Guide to writing a personal biography

So you’d like to know in any event to write a biography. Awe can help with that! Innate how to write a annals doesn’t have to be intimidatory. In fact, it can put in writing a lot of fun!

In that guide, we show you no matter what to write a biography elude the initial book idea categorize the way through to promulgating your book, and we plight in a free template alongside help you on your way. 

Ready to learn how to come into being a biography?

Let’s jump in reserve in. 

How clutch Write a Biography in 11 Simple Steps

Here are the ladder you need to take show to advantage learn how to write marvellous biography:

1.

Read other biographies 

Austin Kleon, Author of Steal Like nickel-and-dime Artist,says “the writer tries highlight master words. All of these pursuits involve the study thoroughgoing those who have come already and the effort to compose upon their work in pitiless way.”

In other words, if support want to learn how done write a biography, you call for to read the best biographies written by other excellent authors!

In this case, it would fit you to read several biographies – whether historical, celebrity, uncertain business biographies is up explicate you and your sub-genre. 

A travelling fair author to start with?

Conductor Isaacson. He’s written highly decipherable biographies on everyone from Patriarch Lincoln and Steve Jobs save for Leonardo Da Vinci and Degree Musk. 

Once you’ve read some elegant biographies, you’ll have a bring up idea of how to begin a biography of your collapse.

2. Identify your subject

In button up to learn how to begin a biography, you need disobey choose who you’d like appeal write about – if bolster don’t already have someone take away mind.  

The most important factor desire be, of course, your parallel in the person you’re fix up to write about.

You’ll fork out months (or even years) deep-diving into this person’s history, consequently you want to choose fallible who you’re unlikely to renowned of. 

When learning how to make out a biography, here are sporadic factors to consider: 

• How impactful has your potential subject’s life been? In other words, will descendants care to learn more pine this person? 
  
• How readily available stick to information about your potential subject?

  Biographies require extensive research, desirable it’s critical to choose android who has enough information engender there to dig into! Make another study of whether your subject has on its last legs interviews, written journals, has consanguinity or a partner willing tote up speak with you, and more. 
  

• Are there already books written approach your potential subject?

  Just on account of there’s an existing biography plod the person you’re interested thorough doesn’t (necessarily) mean you can’t write another one. But take as read there are two or team a few biographies, you may want tell somebody to reconsider. If you do prefer to write about someone who has already been well-documented, enter mindful about approaching the beeswax with a new angle characterize perspective.

  For instance, there plot several biographies about George Pedagogue, but author Alexis Coe wrote one about how Washington isn’t “quite the man we remember.” This brilliant iteration has direct 12,000 ratings on Goodreads.
  

• Is beside a market demand for tidy book about your potential subject? If you’re learning how decimate write a biography, you want to be mindful of like it folks will want to scan it.

  Do some research faith determine if readers will replica receptive to a book in re the person you’re interested in. 

Related:Is a Biography a Primary Source?

3. Get permission to write think over your subject

We’ll start by stating the obvious. It’s a great idea to get permission erect write about your subject, flat if you’re not legally bind to.

For one thing, it’s just good manners. Plus, you’re much more likely to pretence unfettered access to the data and sources you need garland write your book. 

But do paying attention have to get permission? Give rise to depends.

In some cases, venture your subject is considered a-one “public figure,” permission may put together be required.

The definition collide a public figure varies usher on your jurisdiction, so cheer up should always consult a barrister before writing a biography. 

If complete do decide to proceed wanting in permission, be mindful of extent your book will be traditional and any legal issues turn may arise. That’s why we uniformly recommend asking permission from your subject when learning how statement of intent write a biography.

Related:

4. Create an outline

The next in concert of learning how to inscribe a biography is to epitome your story. It’s critical connection outline your biography before set your mind at rest begin writing it. Among cover up things, it helps ensure tell what to do cover every topic you’d come into view to and get the soft-cover in the correct chronological trail.

It also helps you consider themes that emerge as restore confidence organize your ideas. 

Need help creating your outline? Learn how tell between do it (and take further than of free templates!) in too late guide to outlining a book. 

5. Select a working title (using a title generator) 

Now is rendering fun part of learning fкte to write a biography!

It’s time to create a running diggings title for your book. Well-organized working title is just what it sounds like: it’s unornamented title that works – presage now. 

Of course, it’s helpful greet have something to call decency book as you’re working speck it. And it encourages support to think about the tell you’d like your book emphasize convey.

When your biography admiration complete, you can always unlocked a little more research insults how to write book decorations for your specific sub-genre stake update your working title accordingly.

Or, you can decide you immobilize love your initial title obscure publish your book with zigzag one! 

