57 thoughts on “The Very First Thing I Look at in Your Book Proposal and Why”

1. I am working on a book proposal on how Saturday of the Easter story is a missed opportunity to see how God helps us in our darkest days. I appreciate the offer to review bios and I welcome your advice.
   Pam Ellinger-Dixon, Ph.D., is a clinical psychologist, speaker and conference leader who has been in the thick of promoting, encouraging and leading the way for psychological, spiritual and relational healing. It’s been her life’s mission to help the hurting and she’s done that from Ground Zero in NYC after 9/11 to missionaries around the world. Her home base is Columbus, Ohio where she created the first faith-based counseling center and led the ecumenical counseling staff in promoting good mental health in others and in being mindful of their own psychological well being. She has worn many hats including Board President of CitiLookout, a nonprofit mental health center, Stephen Ministry Leader, Business Owner with her husband and consultant to ministry leaders at the local and state level. She currently teaches a class at the Trinity Lutheran Seminary and for the Trauma Resource Centers, created by Attorney General Mike DeWine to assist crime victims throughout Ohio. She is a counselor to many, a mentor to a few and a mom to one.
   Her first publication was in 2017 (Mysterious Ways) regarding the amazing survival of her police officer nephew from a gunshot wound to the chest. Dr. Ellinger-Dixon is in the empty nest stage of life with her husband of 38 years but still providing care to elderly parents and cheering on their son in Cincinnati. They are avid hikers, occasional kayakers and regulars in the hammock under the trees at home.

2. What does speaking engagements have to do with the writing of a book–and why should I drag my family into a discussion about a project they had nothing to do with? Sure, when I read a bio I want to see what qualifies them to be writing about that book/subject, but if you’re writing about shipwreck diving, who cares if you grew up on a mink farm with 20 siblings?

3. Thanks for the offer of assistance. Here is my Bio. I look forward to your comments and advice.

   The Rev. Curry Pikkaart – Pastor Curry – earned his BA degree from Central College in Pella, Iowa and his Master of Divinity degree from Western Theological Seminary in Holland, Michigan. He has been a minister in the Reformed Church in America since 1974 and has pastored churches in Sioux Center, Iowa, and Holland, Kalamazoo, Grand Rapids, and South Haven Michigan. Pastor Curry and his wife Barbara are the parents of 3 married boys, and the grandparents of eight grandchildren.

   He served as a pastor in local congregations until September of 2015, at which time he ‘retired’ from full-time pastoral ministry. In addition to local pastoral responsibilities he has hosted a children’s Christian television program, served in numerous local and regional denominational capacities, participated in and coordinated local ministerial associations, and served as a police chaplain. In his spare time he coached youth soccer for 15 years.

   Pastor Curry is trained as a Bethel Bible Teacher, a Stephen’s Minister, a ministry coach, and in administering the Prepare Enrich Pre-marital Inventory. He currently ministers through Pastor Curry Ministries, found at http://www.pastorcurry.com.
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5. I appreciate your generous offer to give tips on our bios. I’ve just begun to submit my manuscript, God, the Devil, and Divorce, to agents, so creating a good bio is imperative. Here goes:

   Writing is my passion. In addition to magazine articles, I have two traditionally published books: Home of the Heart, Avalon, 1995, (a clean romance), and Keiko’s Story: A Killer Whale Goes Home, Millbrook Press, 2000 (a NF school and library book). I’ve republished Home of the Heart as an ebook and incorporated some of it into the memoir, focusing on the desire for home. I’ve also created an ebooklet series I call Life Lessons I’ve Learned, available for Kindle. Perhaps these ebooks can be used in marketing campaigns.

   I have a BA and MA in Art Education K-12 from the University of New Mexico, as well as a Library Media Endorsement from a program at Portland State University. I’m an active member of the National Association of Memoir Writers, Skagit Valley Writers League, Society of Childrens Writers and Artists, Mount Vernon Christ the King (a non-denominational church), and am a former Elder in the Presbyterian Church USA.

