by Diana Urban
Writing your author bio can be a daunting task, but a well-crafted bio can help readers learn more about what makes you and your books so interesting. You should regularly maintain your bio so fans and potential readers can learn more about you and why they should pick up your latest book.
Stuck on what to include? While there is no one-size-fits-all formula, here are some examples of author bios we love, so you can get some inspiration when crafting your own bio.
1. Courtney Milan
Courtney Milan’s books have received starred reviews in Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, and Booklist. She is a New York Times and a USA Today bestseller and a RITA® winner.
Courtney lives in the Rocky Mountains with her husband, an exceptionally perfect dog, and an attack cat.
Before she started writing historical romance, Courtney got a graduate degree in theoretical physical chemistry from UC Berkeley. After that, just to shake things up, she went to law school at the University of Michigan and graduated summa cum laude. Then she did a handful of clerkships with some really important people who are way too dignified to be named here. She was a law professor for a while. She now writes full-time.
If you want to know when Courtney’s next book will come out, please visit her website at http://www.courtneymilan.com, where you can sign up to receive an email when she has her next release.
Why we love it: Courtney concisely leads with her accolades and bestseller status before diving into more personal information with a witty tone. She also finishes her bio with a call to action for readers to sign up for her mailing list to receive updates from her.
2. Adam Silvera
Adam Silvera is The New York Times bestselling author of They Both Die at the End, More Happy Than Not, and History Is All You Left Me and—together with Becky Albertalli—coauthor of What If It’s Us. He was named a Publishers Weekly Flying Start. Adam was born and raised in the Bronx. He was a bookseller before shifting to children’s publishing and has worked at a literary development company and a creative writing website for teens and as a book reviewer of children’s and young adult novels. He is tall for no reason and lives in Los Angeles. Visit him online at adamsilvera.com.
Why we love it: Adam begins his bio with his bestseller accolades and a list of his popular titles. But we especially love how he also includes his previous experience in children’s literature. It’s a fantastic way an author can craft a unique and credible bio using information besides accolades or bestseller status.
3. Farrah Rochon
USA Today bestselling author Farrah Rochon hails from a small town just west of New Orleans. She has garnered much acclaim for her Crescent City-set Holmes Brothers series and her Moments in Maplesville small-town series. Farrah is a two-time finalist for the prestigious RITA Award from the Romance Writers of America and has been nominated for an RT BOOKReviews Reviewers Choice Award. In 2015, she received the Emma Award for Author of the Year.
When she is not writing in her favorite coffee shop, Farrah spends most of her time reading, cooking, traveling the world, visiting Walt Disney World, and catching her favorite Broadway shows. An admitted sports fanatic, she feeds her addiction to football by watching New Orleans Saints games on Sunday afternoons.
Keep in touch with Farrah via the web:
- Website: https://www.farrahrochon.com
- Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/farrahrochonauthor
- Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/FarrahRochon
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/farrahrochon
- Newsletter: http://bit.ly/2povjuZ
Why we love it: Farrah packs a lot of information into that first paragraph, elegantly describing the awards she’s received and has been nominated for. We also love how she makes it easy for readers to find her on whichever social-media platform they prefer.
4. Angie Fox
New York Times bestselling author Angie Fox writes sweet, fun, action-packed mysteries. Her characters are clever and fearless, but in real life, Angie is afraid of basements, bees, and going up stairs when it is dark behind her. Let’s face it. Angie wouldn’t last five minutes in one of her books.
Angie is best known for her Southern Ghost Hunter mysteries and for her Accidental Demon Slayer books. Visit her at angiefox.com.
Why we love it: We love how Angie distinguishes herself from her characters, making herself relatable to readers. She also mentions her bestseller status and best-known works in a humble way.
5. Tiffany D. Jackson
Tiffany D. Jackson is the author of Allegedly, Monday’s Not Coming, and Let Me Hear a Rhyme. A TV professional by day, novelist by night, she received her bachelor of arts in film from Howard University and her master of arts in media studies from the New School. A Brooklyn native, she is a lover of naps, cookie dough, and beaches, currently residing in the borough she loves, most likely multitasking. You can visit her online at writeinbk.com.
Why we love it: This is an excellent example of a short, concise bio—a perfect snippet for journalists, bloggers, or event coordinators who need to grab Tiffany’s bio for their article or programming.
