Okay, you know Panzer and I have been tootling around the blogosphere for the last few days checking into marketing strategies. Today, we cruised over to writer Susan Sipal's blog Harry Potter for Writers.
Nosing around there Panzer found an interesting post. In the post Sipal puts forth the idea of writing your author bio myth and using it in your marketing. The example found in the post is how the story about J.K. Rowling's rags to riches story (as the on the dole mother who made it big writing) has become Rowling's author bio myth. Even though this wasn't strictly true, since she was working as a teacher when she got the book contract as Sipal points out.
I've seen the same kind of author bio myth with a romance author (no names here, so don't even ask) I went to college with. This author says in her author bio myth that she was a stay at home mom who hadn't finished high school. She was writing her novels on rented equipment when she sold her first book. Another rags to riches story, but not entirely true as we were in college together when she sold that first book.
I have to admit, neither Panzer nor I are very comfortable writing an author bio myth about ourselves. I mean what are we going to say? (Tongue firmly in cheek here!) Panzer was the sixth of eight kittens born in a barn. His mother did her best to raise the kittens alone. His mother was too poor to send him to school. One day, Panzer decided to find a human (me) to write his adventures for him.
See what I mean? It's that myth part we're having a hard time with. What do you think Panzer should include in his myth? We've got to write something. Smashwords and Amazon both want author bios.
You can read Susan Sipal's post at Harry Potter for Writers. Then come on back and give us some ideas.
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