3 Keys to a Stellar Author Bio
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- čas přidán 27. 07. 2024
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As a querying writer, you might be wondering how to write an author bio for your query letter. If you have sat down to think about what to include and came up with nothing, don’t fret-not knowing what to put in your author bio is a common problem many writers face. In this video I go over what you should include in your bio, what you absolutely shouldn’t, and an example.
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MORE BOOK PUBLISHING ADVICE:
How to Write a Query Letter from Start to End: • How to Write a Query L...
Biggest Query Letter Mistakes: • Biggest Query Letter M...
Why Querying Right Now Is Such a Hot Mess: • Why Querying Right Now...
HOW TO WRITE AN AUTHOR BIO:
01:50 - Your writing credentials
03:51 - Your professional background
04:59 - Where you're based
05:43 - What not to include
08:12 - How to format an author bio
09:16 - Example author bio
ABOUT ME:
My name is Alyssa Matesic, and I’m a professional book editor with nearly a decade of book publishing and editorial experience. Throughout my career, I’ve held editorial roles across both sides of the publishing industry: Big Five publishing houses and literary agencies. The goal of this channel is to help writers throughout the book writing journey-whether you're working on your manuscript or you're looking for publishing advice.
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I love your videos! Please address two big hurdles for self-published authors: from my experience the fact that most A-list reviewers do not review self-published titles and returns policies from most bookstores unless you are a local author, and even then it’s very difficult to obtain shelf space.
All I have is my juvenile arrest record...not joking
Very helpful. I guess I'll have to build out the "I am the bestest riter in the hole whirled," which I'm currently using.
Phenomenal work. The most helpful video yet
Thank you so much! Your help and resources are invaluable.
Excellent videos. Love your "insider" knowledge presented in an interesting attractive format.
Hmm. Much like education, disclosing an unrelated career seems like extraneous detail that should be omitted. In short fiction, submission guidelines often encouraged authors to exclude an author bio in their queries if there aren't any relevant credentials/experience to relate to the publisher. So I'd assume this also applies to literary agents of novel-length work? For these stories, I see short, quirky author bios stating that the author is an (insert genre) writer currently living in (insert location) with their domineering, overweight cat (or some other humorous descriptor of their living situation).
This is great thank you, I've been thinking I need to change up my query bio.
This is great
"I haz a bucket wif no credentials." Accompanied by a picture of a walrus.
I agree that you shouldn't have to disclose things about yourself you don't want to (race, sexuality, etc) but I have seen a significant number of agents "only accepting queries from X-community" and it's really frustrating. Of course, it's frustrating if you aren't in those communities but even when I am it feels... not great and ESPECIALLY if the agent is not part of the community they want to exclusively represent.
So these agents are attempting to diversify their authorship by....discriminating against writers who don't personally identify with a specific gender, sexuality, race, culture etc? That's neither hypocritical nor in violation of equal opportunity guidelines outlined in the Civil Rights Act. Oh wait... 🙄
It seems highly suspect if an agent believes an author must personally represent their character's demographics in order to effectively write them. You should steer clear of any agent who appears to service some agenda beyond representing their author's best interest.
2-4 sentences yet so many details to cover! Thank you, Alyssa, for the video! Got a question though - if an author has book publishing experience but in a foreign market, would that be an advantage or a turn off? Let me give you an example: a Polish writer with multiple books written in Polish has decided to write a book for American market.
Joseph Conrad? You're still alive?
Thank you A. If it's ever relevant can you tell us about anything special when writing a non fiction.
That, after a fiction, I'm doing now .- a book on the nature of art - fiction, music, painting. Take care.
I see this vide was done two months ago, where can I ask a current question based on some current books I published using Amazon ?.
My self published books aren't selling at all. Especially since I have quit this path and no longer bother to advertise/market them.
However, all of them have won awards. I usually mention them in my query letter and on querytracker as they ask if you have published any books. Some even ask how many books I have sold the previous year.
So should I remove that I have self published books?
Thanks Alyssa, this was really helpful! Quick question: you said not to include what inspired you to write the book. What about volunteer experience that I think gives me a little extra expertise? I'm writing YA and in my author bio I included this, "I spent nine years volunteering with and mentoring teens in [state]. I fell in love with the candor and emotional highs and lows of the students I worked with." Does this help my bio, or waste space?
Take out the ‘I fell in love with the candor and emotional highs and lows of the students I worked with.’ because it’s unnecessary. Get straight to the point and keep it brief and professional.
This is my ‘author bio’: “I am a 17-year-old unpublished and first-time writer, aspiring author, based in LA, California.”, although yours might look different of course. But as simple as that I guess. 😁
What if you’re taking writing classes somewhere? Should that be mentioned in the author bio?
I've heard people say to not mention in a query letter that this is a debut. But I hear you say it's okay. Do you ever think it could be a detriment?
Any tips for a co-author pair? I'm nervous this is a major yellow/red flag to agents. First book. Fiction (fantasy.) Here's our draft bio:
Co-author Baylie Evans has a journalism degree and is a former newspaper reporter and copywriter. After a career shift, Baylie currently works in venture capital. Co-author Paul Evans is a high school special education teacher. We live in Cheyenne, Wyoming.
Unsolicited advice: co-authorship isn’t a flag of any color, but the query would come from 1 person so you’d want that to be in first person from the POV of just one of you then the final book bio can be as you noted here. 8:12
Sounds just like you apply for a job basically
When an agent asks for sample pages, how many words to the page? What are typical word counts per page for paperback, trade paperback and hardback?
Use standard manuscript format. This will require double spacing, 1 inch margins, .5 inch paragraph indentations and 12 point font which limits word count to roughly 250-300 words per page (unless it's a title page or the last page of a chapter or unless you're Lawrence Sterne who liked to write wordless chapters)
@@mel3687 Thank you. I like to confirm what I think I know. Now I have to look up "Lawrence Sterne".
@@stephenlayland2889 Any time. And sorry, it's spelled Laurence Sterne, who authored _The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy_ which was (the first?) a stream-of-conscious novel written to simulate the narrator's emotional state. After a death in the first Volume, the next chapter/page is intentionally left blank to symbolize the grieving process
@@mel3687 I used the q-marks only to say "literally". If I gigged you over the spelling, it was unintentional. When a Brit spells his name like a Frenchman, not your fault. I respect your enthusiasm for the era.
And now I have a newly dismal outlook on the horrible blank page. Somebody tell me again how _Shandy_ was a comic novel.
@@stephenlayland2889 No worries. 🙂
How about pen names and how a bio would work with it? In fact, how does ANYTHING about pen names work, please? Lol.
Hi Wes, great question - I talk a little about querying and publishing under a pseudonym/pen name in this video: czcams.com/video/I_evIFkb8tM/video.html Hope that helps!
Should i mention that time i clubbed a hobo to death? Maybe not