Writing a good bio is hard.
You have to knock ’em dead with two or three dazzling sentences that show you’re a likable, credible, and accomplished expert.
When readers read your bio (aka byline), they must believe you’re the answer to their prayers — a superhero who will swoop in and solve the big problem keeping them awake at night.
(And if you’re a freelance writer, your short professional bio should make a potential client want to hire you on the spot.)
No pressure, right?
Here’s the good news:
Learning how to write a compelling bio that dazzles readers doesn’t require feats of strength or the ability to leap tall buildings in a single bound.
And, best of all, it’s a process that works whether you’re doing a professional bio, a personal bio, an author bio, or a Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram bio.
Let’s dive in.
But first, we’ll look at a few short bio examples that make readers run for the exits…
The 6 Common Bio Blunders That Make You Look Like an Amateur (And What to Do Instead)
1. Making It All About You
Thanks for sharing, Jill. But do I really care? Nah.
It’s confusing, I know. “Bio” is short for biography, which suggests it should be all about you. But the main purpose of your author bio is to show your audience how you can help them solve their problem with the professional skills you bring to the table, all within a short paragraph.
So, it’s not about you, Jill. It’s about them.
What to Do Instead:
In this post on sensory words, using almost the same number of words as Jill, Kevin gives us just enough information about himself to tell us what he does and how he helps his audience.
It’s clear, precise, and focused on the outcome, not on Kevin. He uses powerful words and phrases like “hone their writing skills,” and “stand out from the crowd,” which directly target the deep-rooted desires of aspiring writers. He speaks their language.
Here’s another tip: It’s usually best to write in the third person, as Kevin does in the above bio example. It’s more professional.
2. Writing a Condensed Resume, or a Laundry List of Accomplishments
Your professional biography is not a dumping ground for your career path, job titles, and qualifications. It’s a tiny elevator pitch that’s selling you as a credible solver of your reader’s problems.
So don’t list every degree you have or talk about your first job out of school. Readers don’t really care. They only care whether or not you have the solutions they are looking for.
What to Do Instead:
Your should only include details about yourself that directly relate to your intended audience’s problem.
Think about your career accomplishments, education, and skill set, and then carefully select the most pertinent facts that are going to impress the audience you are writing for. Like this:
Jessi tells us the most important thing about herself (that she is a book editor), and what she can do for her audience (get their books into print), while establishing her credibility (“best-selling,” “editor-in-chief”).
Everything she mentions is designed to appeal to the audience she’s trying to reach.
3. Sharing Irrelevant Details or Stuff You Think Your Audience Should Care About
This sample bio is from someone whose expertise is content and affiliate marketing, although he hides it well.
Much like your degrees and career path, your audience doesn’t care about your hobbies, passions, and personal details either, unless they directly impact the problem they’re trying to solve.
What to Do Instead:
As mentioned earlier, only share the details that your audience will find relevant — not every little thing about you is a super-duper important detail your target audience will care about.
If you’re mad keen on knitting and you’re writing for an arts and crafts blog, then go ahead and mention your passion. It’s relevant. But don’t tell them about your cat, unless Fluffy can knit too.
4. Trying to Cram Too Much In
Okay, so you’ve managed to include only relevant details about yourself, so you’re safe. Right?
Not if you included too many of them.
Like this one from Jo. She’s had an impressive career with many accomplishments, but her bio feels endless:
This is way too much information.
Writing your own bio can be hard. Sometimes you’re too close to the subject matter to realize what’s important and what can be left out. But your bio isn’t the place to share your entire life story and every single notable accomplishment, and it certainly shouldn’t have an endless word count. You need to be picky.
What to Do Instead:
With some careful pruning, the real gems hidden away in Jo’s personal biography can be given center stage:
Go through your bio word by word and ask yourself, “Does this bit of information make any difference to my audience?”
If the answer is no, take it out, and limit your bio to two or three sentences.
5. Being Overly Formal (a.k.a. Boring)
If you’re anything like me, you had to read this bio more than once to get a sense of what Joe does. It’s way too formal. Most people will just glaze over this.
