Transform Your Book With A Great Author Bio

When it comes to building your brand through book publishing it’s a common mistake to include a boring or stale author bio. A great introduction must be creative, yet also specific, and speak at a motivational level that resonates with the emotions of your readers.
A winning bio does not need to be very long, and in fact a brief summary works best. When writing a story out of it you’ve now lost your readers’ attention. The key is to get focused, identify the most important points, and project that in a shorter more condensed way.
Depending on your niche this information should be just one paragraph written in third-person format or in the case of expanded influence several might be in order. For authors who are just getting started in their careers,  200 words is a perfect starting point. Keep in mind that this information will also need to be consistent on your social media accounts, press releases, and any guest blog posts, and may need to be truncated further for their individual requirements.
It may take some brainstorming and time to develop the right bio — but taking the following steps will help attract more readers and sales to your books:

Create a general outline

Write down the most important elements about you and how this can help your audience. Determine whether your experience matches up with your topic and any relevant personal information. People are somewhat interested in what degree you hold — they mostly want to know that you understand their needs and desires and have actual proven knowledge. The main points could look like this:

• Your branded name
• An introduction to who you are and what your niche is
• Your background or experience in your industry
• The personalized side unique to you
• Where your readers can find you online

Show your expertise and influencer recommendations

Most likely you have built up a large audience on your website and on social media. Not only should you include some real testimonials — also list any publications you’ve been in and leaders in your industry who recommend you. Any media articles and interview should also be mentioned.
Here’s a great example for author and entrepreneur, Marsha Collier on Amazon:
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Personality and photo

Focus on what is unique to you and showcase your unique persona that differs from other authors in your niche. Make it personal and include any interests, hobbies, and personal background information that your readers can relate to. The goal here is to develop a “human” picture of you as a real person like this description of Robert DeLaurentis, “Zen Pilot:”

Include any important online links

Because books today are mainly sold online you will want to have your main website and any other online properties included in your bio. This should be in both digital and print formats — only list the main places that you want to interact with your audience in. If an older or inactive network is included this could appear unprofessional.
After crafting a first draft ask your most trusted circle of friends or colleagues what they think. Going through a few rewrites will help you create a professional marketing tool that will attract an audience. Although Amazon allows authors to update their descriptions it’s best to develop a bio that is consistent with your other online entities and will become more permanent — especially if your book will be printed.