How to Write An Author Bio That Attracts Readers 

Has a stranger ever asked you, “What can you tell me about yourself?”

And did you feel all the blood drain from your face as you thought, “Who even am I?!”?

Pretty much everyone can relate to that feeling…but it’s even worse for authors.

Because a reader is not just trying to get to know you. They’re trying to figure out if they want to buy your books.

Calling this a daunting task is an understatement…so we’re going to walk you through writing an author bio that grabs attention. And we’ve included over 20 unique examples because seeing them in action is the best way to learn!

What is An Author Bio

An author biography briefly tells the reader everything they need to know about the author’s credentials, writer journey, and previous works.

It’s not just a simple overview, it’s a book marketing tool used to summarize who you are while convincing them that your books are worth buying.

Do You Need An Author Bio?

With 99.9% confidence, we can say that most readers don’t know who you are. Your author biography will be the first contact for them. You need one because:

• It helps build trust with the reader.
• It allows the reader to relate to you.
• It promotes your books and other work.
• It increases book sales.

The biography of an author carries the same essence as their books. Therefore, if a reader likes yours, they’ll feel more confident that they’ll like your books too.

How to Write an Author Bio

A successful author bio will paint yourself as interesting and your books as worthwhile. These tips will help you create one that fits you best:

Aim for the target audience

You can only nail your author bio if you’ve considered who you’re writing it for. If it helps, you can create an image in your head about who this reader could be. Use these to help you form that picture:

• Their age group,
• Their hobbies and lifestyle,
• Where they are from, etc.

Then you need to write what this type of reader wants to get out of reading your bio.

For example, if you’ve written cookbooks about quick meals for busy parents, it would be worth mentioning that you’re also a parent and how many kids you have so the reader can build trust in your brand.

How long should it be?

It can be anywhere from 60-150 words, but never over (unless you’re doing a tasteful ‘About’ page on your website).

If you’re using it for your book, we suggest 60-90 words, but you could do much less if it suits you.

The length will be determined by a few factors:

• How much privacy would you like to maintain about your personal life
• What else would you like to promote, for example, a podcast or your organization
• How many awards have you won
• How many quotes or endorsements would you like to share
• What perception of your brand do you want to create

Write in the Third Person

Why does it have to be in the third person, you ask?

It’s a tale as old as time. Or in other words, it’s industry standard.

You come off as professional if it’s in the third person and it can be used anywhere.

Speaking of…

Where will you use it?

You’ll have to write a few variations of your author bio so you’re prepared for every situation. 

You’ll need:

• A longer one for your author website,
• A punchy one for social media,
• A captivating one for your book’s product page (for example your Amazon book page – you can use Amazon Author Central to do this),
• A compelling one to go alongside a book blurb
• A convincing one for book proposals 
• An informative one for book signings, interviews, speaking engagements articles, book press releases, etc.

Balance facts with personality

Let the readers into your world with some cool facts about you, whether it’s awards you’ve won or accomplishments of the company you’re a part of – if it relates to your work. This creates an outline for your professional prowess.

Without professionalism, readers may be tempted to run for the hills. But that doesn’t mean your author bio can’t have personality.

As a matter of fact, when you add some personal details that’s your chance to reel them in.

With personal details, you can color in that outline to form a fuller, beautiful image for readers to have in their minds when they think of you.

Christopher Paolini is the creator of the World of Eragon and the Fractalverse. Holder of the Guinness World Record for youngest author of a bestselling series. Qualified for marksman in the Australian army. Scottish laird. Dodged gunfire . . . more than once. As a child was chased by a moose in Alaska. Has his name inscribed on Mars. Firstborn of Kenneth and Talita. Husband. Father. Asker of questions and teller of stories.

His latest novel, Fractal Noise, will be published on May 16th, 2023.

Why it works

The biography of this author has many personal tidbits but the one that may appeal the most to a reader is near the top of the paragraph.

