bio is not easy; defining yourself in a few words even less so. But never fear—you can do it! Taking a few minutes to think about what you’re about isn’t just a great writing exercise, it’s a clarifying moment of personal development. Here are a few ways you can get started on your professional, website, LinkedIn, or short bio.

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How to write a short bio

When most people think of online bios, they probably can readily name a few common short bio examples first. Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest all have space for a short description of who you are and what you do. And you should make the most of the 1-2 lines you’re afforded here. Keep your social media bios short, sweet, and only filled with the most important things a stranger should know about you, such as:

• Your current role
• Your ultimate goal
• Your biggest achievement

How to write a professional bio

Professional sites like LinkedIn , AngelList, or a speaker bio on an event site all have space for a bio or summary section. For each of these, you’ll probably want to write a mid-length description of both your current role, professional aspirations, and biggest achievements. Professional bios allow you to go into a bit more detail than short social media bios, especially on LinkedIn. It’s generally a good idea to include:

• Your current role or professional tagline
• Your company or personal brand
• Your goals and aspirations
• Your 2-3 most impressive and relevant achievements
• One quirky fact about you (if it’s appropriate to the site)

What to include in a bio at work

Writing a bio for your company’s website, HR system, or Slack instance? Be sure to give your coworkers a sense of both your professional expertise—and your personality!

You should include anything you’d include in a professional bio in a bio for your company, but don’t be afraid to personalize it with a few personal details. Have a hobby you love? A favorite book? A professional hero you look up to? Add them to give your coworkers a sense of who you are before they work with you.

What to include in a bio on your website

The “About” section of any personal website can be a slog. A drain. A hassle. You’ve already created a whole website about yourself, so it can be difficult to muster the strength to write that final description of who you are and what you’re about.

But never fear! Your website bio doesn’t need to be complicated, it just needs context on who you are and what you’ve done. This is an open, larger space, so you have room to list a few accomplishments and give context on why they’re important. You can also add a short paragraph about who you are outside of your nine-to-five. For this type of bio, you may also want to include a contact form or email, to help prospective clients, employers, or collaborators get in touch. If you do, be sure to include a clear call-to-action for your reader to contact you.

A bio template to use and customize

Even after you understand different types of bios, it can be difficult to get started. The words may not be flowing, you might not fully understand how your professional bio will be used, or you might just be stuck. Never fear! Here’s a bio recipe you can use across most sites.

• Your first and last name: Start by writing your name. That wasn’t so hard!
• Your company or brand: If you have a consulting firm, a brand you use for your side hustle, or a company you currently work at, list that next.
• Your current function: What do you do for work? You can either list your current title or a short, descriptive phrase about your role here.
• Your north star: People reading your bio will also want to get a sense of who you are. Listing your overall goal, values, or a statement that describes your ethos will help them get to know you, even in short bios.
• Your top three accomplishments: Especially in professional bios, you’ll need a few accomplishments to show off what you’ve done in your career. Choose the top two or three large milestones from your career (no more), and put them next.
• Your cute closer (optional): This may not be necessary in a shorter bio for Twitter or Instagram. But for a website or similarly professional bio, you may want to add a sentence describing who you are outside of work.
• Your contact info (optional): Depending on the site, you may also want to include an email, contact form, or another easy way for readers to reach you. List this information at the end of your bio.

4 quick tips on writing a bio

Even with all of this information on how to write a bio, it might still be difficult to write about yourself. Even for the most confident person, self-promotion can be exhausting. But never fear! There are a few ways you can keep your “about me” writing on point—without pulling your hair out.

Tip #1: Don’t overthink it

Bios are usually formulaic—and that’s OK! For most professional bios, LinkedIn summaries, and speaker bios at events, you won’t need to stray from the norm too much to stand out. Even adding an adjective that shows your personality or an unusual accomplishment can make your bio different from the crowd. You don’t need to create the next Between The World And Me to write a killer bio.

Tip #2: Remember your worth

Writing a bio on a site like Twitter, Instagram , or LinkedIn can be daunting because there are already so many fantastic bios (and people!) out there. But don’t fall prey to bio comparison. Your story is only yours to tell, and it has value. Focus on staying authentic to your truth, and don’t worry about others’.

Tip #3: When in doubt, borrow

Bios can be repetitive, sometimes even tedious. So if you find a structure you like and think sounds unique, borrow it! You should never copy a person’s bio—after all, it’s their story, not yours—but you can mimic the structure if you’re feeling stuck.

Tip #4: Get writing help

You’re not alone in your quest to create a bio that stands out. Grammarly is here to help you choose powerful adjectives , clean up hedging language , and make your bio stand out.

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15 personal bio examples that are fun, creative, and get the job done.

Struggling to write about yourself? These personal bio examples show how you can talk about your professional and personal life in a creative, engaging way.

Published on Nov 27, 2022

By Austin Distel

Personal bios can be hard to write. Waxing lyrical about yourself can be uncomfortable, especially in the context of professional achievements and amazing things you’ve done.

But, in a world where we’re often separated from other humans via a screen, your personal bio is one of the easiest ways for a company, colleague, or a potential lead to learn more about you.

‍ If you don’t know what to include or how to get started, we’ve pulled together some personal bio examples that showcase a handful of creative and engaging ways to present yourself on your social media accounts, your personal website, and on any bylined articles you write outside of your site. 

We also provide some cool personal bio generator templates from our AI marketing platform , Jasper. Now you won’t have to scramble around at the last minute to come up with a short bio of yourself when you’re suddenly asked to send one over via email!

The business case for personal bios: why you should write one

You might wonder what the big deal is—it’s just a bio, right? Do people even read them? The answer is actually, yes; they do. Personal bios can be a great way to find out more about the person behind a website or an article. This helps establish a connection and encourages readers to relate to you. 

The thing is, you might not think a lot of people care about where you went to school or what you like to do in your spare time, but you just don’t know who’s reading your professional bio.

It might be a hotshot manager for your dream company who also loves to spend their weekends kayaking the coast. Or it might be the marketer for a well-known brand looking for a writer .

Learning little nuggets of information about you can put you ahead of other candidates they’re researching or other freelancers they’re in talks with. It could be the difference between getting that contract and not. 

What’s the difference between a personal bio and a resume?

Your resume is a list of your professional roles. Your personal bio digs deeper than this and gives readers an insight into things like: 

• Your interests outside of work
• Your backstory
• What gets you up in the morning 
• Your passions and values 
• Your goals 

Understanding this information can help them see if you’d be a good fit, or if you have the personal qualities they’re looking for in someone they want to work with. This information also helps you connect better with like-minded people.

Say, for example, you’re scrolling through Twitter, see a fun Tweet, and click on the person’s bio only to find out they also run 5km every evening and are passionate about addressing climate change. Chances are, you’re going to want to connect with them. 

How to write a personal bio

Before we share some creative bio examples, let’s take a look at what your personal biography should include. Bear in mind that this will vary depending on what platform you’re posting it on (platforms like Twitter and Instagram have a limited word count).

However, you can have a “master” bio that you pull snippets from for other platforms. Not only does this keep your messaging cohesive across platforms, but it makes it easy to get a bio together at short notice because you already have all the information you need written down. 

What to include in a bio on your site

For this ‌exercise, let’s focus on what you need to include in a personal bio on your website. This will be your “master” bio as it’ll probably be the longest and go into the most detail.

People who are poking around on your website have already shown an interest in who you are and what you do, so they’re more likely to stick around and read a longer bio. Here’s what you should include:

• Your name: obviously, you need to state your name. Most people choose to include their full name, including surname, at the start of their bio. However, if your website URL or personal brand is already your full name, you can shorten it to just your first name. 
• Your position: your current position and the tasks you’re responsible for should get a mention. This is particularly important if you’re looking for jobs or are writing a bio for a networking platform like LinkedIn. 
• Your work experience: mention any key roles you’ve held in the past and how you got to where you are today. Stories like this show readers your journey and give an insight into your specialisms and professional skills. 
• What you do and who you do it for: kind of like stating your “niche”, talking about what exactly it is you do (like graphic design or paid ad campaigns), and who you do it for (like finance companies or busy e-commerce owners) can help readers identify if you’re a good fit. 
• What you do outside of work: personal bios should be more personal than a resume or professional bio and should therefore include personal details about what you like to do when you’re not working. Do you frequent pop-up restaurants? Attend dog shows with your puppy? Rock climb in the mountains? 
• Professional accomplishments: talk about what you’ve achieved both at work and outside of work. This gives readers an idea about the things you value and what you might be able to achieve for them (it’s also a great talking point for people who want to reach out). 
• Personal story: share a personal, creative story to add a splash of personality. It can be anything from the disastrous first birthday party you held for your daughter to the time you were taken in by a local family after getting lost in Mongolia. Don't forget to add a custom image !

How often should you refresh your personal bio? 

The life you live now isn’t the same life you were living ten, five, or even two years ago. Your personal bio should reflect your current situation, which means it’ll probably need to be regularly updated.

If you’re not sure about when to give it a refresh, consider:

• When you land a new job 
• When you achieve a big milestone (either at work or in your personal life)
• When your old one doesn’t have the same ring to it 

Schedule time every few months to go back over your personal bio and see if everything is still true and up-to-date. 

Where to display your personal bio 

Your personal bio can be displayed anywhere that you might want people to find out more about you. Often, this will be places like social media, your website, guest post bylines, or your speaker profile, but you can also include it in other marketing materials like flyers for events you’re hosting or the blurb for your latest ebook. 

• Twitter: cramming a personal bio into 160 characters can be hard, but it can also be a great lesson in identifying what information matters the most. Use up as many of the characters as you can, and use them wisely..
• LinkedIn: the summary section of your LinkedIn profile gives you up to 2,000 characters to use. This is the ideal place to share your “master” bio.
• Instagram: at 150 characters, you have just a few words to explain who you are and what you do on Instagram—use them wisely.
• Personal website: people who land on your website are already interested in you—share your “master” bio here in all its glory. 
• Guest posts: bylined articles need a couple of sentences about the author. Make it engaging to encourage readers to click through to your site or remember your name. 
• Speaker profile: if you speak at events or conferences, you’ll need a short but sweet speaker bio that gets attendees interested in your session.

Get inspired: fun personal bio examples 

#1 twitter bio example: sally fox.

Sally includes what she does and who she does it for, as well as a humorous bit of information about her and her contact information—all within Twitter’s 160 character limit.

#2 Twitter bio example: Kash Bhattacharya

Kash showcases his accomplishments as well as a bit of backstory about what he’s doing and how long he’s been doing it.

#3 Twitter bio example: Jay Acunzo

Jay shares his mission in his Twitter bio, as well as what he’s best known for.

#4 Pinterest bio example: Grey & Scout

Liz of Grey & Scout introduces herself and tells her followers what they can expect to see from her—not an easy feat with such a limited word count.

#5 Guest post bio example: Justin Champion

In this guest author byline, Justin uses the third person to introduce who he is and what he does, as well as share his goal with readers.

#6 LinkedIn bio example: Katrina Ortiz

Katrina uses her LinkedIn bio to tell a story. Readers are hooked from the first sentence, but she also gives key insights into her specialties and achievements. 

#7 LinkedIn bio example: Karen Abbate

Karen does things a bit differently with her LinkedIn summary and lists out key things readers might want to know about her and her career. 

#8 LinkedIn bio example: Katie Clancy

Katie starts her LinkedIn bio with an analogy that serves to hook readers from the start. From there, she branches out into how it relates to her profession, as well as her key achievements and career highlights.

