How to create own biography

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This is the time to make sure the bones of your piece are good. The goal is to be accurate without being dry, and engaging without sacrificing truth.

Choosing a Focus and Structure

Strong biographies often center on a clear theme or angle that helps frame the larger story. You should tailor your biography to the interests and knowledge level of your audience.

A biography for a general audience will differ from one written for experts in a particular field.

A relative’s memories may be influenced by personal feelings, while old news articles could reflect outdated social views. Identify your subject

In order to learn how to start a biography, you need to choose who you’d like to write about – if you don’t already have someone in mind.  

The most important factor will be, of course, your interest in the person you’re planning to write about.

Biographies require extensive research, so it’s critical to choose someone who has enough information out there to dig into! While this path offers prestige and professional support, the selection process is highly selective and can take many months.

  • Self-Publishing: With platforms like Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing, you can bring your book directly to readers.

    It will also help make your biography stand out from the crowd.

    Letting your voice shine can help illustrate the subject’s character and bring their story to life.

    Take a break!

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    4. But if there are two or three biographies, you may want to reconsider. Many editors are open to doing a paid trial so you can see their work before you sign them on for the entire book. 

    9.

    Let’s jump right in. 

    Get Our 6″ x 9″ Pre-Formatted Book Template for Word or Mac

    We will send you a Book Template for US Trade (standard paperback size).

    How to Write a Biography in 11 Simple Steps

    Here are the steps you need to take to learn how to write a biography:

    1.

    Create an outline

    The next step of learning how to write a biography is to outline your story. Contact archivists early to understand access procedures and available resources. Websites like Ancestry.com let you trace family histories, while newspaper archives can reveal how your subject appeared in the media of their time.

    So if you initially publish as a softcover and hardcover book and then decide to publish an ebook with the same exact content, you’ll need 3 total ISBN numbers.

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

    11.

    Self-edit

    There are several different types of editing that we recommend each manuscript undergo.

    how to create own biography

    Let’s break down the process step by step.

    1. Your diligence here directly builds reader confidence.

    Handling Conflicting Accounts and Unreliable Sources

    You’ll often face contradictory information from different sources.