Monday 28 March 2016

How to Write a Bio.

By Kathryn Evans and Nick Cross



Kathryn Evans
Kathryn writes:
I hate writing biographies. In my head they always sound like this:
Oh look at me, look at all this stuff I do, Aren't I great, aren't I busy?
I don't feel hugely confident in how to write them either, and now I'm being asked for them all the time, I thought I really better learn. Nick Cross, who loves writing them and is typically brilliant at it, has agreed to help.

I think I've got the basics:

  • Write them in third person.
  • Start with your name.
  • Stick to the word count you've been given - there are micro, short and longer bios.
  • Include relevant accomplishments
  • Add a dash of personality
  • Include your contact details unless a publicity department has asked for it , in which case they will usually ask for that separately.
  • Once you have a standard, be prepared to tweak it every time you are asked for one, one size does not fit all.

Sounds pretty easy until you start doing it.  Here are some of mine - I'm not happy with ANY of them.  Nick, help me!!!




This is my SCBWI profile bio:
In addition to running a fruit farm, Kathryn is a mother who loves to belly dance, fences competitively. A passionate supporter of SCBWI for a gazillion years, Kathryn volunteers as Finance Co-ordinator for SCBWI British Isles. She lives on her farm near Chichester. More of Me, published by Usborne, is her debut novel. Agent: Sophie@sophiehicksagency.com  

Nick Cross
Nick replies:
One of the key rules of writing is “write for your audience” and that applies just as much to writing a biography. I’m a great believer in customising a bio for the particular site or situation you need it for. Of course, I enjoy writing bios, so perhaps this isn’t as much of a hardship for me as it might be for others!

Since this particular bio is for a writer’s website, I would move the appropriate elements closer to the top. I reckon that Kathryn could also make a bit more noise about how SCBWI has helped her through the years, in a way that makes her and SCBWI look good at the same time. For example:
Kathryn has been a passionate supporter of SCBWI for a gazillion years, volunteering as Finance Co-ordinator for SCBWI British Isles and dreaming of publication. Her determination finally paid off in 2016 when Usborne published her debut YA novel More of Me. Kathryn is indebted to her SCBWI friends and critique group for the support they provided through her long apprenticeship, and loves that they can share in her success. Occasionally, she also finds time to run a fruit farm near Chichester, fence competitively and belly dance. Her agent is Sophie Hicks: Sophie@sophiehicksagency.com

Kathryn Evans
Kathryn writes:

This is from Linkedin:

My first YA novel has recently been published by Usborne:

"A gripping thriller with a sci-fi edge" The Bookseller


"Of all of us, teenagers are surely the most enthralled by ideas of self and self-determination and this creepy, unusual novel will have them glued to the pages" Lovereading4kids


"A definite page turner and I read it almost in one sitting. Be warned – this is one of those books that stops time and there is a risk your real life will be put on hold while you follow Teva's story." The Bookbag


"Set to be the young adult must-read this year" Lancashire Evening Post


It took me a long time to get published - the Scottish Book Trust describes me as:" A poster girl for tenacity."

My background is in theatre but I quickly realised I was likely to starve unless I got a proper job. I didn't get a proper job, I married a farmer and became farm administrator/accountant/payroll manager. A superb plan that meant, should starvation ever knock the door, there would be an abundance of soft fruit to see it off.

As well as writing, I am Queen of Spreadsheets for our farm, Haygrove Sidlesham ltd and for British SCBWI. In my spare time, I belly dance and fence epee. Am a tiny bit obsessed with the sword if I'm honest....

Nick Cross
Nick replies:
LinkedIn has a more professional audience profile, so the kind of people who will be finding Kathryn on here won’t typically be readers. Instead, they'll be people she wants to impress in a different way: editors, publishing people, librarians or event organisers. Therefore, I would focus less on selling the book and more on selling Kathryn – her professionalism and her achievements as a writer. I’m all for quirky individuality, but at the moment, her LinkedIn bio (especially all that stuff about not getting a “proper job”) really plays down the fearsome organisational abilities that I know she has!