What to Do Instead:
Instead of using stilted words and phrases like “maximize their online real estate” and “engender business growth”, Joe missed a great opportunity to showcase his personal brand and make himself stand out from the crowd.
Perhaps he could have started with something like:
Do you see how that might grab a few more eyeballs, cut through the noise, and make an impact with his target audience of doctors?
6. Being Vague (or Overly Woo-Woo)
Hands up, whoever doesn’t have a clue what this person is talking about. What does she do? How does she help solve my problem? Why should I be interested in her?
You need to avoid ambiguous phrases and boring metaphors like “inspiration for growth” and “find their way through the dark.” These phrases might have a nice ring to them, but they mean very little to your reader. They’re too open to interpretation.
What to Do Instead:
You don’t have time to beat around the bush in your bio. Get straight to the point. Like this:
In two sentences, Cecile tells me everything I need to know about what she does and how she can help me. No fluff, no messing about, and a juicy opt-in bribe to seal the deal.
How to Write a Bio That Begs to be Clicked
So now you can see where you might’ve gone wrong with your bio after you started your blog, and you’re dying to write a new version of it. But how do you ensure your next bio won’t commit the same blunders?
Easy. Just follow these three simple writing tips for pumping out a professional bio that your ideal readers can’t resist clicking.
1. Introduce Yourself with a Bang
This is where you tell the audience who you are and what makes you different (while avoiding the common blunders we’ve just discussed). You need to spark their interest and curiosity and get them to say, “Tell me more.”
Let’s start with this example from a blogger in the personal development niche.
This tells me what Sue does, but it’s rather dull and same-y in a sea full of personal development blogs. For a first sentence, it’s too bland. There’s nothing here to set her apart or pique our interest.
Let’s give it a twist:
That sounds a bit more interesting. Sue manages to appeal to her audience on different levels by sounding educated, professional, and personable at the same time. Describing herself as an “agony aunt” downplays the more clinical “social scientist.”
I’m curious to know more, and it certainly makes her distinctive.
But there’s another angle Sue could take:
Now, this one is more similar to the first example, but the difference is that it adds more credibility — “certified psychologist” sounds much more credible than “has a degree in,” which suggests she’s fresh out of college — but it also sets her apart more.
She has a specialty, which gives her ideas on the topic more weight than others. If you suffer from social anxiety, you’d want to listen to the expert on it, right?
Compare also:
This version goes even further in establishing Sue’s credibility. Not only has she published multiple books on the topic of social anxiety, but she’s even been featured on some well-known media channels, adding social proof to her expertise.
We’ve talked before about not delivering a laundry list of accomplishments, but if you have specific accomplishments that make you stand out, those are worth including.
Here’s an excellent author bio example that both offers a point of interest and adds credibility:
Jessica doesn’t just say she’ll help you write a business plan, she mentions she has an “outside-the-box approach,” which immediately makes you curious what that approach is. Then she steps it up even more by mentioning her approach has collectively raised $50 million in financing. That’s nothing to sneeze at and creates instant credibility.
It’s an killer bio that will absolutely pique her audience’s interest.
2. Call Out Your Audience and Say How You Help Them
Remember, this isn’t about you, it’s about what you can do for your audience. So you need to define who they are and what problem of theirs (their key fear or desire) you can solve.
You should aim for both a logical and emotional connection. It’s tough, but do-able.
Let’s take a look at Kim, a blogger from another highly-competitive writing niche, parenting:
By using language most parents will relate to and zeroing in on their fears, Kim makes a strong emotional connection. At the same time, there’s no mistaking the practical (logical) solution Kim offers.
Note: Of course, Kim’s bio would be even further improved if she had a call to action that linked to an incentive rather than her homepage. More on that in the next step!
Here’s another example:
Jessica clarifies immediately who she helps (busy people) and how she helps them (by re-energizing them through food, yoga, and wellness strategies).
You must be absolutely clear about this. If readers can’t identify themselves in your bio and see you have the solution they’re looking for, they will move on.
3. Offer an Irresistible Reason to Click
You’ve told your audience who you are, what you do, and how you can help them. You’ve impressed them with your credentials and sparked their curiosity.
