Ask a writer for their bio and you'll usually get one of two things: something dashed off in a hurry, or a resume in disguise. Neither serves you well. A bio isn't merely a record of your accomplishments. Instead, in most situations, it should inspire a stranger to want to know more about you and your work.
Behind every good bio is a question youâll want to answer: what do you want to be known for? Get that right and everything becomes easier. Get it wrong and you end up with a bio that could belong to any of a hundred other writers in your genreâaccurate, competent, and entirely forgettable.
Bio writing is a task that most writers donât get meaningful guidance on, and too many emerging authors mimic bestselling authors who might not have to say much at allâbecause their name has become a brand. For any author whoâs not a brand name, your bio has to work across wildly different contextsâan event introduction, a book jacket, a query or proposal, a social media profile, a conference programâand a single version rarely serves all of them well. Moreover, a bio that was sharp a few years ago often goes stale as your work and career evolve, sometimes working against you without your realizing it.
In this live webinar, Jane will show you how to think about your bio as a strategic tool rather than an afterthought. You'll learn the different types of bios every working writer needs, how to adapt your bio for different platforms and purposes without starting from scratch each time, and how to avoid the common mistakes that miss an opportunity to connect with readers and other writing and publishing professionals.
Along the way, Jane will walk through real writers' bios and revise them, showing specific choices that turn a perfectly acceptable bio into a more memorable one. If youâre open to your bio being critiqued during the live class, submit your bio here: https://tally.so/r/zx4RgZ
What will you learn?
Who should attend?
How does it work?
Need Help?
Meet the instructor
Jane Friedman
Jane Friedman has spent her entire career working in the publishing industry, with a focus on business reporting and author education. Established in 2015, her newsletter The Bottom Line provides nuanced market intelligence to thousands of authors and industry professionals; in 2023, she was named Publishing Commentator of the Year by Digital Book World. Jane's expertise regularly features in major media outlets such as The New York Times, The Atlantic, The Today Show, Wired, Fox News, and BBC. Her book, The Business of Being a Writer, Second Edition (The University of Chicago Press), is used as a classroom text by many writing and publishing degree programs. Learn more at JaneFriedman.com.
View Website