   I’m active on Facebook and Twitter and have three websites, one of which has a memoir blog. I have past marketing experience as owner of Whimsmoore, an online toy store I established and ran for a few years, creating a website, blog posts, compiling an email list with monthly newsletters delivered by Aweber, designing brochures, and holding house parties. I’m currently taking social media classes to increase my marketing skills.

   My husband of fourteen years and I are settled in our Last Chance Ranch in the beautiful Skagit Valley of Washington State where we’re close to family and my beloved Puget Sound orcas.

6. Hi, Chad! Here is a copy of my bio, from my author website; any pointers would be hugely appreciated:

   Wesley R. Mullen was born and raised in the Philadelphia, PA area. After attending Villanova University, he worked in the legal and financial fields before spending 13 years as an editor at TV Guide magazine in Radnor, PA. In between jobs and during vacations, he traveled extensively in Western Europe, and has been known to visit South America. He currently resides with his wife Connie in Florida. Connie has also traveled extensively, and Wes is constantly plotting his escape to Europe to continue his travels and to catch up with his wife’s tally of cities. He is planning to walk the 500-mile Camino de Santiago in northern Spain in 2015 with his wife and daughter, both of whom share his wanderlust but are in better physical shape.

   In 2014, Mr. Mullen achieved a lifelong dream when he published his first book, “City Sketches: 40 Years of Travel Through Centuries of History, and a Memoir.” A late bloomer on the literary scene, Wes intends to make up for lost time by publishing two more books within the coming year: “Cafe Hours: Essays on Travel by an Emerging Curmudgeon,” in early 2015; and “A Penance Must Be Paid: Essays on Travel and Redemption,” in late 2015. He is currently working on both of these books at breakneck speed; alcohol and medication helps.

7. Hi Chad,
   Thank you kindly for all of the information that you have freely given away. I would be very appreciative if I could speak with regarding a book that I have written for a famous non/duality speaker. I know that the material speaks for itself and the outcome of the readers or listeners clearly speaks for itself in that change in perspective and living with ease is a most common outcome.
   My email address is Julievez@gmail.com . If you feel moved to write me that would be wonderful. It has been my experience that the universe answers all questions and flows with not only a giving hand but a receiving hand as well.
   Thank you kindly,
   Julie
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9. I have a book proposal and would love to get some feedback regarding each section…I tried sending the proposal out years ago and was not picked up by any publisher. I wrote the proposal following Larsen’s “How To Write A Book proposal.” Would you be willing to take a look at it? I really want to send it out again and hopefully land a publisher. I was impressed with how open you are on your site and how generous you are to offer to help your readers. Thank you. Kaja

   • Sorry, Kaja. At this point my other obligations preclude me from offering private coaching sessions. That might change at some point, but it’s just not possible right now.
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12. Chad, this is perhaps some of the simplest and BEST advice I’ve heard that’s out there for writers. Thank you! This is a bio that I would want to use for articles submitted to magazines or a possible book proposal. Thank you SO much for giving us your honest feedback. With much appreciation, Mchelle

    Michelle is a born and raised California girl who now calls Guatemala home. She studied English as Westmont College and has an M.Ed from the University of Santa Barbara. She is teacher at heart and has 7 years experience teaching students with disabilities, English Language Learners (ELL) and English as a Second Language (ESL) Students. Two years ago she left Santa Barbara’s beaches and a tenured teaching position to move to Guatemala and has never regretted it. Michelle is the Short-term Team Coordinator for a nonprofit near Antigua, Guatemala. She gets to unite her love of teaching, understanding cultures and asking good questions with mission teams and volunteers that come to Guatemala. Michelle and her husband, Gerber, have just completed their first year of marriage and most frequently argue about whose turn it is to do the dishes. When she’s not driving around town on her scooter you can usually find her drinking smoothies or at her computer with 17 different tabs open at once. She blogs about cross-culturally living, bicultural marriage and issues of faith, social justice and identity at simplycomplcated.me

    • Michelle, thanks for commenting and for the kind words. And WOW, you’ve had an interesting life. I love that I’m here in the states, you’re there in Guatemala, and here we are commenting back and forth. What a world.

