Author Resume Example & Writing Guide
Use this Author resume example and guide to improve your career and write a powerful resume that will separate you from the competition.
Authoring a book is a huge undertaking, but it can also be incredibly rewarding. It’s a great way to build your expertise and gain exposure in your field. And if you’re hoping to make money off your book, it can be an extremely lucrative endeavor.
But before you start writing, you need a great book proposal. And if you want to land an agent or publisher for your book, you’ll need to write a fantastic book proposal.
Follow these tips and example book proposals to write your own compelling book proposal that will help you land an agent or publisher for your book.
How to Write an Author Resume
Here’s how to write an author resume of your own.
Write Compelling Bullet Points
Bullet points are the most effective way to showcase your experience and qualifications. But rather than simply listing your responsibilities, you can use them to tell a story about your work.
For example, rather than saying you “managed social media accounts,” you could say you “increased Twitter followers by 20% in six months by creating daily content schedules and collaborating with freelance writers.”
The second bullet point is much more interesting and provides more detail about what exactly you did and the results of your work.
Identify and Include Relevant Keywords
The resume is the first step in the recruitment process. When you apply for a job, your resume is usually submitted to an applicant tracking system (ATS). This program will scan your resume for certain keywords related to the position you’re applying for. If your resume doesn’t include enough of the right terms, the ATS might automatically reject your application.
One way to make sure your resume makes it past the ATS is to include relevant keywords throughout all sections of your document. Here are some common keywords to get you started:
- Creative Writing
- Fiction Writing
- Nonfiction
- Blogging
- Editing
- Publishing
- Writing
- Publishing Books
- Journalism
- Copy Editing
- Storytelling
- Copywriting
- Research
- Web Content Writing
- Magazine Writing
- Proofreading
- Literature
- Creative Content
- Blogger
- Editing Services
- Proofreading
- Public Relations
- Social Media
- Content Strategy
- Press Releases
- Social Media Marketing
- Marketing
- Corporate Communications
- Journalism
- Content Development
Showcase Your Technical Skills
There are a number of programs and systems that authors use on a daily basis to communicate with editors, agents, and publishers. Being proficient in the use of these programs and systems is essential to the job. Some of the most commonly used programs are Microsoft Word, InDesign, and Photoshop. Authors also need to be familiar with the publishing process and how it works.