#9 Personal website bio example: Dave Harland

Dave Harland’s About Page shares the story of how he got into writing‌. At the end, he highlights his experience and why this story has helped him become a go-to copywriter.

#10 Personal website bio example: Gummi Sig

Gummi Sig begins his bio in the third person before diving into first-person storytelling mode. Perhaps the best part about this personal bio is the call to action at the end that encourages potential leads to get in touch.

#11 Personal website bio example: Leigh Whipday

Leigh Whipday of Toy Fight has a short professional bio on the website. It includes both his professional achievements as well as insights about his life outside of work to attract his target audience.

#12 Personal website bio example: Blake Fili Suarez

Blake includes both a short and a long version of his bio so that readers can choose the best option for them. Both include what he does as well as personal anecdotes about his life and business.

Create your own with the Jasper personal bio template

# 13 Personal website bio example: Kaleigh Moore

Besides a short professional bio that’s more focused on her work, Kaleigh Moore also has a personal bio on her site. It goes into detail about her first e-commerce business and how it led her into writing for the biggest names in e-commerce. It also shares some fun facts and photos of Kaleigh.

#14 Instagram bio example: Carlos Gil

Carlos Gil does a good job of using limited space wisely, mentioning accomplishments, what he does and for who, as well as what he’s working on.  

#15 Instagram bio example: Samantha Anderl

Co-founder of Harlow, Samantha Anderl, uses her personal Instagram bio not only to promote the company but also to give some insight into her personality. As this bio shows, a little humor can go a long way in attracting like-minded people to both you and your business.

Struggling with a blank page? Not sure which words to put down first? Overwhelmed by all the great professional bio examples out there and have now got writer’s paralysis? That's where an AI writing assistant can come in handy. Jasper’s personal bio template, in particular, can save the day. 

Simply plug in a few key pieces of information about yourself (use the list we mentioned above as a starting point) and choose the tone of voice you want to portray . Jasper will then work its AI magic and create a collection of personal bios you can tweak or use as they are. For example, here’s the start of a short bio for Apple’s co-founder, Steve Jobs. 

Jasper can create well-written, engaging bios for anyone in any role, as long as you provide the right info. For instance, besides setting the point of view and tone, we gave Jasper some basic details, including a fictional name, role, and location for a Senior Product Marketing Manager. 

As you can see from the bio options below, Jasper added emotion and personality to the details we gave. And he even added missing details such as past companies and years of experience, which we could easily swap out for factual details when writing a bio for a real person. 

We provided similar details for the bio of a fictional social media marketer, feeding Jasper info on specialties, previous roles, and hobbies. This time in the third person, Jasper added flair to our inputs, as well as some additional details that could be verified or swapped out, such as Luisa being from Columbia. 

Any of Jasper’s outputs could be combined, edited, or expanded in minutes to create a polished bio that showcases your areas of expertise, your professional goals, and your personality. Writing about yourself doesn’t have to be hard!

Also related: the Jasper company bio template

Companies can also make use of Jasper’s bio templates with the company bio template. Again, just input some key facts about your business, and— voila! —Jasper will create a fun and creative bio you can use wherever you like. 

Create your punchy personal bio today

Never again be asked to send over a personal bio “on the fly”. Instead, create a “master” bio that can be chopped up into engaging chunks and shared on your chosen promotional platforms.

Include key information about your job title, achievements, and what exactly it is you do, as well as personal anecdotes, your interests, and how you spend your spare time.

Your personal bio is a chance to connect with potential clients, hiring managers, and like-minded colleagues, so take the time to write one that really presents you as you want to be presented.

‍ Start a free trial to create your Personal Bio using Jasper today.

Meet The Author:

Austin Distel

Austin Distel is the Sr. Director of Marketing at Jasper , your AI creative assistant. He's also an Airbnb superhost in Austin, Texas. You can follow Austin's adventures around the internet and the world at distel.com .

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How to Write a Biography

Biographies are big business. Whether in book form or Hollywood biopics, the lives of the famous and sometimes not-so-famous fascinate us.

While it’s true that most biographies are about people who are in the public eye, sometimes the subject is less well-known. Mostly though, famous or not, the person who is written about has led a life that is in some way incredible.

While your students will most likely have a basic understanding of a biography, it’s worth taking a little time before they put pen to paper to tease out a crystal clear definition of a biography.

What Is a Biography?

Simply put, a biography is an account of someone’s life written by someone else . While there is a genre known as a fictional biography, for the most part, biographies are, by definition, nonfiction.

Generally speaking, biographies provide an account of the subject’s life from the earliest days of their childhood right up to the present day or their death if the subject is deceased.

The job of a biography is more than just to outline the bare facts of a person’s life.

Rather than just listing the basic details of their upbringing, hobbies, education, work, relationships, and death, a well-written biography should also paint a picture of the subject’s personality, and as well as their experience of life.

A COMPLETE UNIT ON TEACHING BIOGRAPHY WRITING IN 2022

Teach your students to write AMAZING BIOGRAPHIES & AUTOBIOGRAPHIES using proven RESEARCH SKILLS and WRITING STRATEGIES covering.

• Understanding the purpose of both forms of biography.
• Exploring the language and perspective of both.
• Prompts and Challenges to engage students in writing a biography.
• Dedicated lessons for both forms of biography.
• Biographical Projects can expand students’ understanding of reading and writing a biography.
• A COMPLETE 82-PAGE UNIT – NO PREPARATION REQUIRED.

What Are the Main Features of a Biography?

Before students begin writing a biography, they’ll need to have a firm grasp of the main features of the genre. A good way to determine how well they understand these essential elements of the genre is by asking them to compile a checklist.

At a minimum, their checklists should contain the items below. Be sure to help them fill in any gaps before moving on to the writing process.

The purpose of a biography is to provide an account of someone’s life.

Biography structure.

ORIENTATION (BEGINNING) Open your biography with a strong hook to grab the reader’s attention

SEQUENCING: In most cases, biographies are written in chronological order unless you are a very competent writer consciously trying to break from this trend.

COVER: childhood, upbringing, education, influences, accomplishments, relationships, etc. – everything that helps the reader to understand the person.

CONCLUSION: Wrap your biography up with some details about what the subject is doing now if they are still alive. If they have passed away, make mention of what impact they have made and what their legacy is or will be.

BIOGRAPHY FEATURES

LANGUAGE Use descriptive and figurative language that will paint images inside your audience’s minds as they read. Use time connectives to link events.

PERSPECTIVE Biographies are written from the third person’s perspective.

DETAILS: Give specific details about people, places, events, times, dates, etc. Reflect on how events shaped the subject. You might want to include some relevant photographs with captions. A timeline may also be of use depending upon your subject and what you are trying to convey to your audience.

TENSE Written in the past tense (though ending may shift to the present/future tense)

THE PROCESS OF WRITING A BIOGRAPHY

Like any form of writing, you will find it simple if you have a plan and follow it through. These steps will ensure you cover the essential bases of writing a biography essay.

Firstly, select a subject that inspires you. Someone whose life story resonates with you and whose contribution to society intrigues you. The next step is to conduct thorough research. Engage in extensive reading, explore various sources, watch documentaries, and glean all available information to provide a comprehensive account of the person’s life.

Creating an outline is essential to organize your thoughts and information. The outline should include the person’s early life, education, career, achievements, and any other significant events or contributions. It serves as a map for the writing process, ensuring that all vital information is included.

Your biography should have an engaging introduction that captivates the reader’s attention and provides background information on the person you’re writing about. It should include a thesis statement that summarizes the main points of the biography.

Writing a biography in chronological order is crucial . You should begin with the person’s early life and move through their career and achievements. This approach provides clarity on how the person’s life unfolded and how they accomplished their goals.

A biography should be written in a narrative style , capturing the essence of the person’s life through vivid descriptions, anecdotes, and quotes. Avoid dry, factual writing and focus on creating a compelling narrative that engages the reader.

Adding personal insights and opinions can enhance the biography’s overall impact, providing a unique perspective on the person’s achievements, legacy, and impact on society.

Editing and proofreading are vital elements of the writing process. Thoroughly reviewing your biography ensures that the writing is clear, concise, and free of errors. You can even request feedback from someone else to ensure that it is engaging and well-written.

Finally, including a bibliography at the end of your biography is essential. It gives credit to the sources that were used during research, such as books, articles, interviews, and websites.

Tips for Writing a Brilliant Biography

Biography writing tip #1: choose your subject wisely.

There are several points for students to reflect on when deciding on a subject for their biography. Let’s take a look at the most essential points to consider when deciding on the subject for a biography:

Interest: To produce a biography will require sustained writing from the student. That’s why students must choose their subject well. After all, a biography is an account of someone’s entire life to date. Students must ensure they choose a subject that will sustain their interest throughout the research, writing, and editing processes.

Merit: Closely related to the previous point, students must consider whether the subject merits the reader’s interest. Aside from pure labors of love, writing should be undertaken with the reader in mind. While producing a biography demands sustained writing from the author, it also demands sustained reading from the reader.

Therefore, students should ask themselves if their chosen subject has had a life worthy of the reader’s interest and the time they’d need to invest in reading their biography.

Information: Is there enough information available on the subject to fuel the writing of an entire biography? While it might be a tempting idea to write about a great-great-grandfather’s experience in the war. There would be enough interest there to sustain the author’s and the reader’s interest, but do you have enough access to information about their early childhood to do the subject justice in the form of a biography?

Biography Writing Tip #2: R esearch ! Research! Research!

While the chances are good that the student already knows quite a bit about the subject they’ve chosen. Chances are 100% that they’ll still need to undertake considerable research to write their biography.

As with many types of writing , research is an essential part of the planning process that shouldn’t be overlooked. If a student wishes to give as complete an account of their subject’s life as possible, they’ll need to put in the time at the research stage.

An effective way to approach the research process is to:

1. Compile a chronological timeline of the central facts, dates, and events of the subject’s life

2. Compile detailed descriptions of the following personal traits:

•      Physical looks
•      Character traits
•      Values and beliefs

3. Compile some research questions based on different topics to provide a focus for the research:

• Childhood : Where and when were they born? Who were their parents? Who were the other family members? What education did they receive?
• Obstacles: What challenges did they have to overcome? How did these challenges shape them as individuals?
• Legacy: What impact did this person have on the world and/or the people around them?
• Dialogue & Quotes: Dialogue and quotations by and about the subject are a great way to bring color and life to a biography. Students should keep an eagle eye out for the gems that hide amid their sources.

As the student gets deeper into their research, new questions will arise that can further fuel the research process and help to shape the direction the biography will ultimately go in.

Likewise, during the research, themes will often begin to suggest themselves. Exploring these themes is essential to bring depth to biography, but we’ll discuss this later in this article.

Research Skills:

Researching for biography writing is an excellent way for students to hone their research skills in general. Developing good research skills is essential for future academic success. Students will have opportunities to learn how to:

• Gather relevant information
• Evaluate different information sources
• Select suitable information
• Organize information into a text.

Students will have access to print and online information sources, and, in some cases, they may also have access to people who knew or know the subject (e.g. biography of a family member).

These days, much of the research will likely take place online. It’s crucial, therefore, to provide your students with guidance on how to use the internet safely and evaluate online sources for reliability. This is the era of ‘ fake news ’ and misinformation after all!

