Support for Indie Authors discussion

I feel like Marty McFly when he starts to disappear because the past has been altered one too many times. Books are tough, blurbs can be agony, but author bios...that is the worst for me! I have rewritten mine countless times. I suppose I have bio envy when I read others that actually sound intelligent.

I also find myself writing different bios for different platforms like blogs and ebook marketing sites. Is this normal? Do you use the same bio for everything? How many times have you changed it?

Then there is my goodreads author page. I want to connect with other members and encourage them to add me as a friend, but a bio written in third person makes me feel uninviting and snobbish. When I add someone as a friend, I am worried they will think I am just looking for customers. I am probably putting WAY too much thought into it, but I kinda wish we had a separate author bio, in addition to the profile text boxes that regular members have.

I never even read author bios before I started publishing. I am still not sure how important they are or how many people read them and judge the book's contents by it. I am not sure why I am letting it get to me so much either. Just wondering if there are more out there like me!

I actually assume my readers are going to follow me/ like me based on my work and not my bio. After all, a novel is how many pages compared to a few hundred word bio? As a reader, I generally choose a book based on reviews and/or blurb and skip looking at the bio altogether so I assume others do the same.

Maybe I'm wrong?

I think you're maybe over thinking it a little bit. Maybe it's just me. I write a new bio with every new book. For me though, it's kind of a joke. I use third person, but more ironically than anything. You're right, it's kind of an awkward thing, writing your own bio. Just have fun with it, touch on the important stuff and don't fret too much.

I don't think people read authors' bios, either. Having said that, I do have a long version and a short version that I use where needed (the long version is on Goodreads and my website). I've honed it over the years into something that sounds halfway professional, and I keep tweaking it now and then. The real trouble with a bio is that it isn't finished until you die. And then it sounds better in 3rd-person.

I have one bio and use it for everything. I try to keep it professional while letting some of my personality come through. I do think a bio for a non-fiction author is crucial and thought must be given to its development. I rarely read author bios for fiction that I've enjoyed.

P.S. kudos on the excellent Back to the Future reference.

I update mine every time I publish a new book.

First of all, I agree that bio for a fiction writer is mostly a nuisance. Readers want good stories. If they liked your book, they will look for your name.

Second: I don't think there is any problem with bios. Just as with CVs, you won't include all your life from conception to present. You include what may be interesting for those persons that read that individual bio. These persons got there through different filters.

Third: Only people who are really interested in you will reach your bio. It won't have the same constraints of blurbs for example, where you have to catch the attention of casually browsing readers in the first 2-3 sentences.

@Ken: I think people are very different when it comes to bios. Some people have a very simple life (in terms of bio writing), while others may spend agonising hours trying to explain themselves without writing a whole autobiography. Not to mention the subject of what one wants to share or keep private.

I've yet to add an author bio to a book. The only two I have in circulation are the ones on Amazon and Goodreads. Perhaps if I had shedloads of relevant experience - I'd worked as a Victorian governess or been an evil roboticist - I'd mention it. As it stands, it's very much "Born in 1985, studied creative writing, scribbles."

I don't dare mess around with my bio too much. My sense of humour gets me into enough trouble in real life...

@Rachael: We all know that you've been an evil roboticist governing in the Victorian era , but understand that you cannot publicly reveal this. :)
Just stick with some simple story about being born and writing. "And stuff."

I only have one bio that I use for everything. I have only updated it once as I don't really feel the need to update it regularly as I'm not sure how many people read it!

Don't stress over it. You can literally just tell people you are a unicorn wrangler that lives in the centre of the sun.
(I don't think anyone has noticed that bio on my webpage yet honestly.)

:)

When I started thinking about writing my Bio, I looked around at other authors, and there was the usual third person stuff, listing education, jobs, what they were writing ect ect ect.
They all seemed a little too serious, so I decided that mine wouldn't be. I've only written it once, and tweaked it a little bit, unlike my Blurb, which I've written so many times, I've lost count, and will probably write several more times and never be completely happy with it.

As a few people have already said, fiction readers will probably not be swayed too much by an author's bio, if they ever even read it, but I think that having something a little lighter will help a reader connect with an author.

But what do I know?
I don't know nothing.

Matt wrote: "When I started thinking about writing my Bio, I looked around at other authors, and there was the usual third person stuff, listing education, jobs, what they were writing ect ect ect.
They all see..."

When I have to write something about myself, I tend to opt for the following:
Humanoid from the Sol-3 system.

Concise. Accurate.

Am I the only one who reads author bios? lol

I read EVERYTHING, from cover to cover, and if I really like what I've read I will often then look at the author's webpage or other social pages. I tweak my own bio with every book I publish, adding bits of my writing accomplishments in when I can without trying to overdo it. I prefer to keep it short and sweet and I don't change the one on my website or social sites quite as often. And i truly envy those of you who can inject some humor into your bios---those tend to lure me like a moth to flame--even if I only found the book to be so-so, I'm more prone to give a second chance to someone who can make me laugh.