6. Wendy Heard
Wendy Heard is an author of thrillers for both adults and teens, including The Kill Club and her upcoming YA debut, She’s Too Pretty to Burn. She was born in San Francisco and has lived most of her life in Los Angeles. When not writing, she can be found hiking the Griffith Park trails, taking the Metro and then questioning this decision, and haunting local bookstores.
You can chat with Wendy on Twitter or Instagram at @wendydheard or check out her website at wendyheard.com.
Why we love it: Since Wendy writes thrillers in two different age categories, she makes that clear at the front of her bio, and lists one title from each age market. We also love her personal style infused into this first paragraph and the call to action for where to connect.
7. Kwame Alexander
Kwame Alexander is a poet, an educator, and The New York Times bestselling author of twenty-nine books, including Rebound, the follow-up to his Newbery Medal–winning novel, The Crossover. Kwame writes for children of all ages. His other picture books include Undefeated, Animal Ark, and Out of Wonder. A regular contributor to NPR’s Morning Edition, Kwame is the recipient of several awards, including the Coretta Scott King Author Honor, the Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award, three NAACP Image Award nominations, and the 2018 inaugural Conroy Legacy Award. He believes poetry can change the world, and he uses it to inspire and empower young people through his writing workshop, the Write Thing. Kwame is also the host and producer of the literary variety/talk show Bookish. You can visit him at kwamealexander.com.
Why we love it: We adore how Kwame includes his belief that “poetry can change the world” and his workshop mission statement to “inspire and empower young people.” This sort of spirited language is what makes him such a compelling author to follow.
8. Glynnis Campbell
Glynnis Campbell is a USA Today bestselling author of over two dozen swashbuckling action-adventure historical romances, mostly set in Scotland, and a charter member of The Jewels of Historical Romance—12 internationally beloved authors.
She’s the wife of a rock star and the mother of two young adults, but she’s also been a ballerina, a typographer, a film composer, a piano player, a singer in an all-girl rock band, and a voice in those violent video games you won’t let your kids play.
Doing her best writing on cruise ships, in Scottish castles, on her husband’s tour bus, and at home in her sunny southern California garden, Glynnis loves to play medieval matchmaker, transporting readers to a place where the bold heroes have endearing flaws, the women are stronger than they look, the land is lush and untamed, and chivalry is alive and well!
Want a FREE BOOK? Sign up for her newsletter at glynnis.net.
Why we love it: Glynnis leads with her bestseller status and subgenre before launching into her diverse and unique personal information. She also includes the characteristics of her books in a fun way so readers will know what to expect from her work.
9. Laurelin Paige
Laurelin Paige is The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author of the Fixed Trilogy. She’s a sucker for a good romance and gets giddy anytime there’s kissing, much to the embarrassment of her three daughters. Her husband doesn’t seem to complain, however. When she isn’t reading or writing sexy stories, she’s probably singing, watching edgy black comedy on Netflix, or dreaming of Michael Fassbender. She’s also a proud member of Mensa International, though she doesn’t do anything with the organization except use it as material for her bio.
You can connect with Laurelin on Facebook at facebook.com/LaurelinPaige or on Twitter @laurelinpaige. You can also visit her website, laurelinpaige.com, to sign up for emails about new releases. Subscribers also receive a free book from a different bestselling author every month.
Why we love it: We love Laurelin’s bio because she lets her fun personality shine through! She also includes information about a monthly giveaway she runs through her mailing list, which is enticing and unique.
10. Mia Sosa
Mia Sosa is an award-winning contemporary romance writer and 2015 Romance Writers of America® Golden Heart® Finalist. Her books have received praise and recognition from Kirkus Reviews, Booklist, Library Journal (starred reviews), The Washington Post, Entertainment Weekly, and more.
Book Riot included her debut, Unbuttoning the CEO, in its list of 100 Must-Read Romantic Comedies, and Booklist recently called her “the new go-to author for fans of sassy and sexy contemporary romances.”
A former First Amendment and media lawyer, Mia practiced for more than a decade before trading her suits for loungewear (okay, okay, they’re sweatpants). Now she strives to write fun and flirty stories about imperfect characters finding their perfect match.
Mia lives in Maryland with her husband, their two daughters, and an adorable puppy that finally sleeps through the night. For more information about Mia and her books, visit miasosa.com.
