3 Common Mistakes in Bio’s

As an editor and journalist, I’m often amazed at some of the bios that come across as my desk for submission and interview requests. I am not sure if they continue to amaze me because I am a lover of words and structures or what exactly, but I think if we’re going into a new season with the energy we claim to possess, then it’s high time, someone addresses the elephant in the room- you may look like a boss on social media and on the back of your book cover, but that bio you are sending out is trash and/or you don’t even have one at all. So I am sharing a few common mistakes I often see in my line of work. 

1. The bio is written in the first person. A professional biography should be written in the third person. There should be no mention of “I”, “me”, “my”, “our”, or “we”.

2. Unnecessary capitalized words. Unless it’s a formal title or self-possessed, words that describe your occupation should not be capitalized.

3. TMI. While I know our struggles are important to us, we must do better summarizing them and getting to the point. The best bios hit you with a punch in the beginning but also clearly state who you are and then the rest is you elaborating more on that while also including any accomplishments, skills, and qualifications, but you don’t want to go too far. 

Some other notes would be:

Find other ways to identify yourself outside of repeatedly stating your name or he, she- you know. Maybe you can use something like, “The McComb, Mississippi native…”. 

Coaches, your lingo is cute but it is often hard to read when everything is in all caps and screaming at me. Tone it down. 

Use strong, winning words to describe yourself and your work. 

If you can implement a quote or motto, do so. 

Writing a winning bio is part of the foundation of a solid brand. It’s also one place you can brag about yourself. Be proud of your accomplishments and how far you’ve come. Be bold. Get creative, but keep these tips in mind and don’t overdo it. Happy writing! 

Don’t forget we offer bio revamping and creation services. Learn more about them by shooting us an email at advertise@swagher.net.

I will be a keynote speaker at HERStory: Women Who Lead on March 19-20. You can get your free tickets here.