What makes a good author profile? What should be included? How long should it be? These are some of the questions often asked when writing an author bio. The author bio is an important part of your book and should be given the attention it deserves.  Knowing what to include in and leave out of your author profile will set it apart from others and make it more captivating. A good author bio will earn the interest and respect of readers.

Your author profile should be a well-balanced blend of who and what you are. Your author bio is not just information about you. It is your best chance at creating a brand as an author. It sets the tone for how your audience will see you. The aim of the bio is to get your readers interested in you and your work.

Below Are Some Guidelines On Writing Your Author Profile

Always Write In Third Person: The is one of the most common rules of writing author bios. Readers trust your bio more if it appears to have been written by someone else. The third person voice gives your bio more credibility in the eyes of the reader. Writing in first person immediately biases the reader into thinking that your bio is nothing more than self-praise.

Get Personal But Not Too Personal. The plan here is to make an emotional connection with readers, not to bore them with your entire history. Mentioning personal information like marital status, kids, pets, hobbies, etc makes you human to your readers, nurturing a long-term connection.

Be brief: A wordy author profile is an immediate turn off so be sure to keep it short and sweet. Avoid long sentences and only include information that must be there.

Keep The Genre In Mind: Make sure your author bio is in line with the genre of that specific book but do not go overboard. Writing a horror story does not mean that you portray yourself as a dark mind but writing an overly bright and shiny author profile will not be appropriate for such a book either. Your readers understand that you are not the stories you write but your profile will still affect their perception.

Customize it: This is especially important for versatile authors who often write a variety of genres. Without losing the core information in your author bio, make sure each book gets one that speaks to it. Do not just copy and paste from one book to the next.

Be Humble: Humility always speaks to your readers' hearts and helps them connect with you. This, however, does not mean that you should downplay your achievements. Just make sure you do not come across as pompous.

Establish Credibility: Including verifiable facts in your author bio is very important, especially for nonfiction authors. Mentioning your education and work experience with regard to the subject of your book builds trust. Readers want assurance that you are an authority on the subject. This is less important for fiction writers but if you are a former police detective writing a murder mystery, be sure to mention it.

The main aim of any author profile is to create a brand and make a connection with readers.