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Would you like to learn how to write an artist bio? If yes, then you’ve come to the right place! A well-written artist bio that includes all of your relevant information is super important. It shows your audience that you take your art seriously, and it will hopefully lead them to wanting to follow your career. In this article, we will outline the steps that you need to take to write an engaging artist music bio. This article is for all artists, from painters down to individuals wondering how to write an artist bio for music.
What Is An Artist Bio?
So, what is an artist bio? Put simply, an artist bio will summarise the life and career of an artist leading up to the present day. Many individuals working in an artistic profession will be asked to write one over the course of their career. For example, an author will need to write one for their book jacket, while a painter will need a bio for their website.
When it comes to music, artists and bands will be asked to write one for press releases , their website , poster and more. You should make sure that you consider where your author bio will be placed. For example, your bio for your poster may be simplified, while you may wish to expand on it on your website.
Keep in mind that your artist bio will be different from an artist statement. A statement won’t include the personal details that your bio will. Instead, it will contain information that will sit beside a certain piece of art or music.
Why Do You Need An Artist Bio?
As we have discovered, your artist bio will be distributed across a range of places. This helps to get your name out there, and all of the relevant information that people would want to know.
It can be one of the first places that people will look to decide if they wish to work with you. For example, if you’re an artist, then gallery owners may want to check out your art and offer you a place in their gallery. This will also be extremely necessary for any competitions you wish to enter, museum submissions and any other kinds of promotion.
The same goes for musicians, as promoting yourself successfully can help you to book gigs or interviews. This can help to get your music out into the world, which can help you to gain more fans.
How To Write An Artist Bio
Now it’s time to explain how to write an artist bio.
Understanding The Audience
Before you can begin writing it’s important that you consider your audience and what they will be looking for. If you’re providing information about your band for your website then provide some personal information and any career highlights, such as awards. Artists may wish to do the same on their website.
However, if they are providing a bio for an artist’s gallery then they may wish to focus on where to find their art. The beauty of an artist’s bio is that it can be changed and updated to suit different audiences.
Select Relevant Information
Now that you feel ready to write your bio – where do you begin? Many people wonder what to include in an artist bio, so let’s explain in more detail. Begin by noting down all of the significant facts about your art or music in third person. Now choose the most important and summarise them.
You can then move onto the easier stuff, like your name, where you work, how old you are and what first made you interested in your art. If you have any degrees or certificates that relate to your field it would be a good idea to mention this.
Next up, note down any awards, gigs, achievements or exhibitions that you have. Keep this simple, if you’re lucky to have a lot to write then choose the most significant ones. Finally, mention any upcoming gigs or shows. If you’re going to be posting to a blog or website, then make sure to include the link.
Plenty of people wonder how to make a short artist bio, and if you follow the above advice then you’ll achieve your goal!
Don’t Submit Your First Attempt
It may be tempting to send off your first draft, but this is never a good idea! Keep writing and editing your artist bio until you’re completely happy with it. Keep your tone consistent throughout, whether that be chatty and informal or formal. If you inject some personality into your bio then it can help you to stand out from the crowd. Make sure that your bio isn’t longer than two paragraphs, as this will help it to flow and keep the reader engaged.
Show It To Other Artists
If you have friends or contacts in the industry, then it can be a good idea to get a second opinion on your artist bio. They will be able to point out any errors and make sure that it accurately repents you and your art. They may also pick up on any remaining spelling and grammar issues.
Keep Writing
Now that we have covered how to do an artist bio you may think that’s it. Well, not quite! If you achieve anything else or release new art, then it’s important to keep your bio updated. After all, your career is always going to be developing and your bio should reflect this.
Example Of Good Artist Bios
It can be a good idea to check out an artist bio sample before you begin to write yours. This can help you to get a feel of what others have written. This is a good example of an artist bio from Tobias Fonseca:
“The artist Tobias (Tobe) Fonseca is a bearded illustrator and creator that lives in the south of Brazil, in a small village in the middle of nowhere. He loves nature, travel, and animals which are reflected in his work. He usually goes for minimalistic art, but sometimes explores more complex patterns, mixing up collage and illustrations. Tobe has been working with big names in the apparel world such as Threadless, GAP, and Urban outfitters.”
It demonstrates all of the relevant information about him, while displaying his personality.
Final Thoughts
So, there we have it – how to write an artist bio! Remember to keep things short and snappy, use the third person and to inject some of your personality into your bio. This will help to keep things interesting for the reader and lead them to want to know more.
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