They’re ready to move to second base, but they need that last push. An irresistible reason to click through to your site and sign up. You need to offer an incentive.
Take a look at this bio:
Boom! In 46 personality-packed, carefully curated words, Henneke tells us who she is, what she does, how she can help, and then gives us a gold-plated reason for parting with our email address.
Her free report is 16 parts, but it’s “snackable,” which makes it sound very easy to digest. And it’s for “busy people,” which shows Henneke understands her audience. She promises results and cleverly relates this back to her own blog, Enchanting Marketing.
Unfortunately, we can’t all steal Henneke’s near-perfect bio, but we can use it as a fine example of how to write our own.
Ready to Write Your Best Bio Ever?
Writing a bio like a superhero is simple, but it’s not easy, so give your bio the time it requires. You should brainstorm several options for each of the steps.
Whether they’re concluding an article you’ve written or they’re inside your Instagram bio (or Twitter bio, Facebook bio, LinkedIn profile, or, heck, any other social media profile), a great bio is hard to craft. But, they are also one of the most effective pieces of marketing you can create when you get it right.
You now know how to write a bio your audience will love. They’ll want to know more and they won’t be able to resist your free offer.
They’ll see you as a credible, personable problem-solver. Their problem-solver.
And they’ll click through to your personal website, ready and willing to hand over their email address to their new blogging superhero.
You.
Note: For a handy visual reminder of the six bio blunders you can download or share on your own website, check out the image below:
Embed This Infographic On Your Site:
Excellent tips, Mel and especially like the advice about not trying to cram in too much! It irks me when a bio had a laundry list of accomplishments and looks like their resume 🙂
Thanks, David. Yes, keeping it simple is a much better approach
Cheers, Mel
Need to revisit my bio.
thanks for the great piece there.
You’re welcome!
Wow, what a brilliant post!
Thanks Mel for showing us how to transform bland author bios into epic ones.
And FYI, yours is killing it.
I’m in the ‘OMG, where do I sign up’ moment and I’m definitely getting myself the cheat sheet.
Thanks, Nicholas. I hope the cheat sheet helps you write a killer bio
Cheers, Mel
Love this post and topic. If I could earn $1 for every blogger bio I come across that is either boring/stilled language, a shortened resume, or too “woo-woo” as you call it, I would have a nice 2nd income! OK, maybe exaggerating just a touch, but you get the point. Many bloggers and freelance writers don’t even realize their bios could be improved so much.
You’re so right, Deborah. And I’ve read a LOT of bios recently.
Cheers, Mel
Fantastic post! I’ve been struggling with this very thing so the timing is just right. Too many things that I want to add to my bio, but it should really be crafted to the target audience. Thanks for posting.
You’re welcome. Glad to help
Cheers, Mel
Awesome post! I agree with a few others here. Seems that bio is always a work in progress, and, a struggle to keep it to a few words.
Thanks for sharing, Gin
Working on the About page for my husband’s website. Crafting a concise, engaging, relevant bio first is a great exercise to help write this page. How else can we write this ridiculously difficult page if we haven’t boiled down what he does into a few simple sentences that resonate with our ideal reader?
Hi Yvonne, that’s a really good point. Your bio needs to be your elevator pitch, and the starting point for your About page (and you’re so right – they are ridiculously difficult pages to write!)
Cheers, Mel
Nice post, Mel! Congrats! I’ll definitely be sending folks to this one for a long time to come. 🙂
Thanks, Leanne. Much appreciated
Cheers, Mel
Thank you for this great article. So glad to have found you. I will be revisiting my bio.
Thanks, Linda. Don’t forget to download your free cheat sheet.
Cheers, Mel
And everybody’s bio will look alike…
It’s surely me, but I was not particularly moved by the examples shared in this post.
Just my 2 cents
Your 2 cents are welcomed, David. But I don’t think you’re right. I did a lot of research for this post – trust me, a lot – and I struggled to find posts that didn’t make several if not all of the common blunders. So, there are already lots of bios out there that are similar, but for all the wrong reasons. What I wanted to do was help people write a bio that would get people to click through to their site. So if including a valid reason why people should click through, and then giving them the motivation to do so, means we’re going to end up with a lot of similar bios, then bring it on. At least they’ll be more interesting to read than most that are out there now. Thanks for your comment.