Keep it concise and relevant

An author bio includes a magnitude of information, and you are tasked with keeping all of it concise and to the point.

To do this you have to share your accolades and achievements with caution. If you add too much then you’ll likely leave the reader snoring. And if there’s irrelevant information, the reader will just be confused.

An author bio is about saying a lot in a few words.

Include contact links

There’s nothing wrong with plugging your social media and author website links at the bottom of your author bio.

It’s a great way to get your readers to stay connected with you and it serves as a neat CTA (call-to-action).

And that leads us to…

Call them to action

If the reader is interested after reading your author bio, you’ll want to have a CTA that tells them what to do next.

It could be as simple as asking the reader to follow you on your social media profiles or to check out your latest book release.

If they’ve made it to the end of your biography, you might as well try and keep that momentum going!

Suzanne Leonhard is an award-winning novelist and screenwriter. Formerly published with Harper Collins, she now writes post apocalyptic thrillers to satisfy her love for end times fiction. She lives on the beautiful Florida coast with her husband and a whole lotta cats. You can email Suzanne at suzanne.leonhard@gmail.com, visit her website at suzanneleonhard.com, or join her on her Facebook page @TheGoliathCode.

Why it works

Suzanne’s bio briefly shares what she’s comfortable with and effectively ends off with a few CTAs that encourage her fans and newcomers to keep in touch.

19 Inspiring Author Bio Examples

Authors are not just limited to the words they write on the page, and no one author is the same as another.

So, to make sure you write the best author bio you can, we’ve included 20 examples that highlight a different element. You have the pick of the bunch!

1. Fantasy author bio

Chloe Gong is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the critically acclaimed Secret Shanghai novels, as well as the Flesh and False Gods trilogy. Her books have been published in over twenty countries and have been featured in The New York Times, People, Forbes, and more. She is a recent graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, where she double-majored in English and international relations. Born in Shanghai and raised in Auckland, New Zealand, Chloe is now located in New York City, pretending to be a real adult.

You can find her on Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok under @thechloegong, or visit her website at www.thechloegong.com.

Why it works

Chloe’s author bio is classy and shares just the right amount. Her accoladed books followed by her reach to twenty countries show off her worldwide appeal and her writing ability.

Fantasy readers will be intrigued by the book names and have more trust in her after seeing her many achievements. Her last line does all the heavy lifting on her personality. Her target readers will definitely relate to her.

2. Romance author bio

International and Amazon Best-Selling Author Maggie Carpenter, pens thrilling, romantic tales starring Rope Wrangling Cowboys, Motorcycle Bad Boys, Mafia Masters, Amorous Aliens, and Sexy Shifters. Regardless of love’s challenges, her books always end in a heart warming HEA. For her daily brain break, she heads off to a barn where she spends time with her beautiful, smart, dark bay mare, Miss Bonny. 

Social Media Links.

Newsletter: https://tinyurl.com/MaggieNL (Free book at sign up)
https://www.MaggieCarpenter.com
https://www.facebook.com/MaggieCarpenterWriter/
https://www.facebook.com/MaggieCarpenterWriter/ (Friends Page)
https://tinyurl.com/MaggiesGroup (Facebook Group)
https://www.instagram.com/maggiesub/
https://twitter.com/magcarpenter2
https://tinyurl.com/MaggiesAmazonPage
https://www.bookbub.com/profile/maggie-carpenter
Email: MagCarpenter@yahoo.com

Why it works

Maggie’s author bio has all the markings to get romance readers’ eyes widened. It cleverly mentions the types of tales you may encounter in her novels while using a well-known acronym in the community (HEA – Happily Ever After).

This actively engages the target reader along with the backing in the first-line hook: “International and Amazon Best-Selling Author.”

We then get to peek inside her life as she ends the paragraph with a personal anecdote. 

Don’t forget the plentiful links she’s shared – endless possibilities to connect with her!

