It’s good that you or someone you know has realized the importance of writing an artist bio. It’s a powerful resource that documents your portfolio, skills, and a few personal details. While such a document is essential, not many artists are aware the ways of creating a concise one.
The process of creating the ideal artist bio might require more than you would have expected. Luckily, we look at the nitty-gritty details of this process:
Use a Coherent Content Structure
The structure of the artist bio should make an excellent first impression on your readers. The attention span of the average person today is short and this means you have to be straightforward in your presentations.
The same applies to preparing an artist bio, where you have to use short paragraphs that are easy to read. Short paragraphs look organized and also help to demonstrate a sense of professionalism from your side.
Part of writing the short paragraphs is to ensure that each piece provides value to your readers. A few other helpful suggestions for your content structure can include:
- Ensure you use a coherent style and format as other publications you have used in the past. Or, you can use the styles that other successful artists have used in the past. Ensure you adhere to these rules to help give your bio a sense of cohesion.
- Use the industry-standard fonts such as Arial and Times Roman, with a 1.5 spacing level. Ensure the font applies throughout your text and with the appropriate headers.
Create a Plan or Outline
Writing a bio that can make a good impression involves more than you would expect. Similar to any other writing project, such as essays, you need a plan or an outline. The bio plan can include header sections and short notes that you plan on using to curate the paragraphs.
Remember the importance of double-checking each piece of content in your artist bio plan. The plan should also show a sense of organization, especially in the presentation of ideas. You may have to ask a few helpful questions during this process.
For instance, are you planning to make your artist biographic? Where are you planning to post the bio on your website or social media? What details do you think your audience will be in the bio? These are just some helpful questions to help set you in the right plan creation direction.
Realize the Importance of First-Person Pronouns
Since the artist bio aims to attract, capture, and lead the reader’s attention, ensure that it uses the first-person pronoun. The reason for this is because readers are likely to relate more easily to the bio when it includes a first-person perspective.
However, avoid overusing the first-person pronoun, as it can seem redundant. The better option is to balance it alongside the content you have presented to your readers. Writing from the first-person perspective offers the perfect way to tell your story in the artist bio. It gives you an ideal chance to create rapport with your audience.
Use the first person in your bio to bring readers in close and helps to add credibility to your content. An excellent example of first-person use would be in Moby Dick, where the writer starts with, “Call me Ishmael.”
The opening line of this story by Herman Melville helps to build rapport and credibility. It’s probably one of the reasons why Moby Dick is a famous story.
Use Templates
If you are still struggling with creating a suitable artist bio, consider looking for templates or previously written samples. However, you should also realize that countless other artists probably use this approach.
There are various template websites that you can find online, and the best ones are often available at a fee. If you are feeling a little generous, you can also decide to enlist the help of a freelancer for this process.
However, be careful in sharing your details, and consider using a John Doe persona. So, this means that you have to be original and use the template as a resource for creating an original idea. It will help make you look creative in the audience’s eyes, and it also sets you apart from the traditional artist.
Use a Proofreader or Document Checker
Once you are through writing the document, proceed to proofread and check your work. While most good document software is available at a cost, some are free. These software checkers are crucial if you are a novice to writing or plan to write relatively long bios.
The typical software you can use the have free versions include:
- Google docs, which has an error checker with modern and advanced grammar checking functions. You first have to upload your document to Google Drive for you to access this feature.
- Smallseotools which you can use to check your content for any instance of plagiarism. Plagiarism is a serious offense in the eyes of search engines and to your reputation.
- Grammarly has a free grammar checking function, but with certain limitations.
Remember the Importance of Legitimate Details
Honesty is an essential value for any artist today, and this applies to writing your bio. The last thing you want is to make claims that are not verifiable because this can make a poor impression on your audience.
You never know when a client might view your bio and decide to give you an at job. However, their perspective might change when they realize you cooked up the details in your artist bio. Dishonesty in your bio can also hurt your reputation, so you have to be careful.
Once you write the bio, fact-check your content to ensure details such as dates, contacts, and more are concise. Doing this communicates a sense of professionalism and organization to your audience.
While writing an artist bio seems like a simple process, there are various details you have to handle to ensure the best results. Doing this will ensure the bio you create makes a good impression and boosts your reputation.