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Home » How to Write a Sassy, Snarky, Sizzling Author Resource Box

How to Write a Sassy, Snarky, Sizzling Author Resource Box

by Joan Stewart on October 11, 2017 11 Comments

By Joan Stewart

Some people collect antique china. Others keep a stash of comic books from their childhood.

I collect author resources boxes.

Why? Because the ones most authors write are more potent than Ambien. And every time I see one that makes me smile, I grab a screenshot for safekeeping.

A resource box is the super-short bio, usually 50 to 100 words, at the end of articles and guest blog posts you’ve written. Sometimes they include a link to a website. Sometimes they’re only one sentence. That means you must make the best use of every character in a tiny amount of real estate.

Why so short? Because if you’re writing a guest blog post or an article for a magazine, the blogger and magazine editor each have their own “rules” on how short it must be. If you’re not sure, ask!

Here are seven author resource boxes that caught my attention. Not all of them are from authors who have written books. But every one of them will spark your creativity.

1. Use snark to demonstrate your expertise.

That’s what Michelle Pierce of Aqua Vita Creative did in this summary of her job description. Because she works for a creative agency, her author resource box had better sizzle. This one does. I love the phrase “the entire Internet.”

When I went to her company’s website, I found another updated summary of what she does on the “About” page. All employees’ mini-profiles follow this same format.

2. Start with surprising personal details and transition seamlessly to your job.

How many authors would reveal that they don’t drink, smoke or use drugs? Steve Olenski, co-author of the book StumbleUpon for Dummies, shared those details to explain how he gets high from his work—and a pizza.

3. You don’t need a complete sentence.

Write one-, two- and three-word phrases to describe yourself. Take a cue from Amanda Hocking, the paranormal romance young-adult fiction author who sold more than $2 million in ebooks in one year. At the end of her author resource box, she switches to complete sentences to let readers know about her books.

4. Make a copywriting faux pas to make a point, and if the topic fits.

Look at the clever way Corey Eridon, lead editor for HubSpot’s blog, stops in the middle of a word. The sentence, of course, is about brevity.

5. Start and end your bio with a clever sentence.

Then, sandwich information about your book or business in between. That’s what journalist John Romano did. I like the Bruce Springsteen mention at the end.

6. Paint a picture.

Zach Swinehart, author of The Geek Guidebook: How to Find Local Geeks to Solve Your Tech Problems for Pennies on the Dollar, tells readers what he is not and paints a picture with this bio:

“Zach Swinehart is a geeky 21-year-old entrepreneur that is (surprisingly) devoid of glasses, acne, and suspenders – or whatever it is that geeky people are supposed to look like. Three years ago, he dropped out of college to start his website design business, and has since served over 100 clients, and has authored two books on the subjects of website design, and finding local geeks. He’s led seminars that taught beginners how to use computers, in addition to coaching many clients individually. He thoroughly enjoys teaching, and is excited to show you how to create an evergreen autoresponder series!”

7. Explain who inspired you.

USA Today bestselling author Meredith Duran “blames” Anne Boleyn and gives readers a taste of her writing which, I assume, includes happy endings.

Now, Try Your Own

Go back and read your own author bio. Try using one tip from my list, or a combination of tips, and see if you can write a three-sentence summary of yourself that sizzles.

Keep it simple. And keep it fun.
 
Photo: Bigstockphoto

Filed Under: Contributing Writers, Marketing Tagged With: author bio, Joan Stewart

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Comments

  1. Susan Uttendorfsky says

    November 28, 2017 at 8:23 am

    I like all of the info, but put altogether, it’s a little too long. 🙁

    Reply
  2. Kayelle Allen says

    October 15, 2017 at 5:19 am

    Kayelle Allen did a tour in the US Navy, where she climbed around airplanes (on the ground, thankfully) fixing black boxes that helped pilots find their way home. She wrote her first science fiction novel at 18 and to this day, it’s hidden under the bed, where she vows it will remain. Gems from it, however, launched several series in her galaxy-wide universe of stories. From childhood, Kayelle was the victim of an overactive imagination and inherited the Irish gift of gab from her mother. From her father, she got a healthy respect for mechanical things. No wonder she writes Science Fiction and Fantasy peopled with misbehaving robots, mythic heroes, role playing immortal gamers, and warriors who purr. She’s been married so long she’s tenured.

    Reply
    • Susan Uttendorfsky says

      November 28, 2017 at 8:24 am

      My stand-alone comment was supposed to be for you, Kayelle, but the Captcha didn’t like my answer the first time and stuck it in the wrong place on the second try. Hey, I’m an editor. Math is not my strong suit! 😀

      Reply
    • Joan Stewart says

      November 29, 2017 at 7:33 am

      Kayelle, I love the opening but it’s too long. End it at the word “stories” and you’re good to go!

      Reply
  3. Rebekah Loper says

    October 14, 2017 at 8:39 am

    blinks in surprise I was not expecting to check this blog and FIND A PICTURE OF ONE OF MY BEST FRIENDS. shares link with Michelle

    It’s such a small world. That bio is a bit dated for her, though. But it’s mostly still valid.

    Reply
  4. Michael N. Marcus says

    October 13, 2017 at 7:04 am

    I don’t smoke or kiss women who do.

    Reply

Trackbacks

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    April 27, 2019 at 12:22 pm

    […] Take advantage of a killer author resource box. You know that little section at the bottom of an article that says who wrote the article? That’s an author resource box. You can create your own super short bio, usually 50 – 100 words, and often add a link to your website or a designated landing page. Here’s how to write a sassy author box. […]

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  2. Top Picks Thursday! For Writers & Readers 10-19-2017 | The Author Chronicles says:
    October 19, 2017 at 10:02 am

    […] Marketing encompasses everything writers put out to the public. Matt Aird discusses the importance of creating video content, Patricia Moosbrugger tells us how to make the most of a professional book review, and Joan Stewart shows how to write a sassy, snarky, sizzling author resource box. […]

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  3. Publicity Tips–Write Sassy Author Resource Boxes says:
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