by Anne R. Allen
No matter how great a book’s cover and blurb, one thing can stop me from buying yet another ebook for my Kindle: an author bio on the buy page that screams “amateur.”
I spent some time as an editor, so when I pick up a book for relaxation, I want to know it’s going to be a professional work and not something that makes me want to run for my red pencil.
If you start your bio “I’ve always wanted to write a book, ever since I won a penmanship prize in third grade, and now that I’ve self-published, “If My Cats Could Talk” my wish has come true…,” all you’ve told me is you’re a beginner.
Is that really what you want your customers to know?
Your buy page at Amazon or any online retail store is like your own personal storefront. It can be a sleek boutique or a homemade lemonade stand.
A funky lemonade stand might get a few passersby to spring for a glass because they think you’re cute or feel sorry for you. With Mom paying for lemons, sugar, glasses, and the card table—and hey, you might “earn” enough to buy yourself an ice cream when the truck comes by.
But you’re trying to be a professional writer here, right?
So before you publish that book, learn to write a professional author bio.
An author bio should not be a chronological report of your whole life. And you don’t want a list of dry facts, like a resume. But it’s also not a personal essay about your hopes and dreams. Readers don’t care about that stuff when they’re deciding whether to buy a book.
What readers do care about is an author’s competence. We want to know if you’re qualified to:
- Teach me something.
- Entertain me.
- Make me laugh.
If your author bio doesn’t convey your qualifications to do those things, the reader is going to move on.
How to Write an Author Bio
An author bio isn’t really about you at all. It’s about your expertise. It’s a way of letting your readers know they’ll be in good hands.
This is where so many self-pubbed authors sabotage themselves. Either they have no bio at all, or they have one so amateurish it’s like wearing pajamas to a job interview.
As a writer, whether you have a published book or not, you should keep at least three standard bios on hand.
1) A Standard Author Bio
This is the one for your author page on Amazon and other retailers. It’s also the one you send to accompany a guest blogpost or interview with a blogger or a magazine.
Always write it in THIRD person. Aim for 80-100 words, unless they ask for a “one page author bio.” “One page” means about 240 words. For more on the dreaded 240-word author bio, see my post on How to Write an Author Bio When you Don’t Feel like an Author…Yet.
Here’s my handy-dandy formula for a standard author bio:
1) “______ is a ______ who lives in ______ and does ______. ”
Or, if you’re multi-published,
“_______ is the author of _______ and______.”
2) Then you can add one or two of the following:
- Is a member of _____ (if you’re a member of any writing organizations like RWA or SCBWI, Sisters in Crime, etc.)
- Has won_____ (Writing awards only. And don’t go too far back. If you haven’t won a writing award since that third grade penmanship award, better leave this out.)
- Has been published in _____ . (Pick two or three of the best. Quality not quantity is what stands out here.)
- Has a degree in _____ from_______.
3) Write about something that makes you stand out, preferably something that makes you qualified to write this book.
4) Add something personal about where you live or who you live with that allows readers to see you as a human being they can relate to.
You want to sound knowledgeable, professional, and interesting.
- If you write nonfiction, stress the knowledge.
- If you write fiction, stress the interesting bits.
- You can even throw in some humor.
Example of debut author bio:
Susie Scrivener is a retired medical receptionist who lives Buttonwillow, CA, where she volunteers at the local animal rescue shelter. She’s the vice president of her regional chapter of Sisters in Crime. Her work has been published in the Taft Midway Driller and the Buttonwillow Times. Her poem, “Cats and Trees” won second place in the Kitty Feast poetry contest in 2015. She’s the servant of two calico kittens and a Tuxedo cat named Baxter.
Example of a multi-published author bio:
Susie Scrivener is the author of the Kitty’s Corner Mystery series. Her latest, “Catawampus“, Kitty’s Corner Mystery #8, won Cat Lover Magazine’s Best Cat Cozy award for 2017. Susie lives in Buttonwillow California, where she volunteers at the local animal rescue shelter. She’s the vice president of her regional chapter of Sisters in Crime. Susie is the servant of two calico kittens and a Tuxedo cat named Baxter.
2) A “Byline” Bio
This is the one or two sentences that go at the end of an article or short piece in a magazine or an online venue like Medium.
It’s also written in THIRD person. You want to include your biggest achievements as a writer.