3. Thriller Adventure author bio

Andrew Clawson writes thriller and adventure novels that make readers think and keep them turning pages long into the night, blurring the line between fact and fiction. 

He is the Amazon best-selling author of multiple series, including the Parker Chase thrillers, all of which have been #1 Amazon category best-sellers. ​His other series include the TURN novels and the Harry Fox adventures.

Andrew’s books are action-packed journeys blending fact and fiction, often taking a wild ride through the past to reveal mysteries and conspiracies that threaten the world today in stories where the action never stops and each page turns faster than the last.

Andrew lives in Pittsburgh with his family and their rescued black cat, a wonderful little guy who thinks he’s a dog. To learn more, please visit his website at andrewclawson.com.

Why it works

We like Andrew’s author bio because the purpose is clear: convince the reader to buy the book.

The first sentences describe how readers experience his book. Then he backs that up with past work done and a notable accolade. 

He sells the themes inside his books with a pacey middle paragraph that again hints at what to expect. 

4. Sci-Fi author bio

ANDY WEIR built a two-decade career as a software engineer until the success of his first published novel, The Martian, allowed him to live out his dream of writing full-time. 

He is a lifelong space nerd and a devoted hobbyist of such subjects as relativistic physics, orbital mechanics, and the history of manned spaceflight. He also mixes a mean cocktail.

He lives in California.

Why it works

Which Sci-FI reader wouldn’t want to read Sci-Fi from a nerd with experience in software and knowledge of physics? 

This author’s biography says so much in very little time, expanding on both his personal and writing life in a concise manner.

5. Children’s author bio

Children’s author Tonya Flores is an outgoing, energetic, busy mom of two who believes in real life superheroes! Passionate about child development, Tonya is thrilled to now be able to dedicate her time to pursue a long-time dream of helping children grow to become the best version of themselves. Known for her dedication in the pursuit of goals, Tonya is committed to helping children around the world recognize their unique abilities and grow up to be happy, confident, and fulfilled. 

Why it works

Tonya’s author bio does less to sell her books and more her background. This will instill confidence in the parents who are looking to read books to their children which will impact them positively while entertaining them.

6. Non-fiction author bio

Robert M. Sapolsky is the author of several works of nonfiction, including A Primate’s Memoir, The Trouble with Testosterone, and Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers. He is a professor of biology and neurology at Stanford University and the recipient of a MacArthur Foundation genius grant. He lives in San Francisco.

Why it works

This author bio screams non-fiction with a sophisticated voice. 

This short piece manages to list a few past books, an accolade, and share Robert’s field of knowledge. This biography’s main purpose is to show the link between the author’s expertise to the books written.

7. Multiple genres author bio

Macy Blake believes in unicorns and fairies, in moonbeams and stardust, and that happily ever after comes in all colors of the rainbow. She loves to lose herself in paranormal romance, living vicariously through her favorite sexy fictional heroes.

These days you can often find her lost in her imagination, trying to capture the magic of her own worlds. When she’s not writing, she’s busy arguing with her feisty German Shepherd, Minerva, and attempting to train her adorable pound puppies, Pomona and Severus.

Why it works

Macy’s bio skillfully expands upon the themes and genres of her work in the first sentence, leaving the rest of her bio the responsibility of laying out her personal side.

This author bio is full of personality, giving the reader an idea of the writing style inside her many genres.

8. Achievements

Fonda Lee is the World Fantasy Award-winning author of the Green Bone Saga, beginning with Jade City and continuing in Jade War and Jade Legacy. She is also the author of the acclaimed young adult science fiction novels Zeroboxer, Exo and Cross Fire, and has written comics for Marvel. Fonda is a three-time winner of the Aurora Award, and a multiple finalist for the Nebula and Locus Awards. Fonda is a recovering corporate strategist, black belt martial artist, Eggs Benedict enthusiast, and action movie aficionado. Born and raised in Canada, she now resides in Portland, Oregon. Follow Fonda online at www.fondalee.com and on Twitter @fondajlee.

