Assignment 1The Author Bio
Cindy Sproles
The author bio is the most important thing, bar none, you will write and it is important the appropriate bio is posted or sent to the proper place.
There are three types of bios: 1) Friendly 2) Working 3) Professional
The Friendly Bio:
The Friendly Bio is one that finds itself on your blog or friendlier environments. This bio can contain your name, tidbits about your family, hobbies, and your writing. Generally, this bio is a one page bio or 350-500 words. It should be up-to-date, accurate, and well-crafted so it doesn’t read like a beginner’s piece of work. Think it through. Weave your sentences together in a neat and orderly fashion so they tell a nice story about you. It should contain your email, website address, and/or blog URL.
Post a friendly picture of yourself in a relaxed environment.
The Working Bio:
The Working Bio is short; 25-100 words. It lists your name, writing credits, and education. It can also list groups or ministries you work with. It contains your website address and/or blog URL. A working bio is what you might submit to magazines, websites, and when you are a guest blogger.
Post a casual to professional headshot. DO NOT post your family or send a photo of your children or grandchildren. Always send your photo as a JPEG file attachment. Do not paste it into the body of an email or document unless instructed to do so.
The Professional Bio:
The Professional Bio is meant to be included in submissions to agents and publishers. The professional bio should be constructed with your name and your professional credentials. Your writing credits, along with teaching and speaking credits, must be here. Publishers do not care about your family life or fun things you enjoy. They are interested in you and your marketability, not how many pets you have or that you like to crochet in front of a fire. So make yourself marketable. Craft this bio and make it tight! Highlight your talents.
For example, my professional bio might read:
Cindy Sproles is an author, speaker, and cofounder of Christian Devotions Ministries. She cowrites the popular syndicated He Said, She Said Devotionals.
Cindy is the Editor of ChristianDevotions.us, managing the website and writing staff. She is the Office Administrator for Comfort Keepers, Kingsport, TN. In the past, Cindy has served as Editor for PLM Enterprises, a national company specializing in training upper management in leadership skills. She is a contributing writer for CBN.com, Common Ground Christian Newspaper, Tri-County News. and is the coauthor of He Said, She Said: Cultivating a Life of Passion. Cindy is a sought-after speaker for women’s conferences and retreats, as well as a faculty member serving and teaching at Christian Writers Conferences from coast to coast.
Visit Cindy at www.cindysproles.com or email her at mountainbreezeministries@gmail.com
Your assignment
Write a friendly bio, a working bio, and a professional bio. Return your WORKING BIO along with a JPEG photo to Cindy for the Boot Camp Roster.
Bring all three with you to Boot Camp!
Send to Cindy at mountianbreezeministries@gmail.com.
