A Book With A Great Author Bio Resonates With Readers

After the hard work of building your brand online and attracting loyal followers the next step to take is to publish an authoritative book that reflects who you are and establishes you as a thought leader in your industry. One of the most a common mistakes I see in my consulting business is a boring or stale author bio that does not draw the reader in emotionally.
In order to give them a reason to read your book your introduction should not only be creative, but also specific, and speak at a motivational level that resonates with the needs and desires of your audience.
A stand-out author bio does not need to be lengthy — a brief summary works best in order to keep the reader’s attention. Choose the most intriguing and helpful piece of information to focus on, identify the most important points, and write that in a condensed way.
Depending on your niche this information should be just one to two paragraphs written in third-person format. For first-time authors, 200 words is a great starting point. Keep in mind that this information will also need to be consistent on all of your social media profiles, website, and any guest blog posts.
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.

Decide on the ‘why’

What are the most important elements about you and that can be helpful to your audience? Does your experience line up with your topic? People are less interested in awards, degrees and accolades — they want to know that you understand their needs and desires and have the answers to their most pressing questions. Include the following elements in your content:

• The title or name of your business that is easily recognizable
• A clear explanation of who you are and what you do
• Proven experience and results
• A personalized side unique to you that resonates with your target market
• How you have helped others and where they can reach out to you online and offline

Include testimonials and influencer recommendations

Hopefully while writing your book you have built up at least a year prior a large audience on your blog and on social media. Gather some real testimonials from professional sources, and include a list of any publications you’ve been in or interviews on radio, podcasts, television, ect. Here’s a great example for one of my clients, author and pilot, Robert DeLaurentis:

Get personal

What is unique to your brand? Can you insert a bit of humor?  Be sure that your bio stands out from the competition and really projects what you are about. For example, you could 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 author, Jim Collins, at the end of his bio:

Show people where they can find you

The most important link to include in your bio is your main website URL and any other online properties such as Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and Twitter. This is especially important for publications that are in both print and eBook format — only list the main places that you want to interact with your audience in.

Choose an updated, professional photo

It’s tempting to use an image that may be older, but the truth is your audience is paying attention and want to know they can trust the authors that they are reading about. An outdated photo not only projects an unprofessional image, but can also be perceived as dishonest. Take the time to update with a top quality image that clearly represents who you are and matches your other online profiles such as LinkedIn and Amazon.
Test out different versions of your author bio with the understanding that this will be the main tool to use when marketing your work. It’s best to develop something that is consistent that your brand audience will be able to easily recognize when they do a search for you online. Most of all make it memorable enough that your name will stand out to your readers in a way that compels them to purchase and recommend your book.