      About your bio, well done, I cracked up when i read the 17 tabs part. Keep that for sure. If this goes in a magazine, i suspect it will need to be shorter, but that’s not my world. The length is fine for a book proposal, but you’re light on publication credits, your affiliations and networks, and how much you speak in a given year if at all. In other words, as a publisher i want to know that you’ve written some things that have been published. I want to know where to place you within the marketplace (affiliations and networks), and what your platform is like. A lot depends on what you’re writing. If you’re writing about preparing for a short-term mission project, for example, this bio establishes your credibility. Hope this helps! And hope you keep checking in!

13. Sorry for typo there after blog name! How best to include info about size of blog following, social media influence, etc?

    • You can do this in the body of the bio. Obviously such a bio would be intended as an “internal” bio, not for the public (lest you appear braggadocious). Or you can do a separate marketing section in your proposal, which I would tend to prefer because it frees you up to write more about what you plan to do to help promote your book. I’m going to be doing a series of posts on writing a book proposal, so stay stuned!

14. What a great opportunity, to have our Bio’s critiqued by a real publishing guy. Thanks so much for doing this!
    —

    David Flowers has three girls with his wife Christy, his high school sweetheart, who he married in 1988. He entered the ministry in 1994 and, in 2002, planted Wildwind Community Church in Flint Township, MI, where he still serves as pastor. He is an adjunct instructor in Spring Arbor University’s Master of Arts program in Counseling and runs a small private counseling practice where he works mostly with couples.

    Dave holds a B.S. in Clinical/Community Psychology from the University of Michigan-Flint, and an MA in Counseling from Oakland University. He is an ordained minister in the Free Methodist Church of North America and a Licensed Professional Counselor in the state of Michigan.

    He blogs on spiritual, psychological, and media topics at DavidKFlowers.com, His blog comes out of his passions for helping/teaching people, fresh ideas, and writing. His work tends to have a provocative edge. Dave says, “I believe that a lot of our best thinking is done when we get out of those head-spaces that feel familiar to us.”

    Dave is available on a limited basis to speak and/or conduct workshops on mental health related topics (especially martial/premarital issues, anxiety, suicide, and bereavement) and spiritual formation issues.

    • See below. I tweaked the order of things in a way that would appeal to publishers more, I think.

      David Flowers blogs on spiritual, psychological, and media topics at DavidKFlowers.com. His blog grows from his passions for helping/teaching people, fresh ideas, and writing. Flowers entered ministry in 1994 and in 2002 planted Wildwind Community Church in Flint Township, MI, where he serves as pastor. He is an adjunct instructor in Spring Arbor University’s Master of Arts program in Counseling and runs a small private counseling practice where he works mostly with couples. He holds a B.S. in Clinical/Community Psychology from the University of Michigan-Flint, and an MA in Counseling from Oakland University. He is an ordained minister in the Free Methodist Church of North America and a Licensed Professional Counselor in the state of Michigan. Dave is available to speak and/or conduct workshops on mental health related topics (especially martial/premarital issues, anxiety, suicide, and bereavement) and spiritual formation issues. He has three girls with his wife Christy, his high school sweetheart, who he married in 1988. They make their home in Flint, Michigan.

15. Hi Chad,

    I’m working on a book called “Adoption at the Movies.” In it, I’ll be reviewing movies that are relevant to adoption and offering insight to families about how to best use each film as a teaching or discussion tool. I’d sure appreciate any insight you have into my biography!

    Addison Cooper, MSW, LCSW, is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in California and Missouri. Since earning his Master’s Degree in Social Work from Roberts Wesleyan College, Addison has specialized in adoption and foster care. He has most recently served as a supervising adoption social worker for a private foster care and adoption agency, and has helped finalize the adoptions of about 100 children. Addison is a co-developer of a full-day adoption training used throughout California by a statewide agency, and is well-received as a trainer, mentor, and social worker. Addison is a member (and former board member) of the North American Association of Christians in Social Work. He is available for adoption-related trainings, and also writes movie reviews from an adoption point-of-view for Reel Spirituality, a film blog with a readership of around 2,000. Addison was attracted to social work as a freshman in college when he was told that social work was about “helping people.” Addison’s passion is to integrate his faith and practice by genuinely connecting with families and helping them navigate their journeys towards adoption. Addison has lived in New Jersey, Massachusetts, New York, Costa Rica, and California. He and his wife, Noel, now live in Springfield, Missouri.