Why we love it: This is such a well-constructed bio, with a paragraph for each (1) listing accolades and praise from trade reviews, (2) including a blurb about Mia’s overall author brand, (3) describing her previous work experience and how she became an author, and (4) sharing personal information and directing readers to where they could learn more.
11. Aiden Thomas
Aiden Thomas, author of Cemetery Boys, received their MFA in Creative Writing from Mills College. Born in Oakland, California, Aiden often haunted Mountain View Cemetery like a second home during their misspent youth. As a queer, trans Latinx, Aiden advocates strongly for diverse representation in all media. Aiden is notorious among their friends for always being surprised by twist endings to books/movies and organizing their bookshelves by color. When not writing, Aiden enjoys exploring the outdoors with their dog, Ronan. Their cat, Figaro, prefers to support their indoor hobbies, like reading and drinking too much coffee.
Why we love it: This is an excellent example of an author bio from a debut author. Aiden included information about their education, upbringing, diversity advocacy, and personal interests, all in their unique and compelling voice.
12. Michael Siemsen
Michael Siemsen is the USA Today bestselling author of six novels, including The Dig, A Warm Place to Call Home (A Demon’s Story), and Exigency. He lives in Northern California with “the wife,” “the kids,” “the dogs,” “that cat,” and he occasionally wears pants. His upcoming release, Frederick & Samuel, is the third book in his award-winning A Demon’s Story series.
Why we love it: Michael’s bio accomplishes a lot in one short paragraph—it includes his bestseller status, his most popular novels, info about his newest release, brief biographical information, and still lets his personality shine.
13. June Hur
June Hur was born in South Korea and raised in Canada, except for the time when she moved back to Korea and attended high school there. She studied history and literature at the University of Toronto. She began writing her debut novel after obsessing over books about Joseon Korea. When she’s not writing, she can be found wandering through nature or journaling at a coffee shop. June is the author of The Silence of Bones and The Forest of Stolen Girls, and currently lives in Toronto with her husband and daughter.
Why we love it: This debut author’s bio is short and sweet, and we love how she includes what inspired her writing.
14. Claire Delacroix
Bestselling author Claire Delacroix published her first medieval romance in 1993. Since then, she has published more than seventy romance novels and numerous novellas, including time-travel romances, contemporary romances, and paranormal romances. The Beauty, part of her successful Bride Quest series, was her first book to land on The New York Times list of bestselling books. Claire has written under the name Claire Cross and continues to write as Deborah Cooke as well as Claire Delacroix. Claire makes her home in Canada with her family, a large undisciplined garden, and a growing number of incomplete knitting projects.
Visit Claire’s website to find out more about her books at delacroix.net.
Why we love it: While Claire has an extensive backlist, she succinctly describes her publishing success and subgenres. She also includes all of her pen names so readers can easily find her, no matter which name they’re looking for.
15. Vanessa Riley
The Regency era (early 1800s) has always been a magnetizing draw for Vanessa Riley. Even as she completed her doctorate in Mechanical Engineering from Stanford University, she made time for Jane Austen or any other work depicting these genteel societies of old. Now she is bringing the flavor of diverse peoples to these stories, returning these old souls to this vivid canvas for all the world to read. Vanessa is the author of The Bargain, a Port Elizabeth, South African Regency serial and Regency novels: Unmasked Heart, Madeline’s Protector, and Swept Away. She lives in Atlanta with her military man hubby and precocious child. You can catch her writing from the comfort of her southern porch with a cup of Earl Grey tea.
Why we love it: Vanessa launches into her bio by sharing her interest in a specific era—an interest she shares with readers who’d love her work, as she’s set her own stories and diverse characters to this time period. She then lists a few of her top titles and shares a bit of personal info, leaving readers with an image of her in her element: writing on a porch while sipping tea.
16. April White
April White has been a film producer, private investigator, bouncer, teacher, and screenwriter. She has climbed in the Himalayas, survived a shipwreck, and lived on a gold mine in the Yukon. She and her husband share their home in Southern California with two extraordinary boys and a lifetime collection of books.
Her first novel, Marking Time, is the 2016 winner of the Library Journal Indie E-Book Award for YA Literature, and her contemporary romantic suspense, Code of Conduct, was a Next Generation Indie Award and RONE Award finalist. All five books in the Immortal Descendants series are on the Amazon Top 100 lists in time travel romance and historical fantasy. More information and her blog can be found at aprilwhitebooks.com.
