7 Surefire Tips for Writing Author Bios with Personality and Heart

By: Melanie Faith

Crafting an author bio is a vital skill we will continue to refine throughout our writing careers. Since bios are part of author websites, query letters and book proposals, submissions to literary magazines, marketing materials for readings, and more, let’s explore a few excellent ways to create bios that have warmth and a welcoming presence. 

Add a fingerprint quality.

What makes you most you? Have you played trombone in a jazz band? Do you volunteer for a philanthropic organization? Have you been an avid fan of a sports team for years or have a small business? Are you comically bad at something? Have you held a quirky or tedious job in the past? Such details will lend a personal touch to your bio. 

No publications yet? No problem.

Noting any favorite genres or authors who have inspired your work, classes you’ve taken, being part of a workshop, or what you love best about writing will resonate with readers and editors alike. 

Make your personalized details precise.

“I like hiking” is not nearly as intriguing as “Her superpowers include hiking the first quarter of the Appalachian Trail three summers ago and obsessing on when she’ll complete the rest.” 

Tone it up. What does your bio sound like?

When I visit author websites or read author bios on book covers, my favorites have a distinctive tone. Specific details and a little clever humor, especially if the work is wry, can introduce your readers to your prose style before opening page 1. Conversely, if you write about more-serious topics, like a health crisis or accident, or if you write in genres like Thrillers, Horror, or Science Fiction, match your tone to the mood of your writing—that is, a joke in a Horror writer’s bio could be a mismatch (unless that joke relates to Horror).  Picture Book, Middle Grade, or YA authors might include a detail from their own youth. Writers of Regency, Cozy Mysteries, or similar genres often include topics related to what readers of the genres would expect. Many Romance writers include details about their passion for the genre, their partner/spouse/family, and a geographical region, especially if their novels are set in a particular locale. 

More than one, twice the fun.

Some literary magazines only want 50 words max while others are open to longer bios. I have a fairly long bio with links to projects and classes at my website’s landing page, a 150ish-word version I send to literary magazines who don’t mention length, along with a 50-word version for those who do. My longer bio includes more variety and personalized details, while my 50-word version mentions my very latest projects and my website. If you have a website or blog or if you’re very active on a social media site, I recommend including that link in any length bio so that interested readers can click to learn more about your writing and also increase your target audience.  

Update and integrate new morsels.

Once you have a working biography, life sails onward, but that doesn’t mean you have to keep the exact same biography for years. As you and your writing evolve, it’s important to switch up parts of your bio. Adopted a rescue pup or taken a trip recently? Add it. 

Swap out descriptions of projects long finished with your latest work.

Even if your manuscript in-progress is in beginning stages, readers love a hint at what you’re working on next, such as: They’re currently adding to a skiing memoir or He continues outlining a historical epic set in Loch Ness, Scotland and Marrakesh, Morocco.  

Melanie Faith is a night-owl writer and editor who likes to wear many  hats, including as a poet, photographer and visual artist, prose  writer, professor, and tutor. She’s been a doodler for years but just  recently got brave enough to share her perfectly imperfect doodles.  Three of her writing craft books for writers were published this year by Vine Leaves Press, including her latest, From Promising to Published: A Multi-Genre, Insider's Guide to the Publication Process.  She loves to write about historical settings in poetry and prose and will teach an online class about writing historical fiction and 
time-travel stories this winter. She enjoys ASMR videos, reading, and tiny houses. Learn more about her books, art projects, writing, and classes at https://melaniedfaith.com/, @writepath99 at Instagram, or @writer_faith at Twitter.

Becoming Whole with EMDR

About eight years ago, I met a little girl.  One that had desperately needed me for a long, long time.  When I first saw her, she was hiding behind a tree.  Covered in dirt and dead leaves.  Holding a little stuffed bunny.  I could feel how incredibly sad and lonely she was and it completely broke my heart.  Who could have done such a thing to this beautiful, sweet little girl?  As I slowly approached her, I quickly realized that person, the one who left her alone, and stranded, was me.  I had done this.  Because that little girl was me.  A very traumatized version of myself that lingered in the shadows of my mind.  One that affected me daily.  One that I didn’t know how to meet or understand until I tried EMDR, or Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing.  A therapy that is particularly powerful for healing trauma.

Trauma.  Whether we are aware of it or not, it’s something we all have.  Every single one of us.  It’s not a fun topic to talk about, and certainly not fun when dealing with our own, but it is imperative we do.  No matter how good we are at avoiding the pains from our past, they will always be with us.  And they don’t appreciate being ignored.  In fact, the longer we go on, pretending not to hear them, the louder and stronger they become.  Affecting every aspect of our lives.  Until we are ready and willing to listen.   

Now, I admit, healing your trauma is no easy task.  But it is so incredibly freeing.  Trauma affects us in more ways than most of us realize, including how we react, communicate, and even love.  It not only affects how we relate to one another, but also how we relate to ourselves.  How we treat ourselves.  And I would imagine if you’re anything like me, that’s not always the kindest.

Therapy is a valuable tool for everyone, but in my own healing journey, I found one type to be the most crucial in regards to trauma.  EMDR.  It opened me up in a way that traditional therapy did not.  It allowed me to discover some events from my past that my brain, in its effort to protect me, was withholding.  It also brought to light the true effects of some events I did remember.  Things I didn’t realize (or fully accept) how detrimental they really were.  And our brains are very good at that.  We survive.  But what our brains don’t seem to understand is that we need to face these aspects of ourselves.  The ones that get stuck after trauma.  Because they don’t deserve that kind of treatment any more than we did when we experienced it.  And keeping those parts of ourselves locked away in a dark dreary tower only keeps us from becoming the whole, empowered, magnificent being we are truly meant to be.

Isn’t that what we genuinely want?  To be whole?  When we integrate those versions of ourselves that are lonely, isolated, and traumatized, a very powerful shift takes place.  For me, seeing that timid, sad, lonely little girl filled me with compassion.  More than I had ever felt for myself.  I had a better understanding of what she (I) had been through at such a young age.  The horror she experienced.  And how I had been ignoring her despite her desperate cries for help.  I also came to understand how I, as my adult self, could be there for her when others couldn’t be in the past.  I could help her heal.  And in doing so, a part of myself that had long been lost, came back to me.  One that brings tears to my eyes as I write this because I know how happy she is to be home.

EMDR is not something to enter into lightly, and it is imperative to find an experienced therapist to work with.  It takes time to build trust with that person before you even try this work.  And it’s not always pleasant.  At times, it felt like parts of my brain were scattered about and I had to put them back together.  But I am so grateful I took the time to do it.  I’ve become more present.  More whole.  And it is easier for me to recognize negative thought patterns and behaviors for what they are.  Which makes me less reactive, set better boundaries, and be more compassionate.

Trauma is an inevitable part of life.  What you do about it is a choice.  And I truly hope you take the time to bring those lost parts of you home.  To be loved.  Because you deserve nothing less.  

 Lynn F Forney is an actor, dancer, filmmaker, and author of Choosing Survival: How I Endured a Brutal Attack and a Lifetime of Trauma Through the Power of Action, Choice and Self-Expression

Louise Kennedy on Coming to Writing Later in Life & Short Form vs. Long Form

Today's guest is Louise Kennedy, author of Trespasses. Set in Northern Ireland during the Troubles, a shattering novel about a young woman caught between allegiance to community and a dangerous passion. Louise joined me to talk about how her own life informed the novel. Also covered: Coming to writing later in life, and short stories vs. novel writing.

Listen to the Episode Now