COMPLETE TEACHING UNIT ON INTERNET RESEARCH SKILLS USING GOOGLE SEARCH

Teach your students ESSENTIAL SKILLS OF THE INFORMATION ERA to become expert DIGITAL RESEARCHERS.

⭐How to correctly ask questions to search engines on all devices.

⭐ How to filter and refine your results to find exactly what you want every time.

⭐ Essential Research and critical thinking skills for students.

⭐ Plagiarism, Citing and acknowledging other people’s work.

⭐ How to query, synthesize and record your findings logically.

BIOGRAPHY WRITING Tip #3: Find Your Themes In Biography Writing

Though predominantly a nonfiction genre, the story still plays a significant role in good biography writing. The skills of characterization and plot structuring are transferable here. And, just like in fiction, exploring themes in a biographical work helps connect the personal to the universal. Of course, these shouldn’t be forced; this will make the work seem contrived, and the reader may lose faith in the truthfulness of the account. A biographer needs to gain and maintain the trust of the reader.

Fortunately, themes shouldn’t need to be forced. A life well-lived is full of meaning, and the themes the student writer is looking for will emerge effortlessly from the actions and events of the subject’s life. It’s just a case of learning how to spot them.

One way to identify the themes in a life is to look for recurring events or situations in a person’s life. These should be apparent from the research completed previously. The students should seek to identify these patterns that emerge in the subject’s life. For example, perhaps they’ve had to overcome various obstacles throughout different periods of their life. In that case, the theme of overcoming adversity is present and has been identified.

Usually, a biography has several themes running throughout, so be sure your students work to identify more than one theme in their subject’s life.

BIOGRAPHY WRITING Tip: #4 Put Something of Yourself into the Writing

While the defining feature of a biography is that it gives an account of a person’s life, students must understand that this is not all a biography does. Relating the facts and details of a subject’s life is not enough. The student biographer should not be afraid to share their thoughts and feelings with the reader throughout their account of their subject’s life.

The student can weave some of their personality into the fabric of the text by providing commentary and opinion as they relate the events of the person’s life and the wider social context at the time. Unlike the detached and objective approach we’d expect to find in a history textbook, in a biography, student-writers should communicate their enthusiasm for their subject in their writing.

This makes for a more intimate experience for the reader, as they get a sense of getting to know the author and the subject they are writing about.

Teaching Resources

Use our resources and tools to improve your student’s writing skills through proven teaching strategies.

BIOGRAPHY WRITING TEACHING IDEAS AND LESSONS

We have put together a sequence of biography-related lessons or teaching ideas that you can follow as you please. They are straightforward enough for most students to follow without further instruction.

BIOGRAPHY LESSON IDEA # 1:

This session aims to give students a broader understanding of what makes a good biography.

Once your students have compiled a comprehensive checklist of the main features of a biography, allow them to use it to assess some biographies from your school library or on the internet using the feature checklist.

When students have assessed a selection of biographies, take some time as a class to discuss them. You can base the discussion around the following prompts:

• Which biographies covered all the criteria from their checklist?
• Which biographies didn’t?
• Which biography was the most readable in terms of structure?
• Which biography do you think was the least well structured? How would you improve this?

Looking at how other writers have interpreted the form will help students internalize the necessary criteria before attempting to produce a biography. Once students have a clear understanding of the main features of the biography, they’re ready to begin work on writing a biography.

When the time does come to put pen to paper, be sure they’re armed with the following top tips to help ensure they’re as well prepared as possible.

BIOGRAPHY LESSON IDEA # 2:

This session aims to guide students through the process of selecting the perfect biography subject.

Instruct students to draw up a shortlist of three potential subjects for the biography they’ll write.

Using the three criteria mentioned in the writing guide (Interest, Merit, and Information), students award each potential subject a mark out of 5 for each of the criteria. In this manner, students can select the most suitable subject for their biography.

BIOGRAPHY LESSON IDEA # 3:

This session aims to get students into the researching phase and then prioritise events and organise them chronologically.

Students begin by making a timeline of their subject’s life, starting with their birth and ending with their death or the present day. If the student has yet to make a final decision on the subject of their biography, a family member will often serve well for this exercise as a practice exercise.

Students should research and gather the key events of the person’s life, covering each period of their life from when they were a baby, through childhood and adolescence, right up to adulthood and old age. They should then organize these onto a timeline. Students can include photographs with captions if they have them.

They can present these to the class when they have finished their timelines.

BIOGRAPHY LESSON IDEA # 4:

Instruct students to look over their timeline, notes, and other research. Challenge them to identify three patterns that repeat throughout the subject’s life and sort all the related events and incidents into specific categories.

Students should then label each category with a single word. This is the thematic concept or the broad general underlying idea. After that, students should write a sentence or two expressing what the subject’s life ‘says’ about that concept.

This is known as the thematic statement . With the thematic concepts and thematic statements identified, the student now has some substantial ideas to explore that will help bring more profound meaning and wider resonance to their biography.

BIOGRAPHY LESSON IDEA # 5:

Instruct students to write a short objective account of an event in their own life. They can write about anyone from their past. It needn’t be more than a couple of paragraphs, but the writing should be strictly factual, focusing only on the objective details of what happened.

Once they have completed this, it’s time to rewrite the paragraph, but they should include some opinion and personal commentary this time.

The student here aims to inject some color and personality into their writing, to transform a detached, factual account into a warm, engaging story.

WRITING CHECKLIST & RUBRIC BUNDLE

To Conclude

By this stage, your students should have an excellent technical overview of a biography’s essential elements.

They should be able to choose their subject in light of how interesting and worthy they are, as well as give consideration to the availability of information out there. They should be able to research effectively and identify emerging themes in their research notes. And finally, they should be able to bring some of their personality and uniqueness into their retelling of the life of another.

Remember that writing a biography is not only a great way to develop a student’s writing skills; it can be used in almost all curriculum areas. For example, to find out more about a historical figure in History, to investigate scientific contributions to Science, or to celebrate a hero from everyday life.

Biography is an excellent genre for students to develop their writing skills and to find inspiration in the lives of others in the world around them.

HOW TO WRITE A BIOGRAPHY TUTORIAL VIDEO

OTHER GREAT ARTICLES RELATED TO BIOGRAPHY WRITING

How to write an Autobiography

How to Write a Historical Recount Text

15 Awesome Recount & Personal Narrative Topics

Personal Narrative Writing Guide

The content for this page has been written by Shane Mac Donnchaidh.  A former principal of an international school and English university lecturer with 15 years of teaching and administration experience. Shane’s latest Book, The Complete Guide to Nonfiction Writing , can be found here.  Editing and support for this article have been provided by the literacyideas team.

Explore our Teaching Unit on BIOGRAPHY WRITING

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How we work, guide on how to write the best autobiography of myself.

Writing autobiography can be nerve-wracking that you can barely start a single letter on. But there are also some instances when the story just keeps on flowing that you won’t even know when to stop. With these two cases, just continue on writing your bio and review all the details you were about to get out from yourself after that. In order to be effective, learn first how to write an autobiography of myself by starting with the basic definition of an autobiography.

What Is an Autobiography?

An autobiography came from the Greek word autos, which means self, bios, which means life, and graphein , which means to write. In a simple explanation, autobiography is when you learn how to write a life story about yourself. It is a narrative of your story, written in your voice, and seen in your perspective. If we’re talking about a company you should know that stories about company success are becoming more and more important today. To learn more about it go to  corporate story biography writing .

There are some who believe that autobiographies are waste of time since they are a biased narrative of events and are heavily influenced by someone’s inaccurate memory. Autobiographies are usually incomplete since they only cover the important events of a person and those that the person remembers the most.

How Do You Start an Autobiography?

If you want to learn how to make an autobiography, start with the basics. Plan how you are able to approach the writing proper task. While it may be true that it seems like an easy essay that depicts a part of your life, writing a biography of yourself will demand more from you. In planning to write your autobiography, here are the things you have to remember and take into account:

• Define your purpose for writing your autobiography
• As you write your draft, always consider your audience
• Generate ideas for your autobiography and put it in writing
• Choose the important stories you want to be part of your autobiography
• Complete an outline for your draft

After considering these factors, the next step is writing a draft. Start by looking through the best autobiography openings you can find and figure out which you can use as a model. Make sure that you write in the first person since that’s what autobiographies are all about. Never switch back to second-person or third-person and be consistent in using the first person point of view throughout the entire content.

When you begin to write the story, never forget to describe the setting in a manner that the reader will be able to feel like actually being there. Don’t be too dramatic or ramble in your introduction. Just make sure that you are able to catch the reader’s attention with your first line.

Let the story flow out of you. Make sure that it does not run all over the place and that it is leading somewhere. Never skip over important facts in your story and conclude your story with a bang. After drafting, editing is the next task you have in store. Some tips in editing that you can consider include:

• Reading the piece over the over again
• Check if the dialogues are placed in appropriate locations
• Include vivid and descriptive details
• Make the storytelling interesting by going non-chronological
• Make sure to embed your personality in your writing

If you are having a hard time on how to start an autobiography, you can choose the help of the experts. Hire autobiography help to make it a lot easier on your part.

What Are the Main Differences Between Biography and Autobiography?

Biographies and autobiographies are usually interchanged. These terms confuse people but the difference between the two is actually simple. It is literally due to the point of view of the storyteller.

A biography is a narrative of a life story of a person told from the perfective of another person. On the other hand, an autobiography is a narrative of a person written by that same person.

Another difference is that most autobiographies are incomplete considering the person writing it is still alive and has lots more of stories to tell while biographies are usually completed and concluded.

Learning how to write a short autobiography is easy given the existence of the online world and its abundant content. You can also easily search sites and accounts of popular bio creator and learn from there.

What You Should Know about Writing Your Own Bio

What to Consider When Writing a Bio about Yourself

When writing your bio, you need to make sure that you include the following in order:

• Professional or business experience as well as current employment
• Completed presentations or publications
• Professional memberships that you have
• Certifications, honors, and awards you have received
• Contact information so your reader will know where to get more information about you

Tips for Writing Your Own Bio

The following are some tips that can be useful when writing your own bio:

• Identify your audience.  To create an effective bio you need to determine who will be reading your bio and what impression you want them to have. The purpose of your bio will help identify the audience. For a job application the audience will be employers, for a speaking engagement the audience will be comprised of people interested in the topic you are speaking on.
• Use other peoples bios as a guide.  You may be thinking “I can’t write my bio by copying somebody else” and you would be correct. However, if you like how the bio structure, there is nothing wrong with presenting your own information using the same structure.
• Only include relevant information.  A typical bio is less than a page. You should only include information relevant to your purpose.
• Write first and revise later.  On your first draft don’t worry too much about length and include anything that might be good. You can go back and revise. Many people tend to freeze up when the try and revise as they write and end up with nothing.
• Have somebody else read your bio.  Somebody who can be objective and give an honest opinion preferably. It is hard to be objective when writing about yourself.

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The bio writing service we provide offers bio writing and editing for any type of bio. We use professional writers who specialize in writing bios and all of our writers have extensive bio writing experience. Benefits of using our service include:

• Any bio you receive will be completely original and tailored to meet your specific requirements.
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27 of the Best Professional Bio Examples We've Ever Seen [+ Templates]

Published: May 04, 2023

80+ Professional Bio Templates & Examples

Create a compelling professional narrative for a proper, attention-grabbing introduction.

