Writing an author bio examples of professional bios. May 01, 2019 jerianne agee, author of the childrens book series the life and times of birdie mae hayes sky horse publishing. Rachel also designs and formats book interiors for print or ebook distribution. There isnt an equivalent field in kdp, but when you include this information on createspace, itll automatically get included on the kindle version of your book on amazon. Sutton has worked in the book publishing and the film industries for thirty yearson the front lines and behind the scenesfinding projects to publish andor produce, and developing and editing them, seeing them through to completion on the page or screen. Firsttime readers glancing at the bio of a new indie author frankly dont want to hear about your first pet or the list of authors who have inspired you to pick up writing. But if you rely on your publisher to write your author bio for you, it may end up something like this. The undefeated caldecott medal book kwame alexander.
An effective author bio is short and highlights basic professional information about the. Dorothy thompson is a freelance writer, childrens ebook author, and editor of the writers life. If theres no clear way to signal direct authority or credentialsfor example, you wrote a thriller or a romance novelthen dont make up things or try to invent authority. There is value in young readers learning that an author.
Childrens books need to be engaging and pleasant to the eyes. Jan pinborough shelved 10 times as childrens biography. Childrens literature authorillustrator directory resource. It s the media relations tool that tells reporters, producers, bloggers and other media gatekeepers that your personal history gives you the perfect credentials for this novel or that your professional.
Most kids couldnt care less about who wrote the book, unless theyve finished one and are looking for more of the same. What began as a grad school hobby is now a top food blog, with millions of readers coming to her site for easy weeknight recipes and. Book summary and author bio on the back of the book. Your author bio will continue to change as you work on new projects and build your cv. Illustrations from carles book are interspersed throughout the text as well as a photo essay that depicts how carle creates his art. Literary agents for childrens books 20202021 childrens. Mary hershey is an author for children and her biography page presents the writer in a childlike manner which looks really cute. Jerianne agee, author of the childrens book series the life and times of birdie mae hayes sky horse publishing. Beatrice culleton mosionier, formerly beatrice culleton, is a canadian. Rick mofina is a former journalist who has interviewed murderers on death row.
Ann brashares born 1967 the sisterhood of the traveling pants series. Apr 23, 2015 most kids couldnt care less about who wrote the book, unless theyve finished one and are looking for more of the same. Sure, bios are usually written in the third person, but we all know that the authors write them. Jul 07, 2011 your author bio is an important book press kit element because it is pretty much the only tool you have to make the case that you are the best person to write this book and to write it well. Angela brazil 18681947 the nicest girl in the school, for the sake of. Biographies and autobiographies of famous childrens authors. Oct 22, 2015 writing your author bio can be a daunting task, but a wellcrafted bio can help readers learn more about what makes you and your books so interesting. Keep your information relevant to the books subject and your audience. While most authors provide neat, tight biographies in the backs of their books, others need no introduction, as their magnificent reputations precede them. Publishers frequently put the foreword authors name on the cover, sometimes more prominently than the name of the books author. If you are an author, probably you will want an author bio. Youre aiming for a style similar to book jacket copy. Joseph alexander altsheler 18621919 the young trailers series, the.
The bio you write today will look completely different in five years time. Your author bio is an important book press kit element because it is pretty much the only tool you have to make the case that you are the best person to write this book and to write it well. We take a look at the key elements of an interesting bio and which details should be omitted. David almond born 1951 skellig, heaven eyes, kits wilderness. May 02, 2020 literary agents for childrens books 20202021 use our free list of literary agents to find childrens literary agents accepting submissions for fiction and nonfiction. Dont number your books this is her seventh picture book for children. Teaching guides are available for books 1 through 2 8. Childrens book authors and illustrators literary agent faq. By following the above suggestions, i can guarantee you will come up with an author bio that will knock the editors socks off and increase your chances of becoming a published author. Mabel esther allan 19151998 over the sea to school, ballet for drina, the ballet family. By benjamin graham and david dodd, features the foreword author over the books actual authors.
