Picture this: you’ve just self-published a book and are gaining some traction in your publicity rounds. Then, out of the blue, a journalist asks you for a headshot, bio, and sell sheet.
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Don’t panic. By the time you're done with this post, you'll be ready to compile an all-purpose key to book publicity: your author media kit. A good media kit is one of the most straightforward ways to win over the press and everyone else who matters during your publicity rounds: book reviewers, bloggers, and indie bookstores.
So how can you build a kit that you can use in all aspects of your book marketing efforts? We spoke to our professional book publicists to answer all your questions about author media kit templates.
What is an author media kit?
In a nutshell, an author media kit is an assortment of information for anyone who wants easy access to further details about you and your book.
Think of an author media kit as a dynamic business card on your website. “Media kits indicate that you are a serious author with a book that deserves to be considered,” says Hannah Hargrave, an award-winning book publicist. She’s worked with celebrities like Goldie Hawn and has helped to launch the careers of first-time authors.
“Taking the time to collate all your resources — and formatting them in a useful, clear way — will make a journalist’s life easier and get them on your side. It’s also a lot simpler to send a link to your media kit than to attach several large documents to a pitch email,” she says.
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But its value doesn’t just stop there. Bear in mind that there are plenty of important folks besides journalists who would want to see your author media kit:
- Book reviewers. They’re busy people who read thousands of books a year, so they’ll value a media kit that summarizes your book in concise terms. Tip: Don’t know where to find book review blogs in your genre? Head on over to our best book review blogs directory.
- Bookstores. Going around to bookstores and peddling your book in person is a bit of an old-school tactic. That said, it remains a viable way to sell your book. If you’re determined to get your book into indie bookstores, an author media kit will give you a professional air.
The days of printed author media kits are mostly behind us now. “The key to a superstar media kit that works is to keep it digital,” says Dalyn Miller, director of a public relations and communications group that’s placed its clients on People Magazine, New York Times, and more. “Link it on your website and use a popular platform such as Google, Box.com, or Dropbox — and keep its contents intuitive.”
That brings us to the million-dollar question: what should you include in your author media kit? That's where an author media kit template comes into play.
What's a typical author media kit template?
First things first: Hannah recommends using a media kit template and putting your author media kit together six months before publication, as you should start contacting journalists and bloggers three to four months before launch. “No one will consider your book if it’s been in the shops for a while,” she says. “If you prepare in advance, it gives you lots of time to get people interested in your book.”
Now let’s get to it!
1. Bio
“An autobiography usually reveals nothing bad about its writer except their memory,” Franklin P. Jones once said. In the same spirit, the author bio is your chance to present yourself the way you want to be seen.
Keep your bio concise and interesting. Aim for 100-200 words and try to give journalists an easy, clear angle with which to work. For example: “Shelley is a daytime blogger and nighttime chef.” The information you include in your bio should be relevant to your book:
CAVEMAN AUTHOR was born in a cave in 10,000 BP. As there was nothing to do in this cave, he sang a lot to himself, which inspired A Song of Ice and Caves.
Note: This excellent bio landed Caveman Author an interview on the Reedsy Blog and a bestselling book deal.
If appropriate, mention previous publications, past media coverage, and any other qualifications you bring with you. Add that you’re open to interviews if you’re available to speak with journalists. And, yes, always include a photograph of yourself. Don’t be shy. Make sure that it’s at a good resolution (300 DPI) and downloadable.
If you're struggling to write your bio, just pick a book up off the shelf and glance at the back of the jacket. Great examples of author bios are all around you!
2. Contact Information
Short and simple. If they’re interested, media outlets will want to contact you directly. Boil it down for them by providing your:
- Full name
- E-mail address
- Links to your professional online platforms (author website, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram)
- If applicable, your agent’s name or any other representatives
“Don’t include anything that isn’t aimed at readers,” Hannah advises. “Journalists don’t want to see pictures of your recent party — or children in the bath! Link them to the websites that you use to communicate important news about your books.”
Tip: Be sure to set up your author website before your book release so that you have a ready-made spot on which to link your author media kit!
3. Sample Q&A / Tip Sheet
The secret behind good interviews? A lot of it is prepped before you sit down for it. Dawn Michelle Hardy, a publicist responsible for both fiction and non-fiction NYT bestsellers, recommends providing a tip sheet in your author media kit: a document that offers the media a variety of discussion topics. “Don't make producers figure out what the conversations should be,” says Dawn. “The tip sheet tells them.”
