About the author examples
An About the Author page tells readers who you are in about 100 words: what you write, one detail they’ll remember, and where to find you. Below are examples sorted by length and tone. Choose one to see it on the page, or write your own.
By the Proselis team · Updated
One-line author bios
Maya Okafor writes cozy mysteries set in small coastal towns. She lives in Portland, Maine.
Daniel Reyes is a high school chemistry teacher who writes thrillers on summer break.
Ingrid Sola writes historical romance set in nineteenth-century Norway. She lives in Minneapolis.
Sam Whitaker writes fantasy novels and teaches fencing on weekends.
Short author bios
Hannah Cole grew up in a fishing village on the Outer Banks and spent a decade as a marine biologist. She now writes novels about the sea and the people who depend on it. She lives in Wilmington, North Carolina.
Arjun Mehta is a cardiologist in Chicago who writes medical thrillers on his days off. He swears none of the villains are based on his colleagues.
Beatrix Lane writes cozy fantasy about witches who run small businesses. She lives in a drafty farmhouse in Vermont with her wife and a goat named Gertrude.
Full About the Author pages
Ruth Adeyemi was born in Lagos and moved to Chicago when she was nine. She spent two decades as a hospice nurse, and the people she cared for are the reason she started writing. Her essays have appeared in Lantern Quarterly and The Driftwood Review. Alder Street is her first memoir. Ruth lives in Evanston, Illinois, with her husband, their teenage twins, and a piano nobody plays. Find her at ruthadeyemi.com.
Jordan Ellis writes science fiction about ordinary people in extraordinary jobs: asteroid miners, space-station cooks, and the night shift on Mars. Before writing full-time, Jordan worked as a software engineer for twelve years. Jordan lives in Seattle and answers every reader email, eventually. Sign up for the newsletter at jordanellis.com.
Funny author bios
Hana Sato has written four novels, two cookbooks, and one very angry letter to her internet provider. Only the letter got a response.
Theo Marsh writes horror novels from a sunny kitchen in San Diego. His mother still asks when he will write something nice.
Clara Bennett lives in Vermont with three cats, who have read none of her books and are unimpressed.
First-person author bios
I’m Nadia Rahman, and I write slow-burn romance for readers who like the yearning as much as the kissing. I live in Toronto with my husband, who is tired of hearing about fictional men.
I’m Leo Brandt. I spent fifteen years as a park ranger before I wrote my first book, and I still think the best stories start with someone getting lost.
What goes on an About the Author page?
Most bios cover four things in this order: who you are, what you write, one personal detail, and where readers can find you. Credentials come first when they explain why you wrote the book. Keep the whole page to about 100 to 150 words.
How do you write an author bio people remember?
Pick one detail that is specific and true, such as an odd job, a hometown, or a habit. One specific detail does more work than a list of adjectives. Read the bio aloud, and cut anything that sounds like a résumé.
First person or third person?
Third person is the convention inside books and on covers because it reads like an introduction. First person feels more personal and suits newsletters, websites, and query letters.
Where does the About the Author page go?
It usually sits at the back of the book, after the acknowledgments. Some nonfiction books put a short bio at the front instead so readers see the author’s expertise before the first chapter.
Questions
How long should an About the Author page be?
Aim for 100 to 150 words inside the book. Shorter versions work better on the back cover and in your online profiles.
Should I mention my family and pets?
One mention is enough if it adds warmth. Readers like a human detail, but a full family roll call belongs in the acknowledgments.
Should I include an author photo?
A clear, recent photo helps readers remember you. For a printed book, use an image that is at least 300 DPI at the size it will print.
Can I use the same bio everywhere?
Keep one long version, and cut it down for each place: about 150 words inside the book, 50 for the back cover, and one line for social media.
Add your bio to your book
Proselis builds an About the Author page from your name, bio, photo, and social links, and it places the page in your back matter. Writing is free. Publishing a book as an EPUB and a print-ready PDF is a one-time $20.