• LinkedIn Summaries
• Speaker Intros
• Website Bios
• Professional Profile

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Your professional bio is not only relevant when applying for jobs, seeking new clients, or networking — it also gives the world a brief snapshot of who you are and your professional ideals.

To help you author one that packs a punch, we’ll teach you how to write a professional bio, give you professional bio templates, and show you the best professional bio examples you can get inspiration from.

Skip to one of these sections if you know what you're looking for:

What is a professional bio?

Professional bio templates, how to write a professional bio, best professional bio examples, how to write a short bio.

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A professional bio or biography is a short overview of your experience. Professional bios usually include details about education, employment, achievements, and relevant skills.

Purpose of Professional Bios

A bio tells an audience about who you are, what you've done, and what you can do. It can help potential employers, fans, or customers get a sense of your personality and what you stand for.

Writing your bio may be hard to achieve without a starting point. Below, we've included professional templates to expedite the process of writing a great bio.

With professional bios, keeping your message honest and to the point is best practice. So how do you write one that will effectively market you and your brand? You use a professional bio template.

By sticking to a predetermined format, all you have to do is fill in the blanks with your most relevant career information. These bio templates will guide you on where you should place your:

• Occupation or job title
• Passions and goals
• Skill set and expertise
• Work history

Of course, while there is no one-size-fits-all template for a professional bio, these templates are a quick way to start building your long or short bio before customizing it.

But before choosing your bio template, there are some key elements to include to ensure yours is effective.

For example, say you're looking for a job. Your professional bio should give recruiters a peek at your career accomplishments and experience.

What if you've recently published a book or are applying for a grant? In those situations, highlight organizations you support or include catchy anecdotes.

And if you’re a recent graduate? A well-written professional bio helps you communicate how your life experience makes you the best candidate for the roles you’re seeking.

Bottom line: Tailoring your professional bio to your goals and who you want to reach will make it effective.

To structure your professional bio to stay true to these objectives, try our 80+ downloadable professional bio templates — for both short- and long-form bios — to start creating a bio that hits the mark.

What should a professional bio say?

Your professional bio should be as unique as you.

When writing your bio, include important professional roles and achievements. Add your passions, interests, and how you bring your values to your work. Finally, your bio should give readers a chance to know you and reflect your personality.

First-Person Bio vs. Third-Person Bio

While first-person bios are quite common, third-person bios can be more effective in formal situations.

Your decision to write your professional bio in the first or third person depends on your desire to leave a more personable or assertive impression.

Both approaches work, provided you tailor them to your goals and audience. What’s important is to be clear and tell your story in a way that connects with your reader.

Writing a First-Person Bio

Writing in the first person can be a great way to connect with your audience when building a personal brand. When you write a first-person bio, use "I" or "me" to make yourself relatable and approachable.

Here's one way to write a first-person bio:

"I’m a freelance writer specializing in small business content. I’ve worked with companies in a variety of industries like home care to fine leather goods."

By speaking in the first person here, you connect with a client or brand based on your personal experience and opinions. Put another way, writing a first-person bio is like telling your story to your audience.

Here are a few tips to make your first-person bio great:

Don’t start every sentence with "I."

Showing instead of telling is a great approach.

Let’s say you’re a writer who wants to create a short professional bio. Instead of saying, "I love to write," you can say, "Writer. Bad but enthusiastic dancer."

This portrays your writing skill, shows your personality outside of writing as a dancer, and includes a little sense of humor, which is essential for a writer.

Remember, you know yourself better than anyone.

Adding a back story to your bio helps create context for the roles and successes you write about. Think of it like a case study about who you were, what you are now, and the process that got you to your current position.

Focus on useful details.

Quick facts about you can showcase your identity and values. For example, if you're writing a bio for LinkedIn, think about how you can tie your hobby into what you do.

Let's say Animal Crossing is your hobby. Does it align with your career aspirations? If your goal is to pursue a video game career, it can be a great addition to your bio.

However, if your interests lie elsewhere, including a more relevant hobby is better.

Writing a Third-Person Bio

Third-person bios sound more authoritative and objective. So, if you’re job searching in a formal industry, applying for grants, or trying to get published, you may want to stick to the third person.

For instance, when you write a third-person bio, you may start with:

"Jasmine Montgomery is a Senior Hiring Manager at L’Oreal based in New York. She recruits across several business units to connect with the brightest talent from around the globe."

By only using your name and pronouns to speak about yourself here, you are letting your title and skill set speak for themselves.

These bios create distance between the subject of the bio (you) and the reader through a third person. This person could be anyone, but they usually speak in a tone that emphasizes their expertise.

This makes third-person bios feel aloof or overly formal sometimes.

Ideally, your third-person bio should sound friendly but polished, like a message from a close colleague at work. Here are a few tips on how to write a great third-person bio.

Write from the perspective of someone you know and trust.

It can be tough to write about yourself, so try to see yourself from the perspective of your favorite person at work or a mentor you trust. This can help you write from a position of authority without feeling self-conscious.

Show the reader why they should trust your opinion.

A professional bio often reflects a specific industry or niche. With this in mind, your text should include relevant details that professionals in your industry know. Avoid jargon whenever you can.

Remember, you're telling a story.

If you want a third-person bio, but you're used to writing in first-person, it may help to write it the way that's most comfortable for you.

Your professional bio is an important piece of writing, so edit it carefully. Edit your writing from both points of view and see which works best for your target audience.

Here's how to write a professional bio, step by step.

• Create an 'About' page for your website or profile.
• Begin writing your bio with your first and last name.
• Mention any associated brand name you might use.
• State your current position and what you do.
• Include at least one professional accomplishment.
• Describe your values and how they inform your career.
• Briefly tell your readers who you are outside of work.
• Use humor or a personal story to add flavor to your professional bio.

If you’re anything like me, you probably don't think about your professional bio until you’re suddenly asked to "send one over via email."

You have approximately one afternoon to come up with it, so you scramble together a bio that ends up reading like this:

"Rodney Erickson is a content marketing professional at HubSpot, a CRM platform that helps companies attract visitors, convert leads, and close customers.

Previously, Rodney worked as a marketing manager for a tech software startup. He graduated with honors from Columbia University with a dual degree in Business Administration and Creative Writing."

To be fair, in certain contexts, your professional bio needs to be more formal, like Mr. Erickson's up there. But there are also cases where writing a personable and conversational bio is good.

Whether you choose the formal or casual route, use the following steps to create a perfect bio.

1. Create an 'About' page for your website or profile.

You need an online space to keep your professional bio. Here are a few to consider (some of these you might already have in place):

• Facebook Business page .
• Industry blog byline .
• Instagram account .
• Personal website .
• LinkedIn profile .
• Industry website .
• Personal blog .

As you'll see in the professional bio examples below, the length and tone of your bio will differ depending on the platforms you use.

Instagram, for example, allows only 150 characters of bio space, whereas you can write as much as you want on your website or Facebook Business page.

2. Begin writing your bio with your first and last name.

If your readers remember nothing else about your bio, they should remember your name. For that reason, it's a good idea for your first and last name to be the first two words of your professional bio.

Even if your name is printed above this bio (hint: it should), this is a rare moment where it's okay to be redundant.

For example, if I were writing my bio, I might start it like this:

Lindsay Kolowich

Lindsay Kolowich is a Senior Marketing Manager at HubSpot.

3. Mention any associated brand name you might use.

Will your professional bio represent you or a business you work for? Ensure you mention the brand you associate with in your bio. If you're a freelancer, you may have a personal business name or pseudonym you advertise to your clients.

Here are a few examples:

• Lindsay Kolowich Marketing.
• SEO Lindsay.
• Kolowich Consulting.
• Content by Kolowich (what do you think ... too cheesy?).

Maybe you founded your own company and want its name to be separate from your real name. Keep it simple like this: "Lindsay Kolowich is the founder and CEO of Kolowich Consulting."

4. State your current position and what you do.

Whether you're the author of a novel or a mid-level specialist, use the next few lines of your bio to describe what you do in that position. Don't assume your audience knows what your job title entails.

Make your primary responsibilities known so readers can know you and understand what you offer to your industry.

5. Include at least one professional accomplishment.

Just as a business touts its client successes in the form of case studies, your professional bio should let your audience know what you've achieved.

What have you done for yourself — as well as for others — that makes you a valuable player in your industry?

6. Describe your values and how they inform your career.

Why do you do what you do? What might make your contribution to the market different from your colleagues? What are the values that make your business a worthwhile investment to others?

Create a professional bio that answers these questions.

7. Briefly tell your readers who you are outside of work.

Transition from describing your values in work to describing who you are outside of work. This may include:

• Your family.
• Your hometown.
• Sports you play.
• Hobbies and interests.
• Favorite music and travel destinations.
• Side hustles you're working on.

People like connecting with other people. The more transparent you are about who you are personally, the more likable you'll be to people reading about you.

8. Use humor or a personal story to add flavor to your professional bio.

End your professional bio on a good note — or, more specifically, a funny note. By leaving your audience with something quirky or unique, you can ensure they'll leave your website with a pleasant impression of you.

It's important to follow the steps above when writing your bio, but don't obsess over any one section. People consume lots of information daily. So ensure your bio hooks 'em in the first line, and you won’t lose them.

(P.S. Want to boost your professional brand? Take one of HubSpot Academy's free certification courses . In just one weekend, you can add a line to your resume and bio that over 60,000 marketers covet.)

Why Good Bios Are Important for a Professional

Now you may think, “How many people read professional bios, anyway?”

The answer: A lot. Though there's no way to tell who is reading it, you want it to be catchy. Done right, your professional bio will delight the right people who come across it on multiple platforms.

Professional bios can live on your LinkedIn profile , company website, guest posts, your speaker profiles, Twitter bio , Instagram bio , and many other places.

And, most importantly, it's the tool you can leverage most when you're networking.

Bottom line? People will read your professional bio. Whether they remember it, and whether it makes them care about you, is a matter of how well you present yourself to your intended audience.

So, what does a top-notch professional bio look like?

Below, we've curated some of the best professional bio examples we've ever seen on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and the various places where you might describe yourself.

Check 'em out and use them as inspiration when crafting your own.

• Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie: Author
• Chima Mmeje: SEO Content Writer
• DJ Nexus: DJ
• Lena Axelsson: Marriage & Family Therapist
• Mark Levy: Branding Firm Founder
• Audra Simpson: Political Anthropologist
• Marie Mikhail: Professional Recruiter
• Wonbo Woo: Executive Producer
• Chris Burkard: Freelance Photographer
• Lisa Quine: Creative Consultant
• Nancy Twine: Hair Care Founder
• Trinity Mouzon: Wellness Brand Founder
• Alberto Perez: Co-Founder of Zumba Fitness
• Ann Handley: Writer and Marketer

1. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie : Author

Bio platform: personal website.

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie begins her professional bio with an invitation to her roots.

In a few paragraphs, she describes when and where she was born, her family, her education, her honorary degrees, and the depth of her work, which has been translated into 30 languages and several publications.

Along with her notable writing career, Chimamanda highlights her annual creative writing workshop, which introduces readers to a well-rounded view of who she is as a professional.

From there, her bio seamlessly flows into her recent work and a glimpse into how and where she spends her personal time — the United States and Nigeria.

Finally, Chimamanda’s bio ends with a call to action to read a more detailed biography, giving the reader a choice to read the information available about her life and career.

