Much of a successful book marketing campaign revolves around the author, and a well-written bio is an essential campaign element. If you've written a fiction book, don't sell your bio short when you're investigating novel marketing. There are more than a few stories about how author bios have interested people enough to buy a book. If you're a first-time author or stepping up your game to coincide with the release of a new book, read on for tips and advice. First, you need to consider what to include, how to present yourself, and your long-term brand strategy. If you haven't thought about it already, authors are brands, and books are products. They both rely on effective marketing.
For a book publicity campaign, you need more than one version of your bio. The long-form version goes on your website and into media kits. If you are interviewed or included in a story, journalists and their editors need to know more about you first. A shorter version of your bio is appropriate for general marketing and promotion materials – and you'll write a very brief one for your social media to introduce yourself. Most publicists and book marketers advise that you experiment with several styles before settling on a final version. Sometimes, you'll pull elements from several styles to write a definitive bio.
The best author bios are written in the third person. Bios written in the first person tend to fall flat no matter how humbly and modestly they are written. Most people understand you've written your bio, but the third person is acceptable because most people think it reads more professionally and acceptably. The experts advise that a paragraph of 250-300 words will generally be the optimal length. If you have a long list of relevant details, editing them down to fit the above length is the best approach. Most people who read bios have seen others. You want to be within the range of what they expect.
It's almost always preferable to begin by writing about your work. Be mindful of your genre and help readers become interested in what you have written. Personal touches can be acceptable when they are limited and well placed, but they should not overwhelm other more relevant information. Think of bio writing as akin to news writing: the most important information comes first. If you've won awards related to your books and the topic of your book, you can reference them. If they are numerous, list only the major or newer ones. If your book is non-fiction, include details about your expertise in the subject.