How to write an "About Me" page

 

Writing an engaging and effective "About Me" author page involves a balance between professionalism and personality. Here are some tips to help you create a compelling author bio to hook your readers. 

1. Start with a Hook: Begin with an interesting fact or a unique aspect of your writing journey that grabs the reader's attention from the get go.

 2. Introduce Yourself: Provide a brief introduction of who you are. Mention your name, your profession as a writer, and any notable achievements or recognitions you may have.

3. Highlight Your Writing: Discuss your writing background, including genres you specialise in and any published works. Mention any awards, accolades, or significant milestones in your writing career.

4. Share Your Journey: Give a glimpse into your journey as a writer. Explain what inspired you to start writing and any challenges you’ve overcome. This helps readers connect with you on a personal level.

5. Personal Touch: Share a bit about your personal life, such as hobbies, interests, or other creative pursuits. This humanises you and makes you more relatable to your readers which is what you want.

6. Include Professional Details: Mention your educational background, writing affiliations, or memberships in literary organisations. This adds credibility to your author profile but is not a necessity.

7. Call to Action: Encourage readers to connect with you. Provide links to your social media profiles, website, or blog. Invite them to subscribe to your newsletter or follow you for future updates.

8. Professional Photo: Include a high-quality, professional photo of yourself. A good author photo helps readers put a face to the name and adds a personal touch to your bio.

Sample Author Bio could look like

Hi there! I'm (Name), a passionate storyteller and dedicated author of the fantasy genre. My journey into the world of writing began when I was in high school.

Over the years, I've written (number) novels, including (mention notable works). My work has been recognized with (mention any awards or recognitions), and I'm constantly inspired by the magic of storytelling.

When I'm not immersed in my latest manuscript, you can find me out hiking. Whether it's hiking or watching tv, I believe that every experience adds a new layer to my storytelling.

I hold a (degree) in (field) from (university), and I'm an active member of (writing organizations or affiliations). My commitment to honing my craft is unwavering, and I'm always excited to share my stories with readers around the world.

I love connecting with my readers, so feel free to reach out! Follow me on (social media links) or visit my website at (website link) for the latest updates and exclusive content.

Thank you for being a part of my writing journey. Your support means the world to me!

Warm regards,

(Name)

The goal is to create an "About Me" page that is authentic, engaging, and inviting for your readers but try and achieve the perfect balance as to not make it sound like you are bragging but also consider where you are posting it and the world count for that platform. 

Top 9 ways to make money writing

Making money from writing can be a great source of income if you want to make this a full time career but can be hard to find where to start. Below I have put together nine ways you can earn money from writing. 

1. Freelance Writing:

On platforms like Upwork, Fiverr, Freelancer. You can make money by doing things like writing articles, blog posts, web content or even copywriting.

 2. Blogging:

You can earn money through monetising the blog through Advertising, sponsored posts, affiliate marketing, selling digital products or services. A good tip would be to focus on a niche with a dedicated audience.

3. Self-Publishing Books:

Platforms include but not limited to Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), Smashwords, Draft2Digital.

4. Content Creation for Businesses

Types of content could include website content, newsletters, social media posts, white-papers. To do this reach out to businesses directly or join content marketing platforms.

5. Technical Writing

Types of documents include manuals, how-to guides, technical documentation. The skills needed will vary but can include a strong understanding of technical subjects and the ability to explain them clearly.

6. Ghostwriting

You could be writing books, articles, speeches, or other content for someone else. A lot of people looking for ghost writers are busy professionals, celebrities and business leaders.

7. Writing for Magazines and Journals

Some topics you could write around are specialised subjects, features, opinion pieces. Pitching article ideas to editors or submitting completed works can get your foot in the door.

8. Scriptwriting

Comments fields include TV shows, movies, web series and even video games.

 9. Writing online courses and educational materials

You can join platforms like Udemy, Coursera, Teachable. You could create courses and educational materials around scripts, lesson plans or educational guides.

Additional tips

Build a portfolio: Showcase your best work to attract clients and publishers.

