25 Trends in Publishing: Biographies

About the column: A handful of agents and interns who work with Cyle have learned the latest and (sometimes so, sometimes not so) greatest trends in publishing right now. Tune in each week to find out what’s trending, ranging from ABA to CBA, children’s to adult. The authors of these columns have included social media tags at the end to keep up with trends they are finding. They can also be found here. 

Trend #11 of 25: Biographies

Contributor: Megan Burkhart

Whether or not you’ve ever considered writing biographies, I have good news: it’s never too late to learn. Why would you want to learn how to write biographies? You guessed it—because it’s a major trend in the publishing industry right now.

A biography is simply a story about someone’s life written by somebody else. Often, you’ll see biographies about famous people who have passed away or historical figures who made an impact on our world through their discoveries.

Biographies can be written for any age group—from children’s up to adults. Of course, with any writing project, one of the first questions you should ask yourself is who is my audience? If you want to write for children, your approach to your topic will be very different than for adults. Kids want to learn interesting facts—the weird and the bizarre—that can be illustrated in a fun, engaging way. Adults, on the other hand, won’t need all the fluff and watered-down language that a picture book would have.

A biography is simply a story about someone’s life written by somebody else.

Once you’ve decided on your audience, you’ll have to do your research. What did this person accomplish? What makes him/her unique? Why would people want to read about him/her? Find books at the library or search online, but make sure you have accurate information. Honor your subject’s legacy by telling their story truthfully.

Along with the factual research, find out what books are already published about this person. Chances are, you’re not the only person to find Marie Curie or Amelia Earhart interesting. If this person already has a lot of books about them, find a new angle or slant to take with your book. Or better yet, find a more obscure figure to bring to light.

A great example of popular biographies right now are in the children’s non-fiction market, which I did a blog post on a few weeks back. Lincoln Children’s Books launched a wonderful series recently called Little People, Big Dreams. The series includes books about Marie Curie, Amelia Earhart, Rosa Parks, Maya Angelou, and more. Each book discusses these women and their accomplishments or discoveries in beautiful illustrations that draw kids in.

Remember, if you’re bored while writing it, the reader will be bored while reading it. Choose someone to research who you’re excited about. Find a unique angle to the story and shape it according to what your readers want.

Still not sold? Non-fiction is a great market to break into, especially since fiction is so competitive. This is a way to get your feet wet and build your portfolio (and bank account) so you have something to show editors/publishers when you’re selling your fiction later.

Check back next week for another trend in the industry!

Megan Lynne Burkhart is an intern for Cyle Young and a professional writing student at Taylor University. She loves YA Fantasy and Children’s Books, and she believes being a princess is hard work. She hasn’t found her frog prince yet, and she still secretly loves the color pink, although Lake Michigan blue is a close second. You can find out more about her at meganlynneauthor.weebly.com.