Why We Like It

• It’s written in the third person, allowing it to show authority.
• It provides a brief but engaging account of Chimamanda’s life and experiences.
• Mentioning her honorary doctorate degrees makes readers know Chimamanda is one of the best writers in the world.

2. Chime Mmeje : SEO Content Writer

Bio platform: linkedin.

A bio with a hook will keep you reading. Chima Mmeje is a freelance SEO copywriter who’s "extremely good at one thing" — helping companies rank for their target keywords.

By leading with a powerful hook that aligns with her target audience’s marketing needs, she’s able to keep readers engaged.

What comes next is a unique differentiator in Chima’s professional bio. Instead of listing accolades, Chima shares a few wins secured for clients.

This nifty section does two things: it builds the readers’ confidence in Chima’s ability to deliver results, and it’s a practical way for Chima to name-drop some clients in her professional bio.

In the body of the professional bio, Chima briefly lists the processes that can help potential clients get a bird's-eye view of what they can expect.

The simple call to action "Drop a message" is a casual invitation to learn more about Chima's services.

• There’s clarity about who Chima serves.
• The hook is bold, catchy, and compels anyone to read further.
• Including client results make clients visualize what they can expect.

3. DJ Nexus : DJ

Bio platform: facebook.

This New England-based DJ has single-handedly captured the Likes of over 2,000 people in and beyond Boston, MA. And even if you don't listen to the type of music he produces, it's hard not to read his compelling Facebook bio.

For instance, consider his tagline, under "About" — " Quiet during the day. QUITE LOUD at night! " DJ Nexus tells you when he works awesomely. I got goosebumps just imagining a dance club in which he might play his music.

DJ Nexus's bio brilliance doesn't stop there.

DJ Nexus links his Facebook account to his personal website , where he has the space to tell the full story of his background. Here's a preview:

In this story, DJ Nexus describes how he got his name, including information about a company he founded before going to college.

This is a terrific lesson for professional bios: Customers want to learn about you. Consider how you might also lead your visitors off your Facebook page and onto your website to learn more about who you are.

• The eight compelling words in the bio pack a punch and grab attention.
• The bio gives off the feeling that DJ Nexus is great at his craft.

4. Lena Axelsson : Marriage & Family Therapist

Bio platform: industry website.

No matter where it lives, your professional bio does not differ from any other persuasive copy. One common mistake people make is thinking of it as its own beast, separate from other pieces of writing.

If you think about it that way, you’d likely write a painfully uninteresting bio.

When you sit to write your professional bio, don’t watch that cursor blinking on the screen. Instead, think about how you would introduce a blog post. You don't dive right into the meat of the thing, do you? No. You start with an introduction.

The best bios are often concise (around 200–300 words), so you don't have a lot of room to play around.

But a single sentence that sets the stage for your reader and provides a context for your accomplishments could make the rest of your bio more persuasive.

Take Lena Axelsson's bio, for instance. She's a marriage and family therapist — a job where empathy and compassion are a big part of the job description.

That's why she opens her bio with a great introductory sentence: "When human beings experience trauma or severe life stressors, it is not uncommon for their lives to unravel."

Then, she goes into why she's passionate about her job, how she helps her clients, and how she caters her approach to each patient. The necessary educational information is left for the end after the reader has been hooked.

Your bio doesn't have to be super serious, nor does it have to start with a joke. This bio shows how you can capture your reader's attention by being empathetic and showing how that empathy shapes a valuable professional.

• It summarizes Lena’s background as a therapist, including her approach to therapy.
• The tone of the bio is professional and informative, rather than overly personal or casual.
• The bio focuses on Lena’s audience. This makes readers know that Lena wants to help.

5. Mark Levy : Branding Firm Founder

Mark Levy is a small business owner. While the professional bio on his website takes a traditional approach, it still speaks to Mark’s audience.

What we love about his bio is the way he's set it up: On his business' "About" page, he's listed two biographies, which he's labeled "Mark Levy's Biography #1" and "Mark Levy's Biography #2."

Click here to see the full version .

The first biography is a "short version," which includes a combination of bullet points listing his credentials and a few brief paragraphs.

The second is the "long version," which is even more interesting than the first. Why? It reads like a story — a compelling one, at that. In fact, it gets hilarious in some parts.

The second sentence of the bio reads: "He was frightened of public school, loved playing baseball and football, ran home to watch ape films on the 4:30 Movie, listened to The Jam and The Buzzcocks, and read magic trick books."

Here's another excerpt from the middle:

Of course, the fantastic copywriting isn't a surprise, given that Mark wrote several books. But the conversational tone and entertaining copy let his quirky personality (and great writing skills) shine.

• Mark’s funny and approachable personality shows all over his bio.
• Mark writes his bio in the third person, which positions him as an expert.
• It uses storytelling to humanize Mark and pull the reader into Mark’s world.

6. Audra Simpson : Political Anthropologist

With a classic take on the professional bio, Audra Simpson crafts an overview of her career in just a couple of paragraphs.

She emphasizes the "why" behind her work in the first half of her bio before transitioning to the way she carries out that work in practice.

The second half of her bio combines her body of work and the awards she’s won. This subtle timeline gives readers a picture of her experience in political anthropology without listing her resume in detail.

• Audra’s bio shows how experts can succinctly discuss their years of experience in a few words.
• It proves Audra is an expert political anthropologist.
• It shows Audra’s interests, giving readers a sense of what she likes as a professional.

7. Marie Mikhail : Professional Recruiter

Marie Mikhail checks nearly every box that makes an excellent bio.

A professional recruiter, she expresses her "passion for recruiting" in the first sentence, while using that sentence to hook her profile visitors into a brief story of her background.

But there are a lot of recruiters out there, and Marie knows that.

So, to differentiate herself, she closes the first paragraph of her bio by explaining that she likes "getting people excited about the things [she's] excited about."

It's a well-put value proposition that sets her apart from the rest of the HR industry.

Marie concludes her bio with a smooth mix of professional skills, like her Spanish fluency, and personal interests, such as podcasting and Star Wars (she mentions the latter with just the right amount of humor).

• Straight off the bat, Marie uses a story to share her experiences of how she began as a recruiter.
• It provides a subtle pitch for readers to check out her podcast.
• The bio exudes Maries approachable, fun, and playful personality.

8. Wonbo Woo : Executive Producer

Wonbo Woo is the executive producer of WIRED's video content and has several impressive credits to his name. What does this mean for his professional bio? He has to prioritize.

With this in mind, Wonbo opens his bio with the most eye-catching details first (if the image below is hard to read, click it to see the full copy ).

Not only does Wonbo's bio start strong, but he also takes readers on a suspenseful journey through some of his most harrowing assignments — where he was when news broke and how he responded. You can see this quality below.

The accomplished journalist concludes his gripping bio as strong as it began. He mentions his experience with the states and countries he's visited in his career. Overall, it's a fantastically concise bio for as much detail as it holds.

• The first sentence of the bio leads with authority and instantly gets the reader’s attention.
• The bio dives into the many exceptional projects Wonbo Woo has executed.
• Wonbo Woo uses lots of specificity to pass points across, like WIRED's YouTube channel nearly quadrupled subscribers (+375%) and views (+391%), publishing over 100 videos annually with over a million views each.

9. Chris Burkard : Freelance Photographer

When writing your bio, you don't want to boast while showcasing your accomplishments. Chris Burkard's LinkedIn bio does this well.

Written in third-person, his bio tells a fluid story, starting with his ultimate mission — "capture stories that inspire humans to consider their relationship with nature" — before diving into more tangible accolades (giving a TED Talk, publishing books, etc.).

Best of all, rather than using his bio as an opportunity to brag, he instead ties his talents into how he hopes to help others , writing, "Through social media, Chris strives to share his vision … and inspire [his followers] to explore for themselves."

I wouldn't necessarily be inclined to follow Chris if his bio had simply read, "I post beautiful images." But images that inspire me to travel? Now that's something I can get behind.

Last, he ends on a humble, sweet note: "He is happiest with his wife Breanne raising their two sons." So inject personal information into your bio — it makes you seem approachable.

• It highlights Chris’s achievement without bragging.
• The last sentence portrays Chris as a responsible man who loves his family.
• The well-written bio speaks to nature lovers who like the outdoors, surfing, and more. This gives them reasons to follow Chris.

10. Lisa Quine : Creative Consultant

Bio platform: portfolio website.

Creative professionals who specialize in visual art may find it challenging to balance the writing of their bio and displaying of their portfolio. Not Lisa Quine. Lisa has an exceptional balance of her professional bio and creative work.

Throughout her bio, you’ll notice the number of murals she’s completed and a brief timeline of her career. This helps her paint the picture of who she is as a professional.

• Lisa’s bio checks the box on nearly all of our recommendations for a great bio. She begins with her full name, her location, and what she does best.
• Lisa gets creative by mentioning the brands she’s worked with and highlighting some of her favorite projects.
• Written in the third person, this bio invites the reader behind a metaphorical door to meet Lisa as a professional, traveler, learner, wife, and mother.

11. Nancy Twine : Hair Care Founder

Bio platform: company website.

As Founder and CEO of Briogeo — a popular natural hair care line that's received rave reviews in publications such as Allure and InStyle — there are undoubtedly plenty of accolades Twine could boast about.

But she starts her bio from a humbler place, stating: "Nancy Twine is no newcomer to the beauty-sphere — in fact, she made her first foray into the world of natural product formulation at the ripe age of five."

The rest of her bio similarly focuses on Twine's strengths as someone who's able to take hair care "back to basics."

Similarly, you might use your personal bio as an opportunity to highlight your bigger purpose or vision. As Twine shows, sometimes it's best to keep it simple and let your message resonate with the right audience.

• The bio explains why Twine started her company and what ultimately drives her.
• It uses the founder’s story to connect with its audience.
• Using a video further shows the face behind the brand and helps Twine connect with her audience.

12. Trinity Mouzon : Wellness Brand Founder

From the first sentence, I gravitated toward Mouzon's bio: "I'm obsessed with leveling the playing field."

Mouzon effectively grips the reader's attention with this introduction and then dives into some of her impressive accomplishments — including a brand now sold at Urban Outfitters and Target.

The language used throughout Mouzon's bio is authentic, real, and honest.

For instance, in the second paragraph, she admits:

"While building a brand may have looked effortless from the outside, starting a business at age 23 with no resources or funding quickly forced me to realize that early-stage entrepreneurship was anything but transparent."

• It tells a story and quickly transitions into how Trinity built her brand.
• This bio highlights Trinity’s impressive background, including how she can help her readers start and scale their businesses.
• Focusing on the reader lets Trinity show that a good bio can convert new readers into leads and customers.

13. Alberto "Beto" Perez : Co-Founder of Zumba Fitness

As an avid Zumba fan, I was excited to include this one. Perez styles his LinkedIn bio as a short story, starting with his background as a hard-working teen who held three jobs by age 14.

His bio tells the fun and fascinating origin story of Zumba, in which Perez, an aerobics teacher in Florida at the time, forgot his music for class and used a Latin music cassette tape instead ... "And it was an instant hit!"

His bio continues:

"Shortly after he was connected to Alberto Periman and Alberto Aghion, and Zumba was officially created ... What started as a dream now has 15 million people in more than 200,000 locations in 186 countries who take Zumba classes every week."

Learn how to write your professional bio with more free tips, templates, and inspiring examples.

• Perez tells the story of his business, rather than list out his accomplishments.
• The bio positions Perez as both relatable and inspirational.