    • This bio give us thorough information about who you are and your clinical background. But traditional publishers will want some indication of your platform. Can you evidence within your bio not only credibility but also your ability to promote your book? That’s a key component. Hope this helps!

      • Thanks, Chad! It helps a lot!

16. Want to add:

    Cali-born with southern-stoked sensibilities!

17. Hi Chad. Thanks for the review opportunity. Here’s my bio:

    Carmel Christine is a freelance writer and blogs at CarmelsNotes.com on faith stories, “unearthing the paradoxes of life to discover what really matters.” She is currently active in service ministries and makes her home in the Bluegrass region of Kentucky with her husband, John, of 23 years and their teen son, Michael. Carmel’s work as a paralegal, specializing in corporate, business and real estate spans over 30 years, advocating for others in constitutional, elder, and disability law.

    • This is a great bio for your blog or website, for example, and I like the flare of the Cali-born line you want to add. In a book proposal, though, your bio needs to speak to the publisher’s interest in knowing what you’ve accomplished in terms of your publication history and your platform. Where has your writing been featured? What’s your reach like? That kind of thing. I hope this is helpful! Thanks for commenting!

      • Building my platform/brand, developing readership and documenting published works… thanks for your help and time, Chad! I’ll continue following your site for added insights.

18. There isn’t really much way around not being previously published or not speaking I imagine, right Chad, even with a significant influence? What would you recommend to an educator/musician trying to break in to published non-fiction writing?

    • Sean-David, my post on 3 things you simply must do to get published might be useful to you. Check it out. Thanks for stopping by!

      • Thanks Chadd, will check it out. P.s., Thanks for getting my name right, you wouldn’t believe how many people don’t get the hyphen thing.

19. Dear Chad, Have I been off the mark! Here is the bio I presented to my publisher for the first book of a six-book series:

    Dianne Price considers her WWII novels a labor of love, in part because she comes from a family of pilots, and because of her Scot’s heritage. She spends weeks every summer in the Outer Hebrides Isles of Scotland, learning the Scots and Gaelic languages, dancing at ceilidhs (kaylees) in her Galbraith clan kilt, and taking long walks along the “machair,” where she soaks up the ambiance of these mystical, still primitive islands with endless skies and the Atlantic Ocean “sooking” on their rocky shores. The attended the University of California, Santa Barbara, and has studied writing under many talented writers, including John Cunningham, who wrote the novel upon which the movie “High Noon” was based. The mother of five children, she wrote a weekly script for a Christian radio program aired from Bakersfield, California. The subjects focused on how young wives with growing families needed the guidance found in God’s Word to nurture themselves, their children, and their husbands. She took second place in the “National Writer’s Club” Book Manuscript contest and the novel was published by Zebra (“Proud Captive”). Zebra also published her novels, “Savage Spirits of Seahedge Manor,” and “Shadowtide.” She lives in Bend, Oregon, with her West Highland Terrior, Hamish, and would love to hear from you at http://www.dianneprice-author-com.

    • This reads well as a bio to present on an “About” page of a website for your readers. To impress publishers, though, I would go shorter and lead with your accomplishments: publication credits, the competition you reference, that sort of thing. Hope this helps, Diane! Thanks for writing in.

      • Dear Chad, thanks for the reply. I just heard from my agent that you don’t handle fiction. Sorry for taking up your time. This was a bio my publisher wanted, along with back page info, endorsements, etc. I did learn a lot from your post, though, and will be sure to put my pub. credits at the front from now on.

20. Chad, first off, you are amazing for offering to look at our bio’s. Who does that?! 🙂 Secondly, it is SO hard to write a bio for oneself. I have included mine below with much trepidation. I would GREATLY value your feedback (as well as any re-wording to make it not boring). Thank you so much!

