Apr 12, 2018 find the perfect marketer for your book. Theres something special about rereading a book i loved as a child as an adult. How to write your first author bio writing forward. Resources for teaching with childrens books scholastic. Mar 23, 2017 an author s page, or author s bio, is typically located at the end of a book and is meant to tell readers a little about the author of the book. For your author bio and photo, that should go after the story or content finishes, within the book. On this site, youll see a variety of blog posts related to his books on healthy habits, with large, readable type and a righthand column that lists previous posts and advertises other content including a free book, the. Along with an impressive cover letter and query, your manuscript must include an author bio.
Sep 14, 2015 while most authors provide neat, tight biographies in the backs of their books, others need no introduction, as their magnificent reputations precede them. Daniel miyares is a critically acclaimed picture book author and illustrator. Nonfiction back cover copy for nonfiction, establishing yourself as an expert and differentiating your book from the others. What began as a grad school hobby is now a top food blog, with millions of readers coming to her site for easy weeknight recipes and. Glynnis campbell is a usa today bestselling author of swashbuckling. That way when the person is done reading your words, they can learn more about you and go on to read your other works. Your author bio will grow naturally and organically. Why else would you be subjecting yourself to this query torture.
How anne carroll moore created libraries for children by jan pinborough, the watcher. Some authors choose one or the other, though i recommend taking advantage of both. If you write for children and have some of your own, it would be. Book descriptions not only tell readers what a books about but help them find it online in the first place. The best advice i can give you is to read 510 bios of wellknown childrens authors before you sit down to write your own. How to write an author bio that will sell childrens books write kids. You must prepare an author bio to knock the editors socks off.
Most kids couldnt care less about who wrote the book, unless theyve finished one and are looking for more of the same. Thats all fine and dandy, but some authors push the envelope of creativity further. This article will cover both what you need to include in your author bio and some examples of tight professional bios. Childrens book author biographies, author study resources, kids book illustrator interviews, and other teacher resources. About the author examples that youll actually want to read. Her blogs get an average of 70,000 unique visitors per day over 2,000,000 unique page views a month. Apr 28, 2016 the back cover copy you write for your book is among the most important marketing messages youll craft.
How to write a memorable author bio with template reedsy blog. The cat in the hat and green eggs and ham were among his most famous works. The author photo is cheeky and suits well with the style. It s the media relations tool that tells reporters, producers, bloggers and other media gatekeepers that your personal history gives you the perfect credentials for this novel or that your professional. Your author bio is an important book press kit element because it is pretty much the only tool you have to make the case that you are the best person to write this book and to write it well. How to write an author bio when you dont feel like an authoryet. As an already established author, you have probably saved your bio in a file, updating it as you go. But at the end of that email, youll usually realize they want you to. Information about your likesdislikeshobbies its best to only include these if theyre relevant for example, if youre writing a book about food, its perfectly fine to include something like, her favorite food is chocolate ice.
Check out her new childrens book, boops character missions, mission i. Creating an author bio should not be your focus if you havent yet written an article. Examples of illustrated children s books before you hire a children s book illustrator, take some time to familiarize yourself with other children s books and their illustration styles. Here are some examples of author bios we love so you can get some. Picture book submissions the great cover letter almost an. The story of their friendship, and their adventures on the mountain and beyond will appeal to readers of literary fiction and of the beat generation. Learn how to write an author bio that gets readers attentions. Here is a list of important questions that you should think about to help you make sure that you have written a full and complete foreword. Query letter basics for the childrens book market book. Say for example, its a book for children having surgery, or a bed time story for preschool children, or for young girls 46 who love purses. Tips and advice on writing an author biography including useful author bio. Its important for indie authors to know how to write an author bio that tells readers. Once you wow your potential readers with an excellent front cover, the next part of your book thatll hook them is your back cover copy, which is publishing speak for the information that appears on the back cover.
The third example shows how part of the back cover copy the author bio, in this case can show up on the inside flap of a hard cover book. Oct 22, 2015 writing your author bio can be a daunting task, but a wellcrafted bio can help readers learn more about what makes you and your books so interesting. Chungah rhee is the founder, recipe developer, and photographer of damn delicious. Jomny sun, everyones a aliebn when ur a aliebn too. Keep your information relevant to the books subject and your audience. You should regularly maintain your bio on places like your bookbub author profile so fans and potential readers seeking you out can learn more about you and why they should pick up your latest book. There is value in young readers learning that an author. If theres no clear way to signal direct authority or credentialsfor example, you wrote a thriller or a romance novelthen dont make up things or try to invent authority. Laurie created the she blossoms blog series in 2008 and has been writing fulltime since then. The tone of your bio and everything on the back cover should reflect the books contents. Writing about yourself is a task that many even full time writers shy away from. How to write an author bio that sells books ben zackheim.
