Valerie Berton: BUILDING YOUR BEST BIO • Writing Tips

A Writing Tip by Valerie Berton
BUILDING YOUR BEST BIO

Every writer needs a good bio. I’d argue you need a great bio. Pretty much every literary magazine requests a contributor bio, and most editors really do want to know about you. Think about your bio as doubly useful: providing a sales pitch for your work and creating (or adding to) your digital presence.

With that in mind, it’s worth spending the time to make it sing.

OPTIMAL LENGTH

While your bio should sum up the best of you, it can’t be lengthy. The typical bio is three to four sentences. Most outlets—and this is often specified in Submittable or other platforms—limit bios to 100 words or fewer. Pay attention to each set of reqs; some lit mags even restrict submitters to maximum character counts.

I recommend developing two versions of your bio: the 100-word-or-less option and a longer form for publishers who don’t place word-count limitations in their submission requirements. Longer doesn’t mean a whole lot longer, though.

Your goal is to find the sweet spot between describing your professional achievements in all their glory and keeping your bio pithy—highlighting the highlights. Write it all out first, without paying attention to word count, then pare it back. Do away with any unneeded detail and every word that doesn’t add something.

WHAT TO INCLUDE

Typically written in the third person, your bio should sum up the aspects of your professional and/or personal life that provide the credibility to write and submit your piece.

Start with your name and what you’ve done professionally. Emphasize your writing life. If you write as a side job, indicate as much, e.g. “Joe Schmo, who works as an accountant for a large company, writes poetry in the evenings, giving both sides of his brain a daily workout.”

DO sprinkle in adjectives that add relevant detail, like “longtime” and “award-winning.”
DON’T repeat any words. With only 100 words to work with, make each one count.
DO include the best of your publishing experience. Choose the top one or two stories and outlets of which you’re most proud. For example:

“Joe’s story, ‘The Accountant Poet,’ was published in Three Stone Review.”

Or, for multiple mentions:

“Joe is the author of ‘The Accountant Poet,’ which was published in Three Stone Review. His poetry has also appeared in ___ and ___.”

Consider adding a volunteer gig or interesting fun fact about yourself, demonstrating your thoughtfulness, diligence, or quirkiness—whatever gets at the essence of you. (Mentioning pets is always good!) One lit mag I considered for a client’s work encourages submitters to “make their day” with a fun fact in their bio. You may want to keep that sort of sentence handy below your more serious-sounding bio to insert when needed.

Finally, tweak your bio depending on the piece and place to which you are submitting. For example, if you are submitting a piece to a parent-focused journal about how your marriage faltered when your children left for college, you could add a phrase to your bio that you’re a mother of two girls.

Keep a few versions of your bio handy so you can mix and match to fit each outlet’s requirements. By reviewing and updating your bio regularly, you’ll save time and lessen some of the inevitable stress of submitting your work.

Valerie Berton has been a writer and editor for decades. She is co-founder of KindWrite Studio, a writing coaching and professional editing service, works as a freelance editor for The Nature Conservancy, and volunteers as a proofreader for Cleaver and a mentor for Girls Write Now. Valerie Berton has been published in Adelaide Literary Magazine (Lost Connection), and her essay, “Hasty Exit,” was selected for inclusion in Alternative Liberties II, B Cubed Press‘ upcoming anthology of life in the 2020s (expected mid-2026).