    Jaimie Bowman is a speaker and writer from Southern California who has been in ministry for over 15 years. As a pastor’s wife and Licensed Minister, she desires to help others to find their unique purpose and calling. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology and a Master’s Degree in Church Leadership. Jaimie has written for popular online publications including 5 Minutes for Mom and Pastors.com, and is a popular speaker at church and women’s groups. She has been married to her husband Martin for 13 years and they have two boys (Micah and Jaden). Jaimie loves white chocolate mochas, playing Sudoku and exploring off the beaten path with her family.

    • Thank, Jaimie, for your kind words. About your bio, how about:

      Jaimie Bowman is a speaker and writer from Southern California with over 15 years of ministry experience. A Licensed Minister and pastor’s wife, she loves to help others find their unique purpose and calling. Having earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology and a Master’s Degree in Church Leadership, Jaimie is a popular speaker at church and women’s groups. She has written for several popular online publications including 5 Minutes for Mom [turn this into a url] and Pastors.com. She and her husband Martin have been married for 13 years and have two boys, Micah and Jaden. Jaimie loves white chocolate mochas, playing Sudoku and getting off the beaten path with her family [This last phrase has potential, but I’m not sure exactly what it means. Do you hike off the beaten path, go on road trips off the beaten path?].

      This bio works well as a speaker bio because it gives priority of place to your speaking. If you were to include it in a book proposal, i would give pride of place to your writing.

      I hope this is helpful to you.

      • That is so helpful! Thank you so much! And about that last sentence – “Off the beaten path” – hmmmm….. I will think about that this week 🙂

21. Hi Chad,
    Thanks for the generous advice and feedback! I have been querying a speculative supernatural novel (think Frank Peretti’s This Present Darkness meets coming of age story) and was only including a sentence or two summarizing my bio in my letter, but including a full bio in a synopsis and on my blog. Do you think I should add the full bio to my query letters? Also, of course I would love your feedback on how they read. My goal is to show how my previous work in other genres has lead up to this final phase of my career writing novels, but all of my accomplishments so far are in those other genres. Thanks!

    Sentence: I am a writer and editor (former book and magazine copyeditor/chief, automotive journalist/editor, founder/editor of a green parenting blog) seeking representation for this 80,000-word first novel.

    Bio: Laura K. Cowan is a novelist and editor whose imaginative work explores an enduring love of nature and spirituality against rich dreamscapes. Laura has worked for years as a writer and editor in other genres, always focused on conscious living. She is the founder of popular green parenting blog 29 Diapers, the author of EcoFrugal Baby: How To Save 70% Off Baby’s First Year, and Road Test Editor for the web’s largest green design blog Inhabitat. Ms. Cowan’s work has appeared in Automobile Quarterly as well as on numerous parenting sites including BabyCenter, EcoMom, and Inhabitots. You can find her on Twitter and LinkedIn, or follow her blog at laurakcowan.com.

    • Hi Laura, thanks for writing in.

      I think you’re right to include an abbreviated (not a full) bio in your cover letter. My advice is to make this bio more impressive sounding and even more concise: I am an accomplished writer and editor with a background in journalism and copyediting. I have # publications to my credit and have received numerous accolades…. You get the idea. Give the editor a reason to believe you’re not only a writer but a GOOD writer, one who’s received some good reviews or awards or sales or something. Another way to do this is with a brief quote of a reviewer. One reader said, “…” That kind of thing.

      Regarding the larger bio, I took a stab at it, as follows, and then had a thought that is probably more important than my revision. But I did the revision so i might as well include it!

