“Erin consistently creates thoughtful, well-written bios.
What impresses me is there doesn’t seem to be a formula;
she really takes the time to learn about each artist
and shape their unique story. Not to mention her ability
to turn solid work around on short notice. Hire her!
”
““Erin Lyndal Martin is adept at surveying
the territory of your artistic work, and then writing
a few paragraphs that guide the reader
toward a vantage point
where the whole landscape comes into focus.”
”
“Erin did fantastic work on my bio
for my new album, “Smilin’ At The Future.”
She captured the essence of the record and composed
a beautiful description. It’s very difficult to write
about your own work; hiring Erin was worth every penny
and then some. I couldn’t be happier!””
Your bio is often the first thing people read before they hear your music — and it can make or break that first impression. Writing about yourself isn’t easy. That’s where I come in.
I’m Erin Lyndal Martin — a music journalist and creative writer who’s been helping artists since 2008. I’ve written bios, press releases, and promo materials for Grammy-winners, Juno-nominated acts, and independent musicians finding their voice.
As a music journalist, I receive ~25 press releases a day. The stories they tell make the difference between me listening and deleting. I know what a good bio is, and I won’t give you a bad one! Instead, I bring my refined journalist’s ear and creative writing MFA together, creating a compelling bio that sells your sound.
Why Artists Work with Me
💬 One-on-One collaboration: You’ll always talk to me, not a team of interns or a coworker. You’ll have my personal cell number, and I will prioritize your emails.
✏️ Tailored & Personal: No templates — I listen to your music and write for your voice. I always ask clients what they want their bio to emphasize and what they want it to accomplish. I will always highlight what makes your music special.
🎶 Real Experience: Published by outlets like Salon, Bandcamp, and The Week. My bio clients include Dar Williams, Peter Mulvey, and Mike Elizondo.
✏️ Detailed Work to Help Find Your Audience: Who do you want to compared to? Who do you not want to be compared to? What genre(s) fit your work best? What pronouns do you use? What adjectives do you hate? I dote on the details so your bio reflects you.
When I work with an artist, I listen to the music they’ll be promoting and send them a questionnaire, which includes questions about their history and current projects. I also make myself available by phone or video chat. Once I get your answers back, I’ll get to work on a first draft. I will send that back to you for your suggested edits, and then I’ll incorporate your revisions into a bio that suits your music and vision.
My turnaround is two weeks from accepting the assignment. Please keep in mind that the more available you are to answer questions, the more quickly the work will go. If you need it turned around sooner, I can make that work! In some cases, I like to receive a deposit first, and I’m always happy to send an itemized invoice via PayPal so you can protect your purchase and document the expense.
I offer several different tiers. Please feel free to reach out if you require something more customized. You can use the contact form below.
Song blurbs: Just want me to listen to a song and come up with a pithy little description? I can do that. This is not a review, but my own description of your song if you need that for a single release. $40 per song.
Half-page bio: This bio includes a questionnaire and listening to your music. It doesn’t go into depth song-by-song, but if you need to have an overview, this is a good choice. I will introduce you and your project and keep the focus where it most matters to you. These are around 400 words and cost $300. I can always expand on the shorter bios as well.
A full custom bio: For a full bio, I’ll send you a questionnaire, listen to your music, listen to / read other media you send, read your reviews, and research artists with similar trajectories before writing. We can always FaceTime or Zoom to get acquainted. The first draft I send you will be around 750 words (standard), and I will revise it according to your feedback. You are able to add on a shortened version at a lower rate. A full bio is $450. .I ideally prefer to be paid half up-front as a deposit and the rest upon completion, but that’s negotiable.
I am happy to work out a special rate for ongoing work with PR firms, labels, managers, etc. If you have a bigger or smaller project in mind, or you need a quick turnaround, please email me at erinlyndalmartin at gmail dot com.
Please note that that is the only email address I will use. There have been scammers using my name to sell fake services. I have not been able to stop them. Please compare the email address of any messages you get to mine. Always feel free to double check with me. Unfortunately, I have not been able to do much about this yet.
Here are some bios I’ve written. Get in touch with the contact form below if you’re interested in hiring me.
Dar Williams-Hummingbird Highway
Peter Mulvey and SistaStrings-Love Is the Only Thing
Lou Tides-Infinite Loop
Haunted Like Human-Tall Tales and Fables