Susie Scrivener is the author of the Kitty’s Corner mystery series, including Catawampus, Kitty’s Corner mystery #8, the 2017 winner of Cat Lover Magazine’s “Best Cat Cozy” award.
3) A Query Bio
This is the personal information you include in a query letter to an agent, publisher, reviewer, blogger, etc.
It should be written in the FIRST person and only needs to be about 50 words. (Maybe a little longer for nonfiction where credentials are essential.) List two or three of your most significant accomplishments that relate to the query.
Lead with your strength.
So if you’re querying Cat Lover magazine with an article on “how to wash your cat,” you might include this bio.
I’m the author of the award-winning Kitty’s Corner mystery series and I volunteer at the animal rescue shelter in my hometown of Buttonwillow CA. I’ve had articles on cat dander allergies published in the Taft Midway Driller and the Buttonwillow Times.
Or, for the less widely published:
I volunteer at the animal rescue shelter in my hometown. I’m a retired medical receptionist and have had articles on cat dander allergies published in the Buttonwillow Times and the Taft Midway Driller. My poem, “Cats and Trees” won second place in the Kitty Feast poetry contest in 2016.
The second sentence can be altered to target agents, reviewers, bloggers, etc. when you’re asking for reviews and guest spots, or looking for representation.
Remember to keep your Author Bio Updated
Many authors (including this one) forget to alter their bios when they come out with a new book or win a new prize. Which is what prompted this post. Do what I say, not what I do. 🙂 Don’t forget retailers other than Amazon if you have wider distribution.
If you’re with a small or mid-sized press, don’t expect them to keep up with this. It’s generally up to you.
In the rush to launch a new book it’s easy to forget your bio, so put it on your “To Do” list for you next launch.
Updating other details of your bio will keep it fresh. Tell fans interesting facts about yourself or add a different humorous line.
Author Central is Your Best Route to Your Amazon Buy Page
So how do you do access your bio? Author Central is an author’s best friend when dealing with anything on your Amazon buy page. Lots of things can be fixed or changed through Author Central rather than going through KDP. This is especially important for authors with small presses.
Both indies and trad pub authors alike need to set up their own Author Central account. It’s easy and you just use your Amazon email address and password.
Author Central is where you can track your sales, author rank, new reviews, and also update your bio, blurbs, etc., and anything else on your buy page.
If one of your books doesn’t appear on your buy page, make sure to “claim” it through Author Central. There’s a message at the top of your “Books” page that says. “Are we missing a book?” with a big button for adding your book using an AISN or title.
Author Central is also the best route for contacting Amazon for problems with review removal–whether it’s an obscene or trollish review or the mysterious disappearance of a review. For more on restoring disappearing Amazon reviews, see Penny Sansevieri’s article at Bowker’s The Self-Published Author.
What about you, scriveners? Do you have a professional author bio? Have you updated it recently? Have you ever decided not to buy a book because of an amateurish bio?
BOOK OF THE WEEK
BOOMER WOMEN: Three Comedies about a Generation that Changed the World
The Lady of the Lakewood Diner, Food of Love and The Gatsby Game, now available in one boxed set.
“Canny cultural observation that brings to mind two of my favorite British authors, Barbara Pym and Penelope Fitzgerald. Yes, the humor is there and sometimes spew-your-cocktail funny, but the character depth and plot fulfillment go so far beyond the humor. I felt I knew these people. I felt I was there.”…Debra Eve at The Later Bloomer
“I applaud Allen’s consistently genuine voice, with accuracy that spells ‘that could have been me’. Behind the humor, she is gracefully revolutionary.”…Kathleen Keena author of The Play’s The Thing.
Available from:
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I hope mine sounds professional. I don’t list my books first, but that they are best sellers is definitely in there. And the fact I run the IWSG. I’d say as writing credentials, those are my biggest ones.
Alex, yours is a fastball high and tight: very concise and very impactful. What’s to change?
I agree with Will, Alex. You’ve got a perfect author bio on your website. You don’t need to change a thing!
New record- I laughed out loud before I finished your title this time. What a great concept to bring us!
