It’s time for part two of our series on book proposals! So far we’ve talked the Overview, and today we’ll cover the author’s bio. This one will be short and sweet, just like the section itself.
Much like the Overview, the Author’s Bio is pretty self-explanatory. This is where you tell the reader (the literary agent/editor) all about you. However, it is important that the information and qualifications you share relate to your expertise as an expert on your book’s subject matter and/or as an author. (With an emphasis on the former). It doesn’t matter if you are an award-winning gardener, unless you are writing a gardening book.
Some other tips:
This section should be one one-and-a-half pages, double-spaced
Should be written in the first or third person (“I am a world-renowned plastic surgeon” or “Dr. Jane Smith is a world-renowned plastic surgeon”)
Include a recent, professional photo of yourself
Mention any major media you have done on this subject and awards/recognition
Do not mention SP books that have sold 20,000 copies or less
Brag, but honestly so (if you say you’re a New York Times bestselling author and you’re not, they will find out and your credibility will be shot)
See? Easy-peasy. Do you have any questions about book proposals so far? If so, just respond to this email and we’ll get right back to you!
To you and your book!
Introducing the Author’s Roadmap, a boutique service offered to authors who are ready, really ready, to realize their long-held dreams of being published.
First we’ll begin with a 60-minute call in which we’ll get to know one another. You tell me about you and your book and what your big, audacious dreams are for getting it published (and even after that). You ask me whatever questions you have and together we identify which roadblocks are keeping you from getting to your last stop.
After we meet, you’ll send me your manuscript and I’ll dive deep within it, identifying which aspects will be most attractive to publishers, literary agents, and readers – and which might need a little work (and then I’ll tell you how to fix them).
Finally, I’ll give you the steps you will need to take to get your book published, and beloved by readers everywhere. Looking for a literary agent? I’ll tell you how to get there. Self-publishing? I’ll get you there, too.
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