Tucker has sold over 5 million books as a 4x nyt bestselling author and is the cofounder of scribe. Jan pinborough shelved 10 times as childrens biography. John scalzi writes books, which, considering where youre reading this, makes perfect sense. A short biography downloadable bio and brochuremonica brown, ph. For some types of books and authors, this is harder to do. The acknowledgements section is where you recognize and thank everyone who helped you with your book. If youre writing childrens books, leave out the fact that you started your. There is value in young readers learning that an author is from the same city or has two cats at home.
This research will help you determine what might work best for your book, and put you ahead of the curve when it comes to selfpublishing a childrens book and finding the right illustrator use these illustrated childrens book examples from mill. How anne carroll moore created libraries for children hardcover by. Here are some reallife author bios that combine most or all of the tips above. How to write a memorable author bio with template reedsy. An effective author bio is short and highlights basic professional information about the author. Even though very few authors think about it, and even fewer publishing guides talk about it, the author bio section impacts sales, reputation, book marketing and social media. Before you hire a childrens book illustrator, take some time to familiarize yourself with other childrens books and their illustration styles. The name of your new book if this bio is being written to attach to it things your bio can include. By benjamin graham and david dodd, features the foreword author over the books actual authors. Write the bio for the site where it will live, and mention your reading interests. Aug 18, 2018 for example, if youre an elementary school teacher or librarian, it is. Jul 07, 2011 your author bio is an important book press kit element because it is pretty much the only tool you have to make the case that you are the best person to write this book and to write it well. But dont try to plump up your bio with irrelevant details or tell them about your dream of being an author.
Veronica roth is the new york times bestselling author of divergent, the first book in a trilogy that she began. A simple system to transform any business from a casheating monster to a moneymaking machine. While your books are a great way to introduce yourself, an author bio can set you. Tell specifics, but not too specific to make your market too small. Publishers frequently put the foreword authors name on the cover, sometimes more prominently than the name of the books author. Get tips for how to write a good book description and learn the difference between a long book description and a short book description.
Hes best known for writing science fiction, including the new york times bestseller redshirts, which won the hugo award for best novel. While all five of these tips will help you make a better bio, tips 2 and 3 are the best advice for how to write an author bio that sells books. A frequent speaker at writing conferences, she has delivered keynotes on the future of authorship at. Your books author bio tells potential readers who you are, and why they.
An effective author bio is short and highlights basic professional information about the. And a welldesigned and regularly updated website does more for your author brand than any of these. I enjoyed writing as a child, but it was not until i had children of my own that i. Nonfiction back cover copy for nonfiction, establishing yourself as an expert and differentiating your book from the others written about the same topic will help sell your book. The back cover bio is a chance to impress a potential reader, while the inside bio is often the last impression made on a.
Briefly state any special ideas in your book that will make yours stand out. So, weve provided the hints, tips and instructions. These are but a handful of the biographies and tributes available on the lives of cherished childrens authors and illustrators. It takes sufficient field notes to write the perfect author bio. However, a few sentences about the author with an optional photograph can be included on the back cover.
Jane friedman has 20 years of experience in the publishing industry, with expertise in digital media strategy for authors and publishers. Its the essence of your books most exciting features, distilled into a few hundred words. Biographies and autobiographies of famous childrens. It typically serves as the foundation for your online book descriptions, as well as any press releases or pitches you make to the media. Goodreads author shelved 3 times as childrensbiography. Rick mofina is a former journalist who has interviewed murderers on death row.
When writing a book, there are two potential places to include your author bio. Learn how to write for magazines and online websites. Here are a few author bio examples, with quick explanations of why they work. How to write a successful author bio tell readers about yourself. And if its your first book, dont be embarrassed to say so. Its the media relations tool that tells reporters, producers, bloggers and other media gatekeepers that your personal history gives you the perfect credentials for this novel or that your professional. Book wizard books and authors lesson plans, booktalks, discussion guides, author interviews, and other classroom resources for teaching with the best childrens.