And what a total disgrace I’ve been on this topic. Now I’m ruined for the rest of the month, because I score roughly a zero on the quiz from today’s blog. Shame to my fourth generation…
In truth, I scratched out my bio years ago and have not thought to update it since. Stubbornly I believe it’s still decent (because that’s the only way I do things anymore), and I would say it has a hint of humor and also points to expertise, because the thing for epic fantasy is to reassure the reader that you see and can build the world for them. But that would be the most charitable possible grading: I need to have a serious think about my bio again.
Thanks as always, Anne!
Will–We can all use an update to the bio–at least once a year. You don’t want to lose a good humorous bit, though.
Hi Anne — Thanks for another fine post. You’ve definitely inspired me to go check my bios (I use the plural because I belong to multiple associations, all with bio pages). And I have most definitely avoided some books (even traditionally published ones) due to being turned off by the author bio. As a reader I don’t always check the author bio, but as an audiobook producer/narrator, I always scrutinize the author bio before submitting an audition (and there have been times that scrutiny has inspired me to audition elsewhere).
CS–We all have multiple bios these days and remembering to update all of them can be a big pain. But it’s worth it.
I’m glad to hear I’m not the only one who finds a bio a make or break issue. As a narrator, you have to know if you want to go into partnership with this person, so a bio will have huge impact one way or another.
Anne—Excellent advice, as usual. I love humor but want to point out that there’s a difference between being funny and being cutesy. An author bio “written by his/her cat” is a turn-off. Or maybe that’s just me?
Ruth–That’s a very good point! Bios written by your cat, dog, or pet goldfish usually don’t cut it. It’s best to avoid “precious” stuff in the bio.
I should probably update my Amazon bio, as I think a soon-to-be-opened bookstore used the bio to pimp my books for me.
G. B. You bring up an important point. Very often when people mention you, they refer to your Amazon bio for pertinent facts.. That’s why it’s important to keep it fresh.
This was the best help. My publisher just requested a bio. It took me two tries, but the end result is almost a template of your post. Thanks for the confidence builder.
Mark–I’m so glad the post was helpful.I’m so glad my formula works for you! Congrats on your upcoming book launch!
Yikes. I’m way past updating my bio. Thanks for the reminder and the tips, Anne. What’s your advice on upcoming releases? For example, novels that are completed but don’t have a release date, or the release date is still a few months away? Do we include them with a release date in parenthesis? Or in the case of no release date scheduled yet, do we say something like “Releases spring ’17”?
Sue–Interesting question. I personally don’t put a new book into the bio until it’s up and ready for pre-order. Too many things can go wrong with a launch. But a vague mention that the next in a series “releases in spring 2017” would probably be a good idea.
I did forget Author Central when I came up with a new book. I did up[date Blogger and Smashwords, which I copy and paste as needed. But the only thing to update is the number of books.
Louis. I did exactly the same thing. I updated my bio on social media, but forgot Amazon. Now it’s going on my launch to-do list.
Boy, did I need this post. Going right to Author Central to update my bio. Great post, Anne. Seems like common sense but now and then we need a refresher. And a reminder.
Yikes! Paul
Paul–Since you’re a trad-pubbed author with a small press, like me, I know how easy it is to forget these things. A lot of the stuff indies have to worry about, we know will be done by our publishers. But updating stuff like our Amazon buy page and social media is up to us.
It’s all up-to-date now, Anne. Thanks, again. P
What about a writer with a couple of stories in an anthology on Amazon, writing a few stories for a magazine, every issue and two monthly columns for a newsletter? Also a professional photographer and Tango dancer?
Dennis–Just plug your info into my handy-dandy template: “Dennis Eamon Young is a professional photographer and freelance writer who lives in San Luis Obispo CA. He served for ___years as the president of the SLO Nightwriters, the premier writing organization on the Central Coast. His work has been published in ____ & ____ magazines and The Best of the Tolosa Press anthology. ___. He’s known on the Central Coast for his wild and crazy tango dancing.” 🙂
I will be a participating author in a festival this April. And you guessed it, they asked for a bio. Thank you for this timely information, Anne.
Leanne–Congrats on the festival! I’m glad this helps with your bio.
Hey Anne,
Good tips about Author Central, I didn’t know many of the things you noted.
As to writing my bio, it always feels like an out of body experience and as though some alternate personality has written it. Though I suppose it’s okay. It does present the facts and a couple of quirks, but I guess I have writer bio envy – everyone else’s always seems so much better.
