When
authors market themselves and seek to promote their book they have to clearly
state who they are and why they are qualified or best positioned to write their
book. So how does an author identify his
or her relevant credentials?
Authors
don’t go around handing out a resume but they do have to post a biography in
their press kit materials, on their web site, on the back cover of their book,
and in social media profiles. There is an art form to doing this.
An
author biography is written, of course, based on what the author has
accomplished. Relevant areas may include the following:
·
Schools
attended and degrees earned.
·
Where
you worked, for how long, holding which positions.
·
Awards
won – or things you were a finalist for.
·
Books
written or places that published your writings.
·
Where
you live.
·
Your
website.
·
Non-profits
where you volunteered or held leadership positions.
·
Unique
or relevant hobbies.
·
Interesting
skills.
·
Odd
facts.
·
Prior
media coverage.
What
you share is intended to establish how you are the right person to put out your
book. People need to feel you are the
expert!
The
order in which you present information and the length of the biography are some
things to pay attention to. You don’t want to ramble or emphasize the wrong
things – and you don’t want to undersell or misrepresent yourself.
Let
logic and common sense lead the way. Take a list of all of the things that you
think could be in your bio and turn them into sentences and paragraphs. Change
the order they appear from most important to least important.
Sometimes
you can say more by giving less information. For instance, if you worked for
six different companies, don’t list them all. Summarize and say something like:
“Over the past three decades, author x has done z.” Only list a company name or
two if they are so recognizable or important.
Some
authors who write on serious topics don’t need to talk about hobbies but
lifestyle authors or novelists may include in their bio something about pets,
hobbies, or passions.
You
don’t have to include things on your bio that are irrelevant or shed a negative
light on yourself. You are not under any obligation to confess everything. Just
give people something positive, factual and targeted to digest.
Another
thing to avoid in your bio is a quotation – of yourself or someone else – and
opinions, especially on controversial topics that don’t relate to your book’s
subject matter. This isn’t a dating profile!
One
mistake people make in their bio is to include something small but you
obviously are trying to make it sound bigger.
That quickly delegitimizes you.
Watch
your use of adjectives and superlatives in a bio. If it sounds too salesy, people
will move on.
Your
bio should include a photo of yourself, one that gives an image consistent with
who you are projecting and what one would expect. Please, no images of you
petting a dog when it’s a book about losing weight and no photos of you looking
sexy when it’s a business book. Be appropriate in your dress, environment, and
look for your photo. What works for Facebook doesn’t always fit a press kit biography.
Always
double-check that your bio is accurate and that no one could dispute its
contents. The last thing you want is for people to think you are a fraud.
Keep
the bio to no more than a page, and often a half-page is fine. Lastly,
periodically update your bio should new things develop for you.
DON”T MISS THESE!!!
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Their Books?
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10 Rules For Authors
Promoting Their Books Well
Brian Feinblum’s insightful views, provocative
opinions, and interesting ideas expressed in this terrific blog are his alone
and not that of his employer or anyone else. You can – and should -- follow him
on Twitter @theprexpert and email him at brianfeinblum@gmail.com. He feels
much more important when discussed in the third-person. This is copyrighted by
BookMarketingBuzzBlog ©2020. Born and raised in Brooklyn, he now resides in
Westchester. His writings are often featured in The Writer and
IBPA’s Independent. This was named one of the best book
marketing blogs by Book Baby http://blog.bookbaby.com/2013/09/the-best-book-marketing-blogs and recognized by Feedspot in 2018 as one of the
top book marketing blogs. Also named by WinningWriters.com as a "best
resource.” He recently hosted a panel on book publicity for Book Expo America.
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