The selection of books is made upon the decision of what knowledge needs to be acquired. Both autobiography and biography are read to know about a person’s life journey and their responses to each obstacle and happy moment.
The book is often written about a person who
has been influential in his life. The person on whom the book is written is the
one who has left his mark on the world in a non-conventional way.
Biography vs Auto-Biography
The main difference between an autobiography and a biography is the author of the book. An autobiography is written by the person himself about his life, whereas a biography is a book that is written on a person by someone else. The author of a biography researches the subject of the book and then writes the book. The book is often written in third person pronouns. Whereas, the auto in autobiography suggests that the author is the self.
The book is often written in a first-person pronoun. While writing a biography, the person about whom the book is written could be liable to get his royalty fee. The author also has to get the permission of the influencer before publishing the book.
Sometimes, the influencer even edits and
proofreads the manuscript written on him before it is converted into the book.
His opinion is the first and last call.
Comparison Table Between Biography and Auto-Biography (in Tabular Form)
| Parameters of comparison | Biography | Autobiography |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Biography is a book written on an influential individual by an author. | Autobiography is a book written on an influential person by himself or herself. |
| Author | A researcher. | The self. |
| Royalty fee | The person who is the subject is liable to receive the royalty fee. | No royalty fee is paid. |
| Narration | Third-person narration. | First-person narration. |
| Content | External research plus the person’s life journey. | Personal memories and opinions. |
| Information | A secondary source of information. | The primary source of information. |
| Story | The story could be of the person or an aspect related to the person. | The story is about a person. |
| Introduction | Includes why the book is written on this person. | The introduction is about a person’s personal basic details. |
What is Biography?
A biography is a book written on
an individual’s life journey by an author. The author that wrote the biography
is called biographer, and the person on whom the book is written is called the
subject of biographee.
While writing a biography, the book always uses third-person narration to describe the life events of the subject of the biography and their obstacles and achievements in life.
The book involves aspects of a person’s life as well as factors of external research.
The biography includes events such as life, childhood, work, and achievements up until death or retirement. The biography is written by an individual author, and hence the person on whom the book is written needs to permit the author for the same.
The individual on whom the biography is written also proofreads the script and has the final call regarding the edits and events to include.
The biography could just also be only about a single aspect of someone’s life that has influenced the author.
The person on whom the book is written is liable to receive royalty fees.
There are several steps involved while writing a biography which are:
- #1 Ask the person about the subject of the biography.
- #2 Research about the person by interviewing the subject as well as their family and friends.
- #3 Visiting the places that are important and relevant to the person’s life journey.
- #4 Make a chronological timeline of the events of the person’s life that is to b included in the biography.
What is Autobiography?
An autobiography is a book written by the person himself. The book mentions a person’s memories and opinions.
The autobiography is a non-fiction book that is written to solely inspire people by the person’s life journey and how he or she overcame their struggles.
It’s written to set an example. The autobiography includes life events such as childhood, important and special people who influenced the author’s life, the love life, struggles, achievements, and the musings regarding their life.
It is usually written after the person retires and has contributed to their field as much as they can. The book is written as a first-person pronoun.
Main Differences Between Biography and Auto-Biography
- The autobiography is written by the self, whereas a biography is written about a person by an author who has been influenced by him.
- The autobiography is written in the first person, but the biography is written in the third person.
- The autobiography includes a person’s memories and opinions, but a biography includes their life and external research done on a person.
- For a biography, a person needs permission and needs to pay a royalty fee to the subject of biographee, whereas for autobiography, this isn’t needed.
- The autobiography is the first source of information, and the biography is the second source of information.
- The autobiography is about a person’s life, but a biography could be about an aspect of a person’s life that the author found significant.
- The autobiography is like a memoir, but the biography is factual.
- The introduction of the autobiography includes basic personal information, whereas an introduction of the biography includes why the person was chosen to write a biography about.
Conclusion
The autobiography, on the one hand, provides us with the personal account of an individual, but the biography is written by someone who has been influenced by an individual and their life.
Both the forms of the book come under non-fiction and are written to provide us with information and inspiration.
The influencer’s journey always motivates others to follow in their footsteps and progress in their individual life.
References
- https://prezi.com/kbq2qewccsen/autobiography-and-biography-comparison/
- https://brill.com/view/title/36668
- https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=uiCBDAAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PR1&dq=Biography+and+Auto-Biography&ots=Xa8Fxrr96C&sig=O6wEnCscgO_3AwHMwLIi-ma1F9g