14. Ann Handley : Writer and Marketer

If you're a marketer, you've likely heard of Ann Handley. Her list of credentials is lengthy, and if she wanted to, she could go on and on about her accomplishments.

But when people list their accomplishments in their bios, they risk sounding slightly egotistical.

Sure, you might impress a handful of people with all those laurels, but many people who read your bio will end up feeling either intimidated or annoyed. Think about it: Is that how you want most readers to feel when they read your bio?

To minimize the egoism that comes with talking about yourself, think about how you can list out your accomplishments without sounding like you're bragging. Ann does this really well, choosing a tone in her bio that's more approachable.

Best of all, Ann focuses on her readers' challenges and motivations, rather than her own.

For instance, she writes, "Ann Handley writes and speaks about how businesses can escape marketing mediocrity to achieve tangible results. >And she will inspire you to do work you're proud of. "

Follow the link , and you'll see the page dedicated to a fuller bio, which she's divided into two parts: a "short version" (literally a bulleted list of key facts) and a "long version," which includes traditional paragraphs.

There's something in there for everyone.

• The last section of the bio shows Ann’s warm personality — “Ann lives in Boston, where she is Mom to creatures two- and four-legged.”
• Written in the third person, this bio has lots of proof (like followers), which shows Ann is a terrific marketing leader.

If you're posting a bio on a social media account or sending a quick blurb to a client, you want to keep it short and sweet while showcasing your accomplishments.

To get started, use these best practices for writing your short professional bio:

• Introduce yourself.
• State what you do.
• Add key skills or areas of expertise.
• Include a personal mission statement
• Celebrate your wins.
• Provide your contact information.
• Show them your personality.

1. Introduce yourself.

Your introduction is your first impression, so always begin by telling people who you are. You may start with a greeting like, "Hello, my name is" or "Hi! Let me first introduce myself …" when sending your bio as a message.

If you’re writing a bio for an online platform, stating your name at the beginning works as well.

Leading with your name — even as a question — is important for recognition and building relationships.

2. State what you do.

Give people an idea of what you do daily and where you work. Your job title is how the people put you into context and consider whether your profession relates to their industry.

So detail your most relevant work in your short bios, like CEO, professor, and author.

Take a cue from Angela Duckworth , who specifies what she does in her LinkedIn bio:

If your specialty is writing, your title could be "Freelance Writer," or if it's Help Desk or Information Technology, you may use "Freelance IT Specialist."

3. Add key skills or areas of expertise.

If you send a bio to a client or potential employer, highlight your most valuable skills. For instance, if your expertise is in social media marketing and content creation, like Ivanka Dekoning , list these skills.

4. Include a personal mission statement .

What do you hope to achieve through your work? Why do you do what you do? Answering these questions can help give your bio’s mission statement some direction.

For instance, Farmer Bea has a goal of helping to raise awareness about all things bees.

5. Celebrate your wins.

Your short bio can be a proud showcase of your accomplishments, so add one to two successes you’ve achieved through your skills or mission.

For instance, if you got recognition from industry leaders like Art Critic Jerry Saltz , you can list your wins like his:

6. Provide your contact information.

People who visit your profile or receive your message already know your social media account. But to take business off the app, include your email address, website, or any other professional profiles where they can reach you.

Political Commentator and Sports Correspondent, Angela Rye , shows a great example of this in her short professional bio on Instagram:

7. Show them your personality.

Don’t be afraid to add a bit of charisma to your short professional bio. “Professional” doesn’t have to mean plain. You can best portray your personality through:

• A joke. "Some mistakes are too much fun to only make once. At least that’s what I learned when I created…"
• Mention a hobby. "I’ll be honest: for me, tennis is life — Go Nadal!"
• A fun fact. "Every year, I watch 100 new films! I’m a cinephile and love every movie genre."
• A few emojis related to your interests. "🎶🤖🎾🎬🎭"

Whichever way you choose to get personal, give people a glimpse into who you are as an individual.

When writing a short bio, it can be tempting to pack in as much relevant information about yourself as possible — but this isn’t the most effective approach.

Instead, focus on including the details that you and your audience care about most and leave out the fluff.

Let's dive into a few examples of short professional bios.

Short Professional Bio Examples

• Corey Wainwright: Principal Marketing Manager
• Lianna Patch: Copywriter
• Precious Oboidhe: Content Strategist and Writer
• Rebecca Bollwitt: Writer
• Megan Gilmore: Cookbook Author
• Bea Dixon: Feminine Care Founder
• Tammy Hembrow: Instagram Influencer
• Dr. Cody: Chiropractor
• Larry Kim: Founder
• Dharmesh Shah: Founder and CTO
• Lily Ugbaja: Content Strategist
• Ian Anderson Gray: Marketer
• Van Jones: Political Commentator, Author, and Lawyer

1. Corey Wainwright : Principal Marketing Manager

Bio platform: blog byline.

Corey Wainwright is a Principal Marketing Manager here at HubSpot. She's written content for HubSpot's Marketing Blog for years, and her blog author bio caught my eye before I ever started working for HubSpot.

(Back then, it started with, "Corey just took a cool vacation.")

What I love most about Corey's bio is that it's a great example of how to deliver information about yourself without taking things too seriously. And in this context, that's totally appropriate.

Despite having several impressive accomplishments under her belt, she simply doesn't enjoy displaying them publicly. She prefers making her author bio a little "light."

Her bio reads, "Corey is a Bruce Springsteen fan who does content marketing, in that order."

It works in this context because, at HubSpot, our blog authors prefer to make themselves friendly and approachable — while letting their content speak for itself.

It helps that authors' social media accounts are located right below our names and above our pictures. This lets folks click the LinkedIn button and go to the author's LinkedIn page.

( You can read this blog post to learn how to create social media buttons and add them to your website.)

• It’s short and simple.
• It pitches her company’s product as the best CRM software.
• Pairing her perfect smile and the mention of a popular singer — Bruce Springsteen — adds humor to her bio, shows singing may be one of her interests, and makes her appear friendly.

2. Lianna Patch : Copywriter

Lianna Patch is a rockstar copywriter who has written for popular publications like Copy Hackers. What’s striking about Lianna’s bio is that it sums up everything you want in a copywriter.

I mean, see the first sentence of her bio — “Lianna’s greatest dream is to make your customers pause, smile, and click (in that order).”

• It’s punchy and welcoming.
• It shows the outcome companies can get by working with her.
• It has a call-to-action (CTA).

3. Precious Oboidhe : Content Strategist and Writer

I don’t check out an author's byline unless the post is interesting. My guess is you do the same. And most times, you do this because you may be interested in working with the writer.

This is where a short bio that speaks to your needs comes in. An example? An example? Precious' bio that shows off his skills as a freelance content strategist and writer.

• It states that Precious is for hire, causing interested prospects to contact him.
• It includes his website, where prospects can learn more about him.
• People can connect with Precious on social media to learn more about his work.

4. Rebecca Bollwitt : Writer

Bio platform: instagram.

Instagram is a notoriously difficult platform on which to write a good bio. Similar to Twitter, you don't have room for a professional bio that includes everything about you.

And because Instagram is primarily a mobile app, many viewers read about you passively on their mobile devices.

Instagram's limited bio space requires you to highlight just your most important qualities. Blogging icon Rebecca Bollwitt does just this in her own Instagram bio excellently.

Rebecca's brand name is Miss604, and she cleverly uses emojis in her Instagram bio to tell visitors what makes her a valuable content creator. See the screenshot below:

The rest of her bio follows suit, breaking up the text with an appropriate emoji and a perfect collection of nouns to tell me who she is as a person.

She even links out to her husband's Instagram account after the heart emoji (an adorable addition) and assures her followers that all of her pictures are authentically hers.

Take a lesson from Miss604 and show your personal side. Branding yourself as a professional shouldn’t involve discarding many things that make you human . Often, your most personal attributes make for the best professional bio content.

• Using emojis gives off Rebecca as a friendly person.
• Rebecca highlights her most important qualities in a few words.

5. Megan Gilmore : Cookbook Author

Bio platform: instagram.

Megan Gilmore is a best-selling cookbook author. She often posts healthy recipes on her Instagram page and inspires her followers to learn not to sacrifice taste for the sake of health.

You can glean most of this information immediately from her Instagram bio, which is short and to the point: "Gluten-free recipes and meal plans."

Gilmore further includes a CTA link within her Instagram bio that leads followers to free, ready-to-use recipes. You might think, " Why would she do that since it discourages people from buying her book?"

But that couldn't be further from the truth.

By giving her followers the chance to try out her recipes, she's slowly turning leads into customers. After I tried a few of her Instagram recipes and loved them, I bought her book, knowing I'd like more of what she offered.

• The bio is short and direct.
• The CTA link includes an invitation for people to join her newsletter. Meaning, she can build her email list.

6. Bea Dixon : Feminine Care Founder

Bea Dixon, Founder and CEO of The Honey Pot Company, efficiently uses the space on her Instagram profile to highlight who she is as a well-rounded human — not just a businesswoman.

For instance, while she highlights her girl boss attitude with a tiara emoji, she equally calls attention to her fashion interests (Free People), her pets, Boss and Sadie, and her love for ramen noodles.

• It shows who Bea is outside work.
• It includes a CTA that lets people check out everything Bea offers.

7. Tammy Hembrow : Instagram Influencer

Tammy Hembrow is a founder, fitness model, Instagram Influencer, and entrepreneur. These are a lot to fit into one Instagram profile. And this is where a summary of what you do and where people can find you take center stage.

If you wear many hats like Tammy, be sure to mention your biggest traffic driver in your Instagram profile and include a link to all you do.

• It shows Tammy’s core channel besides Instagram — YouTube.
• It includes a CTA that lets people learn more about what Tammy does.
• It links out to other pages owned by Tammy.

8. Dr. Cody : Chiropractor

Dr. Cody is a Sydney-based chiropractor. Like Tammy, Dr. Cody brilliantly uses the limited space on his Instagram profile to convey vital info to his audience.

Adding his TikTok account with almost three million followers is another excellent move.

• No one gets three million followers by doing a poor job. By including 2.9M+ TikTok followers in his bio, Dr. Cody instantly proves his expertise to his audience.
• Including his TikTok handle is a subtle pitch for people to follow his account on TikTok.
• The CTA link is great for those who want to learn more about Dr. Cody’s offers.

9. Larry Kim : Founder

Bio platform: twitter.

Forget about words for a moment. Looking at Larry’s bio, you immediately know what he prioritizes above all else — his family.

This could endear people to him. And don’t forget the inclusion of “Christian” — this instantly shows what he stands for.

• It shows what Larry takes seriously besides work — his family and his faith.
• The popular publications give people a reason to follow Larry.

10. Dharmesh Shah : Founder and CTO

Dharmesh Shah is the co-founder and CTO of HubSpot. Dharmesh’s bio is exciting because it has social proof, gives people a reason to follow him, and shows what people can expect.

• It shows what followers can expect.
• Dharmesh’s warm smile is welcoming, and his personal mission is inviting.
• It calls attention to Dharmesh’s business — HubSpot.

11. Lily Ugbaja : Content Strategist

Look no further than Lily's if you want inspiration for a Twitter bio packed with social proof.

Lily is a content strategist and writer for popular companies like HubSpot, WordPress, and more. When you read Lily’s bio, the second sentence grabs your attention immediately because it shows the result you can get by working with her.

• It has catchy social proof elements.
• It contains a CTA encouraging people to subscribe to her newsletter.