Why we love it: April’s bio is short and sweet, but is packed with interesting information. She was a private investigator and survived a shipwreck? How can you not want to learn more about this author? She also elegantly includes her books’ statuses and subgenres in the last paragraph, along with a call to action for readers to learn more.
17. Julia Quinn
#1 New York Times bestselling author Julia Quinn loves to dispel the myth that smart women don’t read (or write) romance, and if you watch reruns of the game show The Weakest Link you might just catch her winning the $79,000 jackpot. She displayed a decided lack of knowledge about baseball, country music, and plush toys, but she is proud to say she aced all things British and literary, answered all of her history and geography questions correctly, and knew there was a Da Vinci long before there was a code.
In 2020, Netflix will premiere Bridgerton, based on her popular series of novels about the Bridgerton family.
Find her on the web at juliaquinn.com.
Why we love it: Julia takes a unique approach, making her bio more voicey and focused on her interests. Yet she keeps it up to date, including her latest news in the last sentence above the call to action.
18. Rick Mofina
USA Today bestselling author Rick Mofina is a former journalist who has interviewed murderers on death row, flown over LA with the LAPD, and patrolled with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police near the Arctic. He’s also reported from the Caribbean, Africa, and Kuwait’s border with Iraq. His books have been published in nearly 30 countries, including an illegal translation produced in Iran.
His work has been praised by James Patterson, Dean Koontz, Michael Connelly, Lee Child, Tess Gerritsen, Jeffery Deaver, Sandra Brown, James Rollins, Brad Thor, Nick Stone, David Morrell, Allison Brennan, Heather Graham, Linwood Barclay, Peter Robinson, Håkan Nesser, and Kay Hooper.
The Crime Writers of Canada, The International Thriller Writers, and The Private Eye Writers of America listed his titles among the best in crime fiction. As a two-time winner of Canada’s Arthur Ellis Award, a four-time Thriller Award finalist and a two-time Shamus Award finalist, the Library Journal calls him “one of the best thriller writers in the business.”
Why we love it: Including Rick’s first-hand experiences as a journalist lends him credibility in his genres of Crime Fiction and Thrillers. He also includes a list of well-known authors who have praised his work, and these endorsements may encourage those authors’ fans to give Rick a try.
19. J.T. Ellison
J.T. Ellison began her career as a presidential appointee in the White House, where a nuclear physicist taught her how to obsess over travel itineraries and make a seriously good pot of Earl Grey, spawning both her love of loose leaf and a desire for control of her own destiny. Jaded by the political climate in DC, she made her way back to her first love, creative writing. More than 20 novels later, she is an award-winning New York Times and USA Today bestselling author with thrillers published in 27 countries and 15 languages. She is also the Emmy Award-winning cohost of A Word on Words, a literary interview television show. She lives in Nashville with her husband and two small gray minions, known as cats in some cultures. She thinks they’re furry aliens. Visit jtellison.com or @thrillerchick for more.
***Psst, J.T. here. Want a FREE ebook? Visit jtellison.com/subscribe and sign up for my newsletter. Along with a free ebook, you’ll get my latest news and updates, insider exclusives, plus awesome recipes and book recommendations.
Why we love it: J.T. first delves into her fascinating pre-author days, then smoothly transitions into a summary of her published works and accolades. We also love how she breaks the fourth wall of this bio to add a personal note to readers, encouraging them to get a free ebook and bonus content by subscribing to her newsletter. Her voice shines through in this entire bio.
20. John Scalzi
John Scalzi writes books, which, considering where you’re reading this, makes perfect sense. He’s best known for writing science fiction, including The New York Times bestseller Redshirts, which won the Hugo Award for Best Novel. He also writes non-fiction, on subjects ranging from personal finance to astronomy to film, was the creative consultant for the Stargate: Universe television series. He enjoys pie, as should all right-thinking people. You can get to his blog by typing the word whatever into Google. No, seriously, try it.
Why we love it: John shows off his witty personality while including the pertinent info on what he’s best known for. He also includes a fun bit of trivia that effectively convinced us to type whatever into Google.
Diana Urban is the industry marketing manager at BookBub and was previously the head of conversion marketing at HubSpot. She’s an expert in inbound marketing and lead generation. Diana is also an author of dark, twisty thrillers, including All Your Twisted Secrets (HarperTeen, 3/17/2020). Follow her on Twitter at @DianaUrban.
