Don't Let a Desire for Privacy Stop You From Writing an Awesome Bio

Photo by Priscilla Du Preez 🇨🇦 on Unsplash

When Privacy and Publicity Collide

Last month, for the first in a decade as a podcast host, an author declined my invitation to be interviewed for the New Books Network.

I’ve conducted nearly 300 author interviews; my New Books in Literature channel gets hundreds of downloads each week, and I’m constantly on the hunt for beautifully written novels, including mysteries.

I receive a steady stream of pitches from publicists, publishers, and authors. I wish I had time to read more than two or three books a month, but each book takes hours of reading, preparation, interviewing, and submitting to the NBN editors. The following week, I splash the podcast across the internet. It’s time-consuming, but I love it and consider it part of my job as a good literary citizen.

Over the years, I’ve learned that a rich author bio helps drive downloads, which can drive book sales. So, imagine my surprise when, in response to my request for a more detailed bio, this author said she’d “rather not share more of her personal life.”

Here’s my public service takeaway: if a podcast host asks you to spice up your bio with hobbies, interests, or passions, remember that you don’t have to tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

Let me say that more delicately: if you don’t want strangers to know you love pottery and gardening, say you relish craftwork and being outdoors. If you’d rather not reveal your devotion to your Golden Doodle, write that you’ve always had a dog. And if you volunteer as a firefighter but don’t want to broadcast it, say that you enjoy community service without getting specific.

The point isn’t to invent your credentials. You’re either a molecular biologist or you’re not, but we don’t check whether you’re truly passionate about climate change or just wrote it because it sounds good. And there’s nothing wrong with being strategically vague.

If you’re a novelist trying to reach new readers and you’re invited to do a podcast, don’t let worrying about revealing personal details get in the way. Just share what you want and obfuscate the rest.

G.P. Gottlieb is the author of the Whipped & Sipped Mysteries and a podcast host for the New Books Network.