That’s the idea behind the sample Q&A, as well. The cold truth is that journalists often don’t read your book and book bloggers might not remember the next thing about it. Help them out by supplying them with 7-10 questions (and sample answers). Some common questions might be: Why did you choose to self-publish? Who are your favorite writers? Where do you get your ideas? You get the gist.
4. Press Release
Bad news: by itself, your book isn’t really newsworthy. Tons of books are published every day.
The good news? You can angle it so that your book release becomes something the press wants to cover. Just be aware that the press release is the only time-sensitive thing in your author media kit — so we suggest including one only when you're releasing a book. (You should keep your author media kit up-to-date at all times, in any case, but more on that in a bit.)
To cook up a great press release, Hannah recommends these key ingredients:
A CATCHY HEADLINE. “This sums up the message about the book that will appeal most to journalists. Make it as attention-grabbing, appealing, and thought-provoking as possible. If the headline doesn’t grab a journalist, they won’t read on.”
SHORT SYNOPSIS. “Keep this concise, and only highlight the key points of the book. Make it clear why your book is unique and why it will appeal to your target audience. Also mention comparable authors (preferably bestsellers), and make your copy as interesting as possible. This is your chance to sell your book to the press.”
CONTACT DETAILS.“What does the journalist have to do to find out more or get a review copy?”
Other good things to include:
COVER IMAGE. “While we’re told not to judge a book by its cover, sadly, we all do, and a well-designed cover will indicate that your book is one to be taken seriously.”
FEATURES ANGLE. “Is your book based on an incredible true story? Or does it feature ground-breaking research not revealed before? If there is a great news hook or features angle, a journalist is more likely to see a reason why they should take a look at your book.”
BOOK DETAILS. “Publication date, publisher, price. Journalists will want to run stories and reviews around the publication date (when it is new and fresh on the bookshelves). It’s also a good idea to include a full book credit. The worst thing would be for a newspaper to run an amazing story about your book, but not mention when or where anyone can buy it! You need to make it as easy as possible for journalists — and your readers — to find and buy a copy.”
Here are some examples of good press releases for books. You’ll find that all of them are concise, easily quotable, and straight to the point.
5. Photographs
A media kit without media is like a ball pit without balls. “The press and the consumer live in an age of connectivity,” says Dalyn. “They’re going to want to know what you look like.” He recommends including your images as standalone JPGs in the kit and making sure that you’ve included both hi- and lo-res images.
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6. Sell Sheet
Professional egr remover keygen free. This one-page sheet is meant for retailers and book bloggers who want the details, no muss, no fuss. Here are the key details to include:
- Title
- Author
- Genre / Price / # of pages
- ISBN
- Publication date
- Synopsis
- Formats available
- Available on… (retailers)
- Territories sold
- Thumbnails of your book cover + author photo
- Testimonials / reviews
Keep it all on one page, and make it as polished as possible. Think of it as a slick resumé, but for your book.
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Tip: For a professionally-designed sell sheet, consider reaching out to a designer for a quote.
7. Book Excerpt
One more chance to intrigue your audience. Hannah suggests not including the whole book. “I find it’s best to include the first few pages, or the opening chapter,” she says, since that should already be enough to draw in an audience.
Congrats! Now that you’ve finished your author media kit, you’re probably wondering: what do I do with it?
What next?
First, make sure your kit looks professional and polished. People will take you only as seriously as you take yourself.
Then, put your author media kit up on your website. “Perhaps have a dedicated press page, or include it on your website’s ‘About Me’ page for anyone who wants further information,” Hannah recommends. “If you receive any queries from journalists, include a link to your media kit in any reply.”
Here are three more tips for the road:
- Label each of your files appropriately. “There’s nothing more frustrating than to have to open a Word doc titled “media kit” and scroll through pages of content to find an excerpt or your talking points,” says Dalyn.
- Take a look at other authors’ media kits. “Most have links on their websites,” says Hannah. “This will give you a good idea of what authors with comparable titles useful. You’ll also see how professional, clear, and concise the information included is, too.”
- Keep your kit up-to-date. If you publish another book, circle back to your kit and update it with all the new details.
If this seems like a lot of work to you, consider reaching out to a book publicist. There's no real replacement for their experience and insight: they're not only experts at creating a media kit, they’ll also be instrumental in getting your kit — with a pitch and press release — to the right people and media outlets. Publicists also have access to a huge database of contacts and know how to speak to them. And, of course, it’s entirely possible to go about it alone, as some self-published authors have successfully done. It might be a grind, but a great author media kit on your side will make it that much easier.
Have any more tips for building author media kits? We'd love to hear them. Leave any thoughts in the comments below!
It’s important for indie authors to know how to write an author bio that tells readers: who you are, what you write, why readers should trust you, and how you stand out from other writers.
