Writing "About the Author"

[Naomi Ningishzidda]

I'm having trouble finding examples of good short auto-bios for being printed on the back of the product I am the artist for. Not only that but I'm also having trouble coming up with something myself. I used to be good at just throwing something out there but I find I don't like writing about myself and I don't feel sure people want to know this or that.

Everytime I tell someone about my life they tell me it's fascinating and I should write an autobiography. The joy of that has completely worn off and I find it a tiresome chore to explain my life when someone asks. I'd rather know about them really.

I thought maybe someone else here might have a different perspective to help me get out of this lull.

 

[Map the Dragon]

Well, an "About the Author" is a far cry from an autobiography. When I was tasked with writing my AtA for the dust-jacket in my first novel, my publisher had some simple adive: keep it simple, use basics (name, location, etc.), and give a couple personal facts (maybe a hobby, pets, or something of that like). Pick up any hardcover and most paperbacks in the bookstore for some good and bad examples. If you want to get creative and be different, go look at Brom's 'about the author.' You might enjoy his stuff anyway as an artist; he's my favorite fantasy artist and one of my new picks for awesome authors. His AtA makes weird references and is an abstract version of what it should be...probably the most creative example I've read.

 

[TWErvin2]

Map the Dragon has it right.

Not too much. Information about your work (art) where it's appeared or been used (such as cover art for novels, magazines, featured in an art city-wide display or festival (I really don't know about art in that manner). Maybe a fact or two about yourself, but not too much, including education--an art degree if it's relevant. Also include contact information (website or email or blog) in case the person with the piece of art (with your info on the back) wants to contact you, or if someone got it as a gift does, etc.

About the Author pieces are usually written in third person, so it's less like writing about yourself. That helps some.

For me, it depends on where the article or short story is being published as to what information I include. Sometimes I'm limited by markets as to length, but you don't want paragraph after paragraph after paragraph...

You don't want to use anything that is going to be dated a year or two from now (in most instances), especially contact info. Use your professional name, the one you intend to use over and over again, so you can build some sort of 'brand' or 'name recognition' over time. And if someone google or yahoo searches you, they are directed to the appropriate places.

 

[Naomi Ningishzidda]

Map Dragon you will probably laugh but I actually considered adopting a pet just so I could say something interesting but non-personal everyone could relate to in it I love animals, but I can't even afford to feed a gecko right now probably (which is why I just have fake ones hanging on my fence)

I do love Brom, he does have an excellent biography. Crazily enough, I already visited it before you said so, because it stuck in my mind as being a memorable bio, years and years after I had first read it! If I'm not the only one maybe I should stare at it more to discern its secrets.

TWervin, you make a good point about where it is being published dictating what is included. It's for the product submission to Llewellyn for tarot. They want 100-250 words, and say "Please do not provide any information you would not like to see in print!" which is totally scary. Thank you for the tip about education. I can include that at least.

Thank you, you guys are the best.

 

[Ophiucha]

Never written one myself, but I tend to notice a bit of a formula to it. First sentence talks about early passions for literature. "___ grew up reading Tolkien and Moorcock" or "____ wrote her first poem at the age of six" and so on and so forth. Then something about their writing today or their writing abilities, "That grew into a passion for the mystical and unseen," "He studied English at the University of Oklahoma", "She never lost her love of rhyming and meter", etc. Maybe another sentence or two on that kind of note. Then the last sentence almost invariably is, "She currently lives with her husband/dog/children in wherever-they-currently-live."

 

[Map the Dragon]

Naomi...no worries, I just wrote your 135-word author's/artist's bio. You may feel free to use it in part or whole:

DISCLAIMER: Please read as an absolute joke and in no way presume any intended insult. Just having fun!

Naomi Ningishzidda is an artist and philosopher from the fabled land known as Mythic Scribes. An illustrator interested in all things graphically novel, Naomi (also known as Highness Na-O) spends her spare time hanging her dead pets from the cobweb-colored picket fence in her front yard.

A Tarot card designer for her alma mater, The Abrahadabra Institute, Na-O is a self-professed mutational alchemist, a moniker deriving primarily from her years spent in deep study of the famed Mighty Morphin Power Rangers.

Na-O has existed in a near-permanent state of comatose-like meditation in order to better comprehend the vast nature of the universe, so as to better channel her artwork. Her medium of preference, finger painting with a concoction of goat’s blood, glitter, and Bear Gryll’s urine has been the subject of both praise and controversy.

 

[Naomi Ningishzidda]

oh my god I laugh so much I am so tempted to use that rofl

 

[Dante Sawyer]

Map, that's hilarious man!
And Naomi, I agree with what everyone else on this forum has basically said. Keep it short and sweet, quality, not quantity. Best of luck.

 

[Map the Dragon]

Glad you guys enjoyed that.

 

[Digital_Fey]

Nice one, Map

Author (or artist) bios can feel very daunting - you don't want to sound pretentious, or overly detailed, or, or...*panic* What I found useful when writing my artist bio a few years back was reading a couple of other bios, pondering the whole thing for a while, and then just trying to keep it as short and snappy as possible. Since yours is for a tarot, I'm sure you could get away with throwing in a few tongue-in-cheek details, too, if that's your style.

 

[Caged Maiden]

OMG that's so funny. If I ever need such a thing, I know where I'm coming for advice.