Cheers, Mel
Thank you for this great post.
Thanks, David.
Cheers, Mel
Great post, Mel!
I was laughing out loud at the examples of bad bios, and then wasn’t sure whether I should rather cry, because it’s true. You do come across pretty bad bios, and it’s such a pity to waste that opportunity to promote ourselves. I hope everyone with a bad bio will read your post.
And thank you very much for your kind words on my bio!
Thank you for the inspiration, Henneke. I wish I could simply steal your bio, but unfortunately – as ever – you got there first!
Cheers, Mel
Thanks for this very timely post, and the cheat sheet. Will come in handy as my team gets ready to launch promotion and presentations on our non-profit.
I’m really pleased to have helped, Jennifer. I do a lot of work for non-profit clients and I have huge admiration for anyone working in this field.
Cheers, Mel
Thanks Mel! This bio would go on the intro page or sidebar of a blog? I wonder about the 3rd person language. Blogs tend to be less formal than a traditional website but mine is a blend. I’m an artist, so definitely casual. I have a landing page and about page but have not done a sidebar bio yet. It’s new so still tweaking and all the technology challenges have me out of my right-brain happy zone 🙂 I’d feel strange not speaking directly to my audience. A lot to think about…Thanks again!!
If it’s going on your own site, I would write it in the first person. You’re not trying to convince them to visit your site if they’re already there, so you can afford to be more conversational, but you should still try to keep it brief, especially in a sidebar. Good luck with it.
Cheers, Mel
For me Mel it is just telling folks about my life.
I shut comments off a while back but was getting a heavy volume of comments, folks saying how much they loved my About Me page, because it helped them learn more about me, my life, my story, and this Bio page – Wikipedia style – helped them know, like and trust me because….it was About Me.
Before people trust the advice, they check the source of the advice. The source, being me. And when they check me out they want to know who I am, my life experience, my wins, my losses and of course, how I can help them.
I have read some bios and wondered: who the hell are these folks? LOL! Are they really that selfless, where it is all about the reader? Of course not. If this were the case, none of these people would worry about blogging traffic and profits, as they virtually all do. (I do a little, but I haven’t checked my metrics in years.) Perhaps they are as altruistic as the Dali Lama LOL? Just having some fun here, but really, I understand folk want to help me, but I gotta know them, and what they are about, to attach a human story with their service, to make them human, and more credible.
That’s just me though. I care more about folks telling their story and standing out from the crowd versus them devoting most of their about me page, to me, the reader. I am all about the love, and taking an interest in others, versus serving my only needs. Hell no, not a full altruist, but in the same regard I love a good story. Thank goodness my readers do too.
But you definitely want to add some of those good old benefits to sweeten the pot for your readers. Gives ’em something to ponder, so they can stick around after learning more about what makes you tick and what’s in it for them.
Thanks for the rocking share Mel 🙂
Ryan
Thanks for sharing, Ryan. I couldn’t agree more re your About page. My favourite are when the character of the person (or brand), screams off the page and compels you to like them, or empathize with them, or do whatever they are trying to achieve, which usually takes honesty and guts, not fake altruism. But it’s very hard to pack all of that into a couple of sentences in a bio at the end of a guest post! The best you can hope from that little guy is to get people to click back to your site. Always good to hear your thoughts.
Cheers, Mel
Great pointers delivered at the precise time I need them! One of my weekend goals is to write a guest post for a fellow blogger. Now, thanks to you, it’ll include a decent bio.
Glad to have been of assistance. I hope your guest post goes well.
Cheers, Mel
My friends’ feedback helped me a lot, and I could solve many problems myself
I have 23, and I can identify and use the good and the bad of all the things I mentioned in this post.
Hey Mel!
Very helpful blog post on bio creation!
One important thing is to really be yourself through your words and show your genuine intention to help the people in your niche market.
Having a sense of humor goes a very long way, as well. As you’ve mentioned you don’t want to be boring.
Thanks for sharing!