12. Ian Anderson Gray : Marketer

Details matter, especially when there’s a cap on the number of words you can use to express yourself.

For instance, the funny and impactful bio of Ian Anderson on his Twitter page reads:

"Dad & Husband. Confident Live® Marketing Podcast 🎧 & Show 🎥 Helping you level up your impact, authority & profits through the power of Confident Live Video."

What more do you need to know?

Ian doesn't take his bio too seriously but uses every character to highlight everything about him.

He includes his skill as a marketer and podcast host, who he is outside work as a dad, and what he can help you do. His smiles also give the bio a sense of humor and realness.

• It highlights everything about Ian in a few words.
• It includes a CTA to check out Ian’s podcast.
• It shows Ian’s fun personality, an important trait for podcast hosts.

13. Van Jones : Political Commentator, Author, and Lawyer

Someone known for various talents and skills may find it difficult to capture who they are in a professional bio. The feat is nearly impossible when limited to just over 100 characters on Twitter.

But Van Jones effortlessly explains who he is and why it matters to everyone who visits his Twitter profile.

He starts his professional bio with a token of personalization and prioritization of his values. By mentioning that he is a dad first, we recognize what’s important to him in his long list of successes.

As we’ve seen in other bios, sharing who we are outside of work makes us more personable and should find its way into your bio, if possible.

What’s great about Van’s Twitter bio is his ability to link valuable offerings to his readers. He invites us to check out his latest book and has his website magiclabsmedia.com linked at the top.

• It includes a CTA.
• It shows Van’s personality and what he cares about.
• It shows one of Van’s accomplishments as a 3X NYT bestseller.

Create Your Own Professional Bio

Prim and proper, relaxed, or studded with accomplishments, your bio reflects your best professional self. Your professional bio will often precede your physical presence. Before people meet you for the first time, they’ll probably read your bio.

Whether you’re creating an about page for your website or social media profile, one thing’s for sure: You’ll want to put your best foot forward with a top-notch professional bio.

Editor's Note: This post was originally published in November 2019 and has been updated for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

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Author Interviews

Alice carriere pulled from an extraordinary childhood to write her new memoir.

Jonaki Mehta

Sarah Handel

Ailsa Chang

NPR's Ailsa Chang talks with writer Alice Carriere about her debut novel, Everything/Nothing/Someone.

AILSA CHANG, HOST:

By almost any standard, Alice Carriere had an extraordinary childhood. She's the daughter of Jennifer Bartlett, an internationally renowned artist who also happened to be an emotionally distant mother. Her father is a popular German actor, Matthew Carriere, who exhibited inappropriate behavior during Alice Carriere's childhood. We want to warn you that we will be discussing that part of her life later on in this conversation. As Carriere entered her teen years, her brain started to splinter into a dissociative disorder.

ALICE CARRIERE: I couldn't recognize my own face in the mirror. I had no connection to my feelings, my body, my history. I was convinced I didn't exist. I would write to keep myself from getting completely lost. And it was my...

CHANG: Yeah.

CARRIERE: ...One tether to myself and to reality.

CHANG: All that writing has led to this moment, a new memoir called "Everything/Nothing/Someone." I was curious about how she could trust her memories from a time when her mental illness was so consuming.

CARRIERE: Doubt is so intrinsic to the dissociative experience.

CHANG: Right.

CARRIERE: So that doubt often feels realer than anything else. The process of doubting is just the process of living for me. And I think it was precisely that doubt that not only splintered and shattered me but also gave me the capacity to connect in a way that I never thought possible. It gave me the opportunity to listen to my father's story, to humanize my mother in a way that I don't think she ever could and to recognize the humanity in myself even when I couldn't recognize my own face in the mirror.

CHANG: Well, I just want to be up front. Your book raises serious questions about whether your father sexually abused you. When you started writing, how much did you share with him about what you intended to reveal?

CARRIERE: Well, I was estranged from him for 12 years because he did transgress in many ways. There was an oversharing of information that was often inflected with sexuality, and he put me in dangerous situations. But then I was subjected to a similar indoctrination to what my mother was subjected to. An overzealous clinician implanted false memories of ritualized sexual abuse and murder into her. And I went to a treatment center where I was told that my father had molested me, that he was a monster and I should never speak to him again.

And I didn't speak to him for 12 years. And then after a massive dissociative episode in 2018 that dissolved my entire identity yet again, I needed to rebuild myself from the raw materials of my life. And my mother was suffering from dementia. The nanny who raised me was dead. He was the only one left. And I went, and I confronted my father. And I told him everything. I told him all the ways I felt that he had violated boundaries. And it was an extraordinary reunion that helped me understand how so many things can be true and how to humanize. So I told him everything.

CHANG: You know, your book made me think about how much we are formed by our parents and all of us who are wrestling with our parents' influence, whether it's through therapy or medication or spirituality, whatever it may be. We believe in the ability to be something different from our parents. And I think that there's something really optimistic about that. There's something really optimistic about your story because through your struggle, there was hope.

CARRIERE: Yes, exactly. Even when it was a challenge to, let's say, find the words for what I was experiencing, it was exactly that challenge that kept me from getting lost. And I really hope, through this book, I can help people who are inside of the dissociative experience articulate it, and I can help those who are outside of the dissociative experience - I can help them to understand it. And it's really because of my partner, Gregory, because this book is an unlikely love story as well.

CHANG: Yes.

CARRIERE: And it's because of Gregory that I have really learned that that optimism is even possible.

CHANG: And may I ask, how has this book, if it has, helped you deepen your connection to your mom, who has since passed away? But I imagine you've reexamined and re-remembered your whole relationship with her.

CARRIERE: So, yes, she died a year ago in July. And it's interesting because when she was diagnosed with dementia, it's obviously an illness that takes a lot away. But in what it removed was a really profound opportunity. And the dementia liberated her from these false, implanted memories of ritualized sexual abuse and murder that had made her hide in her work and had kept her away from the people she tried to love. And it freed her from this crushing ambition. And that allowed her to just be tender and curious. And then what it did for me was it liberated me of this story that had defined me for so long, which was I was just a mental patient and a screw-up. And that allowed me to just be her daughter. And in writing this book, I not only wrote myself into a place of deep, deep, deep empathy for her, but the only advice she ever gave me was just do the work. And just doing the work is how I can emulate her in a way that's not destructive or alienating. And in just doing the work, that's how I continue to stay connected to her.

CHANG: Yeah. When I think about the arc of your relationship with your mother, I'm struck by how much it had meant to you or how much you had desired at one point for her to see you as brilliant and also a great artist in a way, I mean, through writing. You wanted to discuss your work with her, to be her peer. But in the end, you wrote that you became the daughter whose hand she wanted to hold. How does that sit with you?

CARRIERE: Wow - unexpected turn of events. I'm feeling on the air. That's very un-Jennifer and un-Alice.

CHANG: (Laughter).

CARRIERE: But...

CHANG: Give in to it.

CARRIERE: Right. I mean, she was so marked by and also transmitted to me a certain grandiosity. You know, she was as famous for the scale of her work as she was for her ambition. And near the end of her life - and now that I get to share the story with the world, it's an interesting inflection point because I settled for just being seen by her.

CARRIERE: And I'm so grateful for that whittling away. And one of the things I realized in the dementia was that after everything was taken away, everything that had made her who she was, what had stuck was me. And that's really powerful for me.

CHANG: Alice Carriere's new memoir is called "Everything/Nothing/Someone." Thank you so much, Alice, for sharing all of this with all of us.

CARRIERE: Thank you so much, Ailsa. I'm having a full out-of-body experience in the best possible way, and I thank you for it.

CHANG: (Laughter) You're so welcome.

(SOUNDBITE OF STORMZY SONG, "HIDE AND SEEK (FLO REMIX)")

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Joe Biden’s First Term and the ‘West Wing’ Fantasy of American Politics

In “The Last Politician,” Franklin Foer presents the first half of Biden’s presidency as a series of made-for-television moments meant to inspire doubters and assuage critics.

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THE LAST POLITICIAN: Inside Joe Biden’s White House and the Struggle for America’s Future , by Franklin Foer

How will the history of the Biden administration be written: as the turning point when America began to heal or as a hiatus between moments of deadlock and adversity? Franklin Foer’s “The Last Politician,” an account of Biden’s first two years in office, is the first draft of an answer. It has the makings of high drama. Crisis follows crisis. The problem is that, from Biden’s bleak inauguration to the surprise result of the midterms, we know the story in advance.

Foer, a staff writer for The Atlantic, revives familiar headline moments with fresh quotes that advisers and cabinet members gave him largely on background, but it would take a writer with more sense for the ineffable unfolding of history than Foer to compellingly convey the maelstrom that has at times consumed the Biden team. Unless, as he seems at times to be hinting, the scripted, typecast feel that his book exudes is the truth about the present administration.

Biden, according to Foer, enjoys “the hell out of being the Leader of the Free World.” He has been waiting his whole, long life for the opportunity. One of the more telling cameos in the book describes how the Oval Office has been physically rearranged to create the stage for Biden’s presidential storytelling. A giant portrait of Franklin Roosevelt now takes “pride of place” above the office hearth. If Trump did the presidency W.W.E.-style, one gets the feeling that the secretaries and aides of the Biden administration are living in a reboot of “The West Wing.”

Onto this carefully organized set, at least in Foer’s telling, outside events intrude as a series of tidily resolved episodes. In the Middle East, “Bibi” retaliates against Hamas rocket attacks by pummeling Gaza and destroying a high-rise that housed the offices of Al Jazeera and Associated Press journalists. For a few anxious days, Biden works his personal magic to calm the Israelis down. “Hey, man, we’re out of runway here,” Biden says to Bibi on the phone. The result is a promised cease-fire. The actual question of the future of Palestine barely registers.

Then there is the Russian invasion of Ukraine. As Foer somewhat coyly remarks, when Volodymyr Zelensky took office in 2019 Biden may have known Ukraine’s political scene better than the country’s new president, a political amateur. From the outset of the conflict, Biden was not going to be drawn into World War III and he is not afraid to tell Zelensky as much. But, for Foer, grand strategy is not the main theme. What matters is Zelensky’s lack of gratitude when offered a gift of munitions and how “Joe from Scranton” gets Kyiv to say thank you to America in a tweet .

Perhaps because it is an issue more dominated by the policy elite, the new and unfamiliar challenge of China as a “peer competitor” barely registers in Foer’s telling. By contrast, the withdrawal from Afghanistan, a personal priority for Biden, is rendered in revealing detail.

Biden got his way. But at what price? Biden did not shrink from facing the angry families of the American soldiers killed in the withdrawal. But, the previous year, when he was asked on camera how responsible he felt for the Afghanistan that America was leaving behind, the future president shaped finger and thumb to form a zero .

Biden has a rough edge. He once caused scandal by calling Vladimir Putin “a killer.” Biden also apparently remarked that Barack Obama didn’t know how to say screw you “properly” with, as Foer puts it, “the right elongation of vowels and the necessary hardness of his consonants.”

Foer’s book is above all a psychodrama of America’s political class. At its heart are relations between Biden and the Democratic “moderates.” Kyrsten Sinema and Joe Manchin, the two senators who sat at the rightward end of the Democratic majority, figure as two different versions of America. One young, brash and rapacious; the other old-school, sentimental and populist.