I also think that she’s not making good use of LinkedIn’s built-in profile structure and layout. This graphic shows how Kathryn’s profile looks on the site, as viewed in a desktop browser (click the image for a bigger version):



As you can see, the background section takes up most of the first page, and the user has to scroll down “below the fold” to find her actual work experience. Though when the user does get to that section, there isn’t much to see! The link to her website is also a huge waste of space – I’d see if this can be reduced down to just simple link text.

My advice is for Kathryn to treat her LinkedIn profile exactly like a professional CV. I would pare the Background section down to half a page or less, focusing on a personal statement about Kathryn (just a few sentences), plus her key skills and achievements. Then, I would build out the Experience section to give more context about what she brought to each of these roles. My guess is that there’s a lot she can say here!

The best career advice I ever got is to use examples on your CV – it’s “show don’t tell” for job applications! So rather than just saying that you’re “organised” or “efficient”, give examples of how you organised the company better or how you were able to manage different tasks simultaneously. Quantified examples are especially good – if she was able to improve turnover at the farm by X pounds or save Y days of fruit picking time, that should definitely be included.

It might seem difficult to give examples for the writer section of the profile, but there's actually a lot that Kathryn can say here – she can talk about writing courses she’s attended, getting an agent, membership of SCBWI, school visits, award nominations, any writing training she’s delivered etc.


Kathryn Evans
Kathryn writes:
And this is Twitter:

Author, Farmer, Fencer, Dancer. Agent: Sophie Hicks@sophiehicksag, More of Me out in Feb 2016 


Nick Cross
Nick replies:
Twitter (along with Facebook and Instagram) is where the vast majority of readers will find Kathryn. So it’s important that her Twitter bio speaks to that audience and gently nudges them towards her book.

I have an irrational dislike of those Twitter bios that are just a shopping list of stuff that people do. Yes, there isn’t much space and yes, we’re all unique and multi-faceted snowflakes, but really I don’t need to know that you like watching TV or that you breathe air. But having said all that, I really like Kathryn’s four element list (author, farmer, fencer, dancer) – it’s rhythmic, humorous and playful.

I think the rest of the bio could be working harder though, and Kathryn can save space for extra stuff by just putting her Agent’s tag: @sophiehicksag. For me, the important thing is that she has an agent, and anyone who’s really interested can click through. The final link to Kathryn’s website is also wasted characters, because Twitter supports that as a separate field.

So, with that all in mind, here’s my attempt to craft a new Twitter biog. I’m really pleased with this, and it’s exactly on the character limit:

Author, Farmer, Fencer, Dancer. I’m one person with many sides. But what if I were many people? Read More of Me from @Usborne to find out. Agent: @sophiehicksag

Kathryn Evans
Kathryn writes:
Nick,  you are an actual genius. This is amazing! Thank you so much...now to organise myself and implement your amazing advice. THANK YOU!!! I do feel a bit like I've just asked you to do all my most horrible homework Mwah ha ha!!! I owe you one!

Nick tweets @whoatemybrain and blogs at Who Ate My Brain  ( I think someone may have eaten his brain and I think it may have been Kathryn in the making of this blog post). Kathryn can be found on  her website, Kathryn Evans or twittering @mrsbung . Kathryn also has a book out, More of Me. 

14 comments :

  1. Excellent work, Kathryn and Nick!
    I, too, *HATE* writing bios...must get Nick on the case?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Very helpful and insightful. Thank you both

    ReplyDelete
  3. Really brilliant advice on all fronts!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Oh dear, Nick. You talked last time about trying to create more time for your own writing, but now we're all going to be looking to you to edit our less-than-perfect biographies. That aside, it was a very helpful article. Thanks Kathy and Nick. x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I know, I know! But I really did enjoy doing this - Kathy didn't have to twist my arm :-) I will try not to turn into the "Bio Whisperer"

      Delete
  5. That is SO good! Thanks to both! *off to read my LinkedIn bio. Can't remember what it says*

    ReplyDelete
  6. But you ARE the bio whisperererererer....!!

    ReplyDelete
  7. I think all of mine need a makeover having read this. Profiles are worse than synopses.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I wonder if they're related activities, because I like writing synopses as well. Or perhaps I just need medical help ;-)

      Delete

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