Oh and I dropped the endorsement from my 5th grade teacher, Mrs. Kessler, years ago. 😉
Have a good one.
Annie
Annie–Author Central is great. I always get help on stuff within 24 hours. They can work miracles.
I do hear you about the “out of body experience” of writing a bio. You have to pretend to be somebody else–maybe one of your characters. Otherwise it feels like bragging.
But of course you could always write it using the persona of Mrs. Kessler. 🙂
Fabulous post. I’ve Benn thinking of updating my bio for some time. I’m doing it today with your suggestions! Thanks for sharing ????
Luccia–Have fun updating! Adding something just for fun can help readers relate.
This made me go and look at my bios and tweak them. Also, had to add a few commas. Thanks for the info.
Patricia–I’m glad this post inspired you!
Thanks for the great information. You help make everything about this author and author promoting business easier!
Christine–I’m glad it helps!
Great article Anne. Simple, but to the point. 🙂 Just jumped on your boxed set! 🙂
Debby–I hope you enjoy the Boomer Women books!
I’ll get there eventually, and when I do, you can count on a review. 🙂
Debby–Thanks so much! <3
My author central page looked great. But the writing on my website author page?? Bad. I changed it. Thanks, Anne. You are the best.
Beth–That’s a great reminder, Beth! Funny how we neglect our website bios.
I did exactly the same thing. I hadn’t looked at it in ages, then last month I took a quick peek and realized I hadn’t updated it for 3 years! So much out of date stuff! Another thing I need to put on my to-do list for “regular maintenance.
You lost me in the first example with the cats. I really, really don’t want to know about an author’s cats, especially if she thinks it’s cute that they boss her around. It’s not cute, and it’s a cliché. She’ll also put me off by confiding how she adores chocolate.
xanitlor–My fake bios are intended to be funny. This is a woman who writes cat cozies. She’s obviously something of a crazy cat lady. That was the point. There is no such thing as the “Kitty Feast poetry contest” or “Best Cat Cozy” contest. Those are made up. .
Writing about cat dander for the Taft Midway Driller or the Buttonwillow Times would probably not impress most people either.
This is what people in the business call “humor.” Sorry if it offended you.
Ruth and I often use humor on this blog. If it offends you, perhaps you’d be happier at a blog with a less light-hearted tone.
Oh, wow, thank you so much for this! I’m about to start on a path toward publishing my fourth novel with a publicist and I need to redo my bio. Your post is very helpful and was a light-bulb moment for me because I’d totally forgot about this part of my marketing plan.
Thanks, Anne.
Patricia–Congrats on novel #4! Yes, we should consider a bio as part of our marketing plan. Good point. I should have put that in the post.. 🙂
This was another great, timely post for me, too. It inspired me to revisit my Author Central page and tighten up the bio, too, as I hadn’t revised it in about a year. Hope it’s better now than it was before!
Mike–I’m glad to know the post inspired you!
Some good points, but I have two questions.
Why write the bio in third person? First person is more personal and direct, and perhaps more honest (as we’re writing about ourselves not someone else).
And do you think that many of these points also apply to writing ‘about’ pages on our author websites?
Mark–A standard author bio is always written in third person. That is the convention in the industry. Generally they are written by somebody in the publicity department.
Of course if you are self published, you can write it in the first person, or Klingon or Wingdings. But that will tell everybody that you’re an amateur. If that’s what you want people to know, go right ahead.
The “about” page on an author website or blog can be written in first or third. First person is more casual. It depends on what tone you want to create on the site or blog.
Thanks for this. As a newbie to this “writing a book” thing, I have not really considered the influence an author’s bio may have on the reader.
I guess writing a decent bio should be added to my ever growing “steps to a book” list.
RT–Becoming a professional writer is a long, tough job, but so is becoming a professional golfer or plumber.. I think we expect to be able to become writers overnight, but the truth is it’s a lot of work. Knowing what’s required helps a lot. Best of luck with the book!
Thank you and thank you for this blog.
Thanks for this post. I’m in that awkward stage with my bio. I’ve had several short stories published in different anthologies but still trying to get a novel published. Listing the stories seems a bit much, just mentioning I’d had some published leaves things a bit thin.