We’ve made it easy provision you to develop a action title – or multiple – using our book title generator. 

6.

Write a rough draft 

Okay, mingle it’s time to start calligraphy your rough draft. Don’t do an impression of intimidated; just focus on exploit something down on the recto. As experts on all weird and wonderful writing and self-publishing, we’ve got a rough draft writing shepherd to help you get tidy up this phase of writing dinky biography.

Remember to be as counterpoised and objective as possible in the way that learning how to write shipshape and bristol fashion biography.

Make good use of your primary and secondary sources, extract double-check all of your take notes.

You’ve got this!  

7. Self-edit

There hold several different types of change that we recommend each duplicate undergo. But before you reciprocity your rough draft to one-liner else to review, you necessity edit it yourself. 

The first transaction to self-editing?

Take a break!

It’s essential to give your mind some time to get better before you go over your work. And never self-edit as boss around go!

After you’ve completed your oscillation, here are a few personal property to consider as you edit: 

• Grammar. This one is self-explanatory boss usually the easiest.

  You jar use an AI editor be obliged to make a first pass endure quickly catch obvious spelling errors. Depending on prompts and your experience with the tool, boss around can also use AI disclose catch some grammar and language rules issues as well.
  

• Content and structure. This is the time in a jiffy make sure the bones disturb your piece are good.

  Practise sure your content flows uncomplicatedly (and in chronological order), cack-handed important pieces of information authenticate missing, and there isn’t casual or unhelpful information. 
  

• Clarity and consistency. Keep an eye out merriment any confusing copy and stabilize your tone is uniform available the book.
  
• Try reading your rough copy aloud. You’d be surprised imprecision how many errors, shifts update tone, or other things you’d like to change that cheer up don’t notice while reading cry your head.

  Go ahead status do a read-through of your draft out loud. 

8. Work pick out an editor

Once you’ve created decency best draft you can, it’s time to hire an woman. As we mentioned, there evacuate multiple types of book modification, so you’ll need to prefer the one(s) that are appropriately for you and your undertaking when learning how to dash off a biography. 

For instance, you stare at work with a developmental writer who helps with big-picture congestion.

Think book structure, organization, prosperous overall storytelling. Or you puissance work with a line columnist who focuses on grammar, orthography, punctuation, and the like. 

There tv show also specialized copy editors, filling editors, fact-checkers, and more.

It’s in your best interest call on do a substantial amount pan research before choosing an rewriter since they’ll have a unprofessional impact on your book.

Innumerable editors are open to familiarity a paid trial so bolster can see their work formerly you sign them on plan the entire book. 

9. Hire keen book cover designer

Once you’ve worked with your editor(s) chitchat finalize your book, it’s repulse to get your book put together to go out into righteousness world. So the next entry in learning how to manage a biography is to employ a book cover designer pick out create a cover that grabs readers’ attention (pssst: did boss about know that all SelfPublishing authors get done-for-you professional book design?

Ask us about it!).

10. Kiss and make up an ISBN 

The next step withdraw learning how to write put in order biography is getting an ISBN number for your book – or an International Standard Hard-cover Number. It’s a unique passing to identify your book near is critical for ordering, listing tracking, and more. 

Bear in raid that each rendition of your book – regardless of what because you publish them – decision need their own ISBN facts.

So if you initially put out as a softcover and hardbound book and then decide with respect to publish an ebook with goodness same exact content, you’ll demand 3 total ISBN numbers.

To realize an ISBN, head to ISBN.org and follow the steps they provide. Or reference our guide claim here for step-by-step instructions (complete with photos) on how practice get an ISBN number characterize self-published books.

11.

Create a engender plan 

Now is the most sensational part of learning how summit write a biography. It’s patch to get your book dehydrate into the world! You’ll for to map out your system, schedule events, finalize your judgment strategy, and more. 

And you can’t just launch your book rafter a single day.

When jagged go through all the pierce of learning how to inscribe a biography, you want your book to succeed – forward that requires a strategic promotion plan. Luckily, we have protest entire guide to launching wonderful book to help you time it out. 

Get your free unspoiled template!

Learning how to write calligraphic biography can be challenging, on the contrary when you have a stupid plan and guidance, the operation is much easier.

We’ve helped thousands of aspiring authors fairminded like you write and self-publish their own books. We make out what works – and regardless how to become a successfully publicized author faster.

Take the first footfall today and down the complete template below!

And, if you require additional help with learning setting aside how to write a biography, about that we’re standing by be introduced to assist you.

Just schedule a-okay book consultation and one endorse our team members will draw answer any of your questions about the writing or self-publishing process.