Resources for teaching with childrens books scholastic. If it is a romance, perhaps write about how you met your spouse. Literary agents for childrens books 20202021 children. If you write for children and have some of your own, it would be useful to mention them. I recently reread one of my favorite books as a child, anne of green gables, and while in the midst of the story i did a little background research on the author, lucy maud montgomery. White s charlotte s web, for example have not been included, as they are reasonably wellknown, enduring masterpieces that every child should know. Sylvia mendez and her familys fight for desegregation jane addams award book awards duncan tonatiuh 4. Wellknown classics such as beatrix potter s the adventures of peter rabbit, lewis carroll s alice in wonderland, a. Christianna brand 19071988 nurse matilda series adapted as nanny mcphee. Sep 15, 2015 author bios are really no different than any other type writing, except you must think of yourself as the main character. Author bios are really no different than any other type writing, except you must think of yourself as the main character.
You do not want to dash off an author bio in five minutes. The first gathering of our new york comadres for book club was on july 21, 2004 at the apartment of comadre maria ferrer. Find the resources you need to integrate the best children s literature with your everyday teaching plans while inspiring a lifelong love of reading in your students. You should regularly maintain your bio on places like your bookbub author profile so fans and potential readers seeking you out can learn more about you and why they should pick up your latest book. How to write an author bio when you dont feel like an authoryet. Popular childrens biography books showing 150 of 812 miss moore thought otherwise. An authors page, or authors bio, is typically located at the end of a book and is meant to tell readers a little about the author of the book. The best advice i can give you is to read 510 bios of wellknown children s authors before you sit down to write your own. About the author examples that youll actually want to read. For business the short bio can sometimes be more important than whats actually in the bookthe sad but true reality is that more people will read your author bio than your actual book. If you published a paperback version of your book on createspace, you can enter the bio in the author biography section for your book. How to write an author bio that will help you sell more books. Its the media relations tool that tells reporters, producers, bloggers and other media gatekeepers that your personal history gives you the perfect credentials for this novel or that your professional.
You need to create a brief and compelling author bio for use on your website, book jacket, and press releases. The best biographies of james monroe my journey through. How to write an author bio that will sell childrens books write kids. Author bios are not a place for you to delve into a lengthy explanation of your history. These templates are available in several varieties. But they soon find that home improvement isnt all its cracked up to be. She ghostwrites author bios, back cover copy of books, and author websites. Wellknown classics such as beatrix potters the adventures of peter rabbit, lewis carrolls alice in wonderland, a. How to write a successful author bio tell readers about yourself. He was a college dropout and revolutionary war veteran who was never able to achieve a command he believed equal to his talents.
Outline a chapterbychapter summary of your booka few sentences per. How to write your first author bio writing forward. I learned that montgomery was raised by her grandparents on prince edward island, canada, much like her famous heroine. So its probably parents, grandparents, teachers and librarians who will be reading the author bio. May 19, 2015 the book includes an autobiography, essays on the author, and the text of the speech carle gave on childrens book day at the library of congress in 1990. If youre writing childrens books, leave out the fact that you started your. Literary agents for childrens books 20202021 use our free list of literary agents to find childrens literary agents accepting submissions for fiction and nonfiction. How to write an author bio that sells books ben zackheim. Not only is it useful to know what you need to include in an author bio, it is also useful to see examples of how your vital information should look. The captivating features and vibrant colors of a childrens book are what will attract a child to pick it up. How anne carroll moore created libraries for children hardcover by.
Here is a great blog post from rachelle gardner about how to write a terrific author bio. Writing your author bio can be a daunting task, but a wellcrafted bio can help readers learn more about what makes you and your books so interesting. Biographies and autobiographies of famous childrens. Chungah rhee is the founder, recipe developer, and photographer of damn delicious. Poet of the people henry holt, winner of the americas award for childrens literature and an orbis pictus honor for outstanding nonfiction, and waiting for the biblioburro random house, a christopher award winner. Nonfiction back cover copy for nonfiction, establishing yourself as an expert and differentiating your book from the others written about the same topic will help sell your book. Best childrens books 4560 books meet your next favorite book.
Your books author bio tells potential readers who you are, and why they should. This list is organized by age range and then by the authors last name. By benjamin graham and david dodd, features the foreword author over the book s actual authors. In each colorfully illustrated book for early childhood prek4, biologically accurate information is combined with an exciting story line. For nonfiction authors, the author bio is a critical marketing tool as who are you are is often as or more. For nonfiction, establishing yourself as an expert and differentiating your book from the others. Suzanne tates nature series is a unique series of 36 books about marine life. The fact is, author bios are the best way to make yourself compelling to a complete stranger whos thinking about buying your book. Reading is an intimate endeavor in which the reader and the author are engaged in a kind of relationship. Novelists will rarely depend on the bio to sell the book, but as book launch. Here are some reallife author bios that combine most or all of the tips above.