L.F. wrote: "Am I the only one who reads author bios? lol

I read EVERYTHING, from cover to cover, and if I really like what I've read I will often then look at the author's webpage or other social pages. I t..."

I'm one of those that have difficulties to write a meaningful bio within the length constraints of a book bio. I've done a lot of things and I'm the amalgam of them. If I leave them out, the bio is not true. If I include it, it gets complicated. I'm just sweating over a bio version for an interview. As an avid bio reader, would care to have a look? :D

I've written it once (with minor changes to sentence structure and such).

I'm such a weirdo. And a dork. I don't try to hide it in my bio *smirks*

Hmm. In truth, I originally wrote up a more "professional" author bio...but then I thought..."Ugh. If people read this and then read my books, they're gonna be like, WTHeck happened to the author???" Tee hee.

So yeah, my bio sounds like me :)

EDIT: Aiya! I just realized that I'm an idiot and you probably meant the bio inside the book (duh!) not an author site, eh? If so, mine's short and wacky, like me...

About the author…

Up until recently, Annie was drinking copious amounts of coffee and magically transforming caffeine into her first novel. Unfortunately, she suffered a mental breakdown in the process of formatting this ebook and has yet to fully recover.

She is currently seeing a shrink three times a week, attempting to kick her caffeine addiction and writing her next humble offering to you.

To make Annie smile, please visit her website to rate and review this ebook.

www.anniearcane.com

Haha Annie, that is brilliant!

Thank you so much for your replies! Every single one has been so helpful. I will not worry too much about it, but I think I like the idea of updating it for each book. :)

Zoltán wrote: "L.F. wrote: "Am I the only one who reads author bios? lol

I read EVERYTHING, from cover to cover, and if I really like what I've read I will often then look at the author's webpage or other soci..."

PM me---I'll give you my opinion.

And Duh! I've just realised that I haven't actually put my Bio in since becoming a Goodreads author.

That just goes to show just how much I think people will be interested in me.
Oh well, done now, along with the rest of the things I hadn't put in.

Love your bio, Annie!

Matt wrote: "And Duh! I've just realised that I haven't actually put my Bio in snice becoming a Goodreads author.

That just goes to show just how much I think people will be interested in me.
Oh well, done now..."

Yours is awesome. I love the job descriptions :).

Rachael wrote: "Love your bio, Annie!"

Tee hee. Thank you, Miss Rachael. I reckon if they've made it to the end of the book, they've already figured out I'm a weirdo, eh? :P

Matt: The giant Canadian mosquitoes, Ugh.

Annie, you're very correct.

When I read a story with a theme, the only thing I struggle with is deciphering the theme. If the time carries quirky stuffs, sarcasm, and wit, I conclude the author of that book, for me, is also sarcastic, witty and humorous. However, if it's something serious, straight to point, formally educational, then the author is so.

It doesn't matter if that genre doesn't really represent them, but once I hear or read the words hell, shit, f**k, then you're a dude or a dudess. (My way of saying female dude.)

Likewise, I expect my readers to be able to understand a few things about me through my "writing", so any other thing is a byproduct, unless it's serious nonfiction.

So author bio shouldn't really be a big deal for a fiction writer. Just let readers in a little about how your book resonate with your personality, that's all.

Happy writing a catchy one.

Annie wrote: Matt: The giant Canadian mosquitoes, Ugh.""

They are big, but at least you can here them coming.

Annie,
Great bio!

In response, I'll tweak my bio so it doesn't appear cookie-cutter from one venue to the next. I interject what I perceive is a human interest angle relating to the book, and keep it short.

Eva wrote: "Annie,
Great bio!"

Awww, thank you, Miss Eva! *blushes* I'm always worried that I come off like too much of a goofball (which I totally am), so I'm super duper delighted that you dig it :D

Matt wrote: "They are big, but at least you can here them coming."

Yeah, I hear their thundering footsteps, eh? :P

I'll tweak my bios every time I write a new book in my series. Not major tweaks just some wording stuff to keep it fresh and such. I did have a crisis with it whether to be American colloquial with 'Legos' or be formal and use LEGO bricks or something. Right now I'm going with Legos as that is what I use in conversation, but sometimes I wake up in a cold sweat thinking someone is silently judging me.

Ugh.

Yeah. I don't know if anyone reads my bio. Maybe they do. Maybe they don't and just read my tweets. Who knows? I try to be chill with it and be short. The book is what they care about, no?

I've rewritten mine quite a few times. I'm neurotic about spacing issues, so if there's a paragraph and the last line is only one word then I have to rewrite it so it evens out better. I'm not sure why. I had a shorter author bio, a long time ago, but then I thought maybe my mention of an interest in Krav Maga was driving off potential book reviews, so I edited it. (haha)

Sarah wrote: "I'll tweak my bios every time I write a new book in my series. Not major tweaks just some wording stuff to keep it fresh and such. I did have a crisis with it whether to be American colloquial with..."

