Recently, in a few writing forums, I've come across the question: "what the heck do I put in my bio if I don't have any writing credentials?"
Well first, and honestly, what is a query bio?
It's that last paragraph (usually, doesn't have to be), in a query letter that's all about the author, or "the cook" if you've read my post on How To Write A Query Letter.
This is usually two-three sentences that can include associations, previous books/articles published, and really any writing credits you might have - including degrees, certificates, and even internships.
But the truth is you don't need a fancy bio to have an outstanding query letter. The query is all about the book, and as long as the hook and the book portion of your query is on point, it's totally acceptable if the bio paragraph falls short.
A few easy, short examples:
"I live in New Orleans with my dog and two cats. When I'm not writing, I develop gaming software for EA."
"I work for a small real estate company, and in my free time, I like to sit in my comfy chair and snuggle up to a good Thriller. "
"Like the main character, I also knit for fun. I grew up in a small town, and I work as a nurse practitioner."
Those are just a few short ones, and since I didn't have many writing credentials besides writing a blog, I'll paste my own bio below. I'm also going to share a video that Alexa Donne recently posted on her YouTube, titled 25 Simple Query Bios that WORKED!
My own query bio made the video (wink, wink), so don't forget to check it out for plenty of examples!
"I am a KC native, and I graduated with a degree in corporate communications and an emphasis in business and art. I currently work in communications for a university in Kansas, and I am a strong supporter of the We Need Diverse Books/Writers movement. When I’m not daydreaming about new stories, you can find me binge-watching YouTube or practicing West Coast Swing."
Still have more questions? Leave a comment below.
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Till next time blog world!