Setting Up Your Profile
Learn how to set up and optimize your BookAuth profile for maximum visibility — whether you're an author, reader, or professional.
Your profile is your identity on BookAuth. It appears on your published books, reviews, book club activity, marketplace listings, and your public link page. A complete, optimized profile dramatically increases your visibility and credibility on the platform.
What You'll Learn
- How to access and edit your profile for each role
- Which profile fields matter most for visibility
- How to optimize your profile for search discovery
- How the Universal Identity system works
- Best practices for profile photos, bios, and social links
Understanding the Universal Identity
BookAuth uses a Universal Identity system. This means your core identity information — name, email, avatar — is shared across all roles you hold. When you update your display name or profile photo, the change reflects everywhere: your books, reviews, marketplace listings, and link pages.
At the same time, each role has role-specific profile fields that are only visible and relevant to that role:
| Field | Shared Across Roles? | Where It Appears |
|---|---|---|
| Display Name | ✅ Yes | Everywhere on the platform |
| ✅ Yes | Account settings (not publicly shown) | |
| Profile Photo / Avatar | ✅ Yes | Books, reviews, clubs, marketplace |
| Bio | ❌ Per-role | Each role has its own bio field |
| Social Links (Website, Goodreads) | ❌ Per-role | Author website, reader profile |
| Specializations | ❌ Professional only | Marketplace listings |
| Reading Preferences | ❌ Reader only | Reader profile, ARC matching |
| Preferred Formats | ❌ Reader only | Reader profile |
Setting Up Your Author Profile
Your author profile is the public face of your writing career. It's what readers see when they discover your books.
Accessing Your Profile
- Navigate to Account > Profile in the sidebar, or
- Click "Edit Profile" from the quick-action card on your Dashboard
Essential Fields
Display Name / Pen Name
- This is the name that appears on all your books, your author website, and public pages
- If you write under a pen name, enter it here
- Maximum 100 characters
Author Bio
- Write in third person for a professional tone ("Jane Smith is a bestselling fantasy author...") or first person for a personal approach ("I've been writing since I was 12...")
- Include: your genre specialties, notable achievements, and what readers can expect from your work
- The bio supports rich text formatting (bold, italic, links)
- This bio is indexed by BookAuth's search engine, so include keywords naturally
Profile Photo
- Upload a high-resolution image (minimum 400×400 pixels, JPEG or PNG)
- Recommended: a professional headshot with good lighting
- This photo appears on your books, author website, and anywhere your name appears on the platform
Social Links
- Website URL — your personal or professional website
- Goodreads Profile — your Goodreads author page
- These appear on your author profile and author website
Profile SEO Tips
Your author profile is discoverable through BookAuth's search and the public Authors directory. To maximize visibility:
- Use your primary pen name consistently — don't switch between variations
- Include genre keywords in your bio — "romance author," "sci-fi writer," "cozy mystery"
- Link to external platforms — complete social profiles signal credibility to both readers and the search algorithm
- Upload a distinctive, recognizable avatar — it appears as a small thumbnail in search results
Setting Up Your Reader Profile
Your reader profile matters most if you plan to review books, participate in book clubs, or apply for ARC campaigns.
Accessing Your Profile
- Navigate to Profile in the Reader sidebar, or
- Visit /reader/profile/create to set up or edit your reader-specific information
Essential Fields
- Display Name — how you appear on reviews, book club discussions, and ARC applications
- Reader Bio — share what kinds of books you love. Authors reviewing ARC applications will read this
- Reading Preferences:
- Favorite Genres — select from Fiction, Non-Fiction, and all sub-genres (Romance, Fantasy, Thriller, Memoir, etc.)
- Preferred Formats — indicate ePub, PDF, or both
- External Links:
- Website — your blog or review site
- Goodreads — your Goodreads profile for cross-posting reviews
Pro Tip: Completing your reading preferences is especially important for ARC campaigns. Authors can filter ARC applicants by genre preference, so a reader with "Fantasy" marked is more likely to be offered Fantasy ARCs.
Reader Reputation Profile
Your reputation page at /reader/reputation displays your reviewer statistics:
- Reviewer Tier — Bronze, Silver, Gold, or Platinum based on your overall score
- Completion Rate (60% weight) — ARCs completed / ARCs accepted
- Review Quality (20% weight) — average author rating on your review helpfulness
- Timeliness (20% weight) — reviews submitted before deadline / total reviews
- Badges — achievement badges you've earned through reading challenges and milestones
This page is public — authors can view your reputation before accepting your ARC application.
Setting Up Your Professional Profile
Your professional profile is your marketplace storefront. It's the first thing authors see when evaluating whether to hire you.
Accessing Your Profile
Your professional profile is set during the registration process at /professional/register. After approval, you can update it from Settings in your Professional sidebar.
Essential Fields
- Professional Display Name — your business name or professional name
- Professional Bio — detailed description of your expertise, process, and experience. This is the single most important field for winning clients
- Specializations — select from 12+ categories (Developmental Editing, Cover Design, etc.)
- Genres — select the genres you specialize in
- Years of Experience — displayed prominently on your marketplace card
- Portfolio URLs — up to 5 links to external portfolio, previous work, or client testimonials
Bio Best Practices for Professionals
Your bio should answer three questions concisely:
- What do you do? — "I'm a developmental editor specializing in Fantasy and Romance manuscripts"
- Why are you qualified? — "With 8 years of experience and 200+ manuscripts edited..."
- What makes you different? — "My unique approach combines structural feedback with market positioning advice..."
Avoid generic statements. Be specific about your niche, turnaround times, and what the author gets when they hire you.
Setting Up Your Link Page
Every role gets its own customizable link page — a mobile-responsive, shareable landing page:
Author Link Page (/author/links)
- Display your books, bio, social links, and newsletter signup
- Perfect for your Instagram bio or email signature
- Choose from visual themes: Minimal, Violet, Modern, etc.
Reader Link Page (/reader/links)
- Showcase your reviews, reading stats, and currently-reading list
- Great for book bloggers and active reviewers
Professional Link Page (/professional/links)
- Highlight your services, portfolio, and contact information
- Use as a B2B-targeted portfolio page
Customization Options (All Link Pages)
- Avatar & Header — upload custom images
- Bio Section — short intro text
- Custom Buttons — add up to 10 clickable link buttons
- Visual Theme — choose from pre-designed themes
- Social Icons — automatically pulled from your profile social links
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: If I change my profile photo, does it update everywhere?
A: Yes. Your profile photo is part of your Universal Identity — changing it updates your photo on every book page, review, club, and marketplace listing simultaneously.
Q: Can I have a different bio for my author and reader profiles?
A: Yes! Each role has its own bio field. Your author bio can focus on your writing achievements while your reader bio describes your reading preferences.
Q: Is my email address visible to other users?
A: No. Your email is never displayed publicly. Other users only see your display name, avatar, and any social links you choose to add.
Q: How do I change my email address?
A: Navigate to Settings > General to update your email address. You'll need to verify the new email before the change takes effect.
Q: Can I delete my profile and start over?
A: You can clear your profile fields and re-enter information at any time. For full account deletion, see our "Deleting or Deactivating Your Account" article.
Q: What's the maximum file size for profile photos?
A: Profile photos are limited to 5MB. We recommend using JPEG or PNG format at 400×400 pixels or larger.
Related Articles
- Getting Started as an Author
- Getting Started as a Reader
- Getting Started as a Professional
- Link Page (Link-in-Bio) Setup
- Switching Between Author, Reader & Professional Roles