Your bio is like your calling card. “It's something that will let readers get a sense of who you are, and is an important part for pitching media and book proposals,” sums up marketer Rachel Cone-Gorham, formerly of Penguin Random House.
This step-by-step guide dives into the four main components of a killer author bio and provides tips from our talented marketers for nailing each section.
Why your author bio matters
For non-fiction authors, the author bio is a critical marketing tool as who are you are is often as (or more!) important than what your book is about.
Novelists will rarely depend on the bio to sell the book, but as book launch specialist Joel Pitney suggests: “Reading is an intimate endeavor in which the reader and the author are engaged in a kind of relationship. So, it's important to provide potential readers with the chance to get a sense of who you are and why you have the authority/expertise to write about a particular topic before they pick up your book.”
Let’s get started on putting together your killer calling card.
How to write an author bio
In general, your bio should include these four elements:
- Start with an opening byline
- State the theme of your work
- Mention your credentials
- Include a personal touch
Let’s take a closer look.
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1. Start with an opening byline
Joel recommends starting your author bio with a one-liner that states your profile in a nutshell and the title of your latest publication.
- For instance: “Jane Doe is a Professor of Anthropology at UCLA and author of Insights Into Our Past: Tracing the Legacy of Intergenerational Trauma in 19th Century America.”
- Or: “Jane Doe is a poet, writer, and author of the new novel We Were Already There.”
If you’re using this bio digitally, don’t forget to link the title of your book to your sales page, whether that’s Amazon or your author website. Joel also suggests adding titles like “award-winning” or “best-selling” to your byline, if applicable.
The great part about writing a one-liner as your opener is that it can double as a short bio for guest articles, social media, etc.
2. State the theme of your work
This one is pretty simple: what do you write about? Are you fiction or non-fiction writer? Have you published more than one novel? What’s your area of interest or expertise?
- For instance: With over a decade writing obituaries for the local paper, Jane has a uniquely wry voice that shines through in her newest collection of essays on the importance we place on legacy.
- Or: A professionally trained electrician, Jane has spent the last decade reading and writing romance novels giving her characters palpable spark! Her latest work is the sequel to her debut novel, In the Arms of a Stranger.
In other words, give readers an idea of what they can expect from your book.
3. Mention your credentials
An important job of an “About the Author” section is to boost your credentials, says Rachel: “You want to show your qualifications and credibility so that a reader or potential reader will feel validated in choosing YOUR book to read.”
That being said, it’s not a good idea to start listing every award you’ve ever won. Only stick to credentials that directly relate to the content of your book. According to Rachel, “Qualifications can include writing courses, college degrees, awards, bestseller lists and accolades or, for fiction authors, even a lifetime of interest.” Here are a few of her examples:
- Jane has an MFA in creative writing from Vermont College.
- Jane completed a creative writing course at Vermont College.
- Jane is the recipient of the Vermont College creative writing award.
- Jane is a historian at Vermont College and has spent over a decade researching World War 2.
- Jane has traveled extensively around Eastern Europe, learning about the history of the region and walking the paths of her characters.
- Jane has been a lifelong writer and first began creating other worlds and characters in the third grade.
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Book marketing consultant Rob Eagar suggests that another way to boost your credibility is to “to weave in any endorsements you may have received from well-known outlets figures. For example: [Famous person] says, ‘Jane Doe writes books that you won’t be able to put down.’ Readers pay more attention to authors with a proven track record.”
For non-fiction authors, your credentials are incredibly relevant as readers are far more likely to trust an authority on a subject. Fiction authors can focus more on why they write in a specific genre in this section.
Want an expert to perfect your author bio for you — and help you sell more books? Find out how much a professional book marketer costs in 30 seconds.
4. Include a personal touch
Author bios are not a place for you to delve into a lengthy explanation of your history. First-time readers glancing at the bio of a new indie author frankly don’t want to hear about your first pet or the list of authors who have inspired you to pick up writing.
However, you also don’t want your bio to be devoid of any personality. That’s why Joel Pitney suggests: “If there's room, and it's relevant, you can add some color, like where you live or something interesting that might not obviously relate to your writing career, but that makes you a more interesting person.”
- This can be done subtly, like by referring to your location in your byline: “New-York based psychologist, Jane Doe…”
- Or you can include a brief illustration of your lifestyle, says Rachel: “Jane lives and works out of her home at the base of Mount Washington in New Hampshire, and spends her summers hiking and camping with her two children and husband.”
- Finally, Rob suggests a quippy-one liner that illustrates what kind of writer you are. “If your writing is known for its humor, let it show in your bio. One of my favorite examples is from a writer I know who ends his bio by saying, “He lost on Jeopardy to a dancing waiter from Iowa.’”
