Writing your own Bio can be bad news, especially if you hate talking about yourself like I do. Recently, I had to submit both a long and short bio to a publisher. Usually, when submitting articles or short work, I just spin off a quick bio and call it good. But as I get serious about publishing and putting myself out into the world, I decided I needed to write a proper bio. Several hours of research later, I gathered the needed information and set to work.

Here are some of the guidelines and tips I accumulated.

Guidelines:

1. Always write in third person.
2. Opening sentence should say who you are, what you do and where you’re from.
3. Next, include writing education, degrees, courses, etc.
4. List your experience, ezines, publications, blogs, etc.
5. If you have a writing niche, list it here. What do you love to write about? How are you qualified to write it?
6. List any writing groups you’re a member of.
7. List any writing organizations you’re a member of.
8. In your conclusion, list current projects.

These guidelines may make it sound like your bio has to be long and windy. It doesn’t. Just list the facts. It should be a short paragraph, not a novel. Some publishers or venues will ask for a longer bio and that’s when you go into the details, but for regular bios, keep it sweet and simple.

Notes and Tips:

• Keep your Bio on file and update regularly
• Be simple and honest, but highlight yourself and show your personality

Sample Bio:

Here’s a sample of a short bio –

Jane Smith is a freelance writer from Salem, Oregon. Jane has completed several courses on creative writing, including a program on creative nonfiction. As a lifelong lover of crafts and textiles, she has published many articles on crafting and fabric arts in the Pacific Northwest as well as on her blog: JaneSews.com. Jane is a member of the Oregon Writing Association as well as the National Writer’s Guild. She is currently working on a pattern book for quilters due out from Northwest Press in January 2014.