Cheers! 😀
Hi Freddy, yes all of those pointers are good to include. That’s why it’s so hard to write a really great 2 or 3 sentence bio.
Cheers, Mel
Mel, an eye opener article, thanks for sharing. Need to revisit my bio now…. Cheers, Ahmad
I tried to write my own bio, but I found it pretty funny 😀
Maybe you’re just a funny guy, James
Cheers, Mel
Thanks, Ahmad
Mel
Thanks Mel! I definitely see areas where I can improve. Would you give the same advice for an about me page? Do you think it’s okay to be a bit lengthier for an about me page? Thanks for your wisdom!
Hi Azani, the bios I talked about in this post are the ones you would have on external sites, at the end of a guest post for example. So the main purpose of these bios is to get people curious and interested enough to click back to your site, where they can read more about you. Your About page serves a slightly different purpose, but I still think you need to avoid some of the common blunders listed in my post. Never be boring, or try to cram too much in, for example. But, hell yes, go for more than 2 or 3 sentence on your About page! Good luck with it.
Cheers, Mel
Hi Mel,
Really….can’t get such a unique article in any website…I have never given so much importance to ‘Bio’ but after going through this article…i would really keep a ‘Bio’ which really makes a difference to my readers….I am sure that taking care of each and every page of our blog or website, will surely help in increasing the performance of website in search engine..!
Thanks for sharing!
Jitendra
The good news is, even if you mess up in writing a jacked up bio, you still end up getting search engine traffic and affiliate sales. Am IIIIIII riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight? 🙂
Hmmm, not sure how you reach that conclusion. Affiliate sales only happen if a link in your bio takes people to another site (not your own) where they buy something. A writer’s bio – on a guest post, for example – usually links back to their own site. No search engine traffic, just a direct, click-worthy link – unless, of course you write a jacked-up bio, in which case you get zilch.
Cheers, Mel
Thanks for always responding to peoples’ comments. Oh, and writing great posts!
Thanks, Andy.
Cheers, Mel
Hello Mel,
writing a bio is a pain in the ass, at least for me. I know it’s extremely important, especially for guest posting. But I never spent a time to research some cool formulas for writing an effective one…
Then I’ve seen the headline of your article in my email inbox and I knew it’s time to put something together. Especially now, because I’m speaking at Digital Marketing conference on Friday and I have to provide a bio for my session. You provided a lot of amazing and actionable ideas!
I’ve created the first draft…
‘Jan is a qualified online marketing blogger and Social media coach. He’s on a mission to help aspiring entrepreneurs to stand out from competition, grow a laster-targeted email list and to make boring social media channels sparkle.’
What do you think? Great article!
Hi Jan, I think it’s well o the way to being a great bio! Good luck on Friday. I hope you make lots of great contacts.
Cheers, Mel
Hi Mel,
Thanks for this informative post. It was an easy read, Thanks for sharing. it is written in so easy language and it really helpful for me.
Thanks for this wonderful post, I will pass it:)
Thanks, Dan. All shares are appreciated.
Cheers, Mel
I like to write a blog without the bio. Is this really bad idea? Thanks.
Hi Raj, if you’re posting on your own website, then you probably don’t need a bio, but it wouldn’t hurt to link your name, or byline if you use one, to your About page. In fact, I think that’s something I’m going to do from now on, so thanks for that! My post here relates more to bios that appear on external sites. If the host of the external site (Smart Blogger, for instance) is giving you the opportunity to promote yourself and a valuable link back to your own site, why would you not make the most of it? I hope that helps to answer your question.
Cheers, Mel
Yep, you are right. Thanks lot for replay.
I will correct myself from now. I’ve done it wrong in so many opportunities I had to guest post.
Thank you, Mel, for sharing.
You’re welcome, Jon
My website is under construction, hence the research.
This article does not address my problem. This is my first novel. It is fiction – a romantic mystery.
The only way I can ‘help’ my reader is by whisking them away into their imagination for a day or two, and by entertaining them with blogs on topics that are interesting, and that contain other writing that may eventually be compiled into another book.
Perhaps you have another blog aimed at fiction writers or new authors?