Too funny! I just submitted answers to an author interview where I mentioned that I am a huge fan/collector of Legos. What I struggled with was whether to put an apostrophe between the "o" and "s" of Legos (Lego's?). Haha. I'm still not totally sure...

Marie wrote: "Too funny! I just submitted answers to an author interview where I mentioned that I am a huge fan/collector of Legos. What I struggled with was whether to put an apostrophe between the "o" and "s" of Legos (Lego's?)."

I always thought the plural of Lego, was Lego. As in 'Daddy can you come and play with Lego?'
I'm not sure now. The only thing I am certain of is that they hurt when you stand on them.

Matt wrote: "The only thing I am certain of is that they hurt when you stand on them. ."

Word (insert emoji with shades)

Yeah, I don't think most people even read bios.
I have one I use everywhere and try to stick with it.
If people want to know more they'll follow me on fb/Twitter/read my blog??

Don't fret dear one.

btw one Lego, many Lego. It is a product name. It stays the same, no matter the quantity. :)
The only time you pluralise it is if you add the word 'brick' after it. That then bows to the plural 's'.

T.L. wrote: "btw one Lego, many Lego. It is a product name. It stays the same, no matter the quantity. :)
The only time you pluralise it is if you add the word 'brick' after it. That then bows to the plural 's'."

Yep, that is the correct way. The reason why I don't do that is that I never say it and I don't know anyone that does. So I go for the more colloquial version of it.

Joshua wrote: "I've rewritten mine quite a few times. I'm neurotic about spacing issues, so if there's a paragraph and the last line is only one word then I have to rewrite it so it evens out better. I'm not sure..."

ByJen L.on June 4, 2016Format: Kindle EditionBill opened the book with re-quoting a well known economist and advisor under President Reagan, “…that virtually all economic laws that were passed had the opposite effect as to what they were originally intended.” I knew I was going to love this book after reading that quote. Belief in this quote, says a lot about Bill’s character.

Young Bill is a smart prankster, a rebel against the system, and this book is a compilation of the many many stories that highlight his life. He jam packs the re-collections with humor and positive vibes. The places, groups in society, friends, enemies and family along the way who he encounters are all intricate parts in the journey of wisdom. He transports you to a time that you wish you could live through, because it just seems like a heck of a lot of FUN!

I felt I could very much relate to Bill, having a Grandfather growing up in a similar society and a similar time with a mirroring personality.

A hard working lad, the author speaks of all the different types of jobs he’s had. A colorful bright mosaic of life through words. A wonderful story teller, to the point, no extras. Paints a great picture with beautifully flawless transitions between the highly entertaining stories.

A blast into the past, reading the words of an elder, there are many hidden teachings within this novel. One thing our modern society doesn’t do enough is connecting the generations via story telling…that ancient way of teaching has been lost. I believe it is the best way. The passing of crucial life knowledge, that you cannot otherwise learn. Life is short, pass on the knowledge, and this is what Bill did, in a way that places a smile on your face.

ByJen L.on June 4, 2016Format: Kindle EditionBill opened the book with re-quoting a well known economist and advisor under President Reagan, “…that virtually all economic laws that were passed had the opposite effect as to what they were originally intended.” I knew I was going to love this book after reading that quote. Belief in this quote, says a lot about Bill’s character.

Young Bill is a smart prankster, a rebel against the system, and this book is a compilation of the many many stories that highlight his life. He jam packs the re-collections with humor and positive vibes. The places, groups in society, friends, enemies and family along the way who he encounters are all intricate parts in the journey of wisdom. He transports you to a time that you wish you could live through, because it just seems like a heck of a lot of FUN!

I felt I could very much relate to Bill, having a Grandfather growing up in a similar society and a similar time with a mirroring personality.

A hard working lad, the author speaks of all the different types of jobs he’s had. A colorful bright mosaic of life through words. A wonderful story teller, to the point, no extras. Paints a great picture with beautifully flawless transitions between the highly entertaining stories.

A blast into the past, reading the words of an elder, there are many hidden teachings within this novel. One thing our modern society doesn’t do enough is connecting the generations via story telling…that ancient way of teaching has been lost. I believe it is the best way. The passing of crucial life knowledge, that you cannot otherwise learn. Life is short, pass on the knowledge, and this is what Bill did, in a way that places a smile on your face.

I’ve rewritten my bio a few times, it’s in third person and I kept it relatively short. I always read the author bio at the end of a book! I think it’s a great way to learn something about the author in order to make a connection.

Well....

After NEVER rewriting my author bio, this little thread made me do it...it made me, I tell you! Maaaade me! So, thanks to Marie for sparking a fuse in my brain!! :D

Hugs,
Ann