Bio, First or Third Person?

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James M M Baldwin

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Hello,

If asked for a short author biography, should it be in first or third person?
I think it sounds better in third person. It sounds rather braggadocios in first.
 

kct webber

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I've seen both, but the ones in first always look a bit amaturish to me. I write mine in third.
 

tehuti88

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Doesn't "biography" imply third person? (Autobiography would be first person. I'm pretty sure we're talking about short bios included in books, and not entire biographies, but wouldn't it still stand?)

I don't think I've ever seen an author bio in first person, but then again, I didn't know the authors themselves wrote those things.

My very uneducated opinion would be third person.
 

maestrowork

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Look at the author bios on jacket blurbs -- do you see first person, or third? My guess is, over 90% would be in third person.
 

qwerty

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If it's an agent asking for an author bio, my vote is for first person. This is about me, who I am, what qualifies me to write this book and what is interesting about me.

If it's for inclusion in a published book, I believe the publisher takes what they want from the info supplied by the author for the ABOUT THE AUTHOR bit, which is presented in third.
 

Willowmound

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I've written my own bios for magazines. They're always in third.
 

scope

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Always third person.
 

James M M Baldwin

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Okay, 6 to 0
That's a start toward definitive for a requested bio, but,
what if its in a query letter?
 
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