      Laura K. Cowan is a novelist and editor whose work reflects an enduring love of nature and spirituality. Laura has worked for years as a writer and editor in genres such as [INSERT GENRES], always focused on conscious living [“conscious living” makes you sound like a nonfiction self-help author]. She is the founder of a popular green parenting blog 29 Diapers, receiving [NUMBER] hits per month, and the author of EcoFrugal Baby: How To Save 70% Off Baby’s First Year. Laura also serves as Road Test Editor for the web’s largest green design blog Inhabitat, which receives [NUMBER or RANGE] hits per month. Ms. Cowan’s work has appeared in Automobile Quarterly as well as on numerous parenting sites including the very popular BabyCenter, EcoMom, and Inhabitots. You can find her on Twitter and LinkedIn, or follow her blog at laurakcowan.com.

      And here’s the thought. Given what you say above about moving into a new genre, your objective, i think, should be to frame what you’ve done already and lead editors into the transition on which you’re now embarking. Establish three things: you’re a good writer, you have a platform, and you are excited about finally being able to pursue your true passion.

      Hope this helps!

      • Thank you, that does really help! I’ll work on those areas. Thanks for clarifying the way to communicate those elements that were missing.

22. Yes, but as an Erotica Author who wants to keep her real life private, how do we go about a bio for that? Not many people are interested in the Super Secret Squirrel approach.

    • Anita, I don’t work in this area, but when it comes to a book proposal, I would think your potential publishers will still want to know a bit about you. Perhaps you could simply include a note that says you want the bio you include to remain confidential. In terms of what goes out to the public, I still think some kind of bio, even if it’s full of veiled references, is still a plus. That’s my take.

      • Thank you

23. Thanks for the generous guidance, Chad! Below is my bio (tailored to fit a narrative nonfiction proposal about a Christian bride-to-be’s journey to the altar).

    First, a little history: I published my first faith-based essay in Christianity Today’s Ignite Your Faith magazine at 19 years old. Soon after, I became a bi-weekly columnist for my college newspaper (Miami University of Ohio) and interned at NavPress publishing company in Colorado Springs, CO.

    Today, I’m employed as an agency copywriter in Cincinnati, OH, specializing in article-style advertisements for Good Housekeeping, Redbook, Woman’s Day, Kiplinger’s and Seventeen magazines. I also write regularly for Cincinnati Magazine and Cincinnati Wedding magazine, and recently published a “bride-to-be advice” article on RELEVANTmagazine.com. Additionally, I volunteer in my church’s marriage-prep classes (roughly 500 attendees annually).

    I married my best friend (and fellow ginger) in October 2011. Most importantly, I’m a big fan of Jesus and strive to communicate His truths to Christian brides-to-be.

    • Elizabeth, this works really well under a heading like “A Bit about Me” in a book proposal. It gives me a quick sketch of who you are, where you’ve been, what you’ve accomplished. One thing that’s missing is info about your education, which I want to know because it just fills out the picture a bit more. In addition, it might be useful to include a more official-sounding bio in the third person, the kind of thing you could envision going on the last page of your book or on the back cover. Hope this helps! Btw, are you planning to start blogging?

      • Thank you! Very helpful feedback…I’m so glad to know that education is relevant. I had it included originally, but then thought it sounded too obvious or amateurish. Blogging, yes, I want (need) to start soon. Having trouble figuring out what my beat should be. Suggestions welcome 🙂 I’ll spread the word once it’s rolling.

24. Hey Chad, can you just write my bio for me?

    • Sure thing. Bill Search is a small groups ninja who’s taking over the world. His books include Your Small Group Can’t Handle This, My Small Group Is Bigger Than Your Small Group, and the NY Times bestselling Small Groups Ain’t for Sissys . . . Sissy. Find out more at http://www.kickinitreal.com

      • Great bio XD

      • Oh, I LOVE that! Now I need to write those books! Brilliant.

25. Those are very helpful points and encouraging! I love when it’s all about people. I like people and their stories, very much.

    I am a freelance writer from Holland, Michigan. I love to write to bring encouragement to others. My background is in social work and ministry, I’ve always dreamed about combining those passions with my love of writing.

    I blog daily at aboutproximity.com where I encourage others to place themselves in the proximity of renewal. I write in the context of my faith, and my own need for renewal. I am a part of the Global Team of 200, through the organization Moms for Social Good. Undocumented.tv, moneysavingmom, Catapult magazine, and Burnside Writers Collective have featured my work. I belong to a lovely group of ACFW writers who keep one another accountable and encourage.