Thanks for this though. It was very interesting.
Hi Ardelle, thanks for raising this interesting point. The post I wrote was certainly directed at bloggers rather than fiction writers, but I don’t think the two are entirely exclusive. For example, I think most of the 6 common blunders would still apply. As a fiction writer, I wouldn’t include details about myself that were irrelevant to my writing, I wouldn’t try to cram too much in, or use it as a laundry list of achievements (unless they were relevant literary achievements). But I would certainly be attempting to spark their interest and curiosity about myself as a writer, especially if my bio was on an external site and I wanted to entice readers back to my own and have them sign up for my blog. I hope that helps.
Cheers, Mel
Thanks my dear for sharing this post
You’re welcome, Sushil
Don’t forget that the bio is also good for SEO.
Writing a blog post that gets a real audience attention is a challenge, finding a mouth-watering topic is a real plus in writing a blog post. So I ‘ll give a +1 to the point choosing a good topic.
Side hustle blogging is the business solution to generating stable income, being your own boss & effectively saving for retirement.
I’ll take your +1. Thanks,
How so? How does a blog affect a SEO?
Ardelle,
A blog holds content. So does a website. And when either one has more engaging and unique content, seo is positively affected. It results in getting indexed better in Bing, Google, and YaHoO!, more shares by people on social networks like PInterest, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and even YouTube. A blog is a necessity in today’s era of side hustle blogging. It serves its purpose of helping people generate a second income without having to go outside your home. And a blog can also be maintained from your smartphone, as long as you have Wi-fi connection.
very nice article, really writing a bio is not easy but I think it depends a lot on the person himself how he descrip himself in the best way to show all his good things
I like the picture also, thanks
Thanks, Al
Cheers, Mel
Nice tips you got here. I would surely be back for them soon to make a better bio for myself. Thanks for sharing.
You’re welcome!
Hi Mel,
Thanks for the article, i often find it difficult to write a bio. Most of the time i don’t write a bio on my site. With the help of these tips, i will try to write a fancy bio to attract users.
Thanks, Mike. I hope your new bio works out
Cheers, Mel
When you write a personal bio, write in the third person so it sounds more objective and professional. Start with a sentence that includes your name and what you do for a living. Then, mention your most important accomplishments that are relevant to your field of work. Briefly mention a couple of your hobbies or interests to make your bio more relatable. End with a sentence on any big projects you’re currently working on. Try to keep your bio around 250-500 words. For help writing a personal bio for college applications or social media, keep reading!
Thanks for sharing this great article Mei
Thanks, David
Cheers, Mel
Nice tips! Specially, that tip #6. Being Vague (or Overly Woo-Woo) ..
Thanks Mel! Merry Christmas by the way. 🙂
And a Happy New Year! Thanks Jason
Cheers, Mel
Nice article bro
Thank you for sharing
You’re welcome, Shashi
Cheers, Mel
Follow the advice in this article and you’ll be Yoda to their Luke Skywalker. May The Force be with you. Always.
And with you, Michael!
Cheers, Mel
I have take notes and surely add these things in my bio.
Good for you Jigsaw,
Cheers, Mel
Excellent article!
Actually, I wrote my bio by chance and discovere it meets all the requirements to be good. Your blog post assures me that I am on right way in my career. Many thanks Mel 🙂
That’s great, Hussien. Good luck with it.
Cheers, Mel
Thank you, Mel,
This was definitely a great read, I could really resonate with a lot of the common mistakes that people make. Especially #3 and #4, I often am never sure what I should be sharing and I often try and cram way too much information…when some of it is rather unrelated. This is going to help me a lot!
I’m really happy to hear that, Lydia. It’s always good to know that I’m helping fellow bloggers.
Cheers, Mel
I am done with very 1st point Mel! The bio point was the fact you mentioned! 😀
Thanks, Rana
Mel,
I’m a seasoned (and sometimes spicy!) resume writer-career coach who is often called upon to develop client bios. I clicked on this post hoping to perhaps find a nugget or two of interest, and I was pleasantly surprised at the quality of helpful content. You gave me some great take-aways that I can use and I found your descriptions to be persuasive. Thank you!
