Pick My Brain

On writing bios & cover letters

Hi, Friend.

A Dear Lifer recently asked for a post about writing bios. Some journals will wait and ask for a brief bio when your work is accepted for publication. Other journals require a brief third-person bio with your submission. What to include? What to leave out? How much of ourselves do we share in that limited space?

I started thinking about the ways we talk about our professional credentials and accomplishments, and how uncomfortable this can be. It starts out uncomfortable because we may not have much to list at first, but I think it remains uncomfortable. So today’s post for paid subscribers contains some practical advice: my two cents on the crafting of bios and cover letters.