    My husband Kris keeps me sharp through his work with World Renew. He is my greatest encourager. Ellie and Josiah, my kids, help me laugh everyday. Our family likes adventure hikes and Lake Michigan. I descend from a long lineage of storytellers, of this I am thankful.

    • Good work, Lisa! But be sure to let us know your name! (I know it from Twitter.) Also, I favor a little shorter bio. Let me take a stab.

      Lisa [Last Name] is a freelance writer from Holland, Michigan, who blogs daily at aboutproximity.com. She combines her background in social work and ministry with her love of writing to help people place themselves in the proximity of renewal. She is a member of the Global Team for Moms for Social Good, and her work has been featured on Undocumented.tv, moneysavingmom, Catapult magazine, and Burnside Writers Collective. She belongs to a lovely group of ACFW writers who encourage and keep one another accountable. Lisa is married to Kris, [title] with World Renew. They and their kids Ellie and Josiah love to laugh, go on adventure hikes, and stare in wonder at Lake Michigan.

      Edit as you like. Take it or leave it. And thank you!

      • Thank you, suggestions taken!

26. Married to her talented Worship Pastor husband and momma to a beautiful tween girl, Teri Lynne Underwood is living out her own happily ever after. Author of Parenting from the Overflow and Prayers from the Pews, she’s amazed at how God consistently uses ordinary people to communicate His extraordinary message.

    Writing almost-daily on her blog (www.terilynneu.com) and actively engaging in social media, Teri Lynne is connected with just over 2000 people daily online. A Bible teacher, columnist for her local paper, and ministry speaker, she shares her heart three to four times a year with women’s groups throughout the southeast. In addition, Teri Lynne is the client contact person for a growing web design and self-published book formatting company (www.designbyinsight) and offers social media consulting services for small businesses and non-profits (www.terilynneunderwood.com).

    • I like this a lot, Teri. It tells me everything I need to know in a tone that communicates something about you and your passions. Well done. Just a couple thoughts. You may want the second phrase in the following sentence to be a bit more obviously connected to the first: “Author of Parenting from the Overflow and Prayers from the Pews, she’s amazed at how God consistently uses ordinary people to communicate His extraordinary message.” For example: Author of Parenting from the Overflow and Prayers from the Pews, Teri loves to write about how life with God influences our relationships with others. Second, I wonder if you could come up with a fancier sounding title than “client contact person.” Creative consultant, management genius, project whizz, . . .

      Thanks!

      • Thank you, Chad!! I will definitely work on those two things. I appreciate your willingness to encourage and provide practical advice to those of us who still have much to learn!

27. Hey Chad…great thoughts. I’d love your input on my bio. Here it is!

    Jonathan Reitz has a number of impressive titles at CoachNet Global (Chairman/CEO/Guy with Coffee). Jonathan has been coaching since 1996 and has worked with over 500 clients in the church, the non-profit sector and the business world.

    “Coaching plays a part in the kind of leadership the world needs,” says Jonathan Reitz. “I want to be a part of that.”

    When talking about Jonathan Reitz, people say words like: coach, leader, change agent, tall, author, strategic, speaker, consultant, people development, organizational development, culture, Cleveland, process and dude.

    He enjoys people with insight, great faith, and impeccable style. You know, people like you.

    • Jonathan, good stuff. A lot depends on where the bio will appear. This bio works well in a context where people already know what CoachNet Global is. I imagine someone introducing you before you take the podium to give a talk. This works well for that. But in a context like a book proposal, a more straightforward style is preferable.

      • A handout at a talk is exactly what I use that bio for! Thanks Chad.

        • Speaking as a (literally) “random guy reading this blog,” I have no clue which definition of the term “coach” you mean. Obviously I could now search on you, but I think most people looking at a book page, and not understanding what they see, simply move on. So my constructive suggestion would be to specify whether you are a “life coach,” a basketball coach, an organizational consultant…or, for that matter, a fan of overpriced leather purses stamped Coach. 🙂

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