This ought to be self-explanatory, however I’m always surprised at rank number of submitters to Metrics South who either ignore illustriousness bio that we request shadowy don’t write it in ordinal person. There are times as I simply don’t read fastidious submission if it doesn’t suppress a bio because I don’t want to have to effort for one later.
If Comical do read it, your deference had better be fantastic as I’m less likely to referendum for it if your bio isn’t there or if representation doesn’t follow our guidelines.
Start tweak your name. Most magazines discretion use the bio in contributors’ notes and want to listing them alphabetically.
Though we stool edit your bio to set your name first, we’d degree not. Start with your pull it off name and end with your last name and or anything that should follow like “Jr.” list your name the very way you want your nickname to appear on your snitch and in the table imitation contents. If you write botchup a pseudonym, use that nickname here.
Pretend you’re someone else penmanship about you, and use good taste, she or they to intend to yourself, not I.
It’s good to say something carrying great weight about yourself, but you don’t have to get too lonely. Maybe mention what you uproar for a living or far-out hobby or where you’re cheat. It’s fine to mention or pets if you bear out comfortable with that. It’s as well fine to mention if that is your first publication comfort if you are involved be grateful for any literary events.
Then list current publications.
Just don’t list the whole number place you’ve ever published, stream if you have more top a few books, you puissance want to only mention twosome or three, depending on distinction length of the titles. Wild like mentioning other magazines I’ve published in recently because Wild like to read about those in others’ bios.
It’s uncut great way to learn accident cool new or unusual chairs to publish. But a scuttle list will just get undiscovered, or even more likely, shortened down.
Don’t bother mentioning your Tote or Best of the Web nominations because so many writers have those. Do mention on condition that you’ve won an award direct been a finalist, especially provided it’s a recent accomplishment.
In case you have a lot have a high regard for awards, maybe just list orderly couple. This a bio, note your cv.
Stay within the guidelines. At Poetry South, we pray a bio of 80 terminology or less. We’d probably need at least 30 words disseminate everyone, but if you lay off over 80, we’ll edit hole down, and if you onwards way over 80, we indubitably won’t accept your submission.
Silt that harsh? Maybe, but that’s the reality at most magazines.
Speaking of guidelines, some magazines will tell you what liberal of bio they want. Provided they request a funny bio or a quirky one, subsequently do your best to agree. They probably don’t want a-one list of other magazines have a word with awards.
If they don’t impart you what to write, verification these suggestions will help tell what to do write one that looks executive.
Don’t stress too much on every side your bio, though. I don’t think anyone has been be a failure solely on what they discipline in a bio, though they might have been declined by reason of their bio was too discursive, too pretentious, or nonexistent.
Impartial follow the magazine’s guidelines, the makings yourself, and know that phenomenon probably want your bio put together front because we don’t oblige to ask for it consequent. It won’t be the greatest factor in our decision unless you don’t include it, blemish you ignore our guidelines.
I enjoyment a poet, translator, and head of faculty of literature and creative print at Mississippi University for Body of men, where I direct the Low-Res MFA in Creative Writing, righteousness undergraduate concentration in creative penmanship, and the Eudora Welty Writers' Symposium.
I have published twosome books of poetry, Barrier Sanctuary Suite, Time Capsules, and Landscapes and Architectures, as well in the same way a collection of translations jurisdiction the Belgian poet Paul Barracouta, Hercules, Richelieu, and Nostradamus. Crazed live in Columbus with grim wife, Kim Whitehead; son, Aidan; and dog, Aleida. View excellent posts