Formatting an Author Biography

How do I Format a Biography?

The average bio for most Literary Magazines is about 75 words long, so you should focus only on the essential aspects of yourself and your body of work when writing a bio. You'll be submitting a bio before you know if your work is accepted, so it's best to come up with a few different bio styles:

Make sure you include your full name (or pen name) and bits of information you think are vital for readers to know about you. The key to most author bios is to write them in the third person. 


Don't specify any specific works you submitted; you don't know if they'll be accepted for publication. If you have previously published work, you can reference it, but don’t write your bio in the hopes that a specific piece you submitted will be accepted unless you only submitted one piece. You can talk about your school or major, your inspirations, your process when creating your work, or your hopes and dreams. 


The 75-word bio is not the place to wax poetic about your childhood pets or your hometown unless they're essential to who you are as an author or artist. That information is for the longer bio we mentioned at the beginning! Allow yourself to have fun, or keep it as straight-laced as you'd like. Whatever you decide to do, don't go over the word limit! Bios that extend past the limit (even by one word) can be rejected, and some publications will reject your entire submission if your bio does not fit their guidelines.   

Examples of Biographies 

Jane Doe (she/her) is an English student at Pima Community College. She finds inspiration in feminist writers throughout history, particularly; Margaret Atwood, Audre Lord, Anne Sexton, and Adrienne Rich. Jane often tries to combine modern ideology with old form, and she loves breaking the 'rules' of poetry to get the most out of her works. She hopes to transfer to UA next year and obtain a Bachelor's in Creative Writing.

John Smith (he/him) has always loved to write his own stories. Even as a child, you could find him scribbling away in crayon, working on his next big story. Having surpassed the need for crayons and construction paper, he still writes what he believes in, using his imagination to take his readers on a journey. John dreams of writing a New York Times bestseller and fulfilling the vision of that young boy with the crayons. 


Billie Taylor (they/them) is an aspiring engineer. Art has always been a way for them to release stress and recenter themselves. While their true love may be mechanical engineering, pottery and sculpture are close seconds. They hope to own their own kiln one day so they can make pottery whenever they want. Their goal is to transfer to UA or ASU next year for Mechanical Engineering, and they might minor in Art; time will tell.  


Do I need a bio if I'm using a pen-name/pseudonym/want to be Anonymous?

First, be aware of the fact that it's generally better for you not to submit as Anonymous. If you don't want to submit using your name, it's better to come up with a pseudonym. That way, you can build up a repertoire of published work. Also, if you plan on submitting to a magazine, most will require a bio, regardless of what you want to called in the magazine. If you want to use a pseudonym, make sure to come up with a bio. You don't have to put any identifying information in it; just let yourself have fun.