Network: Join writing communities, attend writing workshops, and engage on social media.

Stay updated: Keep up with industry trends and continuously improve your writing skills.

Free sites that can help you promote your book

Promoting a book effectively without spending money can be challenging but achievable with the right strategies and resources. Here are some of the free sites and platforms that can help you promote your book but remember do your research on what will be best for you. 

Social Media Platforms

1. Facebook

Groups: Join book promotion groups, author communities, and genre-specific groups.

Page: Create an author page to engage with readers.

2. Twitter

Hashtags: Use relevant hashtags like #BookBoost, #AmReading, #IndieAuthor.

Engagement: Participate in book chats and engage with the wider writing community.

3. Instagram

Bookstagram: Post visually appealing pictures of your book and you can use hashtags like #Bookstagram, #Bookish.

Stories & Reels: Share updates, behind-the-scenes content, and short videos.

4. TikTok

BookTok: Share engaging videos about your book, including readings, reviews, and writing tips.

Book Promotion Sites

5. Goodreads

Author Profile: Set up an author profile and connect with readers.

Giveaways: Host a book giveaway to attract new readers.

Groups: Participate in discussions and book clubs.

6. BookBub

Profile: Create an author profile and get followers who receive notifications about your new releases.

Recommendations: Recommend books and engage with the community.

7. LibraryThing

Author Profile: Create a profile and connect with readers.

Giveaways: Run book giveaways to increase visibility.

Writing and Reading Communities

8. Wattpad

Serial Publishing: Publish excerpts or short stories to attract readers to your book.

Engagement: Engage with readers through comments and messages.

9. Medium

Articles: Write articles related to your book’s themes, your writing process, or book reviews.

Publications: Submit your work to popular Medium publications for greater reach.

10. Reddit

Subreddits: Participate in relevant subreddits like r/books, r/writing, r/selfpublish, and r/IndieAuthors.

AMA (Ask Me Anything): Host an AMA session to engage with potential readers and answer questions about your book.

Additional Strategies

Blogging: Start a blog on platforms like WordPress or Blogger to share content related to your book and your journey.

Guest Blogging: Write guest posts for popular blogs in your genre or industry.

Podcasts: Reach out to podcast hosts who interview authors or discuss topics related to your book.

Email Newsletters: Use free email marketing tools like Mailchimp (up to a certain limit) to build an email list and send updates to your readers.

Press Releases: Use free press release distribution sites like PRLog to announce your book launch.

There are so many more websites that can help you promote your book for free and while I have not tried all of these options to promote my own books I have heard from other writers that these have worked for them so remember to do more research before you decide exactly what will be best for your book. 

How I did with my 2024 goals

 My goals for 2024 were

• Write 80k words
• Finish writing 3 books
• Edit 1 book

I will admit I did not do well with my goals for this year. I only got about 60k words written and I only finished writing one book this year but I did manage to rewrite one of my old books in preparation for my contract with that book ending next year (Hinovel book) and the one book I finished which I wrote the most words on this year the first round of edits was completed. 

2024 was not the year I expected it to be but it has opened doors for 2025 which I am excited about but it does mean that I have set my goals a little too high for next year but we will see what that brings.

 

My 2025 writing goals are as follows. 

• Write 100k words
• Write three books
• Edit two books
• Publish two book 

How do I stay organised when developing a story

Staying organised can be pretty tough as a writer and while I have shown how I organise my files in the past a lot has changed since I moved away from google docs and drive when it comes to my writing. 

I now organise all my finished/ published books on my computer hard drive as well as future book plans on the notes on my phone but while I am still writing my book there can be a lot of files to sort though from my book bible, character development, research and more. 

I now use a writing app called scrivener; I have folders for each of my books. 

Within each of the folders I have research for my books in the research tab. 

I also have each chapter in its own document so that I can easily edit and switch between the different chapters without endless scrolling. 

I also have a document for book parts I have written and don’t know where the parts fit in as well as a document for my plan which also has all my information on my characters.