Sell Your Badass Book on Instagram: How to Write A Badass Bio
Authors & aspiring authors, we need to have a talk.
I know the unique temptation of spending your non-writing hours combing Twitter, hoping that agent or publisher will notice your clever words and hand pluck you into a deal.
I get that tons of well-meaning articles and podcasts dish out advice that you must have a Facebook page, or that your Amazon author page is “everything,” or that Goodreads can “make or break you.”
Stop spinning your wheels on strategies that are overcrowded or simply don’t work.
The people who you really want to reach - those with money and interest in buying your book - are waiting for you.
And these people… are on INSTAGRAM.
Before you cue the groans and eye rolls, let me put your mind at ease.
Instagram is an incredibly easy & effective platform for authors, you just need to know how to use it.
Of course, the first place you want to start is the first thing that people see -> your bio. Remember, your Instagram bio is limited to # characters, so you want to maximize every single one.
Let’s start with your Instagram name. This is an easy (and important!) tip for authors: Include author (or writer) in your Instagram name – examples (use real examples) some @name_author or @nameauthor. By including “author” or “writer” somewhere in your Instagram name, you’ll help ensure that people who are looking for authors, writers and books will find you.
Second, use the bio as your opportunity to highlight your skills and your target audience. Use targeted keywords to talk about the kind of books you write. Right away readers will know if your books fit their interests.
An author of who does a great job of this is Jennifer Weiner (@jenniferweinerwrites), author of the recently released That Summer (you can check it out here!) In her bio she has four words - > Novelist, feminist, Philadelphian, Mom. If you’ve read several of her books, you’ll know that these words all align with themes in most of them. So, if someone is scrolling or searching and comes upon your bio, what words could you use to help draw them in to the kinds of books you write?
(And, in case you are thinking “She’s a big author with a major publishing house – I’ll bet they manage her account”, you’d be wrong. If you follow her and read her posts, it’s clear she is managing this account. I think she does a lot of things right so you’re going to see me pointing you her way more than once!)
Next, include a call-to-action (CTA) with your clickable link. Instagram only gives you one link on your profile – so make the best use of it you can! You’ll want to link to your website (if you have one) or directly to Amazon or Bookshop so people can buy your book. Remember, you want to sell books – so make that CTA help advance that goal!
Also be sure to include your contact details, particularly an email address for you. What if a magazine or blogger are looking for authors to feature? Don’t make them have to hunt around to find out how to reach you!
Finally, think about what you want to use for your profile pic. I think you are fine to go one of two ways when it comes to the pic. First school of thought – you are selling “you” so a headshot would be your best choice for a profile pic. This would also be a good idea if you are an author with more than one book. The second school of thought (especially if you have one book) is to have your book cover as your profile pic. Again, I think you are fine to go either way, as long as the photo is high-quality.
Look up the accounts of some authors you like. How are they using their bios to promote their work? What great ideas can you borrow to help your bio stand out?
If you are ready to connect with more readers (and buyers!) I’m launching a new Sell Your Badass Book on Instagram series, where I’ll help you end the head-scratching mystery of bookstagram, hashtags, stories, reels, and other Instagram woes and start using the platform to rake in the sales.
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Have questions you want me to answer? Drop me an email at hello@badasswomensbookclub.com.