I’ve been interviewed again. My interview is posted at A Book Inside.
http://abookinside.blogspot.com
Stop over and visit.
This opportunity made me start thinking about my bio, which I send out numerous times every month. You probably have a bio that you use for various occasions, too.
Think of the many ways we use our bios. We send them to the director or program chairperson for conferences or presentations we schedule in order to promote our books. These bios serve two purposes: to give the event coordinator and committee the information they need in order to accept or reject our proposal to speak or teach. And they’ll use some of this information in their event promotion.
We include brief bios with the articles we submit. This is generally added at the end of the article.
Someone might request your bio when you have contacted them about an interview or a book review.
Book fair organizers often want a bio of participants to include in their program.
So what do you put in your bio? Do you send a cookie cutter bio for all occasions? Or do you change it to suit the situation and to incorporate your current projects?
I change my bio often in order to gear it toward the audience. If the bio is for brochures or other promotional material for a writers’ conference I’m participating in, I will strive to illustrate my expertise in the topic of my presentation. For example, when I’m scheduled to talk about freelance writing, I focus on my article-writing credentials. If the topic will be publishing, I include the facts that demonstrate my experience in publishing.
When I have a new online course starting or I’m ready to launch a new course, I will write articles related to the theme of the course and promote the course in my bio. For example, I’ve recently added a book promotion course to my offerings. So I wrote a few articles on various aspects of book promotion (in order to demonstrate my expertise in this topic) and, in the bio at the end of the articles, I wrote, “Patricia Fry is the president of SPAWN (Small Publishers, Artists and Writers Network). She has been writing for publication for 35 years and she has 28 published books to her credit. Patricia teaches a series of online courses. Her newest one is the Book Promotion Workshop
http://www.matilijapress.com/course_bookpromotion.htm.
Use your bio to your benefit. Promote yourself, your services and your books. Lead people to your website. Mention any upcoming events or recent accomplishments, if pertinent to the interest of your audience.
Maybe you give workshops and sell books and materials related to quilting. Your audience consists of quilters and people who are interested in learning to quilt. You want to entice them to visit your website, purchase books and materials and attend your workshops. Here’s how your bio tacked to the end of your article or included in a promotional brochure might read: “Mary Jane has been teaching quilting techniques to beginning and advanced quilters for 13 years. Her hands-on workshops run throughout the spring and fall in St. Louis and summer and winter in Seattle. Visit her website for more information and to view a wide array of learning aids and quilting supplies. (Give website address.)”
Perhaps you write spiritual books for parents and you want to promote your books through articles. Submit articles on topics related to your book. In your bio, you might write, “Dale Osborn is a child psychologist and the author of the Successful Christian Parenting book series. (Include website or other contact info.)”
Have you looked at your bio lately? Maybe it’s time to freshen it up and to rethink your promotional tactics.
For more great ideas for writers and authors as well as resources, tips, information and techniques, be sure to order your copy of The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book. http://www.matilijapress.com/rightway.html