How to Write an Author Bio for WordPress

Wondering how to write an author bio? You’re not alone!

I’ve been a professional, published author for nearly 20 years and yet I still dread the tiny little “biographical info” box when I begin a new niche WordPress website. The author bio is second only to the dreaded About Page, where I must write about myself in even greater detail.

I can write about a lot of topics (including many I don’t know anything about) and yet I simply hate writing about myself.

In my experience, most people can relate.

What is an author bio?

An author bio is the little box of information that will appear beside your name, usually at the end of your articles and on your author page. It doesn’t have to be long or verbose, but it’s an important opportunity to establish your credibility and connect with your reader.

How do I add an author bio to WordPress? 

You can find the pesky biographical info box in your user profile. To access it, select “users” from the left sidebar. When the submenu appears, choose “Your Profile.”

In the fields on this page, you will also find spaces to enter your first name, last name, nickname and contact information. After you do this, you can choose how your name is displayed on your website. You can choose to show your first name, nickname, username or first and last name together.

On my websites, I always choose the first name option. I generally avoid reading websites where the author hides behind a username or obvious nickname. To establish yourself as a trustworthy niche creator, it’s best to use your real name or a realistic-sounding pseudonym.

How do you write an author bio to include on your WordPress niche site?

The hardest part, in my opinion, is the biographical info box. Like many other people, I hate writing about myself. However, it’s important to add something here that can help you connect with your audience and establish your credibility on the subject you’re writing about.

Customize it for your niche.

You must customize your bio for each and every niche website you run. Spend some time developing a statement that makes you relatable to your audience while establishing your authority over the subject you’re writing about.

For example, on LowIncomeRelief.com, my biographical info states:

“I hate being broke – and I always have too much month at the end of my money. As a journalist, I decided it was time to use my skills to investigate ways that my family (and yours) could thrive despite our less-than-ideal incomes… and that’s how Low Income Relief started.”

This biographical blurb shows understanding for the audience and establishes my authority as a journalist. It isn’t pushy and is intended to be conversational. On Low Income Relief, I see myself as a friend and a helper to my readers. That’s the image I want my author bio to portray.

However, here on CreatorBOSS, my biographical info is different. I’ve written it to inspire confidence in my skills and to build trust with my audience. You wouldn’t really want me to coach you on how to make money online if I was talking about being broke, would you?

Similarly, I simply can’t use the same biographical info on both of these websites. LowIncomeRelief.com is a website designed to help lift people out of poverty. Discussing my earnings in that bio would alienate my audience and make me seem out-of-touch with my readership.

Now, I did not lie or deceive my audience in either of these bios. Low Income Relief legitimately began because I was trying to help my family and others escape the trap of being low income in America. CreatorBOSS came about only because Low Income Relief was so wildly successful.

Remember these three rules.

Other websites are going to overload you with a ton of pesky requirements for your author bio. They’re going to tell you that you can only write in third person and give you a bunch of other unnecessary advice.

Really, niche creators only need to follow three rules with their biographical info:

1. Keep it short. Do not write more than 5 sentences in that little biographical info box!
2. Connect with your audience. Do not spend more than 1-2 sentences on this.
3. Demonstrate your credibility in the subject. Do not write more than 2-3 sentences about this!

I know you’ve probably got questions.

If you have questions about this, please let me know in the comments. In the meantime, I’ll include some of the more frequently asked questions I’ve encountered as I teach this material.

How do I connect with my audience in just 1-2 sentences?

This really depends on what the topic is. What are you writing about? What problem do you solve for the reader?

Imagine the reader who somehow found this website out of the millions available on the Internet. Why should they stick around? What should they know about you? What are they looking for? What makes your information new, relevant or unique to their struggles? Somewhere in these question is the answer of how to connect best with your audience.

How can I demonstrate credibility in a subject as a new creator?

When I began my first niche website, I had the advantage of a proven resume with over 10 years of published writing experience. I’ve written for various publications, including the Daily Herald (Provo, Utah), USA Today and EHow.com.

However, anyone can demonstrate credibility and authority over a given subject. If you don’t have any relevant work, education or personal life experience to include, try phrases like these in your author bio:

“As an avid (subject) enthusiast, I have dedicated over (number) years of my life studying the subject.”

“I discovered my passion for (subject) and I have been studying this subject in depth ever since.”

“Like many people, I was curious about (subject) and wondered where to start. I began this site to document my journey of discovery.”

If you’re writing about pet or parenting topics, mention how long you’ve been a pet owner or a parent. If you’ve writing about gardening, mention how long ago you started your first garden. You get the idea.

Remember, your author bio will evolve with you.

As your content evolves, so will your author bio. Eventually, you may be able to add fun information like, “(author name) founded (sitename), which now serves ___,___ people per month with helpful information about (topic).”

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