As an indie author, you have complete control over what goes in your book, where it goes, and what it looks like. So, should you include an author bio in your book? It’s really a matter of preference.
If you plan to include one, here are three questions to consider.
1. Does Your Audience Expect an Author Bio?
In most cases, readers like learning about you. They’re interested in your hobbies, family, and location. Sometimes, they want to know even more, especially if you’ve written a nonfiction book that positions you as an expert in a field. After all, if readers are supposed to trust you, they need to know why. An author bio can provide that answer.
Author bios aren’t just useful tools with nonfiction books written for adults. They can serve children’s book authors as well. For example, Argyle Fox Publishing author Tracy Blanchard is a child psychologist. She mentioned this in her author bio. Knowing this encourages parents to purchase her book, Mitch Tames the Fire Within, because they realize Tracy has expertise and insight on helping children manage anger.
Sometimes, your background doesn’t set you up as an authority. It just gives some background on who you are. This gives a point of connection that strengthens the author-reader relationship. So, if you go to yo-yo competitions, have six cats, and only eat Pop-Tarts, mention this in your bio. Readers will eat it up.
2. Is Your Bio Section Too Long?
There are varying opinions on this, but here are two rules of thumb when writing out your author bio.
- Include everything you want readers to know about you. Whether you want your readers to know you’re an expert in a field, a quirky writer, or a failed badminton instructor, include everything necessary to get the point across.
- Keep your bio as short as possible. An author bio is not a memoir or autobiography. So, say what you need to say and then stop.
3. Where Should You Put Your Author Bio?
Author bios wind up lots of places: the back cover, first page, or last page of a book. While there’s no hard-and-fast rule about where to place a bio, here is some insight that may help you decide where it belongs in your book.
- Cover. The back cover is a great place to put a bio if your credentials add authority to your book. Audra E. Balson, a career geologist, included a bio on the back of her picture book about the life cycle of rocks. If you wonder why you should trust the content of her book, the biography on the back cover tells you. You may want to include your bio on the back cover, even if you’re not an authority figure. Doing so saves space inside your book and reduces printing costs.
- Interior. By putting your bio inside your book, you save valuable cover space. You can also write a longer bio. Just remember—shorter is better. Say what you want to say, then stop. Give enough information to connect with readers, but not so much that your About the Author is longer than your chapters.
Ready to move forward with your manuscript, so you can worry about whether to include an author bio and where to put it? Submit your manuscript for consideration today.