High praise, indeed. Thanks, Grant.
Excellent writing. I really appreciate your efforts to provide such a useful information to all of us. Thank You Mel
You’re welcome, John. Glad you got something out of it.
Cheers, Mel
Mel,
Have you been looking at me when I sit to craft bio for me? Yes, you did. And that’s how I get these useful tips to add into my bio….helped me hone it further. Thanks a lot Mel.
And I also think we need to change it as we achieve more milestones on the way and finally it becomes all about you! Something you can see in Neil Patel’s bio.
Thanks again for sharing the useful tips. 🙏
-RajatChauhan
Thanks for your comment, Rajat. Yes, Neil Patel has certainly earned the right to focus his bio on his credentials. We should all have such lofty ambitions!
Cheers, Mel
OMG, the mistakes I’ve made. But no more thanks to your simple, powerful, and easy-to-use formula.
Off to mix those blunders.
Thanks Mel for your wise guidance!
You’re welcome, Susan!
Okay, now this article is helpful!
I was just on a website reading a bio, and it was so detailed about the life of the author with zero information on how she was going to help me. My immediate thought was “Is my bio like this????”. It wasn’t exactly like hers, but…
I can see how to adjust my bio to remove a bunch of irrelevant details. Sigh. A bloggers work is never done 🙂 Thank you for this post. I will bookmark it for reference.
I’m glad you found it useful, Irma.
Cheers, Mel
Kevin, your advice is solid and I have just re-written my bio.
BEFORE:
Lorraine Reguly is an author and English teacher who is now a freelance editor, blogger, and entrepreneur. Her life journey is motivational and inspirational. Lorraine’s book, FROM NOPE TO HOPE, is designed to help anyone who wishes to lead a happier life. It contains a built-in workbook and is available on Amazon.
Lorraine offers 4 different services through her business, Wording Well, including writing/blogging, editing, and consulting/coaching/mentoring. She also helps others become published authors!
AFTER:
Lorraine Reguly is a certified English teacher, coach, and editor who helps people become authors and makes their dreams come true. Lorraine understands the frustration and overwhelm most people face and helps you with each step along the way. Lorraine’s life journey is motivational and inspirational, and her book, FROM NOPE TO HOPE, will help you overcome your obstacles so you can lead a happier, freedom-filled life. It contains a built-in workbook and is available on Amazon. Visit her business site, Wording Well, to get your free roadmap to authorship and success!
How would YOU tweak this further? I’d love to know!
Superb, I suggest making a timeline of your history and consult with family members for reference as well.
#1 made me laugh because I had the same experience today when I was reading a bio and it said she had two snails. You are so right about the bio and it should be aimed at the readers.
Yes, we see too many bios filled with facts that are irrelevant to the reader – like keeping snails!
Thanks for stopping by, Scarlet
Cheers, Mel
I found where I have gone wrong in writing my bio . thanks
Brilliant article! Thank you. And your timing was impeccable. Just as I needed to write a byline you super-heroed in and showed me the way.
May I run it by you? Cheeky, aren’t I?
Copy editor, horsey blogger and groom to a pro show jumper, Ellie’s intrepid mission is to inspire menopausal equestrians to pursue their dreams. Visit her website and discover some creative methods of staying the course.
Thanks Mel Wicks!
After reading your nice insights, I am feeling my Author Bio totally shit. I am going to rewrite my author bio according to your guidelines.
Thanks again for this nice job.
WOW! Really impressive!
Absolutely enlightening post, i loved it! 🙂
Now i have to give a little adjustment to my bio! 😀
Thank you very much!
Josè
Thank you so much for a great mini-lesson! I never imagined I can improve my bio look more professional.
Excellent article!
Actually, I wrote my bio by chance and discovere it meets all the requirements to be good. Your blog post assures me that I am on right way in my career. Many thanks Mel 🙂
This is enlightening, Mel. I’ve been trying to write biographies of Christian artists on my website, which I did write 2 short ones, successfully, in the past two days. And I’ve discovered the improvement I need to make. See, what kept was fear of not doing it right; now I have this to guide me, at least.