Why it works

We’re hit immediately with an achievement to grab our attention in this author bio.

Some of Fonda’s popular work is sprinkled in and a coating of wonderful accolades solidifies the author’s impressive CV. 

The end of the paragraph lets us get to know Fonda in a way that intrigues and makes the reader relate.

9. Experience & Expertise

Born and raised in Southern California, Brit Bennett graduated from Stanford University and earned her MFA in fiction at the University of Michigan, where she won a Hopwood Award in Graduate Short Fiction as well as the 2014 Hurston/Wright Award for College Writers. She is a National Book Foundation “5 under 35” honoree, and her essays are featured in The New Yorker, The New York Times Magazine, The Paris Review, and Jezebel.

Why it works

This author bio example is packed with lines that explain the author’s experience and expertise. Although it can seem harder to show expertise in fiction writing, Brit has represented it well here. 

Her work with the publications will go a long way to bolster her author brand for readers and industry professionals.

10. A nice picture

Angie Thomas was born, raised, and still resides in Jackson, Mississippi as indicated by her accent. She is a former teen rapper whose greatest accomplishment was an article about her in Right-On Magazine with a picture included. She holds a BFA in Creative Writing from Belhaven University and an unofficial degree in Hip Hop. She can also still rap if needed. She is an inaugural winner of the Walter Dean Myers Grant 2015, awarded by We Need Diverse Books. Her debut novel, The Hate U Give, was acquired by Balzer + Bray/HarperCollins in a 13-house auction. Film rights have been optioned by Fox 2000 with George Tillman attached to direct and Hunger Games actress Amandla Stenberg set to star.

Why it works

This author bio example is all about the headshot. 

Picking the right picture to go alongside your bio is vital. It needs to suit the text next to it while corresponding to your brand.

We love Angie’s picture because it conveys personality while being very welcoming. With some good lighting and camera work, you can do your headshot that hits all the checkmarks.

11. Past jobs

J Z York is new to fiction writing, with Pulse her debut novel. 

An Air Force Veteran, she enthusiastically accepted assignment as a first woman in an all-male career field. 

She’s been a professional photographer, cat rancher, dog magnet, miniature horse breeder, and unlucky guinea pig grandmother (sorry Jenniva).

Working in several aspects of the film and television industry, she enjoyed collecting anecdotes while crashing numerous Cannes and Telluride Film Festivals, and L.A. gold statue award events. 

She loves things that zoom, above, or over the ground. This week she’s living in Southern California.

Why it works

As a new author, you may want to share your past jobs to either show how interesting a life you’ve led or how your experiences relate to your writing. 

This a fun way to provide an overview while engaging the target reader with your personality and your life pre-writing career.

12. Endorsements

BookPage calls Katherine Center “the reigning queen of comfort reads.” She’s the New York Times bestselling author of ten novels, including How to Walk Away, Things You Save in a Fire, The Bodyguard, and her newest, Hello Stranger. Katherine writes laugh-and-cry books about how life knocks us down—and how we get back up. She’s been compared to both Jane Austen and Nora Ephron, and the Dallas Morning News calls her stories, “satisfying in the most soul-nourishing way.” The movie adaptation of her novel The Lost Husband (starring Josh Duhamel) hit #1 on Netflix, and the movie of her novel Happiness for Beginners, starring Ellie Kemper and Luke Grimes, opens July 27 on Netflix. Katherine’s summer 2022 book, The Bodyguard, was an instant New York Times bestseller, a People Best New Books pick, and nominated for Book of the Year by Book of the Month Club. Bestselling author Emily Henry calls The Bodyguard “a shot of pure joy,” and bestselling author Helen Hoang calls it “a perfect feel-good rom-com.” Katherine lives in her hometown of Houston, Texas, with her husband, two kids, and their fluffy-but-fierce dog.