Adding a bit of color to your bio helps readers imagine who you are. And if they can relate to you, it might be an extra push for them to buy your book.
Bonus tips
So, you know the general elements that an “About the Author” section should include. Now let’s take a look at tips from professional marketers that will ensure your author bio sticks the landing as a cohesive whole.
1. KISS: Keep It Short, (Stupid)
“People don't want to read long bios! Keep it under 300 words. Only include relevant materials and be as succinct as possible. If you've won a lot of awards, for example, only include the most impressive ones. Same goes if you’ve published a couple of books; only include your most successful three.”
— Joel Pitney
2. Inject a sense of your unique brand or style
“If you’ve developed an author tagline, use it in your bio. For instance, some of the New York Times bestselling authors that I coach have powerful taglines, such as: Become the Most Connected Couple You Know, Leading Women in the Adventure of Faith, and Amish Country’s Most Beloved Storyteller.”
— Rob Eagar
3. Write in the 3rd person
“First person voice is fine for your website, but for everywhere else, make it 3rd person. It's more professional.”
— Joel Pitney
4. Keep your bio updated and encourage readers to stay connected
“Add bestseller lists, awards and accolades, media appearances and reviews as they come up, and, of course, new books. If you have a website and email list, encourage readers to visit and sign up.”
— Rachel Cone-Gorham
5. Think big
“Some authors don't feel like they have enough to say about themselves; but just the fact that you've written a book makes you important enough to have at least a 3-4 line bio! Think creatively about what elements of who you are might be of interest to readers; don't be shy!”
— Joel Pitney
6. Use your bio to cross-promote other books you’ve written
“It’s a marketing tool that can tell readers to buy your other titles. For instance, if the first book in a fiction series gets most of the attention and sales, use your bio to remind readers of the next books in the series. You could say, ‘Jane Doe is the author of the popular book, Lightning Strikes which started the non-stop thrill ride readers experience in the follow-up books, In the Eye of the Storm and Dark Horizons.’”
— Rob Eager
Examples of author bios
Let’s see some of our pointers in action! Here are a few author bio examples, with quick explanations of why they work.
John Scalzi writes books, which, considering where you’re reading this, makes perfect sense. He’s best known for writing science fiction, including the New York Times bestseller Redshirts, which won the Hugo Award for Best Novel. He also writes non-fiction, on subjects ranging from personal finance to astronomy to film, was the Creative Consultant for the Stargate: Universe television series. He enjoys pie, as should all right thinking people. You can get to his blog by typing the word “Whatever” into Google. No, seriously, try it.
Why this bio works: It gives you a sense of John’s personality and tone right off the bat. We know what genre he writes in and that he’s received accolades for his publications. He’s got a number of credentials that tie into the science fiction genre, and he closes off with a punchy explanation of how to read more about him.
Natalie Barelli can usually be found reading a book, and that book will more likely than not be a psychological thriller. Writing a novel was always on her bucket list, and eventually, with Until I Met Her, it became a reality. After He Killed Me is the second and final book in her Emma Fern Series. When not absorbed in the latest gripping page-turner, Natalie loves cooking, knits very badly, enjoys riding her Vespa around town, and otherwise spends far too much time at the computer. She lives in Australia, with her husband and extended family.
Why this bio works: We have to admit it, we can’t help but boast about Natalie because after having her book edited via Reedsy, she went on to score a contract with Amazon Publishing. But pride aside, Natalie’s bio is short and sweet and works for a novelist. She mentions her affinity for thrillers, she promotes her series, and she wraps it all up with a few personal details.
Amanda Ripley is an investigative journalist for Time, The Atlantic and other magazines. She is the author, most recently, of THE SMARTEST KIDS IN THE WORLD–and How They Got That Way. Her first book, THE UNTHINKABLE: Who Survives When Disaster Strikes–and Why, was published in 15 countries and turned into a PBS documentary. Her work has helped Time win two National Magazine Awards.
Why this bio works: If you’re not sure whether Amanda Ripley is an authority on public policy and human behavior before reading her author bio, you’ll probably be a little more assured after reading it. And, for the non-fiction author’s bio, this is a mission accomplished.
Check out 13 more 'about the author' examples right here.
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If readers enjoy your books, they will likely want to get to know you better, summarizes Rob. “Use your bio as a tool to confirm your credibility, display your personality, and cross-promote other titles. By taking those steps, you can help transform readers into fans.”
What are some of the best author bios you’ve seen on an Amazon page or on a back cover? Share them in the comments below and tell us why you like them.