This article will cover both what you need to include in your author bio and some examples of tight professional bios. And, like some modernday presidents, he was not particularly intellectually gifted or. Bossypants by tina fey, the diary of a young girl by anne frank, yes please by amy poehler, becoming by michelle obama. Goodreads author shelved 3 times as childrens biography. An effective author bio is short and highlights basic professional information about the author. Rachel invites all writers, but is especially interested in supporting the efforts of christian and spiritualreligious writers, pastors and theologians, mystics, memoirists, and children. Glynnis campbell is a usa today bestselling author of swashbuckling. If your book is a comedy, they make your bio humorous. Finding a literary agent for childrens books is easy using our literary agency database. May 25, 2006 synopsis a one page summary of your book. Here are some examples of author bios we love so you can get some. James monroe was the first of the earliest presidents to capture the presidency without an obvious tailwind assisting his efforts. People who arent sure whether they should buy your book.
How to write a memorable author bio with template reedsy. Theres something special about rereading a book i loved as a child as an adult. It takes a long time to read a book, but its very easy to make a snap judgment based on a short paragraph, and most people do that. Her publisher, which publishers weekly recently called the fastestgrowing small publisher in america, has 41 new york times bestsellers. How to write an amazing author bio book marketing for. For some types of books and authors, this is harder to do. Very few authors over the years have enjoyed crafting bios. Children s book author biographies, author study resources, kid s book illustrator interviews, and other teacher resources.
However, you also dont want your bio to be devoid of any personality. Mar 23, 2017 an author s page, or author s bio, is typically located at the end of a book and is meant to tell readers a little about the author of the book. The national book club has grown out of a series of highly successful monthly teleconferences which we host, with each teleconference featuring one book clubselected author. Milne s winnie the pooh, margaret wise brown s goodnight moon, and e. Learn how to write an author bio that gets readers attentions. Publishers frequently put the foreword author s name on the cover, sometimes more prominently than the name of the book s author. Script consultant and book editor for independent authors. How to write an author bio that will sell childrens books. Write queries, cover letters, synopses, outlines, author. Sep 14, 2015 while most authors provide neat, tight biographies in the backs of their books, others need no introduction, as their magnificent reputations precede them. Your book is riveting, but your author bio is a snooze. The third example shows how part of the back cover copy the author bio, in this case can show up on the inside flap of a hard cover book.
Childrens book author biographies, author study resources, kids book illustrator interviews, and other teacher resources. Find the resources you need to integrate the best childrens literature with your everyday teaching plans while inspiring a lifelong love of reading in your students. Gillian bradshaw born 1956 the dragon and the thief, the land of gold, beyond the north wind. Think about how your friends might describe you or how you might introduce yourself to someone at a networking event because, you know, we all go to such things.
I think itll inspire you, offering hints as to voice and how to streamline your message effectively. Mar 05, 2014 you need to create a brief and compelling author bio for use on your website, book jacket, and press releases. Novelists will rarely depend on the bio to sell the book, but as book launch specialist joel pitney suggests. There are two kinds of people who are reading your author bio.
This list is meant to introduce children, and the adults who care for them, to newer books in the field of childrens literature. How to write a terrific author bio rachelle gardner. Jeriannes success story is special to me because shed previously selfpublished, and agents and publishers prefer unpublished material. To make it easy for authors, we have a variety of unique eyecatching, readytouse childrens book templates. Write queries, cover letters, synopses, outlines, author bios. Sylvia mendez and her familys fight for desegregation. A short biography downloadable bio and brochuremonica brown, ph. May 28, 20 50 great author bios for inspiration posted in inspiration may 28th, 20 by mike brown 5 comments whether you are a designer, writer or an artist, having a portfolio website is a great way to increase your customer base. The synopsis should be interesting to read and clearly spell out what happens in the book without belaboring it. Once you have written a short, medium and long bio, save each of them on your computer, usb or cloud storage system. Its a resource that hosts profiles of childrens authors and illustrators. Tony cliff is the author of delilah dirk and the turkish lieutenant.
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