when someone writes a biography about someone famous....?

Question

does the person who is being talked about tell the author to write about them or does the author just write.

Answer 1

If the person is still alive, then usually the biography is "authorized" (the author has the person's permission) or "unauthorized" (they don't).

If the person is dead, then they usually get the family's permission, or if the person's been dead a long time, then it doesn't matter so much. They just go through the person's papers and research their life and other records surrounding them, etc.

Answer 2

Generally the author just writes it without being asked. If the famous person asked for the book to be written they would probably have it ghost written so that it was published as an autobiography (i.e. as if they were the author) even though someone else actually did the writing.

The author may well contact the subject however to interview them for material for the book. Or ask for permission to publish private details. But this is not always the case.

There are a lot of biography's written today about famous dead people.

Answer 3

The author usually decides they would write a book about someone and he/she does the research. If the person whom the biography is written about is still living then the author contacts' them but it could also be that someone famous decides to choose an author whom he wishes to write their biography.

Answer 4

If they are asked to write the biography by the person themselves, then yes, the author is told what to write. We call this ghost writing. If the author just does research...perhaps their subject is dead and can't tell them what to write. So they can do both, the author is sometimes told and other times they just dig up the facts and write from that.

Answer 5

You can usually tell which books are ones that the author has decided to write on their own. They are usually labeled as "the unauthorized biography."

No one (including celebrities) can just tell someone, "You need to write a biography about me." They usually have to put out feelers letting it be known that they would like to put their life into words and soliciting writers who might be interested. These books would have the subject's help in gathering information, deciding what to include, etc.

Unauthorized biographies are usually written without help from the subject.

Answer 6

Both. If the person agrees and tells her / his story and gives out information that is not known to the public. Then the person writing can write that with the famous persons permission.

But if you do not have permission. You are OK to write anything that is already public information but not much more than that. You can write more but you need to back it up with documentation.

Answer 7

If your famous and rich they write about you and then you get the chance to take all that money away if your not then all your relatives fight for the copy write after your dead and gone and hope you resolve it before your dead and gone so they won't have to take up the fight who said what to whom and did they have permission

Answer 8

You can just write it if they are deceased, but it's risky to do this if they are not... they could sue you into next week and beyond for damages if they don't like it.

You need to approach the subject and show your competence to them, and ask them, if they will allow you to interview them and research their life and work with you on the book.

Answer 9

Each person is different, it is polite to ask to the subject who you are writing to make the book authentic.

Answer 10

if that famous person is alive it's best to get permission, or corroboration, have them read it before publishing. better to avoid law suits.