These quick tips for writing a long or short author bio for magazine articles, book contributions, or book proposals are at the tweeted request of a fellow writer. I love getting requests – please feel free to ask me questions about writing!

As synchronicity would have it, a different author emailed me the very same day and asked if she could interview me for a book she’s writing about how to acquire a literary agent. She asked me to contribute an author bio for that book – making the day officially my “author bio” day.

For more writing tips, click on How to Write It: Complete Guide to Everything You’ll Ever Write by Sandra Lamb – it’s about everyday writing correspondence, not magazine writing. And, read on for my tips for writing a long or short author bio for magazine articles…

Tips for Writing a Long or Short Author Bio for Magazine Articles

When writing your author bio, do:

• Include your most impressive writing credentials.
• Write it in the third person. Not only is this more professional, it allows you to be objective and balanced about your credentials and experience.
• Mention your education, training, and work experience if it directly relates to the topic of the article.
• Explore the author bios in various magazine articles and book excerpts for ideas. For instance, I found several great ones on YahooShine and BlogHer.
• Provide “live” links your name and blog, whether it’s for a print or online magazine. Some editors will post the magazine article online, and include your bio (check your author agreement and types of copyright for details).
• Provide a short and a long version; let the editor choose which is most suitable. It’s better to offer a little too much than not enough.
• Ask the editor if you should send a photo. If yes, then send two or three.

One of my most important tips for writing an author bio for magazine articles is to remember that it is a work in progress. It can and should change, depending on your magazine articles, book contributions, or book proposals.

When writing your author bio, don’t:

• Get scared or anxious about bragging or sharing your credentials. This is business, fellow scribes. Be professional.
• Mention your age, race, marital status, number of children, or any personal information – unless it suits the magazine article or book excerpt.
• Say that you’ve never written for money, never been published in The New Yorker, and never thought you’d be published by that particular e-zine (unless it somehow flows from the article you’ve written).
• Include url’s such as http://theadventurouswriter.com/blogwriting/ for online author bios. Instead, do what I’ve done below…

If you have any thought or questions about these tips for writing an author bio for magazine articles or book excerpts, please comment below…

Example of a short author bio:

Laurie Pawlik-Kienlen is a full-time freelance writer and blogger; her work has appeared in magazines such as Reader’s Digest, Woman’s Day, Health, Writer’s Digest, MSN Health and sometimes More. She created and maintains a series of Quips and Tips websites: Quips and Tips for Successful Writers, Quips and Tips for Achieving Your Goals, and Quips and Tips for Couples Coping With Infertility. She’s also the Feature Writer for Psychology Suite101.

Example of a long author bio:

The above, plus:

Pawlik-Kienlen is working on her first book: See Jane Soar: Life Lessons From Women Who Weren’t Well-Behaved – which is also a blog! She is represented by Special Agent Jon Sternfeld of the Irene Goodman Literary Agency; her degrees are in Psychology and Education. Pawlik-Kienlen lives on Bowen Island, BC – and she’s also known as The Adventurous Writer.

Please feel free to add your thoughts on author bios below…