LD–Do look at the post I linked to: “How to Write an Author Bio When You Don’t Feel like an Author…Yet.” (in the second paragraph under subheader #1)
In that post I go into more detail explaining how to make yourself sound professional when you don’t have a lot of credits yet.Do list the publications, and if you got awards for any of them, that’s worth a mention tool
Best of luck!
Anne
Thanks, Anne.
This is a great intro to writing bios! I absolutely agree with avoiding the tired “I’ve always wanted to write a book” approach. A bio should hopefully give some credits and some amusement. The ones that stick with me are those that give a bigger impression of the author than is actually explained.
John–That’s the best kind of bio, certainly. When it shows who you are as well as tells.
Myself, I think author bios written in third person are boorish and dull. But, I hadn’t thought about the fact most used to be written by the publisher. My bio is written in first person, and it does tell the story of why I started writing, as I’m ghostwriting my dead husband’s outlines. I have received some good feedback from it, but maybe it’s time to rethink it. Thanks for the great advice and template.
Sahara–If a “lemonade stand” bio is getting huge sales for you, there’s no problem. Sometimes saying ‘I’m just an amateur here, cut me some slack.” will work. .
My bio mentions that I was published on my mamma’s fridge.
Michael–Haha. Humor is always good.
I am not sure if my bio is as good as it can be. I know, however, that I get results given that my books (mainly self-published) have now sold over 950,000 copies worldwide. Recently I have had several people or organizations wanting me to talk to them. Here is one of my bios listed on the National Career Development Association’s website announcing that I will be a keynote speaker about “The Joy of NOT Working” at a conference with the theme “The Joy of Working.”
http://www.ncda.org/aws/NCDA/pt/sp/conference_speakers#1gen
One note: I normally don’t list the fact that I have a B.Sc. in Engineering and a Masters in Business Administration. When I see the designation PhD beside an author’s name, particularly a self-help book, the author loses credibility with me. I gave my educational background in this bio because over 67 percent of the participants at this career conference have a Master’s degree or higher.
Ernie–Since you write self-help, the rules are a little different than for novelists. Obviously you’re doing marketing right and don’t need any help from me!
Came late to this post, Anne, but it’s super-helpful and I’m going to put your guidelines to work on my own revised bios. I always dread writing them, and maybe this will give me enough distance to do a better job.
Meg–Sorry my first response went into a separate window (below this). BTW, thanks for standing up for me on The Passive Voice. Some of the guys there always look for something to be snarky about.
Meg–An awful lot of writers are introverts and we don’t like to toot our own horns. That’s why writing our own bios is incredibly tough for most writers. As you say, “distance” is what we need. Filling in the blanks in a template can make it easier. Pretend you’re writing it about somebody else. 🙂
Got the Amazon Author Page bio done! Might not be the best in the world, but it “feels” better–not too cute or rambling, nor perfunctory. Thanks, Anne 🙂
Meg–Congrats! Now you don’t have to think about it for another year! 🙂
I absolutely agree with the “I’ve always wanted to write a book…” thing. Why would you post that somewhere other people would see it? It just screams amateur.
I remember writing my first Author Central bio in the first person until I noticed that no one else was doing it. I started stalking other writing blogs to get ideas for my bio and, for a newbie writer, I like to think I’ve done a pretty good job until I get more books and achievements to my name.
I’m still trying to decide whether or not to keep my blog bio in first person. My blog has a casually-professional feel to it similar to this site, and third person feels too impersonal. Or should I just do it all in third person? What does everyone else think?
Sarah–I think some newbie self-publishers want people to know they’re not professionals, in hopes that people will buy out of compassion. But I personally don’t like that approach, because it plays into the hands of the anti-indie people who say all indies are churning out mediocre, unprofessional stuff. I don’t think people should publish their “practice novels” at all.
The best way to write a good bio is to read them, like anything else. Look up your favorite authors and copy the tone and style. If you don’t feel your work is good enough to compete with your favorite authors, you should rethink the whole publishing thing.
As far as blog bios, that depends on the tone of your blog. If it’s casual and friendly, a 1st person bio may do fine. I used 1st person for this blog for the first 3 years or so. After Ruth joined, the blog became more disciplined and teaching-oriented, so I went to third person for both our bios. .
I came across this late, but want to thank you for the kick in the pants to get my bios updated. So many places they are, so little time to update.