Why it works

You could either pick one stellar review or decorate your bio with a few. This author bio example uses endorsements to further expand on Katherine’s branding as well as the themes of her books.

Sometimes it’s overkill to go all in on so many aspects in a bio, other times, like in Katherine’s case, it’s the right amount to attract your ideal reader.

13. First-Time Author

Jennifer Ballow is a licensed master-level social worker & holds a degree from the University of Texas at Austin. She is a devoted mother to twin girls and a passionate advocate for children, people with disabilities, and older adults. As a children’s book author, Jennifer hopes to inspire children and their caregivers to connect through reading, imagination, and creative writing activities.

Why it works

When you’ve just put out a debut novel, you need to immediately build trust with your audience and appeal to their needs.

Jennifer Ballow’s author bio takes into account her branding and her personal life to provide a mixture just perfect for a newcomer’s bio.

14. Keeping it short

VERONICA ROSSI is the NY Times and USA Today Best Selling author of the UNDER THE NEVER SKY series for young adults. She was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, grew up in California and graduated from UCLA. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband and two sons, one of whom just surpassed her in height.

Why it works

Veronica’s author bio is short, concise, and informative. She includes her past work, her genre, and some personal elements from her life. However, the personal element that stands out is her cultural background. It’s subtle yet effective at representing what is important to her – where she came from.

15. Your image and brand

A born-and-raised Jersey girl with nothing more than passion, a laptop, and a dream, Marie Forleo has created a socially conscious digital empire that inspires millions across the globe. Named by Oprah as a thought leader for the next generation, she’s the star of the award-winning show MarieTV, with over 52 million views, and host of The Marie Forleo Podcast, with almost twelve million downloads. Marie has taught entrepreneurs, artists, and multipassionate go-getters from all walks of life how to dream big and back it up with daily action to create results. She runs the acclaimed business training program B-School and the writing program The Copy Cure. Her latest book, Everything is Figureoutable, was an instant #1 New York Times bestseller. Learn more at www.MarieForleo.com.

Why it works

This author bio is more focused on branding than the book itself – which is fine given this author’s goal!

Marie name-drops and showcases her main cause. It all supports her image and gives the reader justification for why she was equipped to write her book. 

The lesson is if you have statistics and endorsements to work with, let them speak for themselves. 

16. Pen names

Lily Menon has always been enamored of romantic comedies and happily-ever-afters in all shapes and sizes. Her very first love story, written at age nine, was about a handsome young boy who wooed the heroine with books, chocolates, and a very fat puppy. Now Lily lives with her own handsome boy (who indeed wooed her with books, chocolates, and fat puppies) in the mountains of Colorado, where she spends her days dreaming up kissing scenes and meet-cutes. When she’s bored, Lily also masquerades as New York Times bestselling YA author Sandhya Menon. MAKE UP BREAK UP is her first adult romance. Visit her online at www.lilymenon.com.

Why it works

By day you may be an author, and by night you may be…a different author. And you can share that in your author biography too!

Just in case your ideal target may be interested in other genres, you leave the door open for them to discover your pseudonym’s work.

Lily (or Sandhya) does this well. She’s curated an engaging author bio with her books’ themes and personal aspects. She finally caps it off with a clever line leading to her pen name’s work.

17. Author website

WHO IS MAGGIE CARPENTER?

The Answer May Surprise You.

Yes, she is prolific author, penning over a hundred published titles, with heroes ranging from hunky cowboys, Harley-riding bikers and handsome billionaires, to brawny barbarians and amorous aliens. She’s known for page turning, nail biting suspense, steamy scenes and dreamy HEA’s.

But Maggie has a history as colorful as one of her characters. 

Hailing from a tiny town in New Zealand, her first taste of notoriety came as a Dallas Cowboy Cheerleader. Then it was off to Los Angeles where she was picked up by a modeling agency, and went on to star in film and episodic television.

