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By Tina L. Miller  Ask any fledgling
writer the desire of their heart, and they’re sure to tell you it’s seeing their work in print. But when they achieve their very
first goal and have a piece accepted, many are quickly thrown for a loop when the editor asks them to provide a bio to accompany
their article.
“Bio? What’s a bio?” they ask. “And how do I write one?” “Help! I don’t have a bio,” they may assert. But, of course, they do. Every writer has a bio—and can whip one out in a heartbeat if they only knew how. A bio is nothing more than a brief biography about the writer—generally only one to three sentences long—and usually two is sufficient—that follows a published article in a magazine or newspaper. They’re really very easy to write—except that new writers become flustered when they realize that they don’t have a long list of published credits to list. In the beginning, when you have no published credits to your name, just make up your mind not to worry about it. Don’t worry about the published credits part. Just tell the publication’s readers a little bit about yourself and perhaps your family life and where you live. For example: Tina L. Miller is a wife and mother of two. She lives in Merrill, Wisconsin, where she writes from her home office. Once you do begin to accumulate one or more credits, feel free to identify them in your bio. Here’s another example: Tina L. Miller is a writer, wife, and mother of two who lives in Merrill, Wisconsin. Her work has also appeared in the Wausau Daily Herald. As your list of published writing credits grows, you’ll be tempted to list absolutely all of them. Don’t! Believe it or not, this frequently marks you as an amateur. I ought to know! I did it all the time at first. In retrospect, I now realize I used to write bios that looked absolutely ridiculous. Rather than list all of your published credits, be selective and list those that are similar to the piece you’re now publishing in some way, shape, or form. If you’re publishing a parenting article, list your credits in other parenting publications. Or perhaps list your most prestigious, recognizable credits—such as the Chicago Tribune or Redbook. If you ever author or co-author a book, that typically stands out as your most prestigious credit and you’ll want to include the title of the book. Example: Tina L. Miller is a freelance writer and the author of When A Woman Prays, Obadiah Press. She lives in Merrill, Wisconsin, with her husband and two children. As you become even more prolific, you can become even more general. Suppose you have several hundred pieces published. You can pretty much just say that and perhaps list one or two of the most prestigious credits. For example: Tina L. Miller lives and writes from her home in North Central Wisconsin. Her work has appeared in hundreds of publications including the Washington Post and Time magazine. One of the interesting things I’ve noticed over the course of my career is that the more frequently your work is published, and the more recognized you become for your writing, the shorter your bio tends to become. It’s almost as if a “true” professional doesn’t need to brag about being published. He or she is more self-confident and just exudes that confidence in fewer words and by virtue of the article presented. Study some of the bios you see in magazines and newspapers. Many of them are merely one brief sentence. Example: Tina L. Miller is a freelance writer who lives with her family in Merrill, Wisconsin. There’s a lesson to be learned here: when you’re starting out and you don’t have any clips, never be ashamed to copy the successful writers you admire and do the same. Keep it brief and to the point and don’t apologize for your lack of credits. Or if you only have a few credits from small publications, don’t list them and draw attention to your status as a “newbie.” Keep it brief and just let readers assume you’re a prolific, successful writer! (Note: A slightly longer bio—usually one paragraph—is often used on the back cover if you publish a book.) ********* Tina L. Miller is the editor of Obadiah Press, a Christian publishing house. Learn how to achieve publishing success with your next book through her self-publishing success e-courses. Stop by http://www.tinalmiller.com today. Copyright © 2003 by Tina L. Miller. All rights reserved. |
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Go confidently in the direction of your dreams.
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