She has more than 25 years of writing, teaching, and social work experience. If anyone reaches the amazon page thinking the author will have an overly aggressive or arrogant approach, the bio a fabulous combination of humor. Knowing these details of an authors life connects the creator to the audience. How to write an amazing author bio book marketing for. Back cover copy includes the book summary and author bio. Book promotion expert ben cameron always says writing the blurb is the hardest 100 words youll ever write, and many authors are also stumped when it comes to writing the front and back matter another task that usually falls just when youre feeling least like writing another word, after completing your books final edit. In my role as coadmin for the query critique forum on 12 x 12, i recently wrote a post on writing a picture book query.
Children s book author biographies, author study resources, kid s book illustrator interviews, and other teacher resources. But, these questions should help you to take a critical look at. Writing your author bio can be a daunting task, but a wellcrafted bio can help readers learn more about what makes you and your books so interesting. This bio page is made in three colors that work together wonderfully white, red and black. Not all questions here will apply to your foreword. An authors page, or authors bio, is typically located at the end of a book and is meant to tell readers a little about the author of the book. Please welcome author nicolas frame with some good advice on writing your first author bio. If you choose to use a short bio on the back cover, make sure the author sounds like the ultimate authority on the subject.
It was especially fitting that my first book was a little golden book, since my. How to write an authors page for a book pen and the pad. Burroughs in a cozy idaho ski lodge bar one cold december night. How to write your book acknowledgments scribe writing. While most authors provide neat, tight biographies in the backs of their books, others need no introduction, as their magnificent reputations precede them. May 27, 2015 book promotion expert ben cameron always says writing the blurb is the hardest 100 words youll ever write, and many authors are also stumped when it comes to writing the front and back matter another task that usually falls just when youre feeling least like writing another word, after completing your books final edit. This research will help you determine what might work best for your book, and put you ahead of the curve when it comes to selfpublishing a children s book and. May 28, 20 this bio page is made in three colors that work together wonderfully white, red and black. So its probably parents, grandparents, teachers and librarians who will be reading the author bio. How to write an author bio that will sell childrens books.
I learned that montgomery was raised by her grandparents on prince edward island, canada, much like her famous heroine. If its a serious book, dont joke around too much in your bio. Pop the champagne cork, and put a party hat on your cat. A page about the author is often placed on the last page inside the book. After all, you cant assume that your presence on other platforms amazon, social media, other peoples blogs is going to last. Theyd walk off with a copy of the book based on the bio. May 07, 2020 throughout his career, cartoonist and writer dr.
Sep 30, 2015 say for example, its a book for children having surgery, or a bed time story for preschool children, or for young girls 46 who love purses. Not only is it useful to know what you need to include in an author bio, it is also useful to see examples of how your vital information should look. Jody hewston, kinderlit, and enchanting, versatile the new york times. May 11, 2020 steve scott is a great example of a prolific and versatile author whose blog content led to book ideas that sold well. Instead, concentrate on getting solid writing experience and clips. Shes the cofounder and editor of the hot sheet, the essential publishing industry newsletter for authors, and the former publisher of writers digest. W, is the author of growing forward when you cant go back. I recently reread one of my favorite books as a child, anne of green gables, and while in the midst of the story i did a little background research on the author, lucy maud montgomery. Novelists will rarely depend on the bio to sell the book, but as book launch. Picture book submissions the great cover letter almost. Id show the book to people at book fairs and signing events, and theyd flip the book over, read the bio, and laugh. Reeves looks simple but has all the useful and interesting information one might look for.
Visit amazon author central, click on your book, and add it in the about the author section or if you published a paperback version of your book on createspace, you can enter the bio in the author biography section for your book. If youre writing this for an agent or publisher, remember books that didnt sell. But when you include this information on createspace, it. If youre an author or on your way to becoming one youve probably heard a lot about author websites and the importance of a stable online presence. Its an invigorating feeling, receiving ones first acceptance letter from an editor.
Float, night out, that is my dream, and bring me a rock daniel has been called a master of visual storytelling. Hill raycer, who while recovering from a broken leg, meets author william s. They treat picture book illustrators like the artists they are and childrens writers like real people, flaws and all. Writing an author bio examples of professional bios. Its how readers get to know you beyond the pages of your book.
Popular childrens biography books showing 150 of 817 miss moore thought otherwise. Sample about the author page getting your book published. Book summary and author bio on the back of the book. Its a way to display your appreciation to them in a public and permanent forum. Goodreads author shelved 3 times as childrens biography.
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