But her foray into the entertainment world didn’t stop there. She launched a highly successful live show as a stage hypnotist.

Known as Sonjia: The Mistress of Mesmerism, she performed for the boys in uniform at Camp Pendleton, thrilled crowds in L.A. nightclubs, flew down to Sydney, where she incorporated illusions into her act, then returned to her homeland and wowed the audiences across the country.

Now she works late into the night writing sexy, intriguing stories.

Always at her side is her adorable terrier mix rescued from a junk yard in Tijuana, and she never misses a day riding her beloved dark bay mare.

Why it works

The limit on word count kind of goes out the window on an author website – which, if used well, can really pull in your ideal audience.

Maggie Carpenter has a colorful background matched with a conversational tone that can grab the reader’s attention.

She starts by describing themes and then she gives some context to her personal life, intertwined with her writing life.

18. Your book’s themes 

Lauren Eckhardt is an award-winning Young Adult and Women’s Fiction author, who has a particular love of writing stories centered around second chances in life and the self-strengthening journeys of the characters through them. She currently lives in Illinois with her husband and two boys, happily surrounded by books.

www.AuthorLaurenEckhardt.com

Why it works

In the first line, the genre and the author’s accolades are planted as hooks. Lauren understands her target readers and what they’re looking for so she displays her genre’s themes in a conversational tone. 

19. Social media bio

✍️ NYT bestselling author.

🎮 Come for the #ChooseWithSooz…

📚 Stay for the awesome books.

🌙 Next up: #TheHuntingMoon, in stores Nov 7!

🔗 linktr.ee/stdennard

Why it works

Susan’s Instagram bio is excellent for the fast-paced social media world. It’s laid out in a bullet point format with appropriate emojis.

It’s catchy and straight to the point while clearly aiming at the target audience.

A Simple Author Bio Template

You can be creative with your author bio while still being concise and brief. But if you’re stuck and you need an outline, we’ve got you covered with this author bio template:

1. Credibility: Establish the author’s credibility with accolades, popular books published, experience and expertise, etc.
2. Endorsements (if none, leave out): Add Endorsements that back up the credibility well.
3. Other Work: Include other works like podcasts, TV shows, pen name’s works, or any other ventures the target reader would find of interest.
4. Personal Touch: 1-2 lines of personal information that add flare and color to the author bio – only add what you are comfortable with.
5. Call To Action: Include a call to action (CTA) and links to social media profiles, newsletters, new book releases, etc.

Remember to keep your author bio between 60-150 words and only include what you think readers would want to know!

Author Bio Mistakes To Avoid

Avoid these common author bio mistakes if you don’t want readers rolling their eyes or falling off to sleep:

• Qualification overload: Please refrain from adding your irrelevant qualifications and awards – but if you have a lot of relevant ones (good for you!), keep them to the headliners.
• The salesman: Your readers shouldn’t feel like they’re avoiding eye contact with the Mall kiosk employees selling samples when they read your bio – keep the sales talk to a minimum 
• Missing the target: Make your genres’, themes, and selling points clear, so you don’t make your target reader feel like they’re in the wrong place.
• The time-traveler: Some phrasing may have worked back in the day but it’s outdated now, so steer clear of cliches and putting dates in your bio that will make it very clear when you haven’t updated it in a while.

Where You Can Put Your First Author Bio

It’s easy for a reader to find an author on the all-knowing online oracle (Google!), so an author bio is an essential part of building an online presence. This is how readers will learn about you and your work, so you must make sure it’s as appealing as possible.

That means the words you use and the style in which it’s delivered. While you can’t exactly make your Amazon book page any color you like, you can do that on your author website.

Unlike social media, with an author website, you get to set the rules. And it’s a great place to put your first author bio too.

You’re just one inquiry form away from a stunning online presence that represents your brand. If you’re interested, get in touch!