If the former administration was a preschool, Trump was the toddler in chief. Biden is not a toddler, but Foer’s description of the rival egos adds up to a profoundly unflattering portrait of America’s gerontocratic elite. He characterizes Biden at different moments as obstinate, moody, self-pitying and undisciplined. After accidentally calling for regime change in Russia and having to do damage control, Biden plaintively asks why he is “babied” in a way John F. Kennedy never was. The obvious answer hangs awkwardly in the air.

If you follow the technocrats who run Biden’s administration in “The Last Politician,” they tell a more substantial, policy-centered story about the overcoming of neoliberalism and a New Washington consensus. Foer recounts this by way of Biden’s national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, and his trajectory from core Clintonian to advocate of a new industrial policy. But the dirty secret is that their big project — Build Back Better — was strangled in the cradle.

The impressive list of legislation that has emerged from Biden’s first term — the American Rescue Plan, the Infrastructure Act, the CHIPS semiconductor bill and the Inflation Reduction Act, as Build Back Better came to be known — is as much a product of congressional initiative as it is of the White House. With days to go on the congressional recess clock, in the summer of 2022, the outline of the Inflation Reduction Act was dictated to Schumer’s aides by Manchin’s staff with the final details worked out in a basement of the Capitol building full of exposed pipes. The true triumph of the White House was not in the making of the bill, but in turning it, warts and all, into an effective policy tool.

In any case, technocratic magic is not what Foer’s book is about. Biden, he insists, must be judged as an old-school politician. On that score, avoiding total defeat in the 2022 midterms seems to be his vindication.

But, Foer reminds us, Biden’s personal role in that surprising outcome was limited. His approval ratings were too fragile for him to campaign intensively. What swung the results to the Democrats were not politicians, but judges, in the form of the Supreme Court’s rollback of Roe v. Wade. Biden himself did little to take aggressive action against the decision.

On abortion, his Catholic faith leaves him profoundly torn. “Wherever there were nuns,” Biden wrote in a 2007 memoir , “there was home.” But, as Foer gamely argues, though it disappointed many of his core supporters, Biden’s refusal to fall in with left-wing outrage left the Republicans to “damage themselves as he stood to the side" and helped to swing the suburban vote toward the Democrats.

Foer intends this portrait of the Biden presidency as consolation for former skeptics like himself, but it is cold comfort. Biden, “the old hack who could,” Foer writes, has emerged as the “father figure” of the West, a “man for his age.” But why?

Foer forecloses the question from the very outset. If, as the title tells us, Biden is the last politician, we should presumably cling to him for as long as possible, come what may. Boomer hegemony as destiny: This is the future sketched for us by Foer’s thin and yet telling book. Is this the inescapable truth of our political moment, or simply the limits that the shellshocked liberal imagination impose?

Adam Tooze is a professor of history at Columbia University. He is the author of “Shutdown: How Covid Shook the World’s Economy,” and writes the Chartbook newsletter.

THE LAST POLITICIAN: Inside Joe Biden’s White House and the Struggle for America’s Future | By Franklin Foer | 414 pp. | Penguin Press | $30

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In “The Last Politician,” Franklin Foer presents the first half of Joe Biden’s presidency  as a series of made-for-television moments meant to inspire doubters and assuage critics.

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Grow » marketing, 7 things to consider when writing a business book.

From your initial idea to completing your manuscript, follow these seven steps to successfully write your first business book.

Writing and publishing a business book offers its own rewards, including increased visibility and new business opportunities. In 2021, the business and economics book genre saw a 10% increase from the previous fiscal year, according to a WordsRated business book sales report .

From your initial idea to completing a manuscript, here are seven steps to get you started on your business book-writing journey.

Understand your motivation and audience

Before you write your first business book, it’s crucial to understand your motives for writing. Ask yourself why you’re writing and what benefit will it have to others. Sort your motives into personal and other goals, such as establishing authority, boosting visibility, attracting clients, and leaving a legacy. Avoid the “just do it” mentality, as it can have the opposite effect on motivation .

To avoid an unfocused book, pinpoint your narrow primary audience and craft your ideal reader persona. From there, address their needs and research insights from similar books and online communities to target your approach.

[Read more: 10 Ways to Make a Living as a Writer ]

Pick a style and craft an outline

Select your business book’s content by choosing a subject you’re passionate about and deeply knowledgeable in — consider an underdeveloped niche where you hold a favorable edge. Writing about a new topic that hasn’t been covered in your niche will allow for a unique perspective but also might require more time to develop. Existing topics often offer easier content creation but require a distinct viewpoint to stand out.

After you choose your style, craft an outline that includes a chapter-by-chapter breakdown to organize your thoughts. Writing a book becomes more manageable when you break the process down into smaller segments. Include the essentials in your outline, such as chapters, chapter thesis statements, key points, summaries, and chapter closings for coherence.

Create a compelling title (and subtitle)

The title of your business book is your book’s face, holding value and catching readers’ attention. You can brainstorm using phrases from similar content in your niche or relevant keywords. Adding a subtitle to your book provides the reader with context and communicates your book’s unique value. Descriptive subtitles will clarify the core messages of your book.

[Read more: 8 Books Every Entrepreneur Should Read in 2023 ]

Before you write your first business book, it’s crucial to understand your motives for writing.

Establish and stick to a writing schedule

A writing routine will help you drive consistent progress toward your book’s completion. Implementing an effective system to achieve your writing goals will ensure success throughout the process.

Set a specific time and place to write each day or once a week. You can begin writing your first draft by filling in your outlined structure. As you write, be authentic and capture your unique voice by letting ideas flow without getting caught up in perfection. Focus on content creation at this step rather than editing.

Choose your publishing method

There are a few different options when it comes to publishing your book — traditional, self-publishing, or hybrid. The traditional method offers advance payments and full support from a publisher, but the downside is limited control. Self-publishing grants control and allows you to have full ownership of your book, but you also have to manage the entire process. The hybrid option blends control with traditional quality and distribution but often requires upfront costs for higher royalties.

Edit yourself and get feedback

After you complete your draft, you can self-edit your writing before sending it to a professional editor. Editing includes reviewing structure and coherence and diving into paragraph and sentence structure for clarity and conciseness. One way to do this is to read your book aloud to yourself, which helps awkward phrasing stand out. You can also get feedback from beta or test readers in your field or target audience before sending it to an editor. The feedback you receive will then need to be implemented into your book.

[Read more: 10 Inspiring Books to Help Grow Your Career ]

Launch your business book

Focus on building momentum and interest in your book in the three- to six-month mark before its release. Leverage your relationships, expertise platforms, networks, and capital for promotion and marketing. You can create a simple book website with lead magnets and clear purchase instructions, as well as a list of endorsements. Be sure to develop a promotion plan that encompasses media outlets, reviews, interviews, social media workshops, and events.

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Jimmy Buffett, legendary 'Margaritaville' singer, dies at 76

Jimmy Buffett, 'Margaritaville' singer, dies at 76

Jimmy Buffett , the singer-songwriter who drew millions of fans with his folksy tales of living and loving on tropical sandy beaches, frozen concoction in hand, died Friday. He was 76.

“Jimmy passed away peacefully on the night of September 1st surrounded by his family, friends, music and dogs,” a statement on his website said. “He lived his life like a song till the very last breath and will be missed beyond measure by so many.”

The statement didn't say where Buffett died or provide a cause of death. Two sources familiar told NBC News that Buffett was battling cancer when he died. One of those sources said, "The family is broken, it all happened very suddenly."

The singer had rescheduled concerts in May, and Buffett said on social media that he had been hospitalized.

Buffett, who dubbed his brand of music “drunken Caribbean rock ‘n’ roll,” is arguably best known for “Margaritaville,” which was released in 1977 and launched him into national fame and into the history of American music.

The song went on to inspire a brand, which included restaurants and resorts, a radio station, clothing and apparel, as well as food and drink items like beer, tequila, salad dressings and salsa. It also helped make him a billionaire, with Forbes this month placing his real-time net worth at $1 billion .

But in an apparent nod to his business pursuits in the song “A Pirate Looks at Forty,” Buffett sang that he “made enough money to buy Miami, but I pissed it away so fast. Never meant to last, never meant to last.”  

Buffett was nominated for two Grammy Awards, for “Hey Good Lookin’” — a cover of the Hank Williams classic — and “It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere,” a duet with country superstar Alan Jackson.

Elton John was among several stars to pay tribute to Buffett, calling him a “unique and treasured entertainer,” in a post on Instagram Stories. “His fans adored him and he never let them down. This is the saddest of news, a lovely man gone way too soon,” John wrote. 

Actor Miles Teller also posted several photos of him with the singer on X, formerly known as Twitter. Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys also took to X, where he wrote, “Love and Mercy, Jimmy Buffett.”  

Fans, affectionately dubbed “ Parrotheads ,” were also quick to pay tribute to the singer, who was born in Pascagoula, Mississippi, on Christmas Day 1946. He was brought up mainly in Mobile, Alabama.

Many cited “One Particular Harbor” when remembering the singer: “But there’s one particular harbor/ So far yet so near/ Where I see the days as they fade away/ And finally disappear.”

After learning guitar at college — he attended Alabama's Auburn University before graduating from the University of Southern Mississippi — he began busking on the streets of New Orleans before going on to form his first band.

He later moved to Nashville, Tennessee, to work for Billboard Magazine and try his luck as a singer, the biography says. But it was in Key West, Florida, in the 1970s, that Buffett “found his true voice,” according to his website.

Jimmy Buffett talks about ‘Songs You Don’t Know By Heart’

Fellow country singer Jerry Jeff Walker first let him stay at his Coconut Grove home, and then they drove in a 1947 Packard to Key West, he told graduating students at the University of Miami, where he received an honorary doctorate in music in May 2015.

“Needless to say, my life took a big and wonderful change towards South Florida, which has a lot to do with why I’m standing here today,” he said, while wearing flip-flops below the academic robes.

Touring and recording with the Coral Reefer Band, he would go on to make 27 studio albums — four went platinum and eight gold — in a career that spanned more than five decades.

Buffett also appeared on TV and movies, wrote fiction and nonfiction books, including “Tales from Margaritaville,” “A Pirate Looks At Fifty,” as well as “Where Is Joe Merchant?,” and his work became a musical.

He popped up in the film “Jurassic World” as “running park visitor with margarita drinks,” as IMDB put it. He carried two, one in each hand.

And Buffett guest-starred in the Tom Selleck show “Blue Bloods,” playing both himself and a virtual double who posed as the singer and scammed people.

A Broadway show based on his music, “Jimmy Buffett’s Escape to Margaritaville,” debuted in 2017.  

In a recent interview, Buffett said his life-long love of reading came from his mother, Mary Lorraine Buffett, who also wanted him to be a writer.

“I think she knew that for us to read we would see the world as a bigger place than where we grew up, which was a great gift,” he said .

He also dedicated some of his time to charity, starting the “Save the Manatee Club,” a nonprofit group that seeks to protect the large, docile marine mammals from boating injuries and harm by the actions of people.

In a 2017 interview with Men’s Journal, Buffett was asked what remained on his bucket list. “I have four things: Learn to hang ten. Go to space. Go to Pitcairn Island, where my Buffett ancestors are from. And go to Antarctica,” he said.

The singer is survived by his wife, Jane Slagsvol, two daughters, Savannah and Sarah, and son, Cameron.

Henry Austin is a senior editor for NBC News Digital based in London.

Phil Helsel is a reporter for NBC News.

Chloe Melas is an entertainment correspondent for NBC News.