Your publisher profile

VoiceMap storytellers are loved for their authentic, expert voices. Your publisher profile is where you showcase both your credentials and your personality – proving you’re qualified while sharing what makes your storytelling unique.

We’ve structured publisher profiles following Google’s E-E-A-T framework – Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness – which the search engine uses to assess content quality and credibility. When you complete your profile, it helps your tours rank higher in search results, which means more people discover your work and, ultimately, more tour sales. A well-crafted profile can also connect you with potential commission opportunities. 

Your profile is divided into three main sections: Personal Details, Credentials, and Links. 

Personal Details #

Get Hired to Produce Tours #

When you enable this feature, a “Commission this Publisher” option appears on your profile, opening up additional revenue opportunities. Organisations can use it to request more information about working with you on custom tour projects, and the VoiceMap team will help you deliver a proposal.

Select Language #

By default, your English profile displays to all users. If you offer your tours in multiple languages, you can translate your profile into those languages as well. Select your desired language from the dropdown menu, add your translated bio, and save your changes.

Profile Type #

Select whether you operate as an “Individual” or “Organisation.” This helps listeners understand whether they’re hearing from a solo creator or a company.

Your Bio #

Your bio tells your story as a tour creator and helps listeners connect with you personally. It also gives search engines the context they need to understand your expertise. Use your own story to establish what qualifies you to create tours – whether that’s your professional background, deep local connection, or a distinctive approach to your chosen subject. The best bios balance professionalism with personality – your credentials prove you’re qualified, but your voice helps listeners choose you over someone else with similar qualifications.

We recommend a bio of at least 150 words to make sure it gets picked up properly by search engines.

Five tips for creating a great bio

1. Lead with your strongest credential. Open with what best qualifies you to create these tours – a relevant degree, professional guiding experience, or recognised expertise in your field. Then connect it to your tours by explaining what specific knowledge or insight you bring.
2. Mention your major accomplishments. Reference your most relevant achievements, such as awards, publications, or qualifications that reinforce your authority (e.g., “Winner of the Edgar Award for Best Fact Crime” or “Featured on BBC Radio 4”). Save your full list of accomplishments for the Credentials section – your bio should only include what’s most compelling.
3. Be specific, not vague. Instead of “I’ve been guiding for years,” say “I’ve been guiding since 2015.” Rather than “I studied history,” specify “I have a degree in history from Oxford.” Transform “I’m passionate about wine” into “I’m a certified sommelier.”
4. Make credentials verifiable. If you’re licensed or certified, say so explicitly. If you mention awards, name them specifically. If you have relevant blogs, podcasts, or social media, mention them and add the links in the Links section. If you’ve worked with recognisable companies, name them. 
5. Frame experience as expertise. Instead of just “I love sharing stories,” add why you’re qualified: “As a former museum educator…” or “Drawing on my journalism background…” or “After years researching in city archives…”

Your bio reflects who you are as a storyteller. If you use a lot of humour in your tours, bring that in. If your style is very personal, you can still include a line about your family and pets. The goal is to help listeners feel like they know you before they even press play.

Your Tagline #

Your tagline is a short, punchy sentence that immediately establishes your primary credentials. It works hand-in-hand with your bio – while the tagline is your credentials compressed into one attention-grabbing line, your bio explains why those credentials matter. Your tagline can be a maximum of 100 characters.

Here are three great examples:

• “Three-time Eliot Norton award winner, often called ‘the best guide in Boston’”
• “Jewish Quarter specialist with 20+ years experience guiding in Prague”
• “National Geographic writer living in Venice for over 30 years”

Location #

Add your current location or your connection to the destination(s) of your tours. Whether you’re a local, longtime resident, or passionate transplant, this field helps listeners understand your perspective and connection to the destination(s). You location line can be a maximum of 40 characters.

Here are some examples:

• “Lived in France for 30 years”
• “American in Barcelona”
• “Born in NYC, based in Hong Kong”

Profile Picture #

Your profile picture is often the first visual impression people have of you. Use a high-quality image that’s at least 500px x 500px. If you’re publishing as an organisation, you can upload your logo.

Credentials #

Credentials demonstrate your expertise or experience connected to the destinations or topics of your tours. They also help improve how your tours rank in search results. The five categories include Awards, Publications and Shows, Education, Certifications, and Professional Association.

To add a credential, just scroll down to the appropriate category, click on “Add” and type in the credential. Where appropriate, use a role linked to the credential (e.g., “winner of,” “host of,” “author of”).

Add all relevant credentials that support your authority in your tour topics. Quality matters more than quantity – focus on credentials that genuinely enhance your credibility.

Links #

Links provide connections to your online presence, including websites, social media, Patreon, podcasts, or Wikipedia pages. Adding these help search engines verify your credentials and give listeners additional ways to connect with you and explore your work.

Only include links that are active and are consistent with your VoiceMap profile.