David–I’m glad to hear I inspired you. I wrote the post because I have the same problem–so many bios in so many places! Updating them is tedious and sort of embarrassing, so we put it at the bottom of our to-do lists.
Hi and thanks for a thought-provoking blog. Since writing bios in third person seems to trouble a few people, it may help to know that journalists, other bloggers and people using your bio can’t use it with “I’ everywhere, as it might be thought to refer to them. Third person makes it easier to quote you without too much editing.I recently threw out my entire website http://www.valerieparv.com and created it afresh. Amazing how many small updates were needed, particularly away from the home page. And at Author Central, updates were definitely overdue. All good now – for at least the next fifteen minutes.
Valerie–Thanks for the helpful reason for third person bios. I never thought of it that way, but of course it does save journalists time. I’ve copied bios myself for guest bloggers and quotes. It’s a big plus to have the info in cut-and-paste format. Thanks!
We had to redo this blog a year ago when we moved from Blogger to WP. It’s definitely wise to give your site a refresh every so often.
Thank you for this great post. I have just spent the last hour making sure that I did not come across as a rank amateur. I wanted to shine as a professional. I hope I have made the correct improvements, Thank you for these tips and guidelines!
I’m glad the tips helped!
Thanks, Anne, for this helpful information. 🙂 — Suzanne
You’re welcome. 🙂
Yes, I’ve read a few that made me stop and wonder if the book was as poorly written. Indie authors especially need to be aware of this as there are still many readers who consider indie books second class.
MacJam–You’re right about the prejudice against indie authors. It does still exist, so it’s best if you don’t advertise that you’re indie if you don’t have to. If you follow the conventions of traditional publishing, you’ll look more like a mainstream, professional writer and not a hobbyist.
Great article! I particularly appreciate the byline bio. I’d never read about that one before. 🙂
We never think about the byline until we’re sending out the piece. Then we have to scramble. So It’s good to have one on hand.
A very interesting and helpful post. I shall have a look at mine and make sure they are up to scratch.
It’s a good idea to refresh it often anyway. I should probably do mine again.
Just saw this link in your tweet and read it. Very, very helpful. Your insights and shared experiences are such a help to me as a knocking knees scared but pursuing author. I’ve been a writer/editor for my entire career but the novel I’m writing is the most difficult project of my life – probably because it is THE pinnacle lifetime goal! Just so I won’t annoy by asking questions you’ve probably already covered: Should I have a website even if the novel’s first draft isn’t completed? Point me to your previous post on this. I would appreciate your insight. Meanwhile, I’ll draft and edit my author’s bio while this information is fresh. Thanks so much.
Rhonee–No, you don’t need a website. I think I discussed this while talking about blogs, but I may not have a whole post on it.
Maybe I should. 🙂
You don’t need a website (and a blog is a website and can be free) until you’re querying or about to self-publish.
Have fun with the bio!
Thanks, Anne!
It’s interesting who reads author bios. A few weeks back I was interviewed over my new (trad published) book by a radio station – and the interviewer had been and read the new author bio on my web page, which stated that I don’t regard myself as a historian. That became the first question… why, since just about everything I’ve had published is history? Added a certain element of mystery although I really must re-write the bio again.
Matthew–That is a very good point! Interviewers always ask questions based on your bio, and it’s going to dictate what every interviewer will discuss. So we need to make sure we mention things we’d like to talk about!
Thanks for the reminder!
Thank you for this, Anne — especially for including advice for debut authors. I’ve been looking at successful authors’ website bios to get an idea of what should be in mine. Unfortunately, they all talk about being award-winning, best-selling authors of dozens of (insert genre) novels, and living with their wonderful spouses, children, and pets. I have none of those and this is my first novel. In fact, it’s my first attempt at fiction since I told a relative I missed him, in the 1970s.
In light of that, a question for such writers in the upper demographics: When one has retired from a third career (government PIO) that’s not as interesting a her first (TV) and second (Radio) careers, do you think it could be beneficial to mention the earlier professions? Thanks again. Your blog has been most helpful to me for several years.
Dana–Yes. Mention whatever makes you interesting. Do read my post on “How to write an author bio when you don’t feel like an author…yet.” The link is in the post. But here it is again. It answers all your questions. https://annerallen.com/2012/09/how-to-write-author-bio-when-you-don/