Writing a book about someone else is most commonly called a biography. If the book is written about another person’s life with their active participation or the approval of their estate, it is known as an authorized biography, whereas a book written without their permission is an unauthorized biography. Additionally, if you are hired to write the book from their perspective, using their voice, and under their name, the process is called ghostwriting, and the resulting book is typically published as an autobiography or memoir.
Depending on the style, intent, legal boundaries, and level of collaboration involved, the terminology shifts. Understanding these distinctions is critical for authors, publishers, and subjects alike. Whether you are aiming to document a historical figure’s legacy, write a tell-all expose of a public figure, or help a business leader pen their life lessons, choosing the correct literary framework dictates your research methodology, legal risks, and creative freedom.
The Taxonomy of Writing About Others: A Quick Reference
Before diving into the legal, creative, and structural nuances of these genres, it is helpful to understand how different literary formats categorize books written about other people. The table below outlines the primary terms, definitions, and key characteristics of each style.
| Literary Term | Definition | Subject’s Involvement | Legal Risk Level | Primary Objective |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Authorized Biography | A comprehensive account of a person’s life written with their full cooperation, access to private archives, and personal interviews. | High (Active cooperation) | Low | To provide an accurate, in-depth, and sanctioned record of a person’s life legacy. |
| Unauthorized Biography | A biography written without the subject’s permission, input, or approval, relying entirely on public records, third-party interviews, and investigative research. | None (Often opposed) | High (Risk of libel/defamation) | To offer an objective, sometimes critical, or expose-style perspective on a public figure. |
| Ghostwritten Autobiography / Memoir | A book written by a professional writer on behalf of the subject, written in the first-person (“I”) as if the subject wrote it themselves. | Very High (Co-creative) | Very Low (Contractually secured) | To capture the subject’s authentic voice and story for commercial or personal legacy. |
| Biographical Fiction (Biofic) | A novel that reconstructs the life of a real historical or living person, blending factual events with imagined dialogue, scenes, and internal monologues. | None to Low | Medium (Depends on living status of subject) | To explore the emotional and psychological truth of a real person through a creative lens. |
| Roman à Clef | A novel “with a key,” where real-life people, scandals, and events are depicted under the guise of fictional names and settings. | None | Medium to High | To write about real-world events or people while maintaining a layer of plausible deniability. |
| Hagiography | Historically a biography of a saint; in modern usage, a biography that uncriticaly praises, idealizes, or idolizes its subject. | Variable | Low | To venerate, flatter, or build a highly positive public relations image of the subject. |
1. The Biography: Documenting a Life from an External Perspective
The most traditional answer to what it is called when you write a book about someone else is a biography. A biographer acts as an investigator, historian, and storyteller. Their job is to synthesize a vast array of primary and secondary sources into a coherent, compelling narrative arc that explains not just what a person did, but why their life matters.
Authorized vs. Unauthorized Biographies: The Crucial Divide
The distinction between authorized and unauthorized biographies is one of the most critical concepts in publishing. It dictates the writer’s access to information and their exposure to legal liabilities.
- Authorized Biographies: In this arrangement, the subject (or their estate, if deceased) grants the writer exclusive interviews, access to private diaries, letters, family photos, and personal contacts. The advantage is unparalleled depth and accuracy. The disadvantage can sometimes be a loss of editorial independence, as the subject may demand veto power over sensitive chapters to protect their reputation.
- Unauthorized Biographies: Here, the writer proceeds without the subject’s consent. This is common when writing about reclusive figures, controversial politicians, or corporate executives who prefer privacy. The biographer must rely on public archives, court records, media reports, and interviews with former associates, friends, or rivals. While this allows for complete editorial freedom and a potentially more objective (or critical) portrayal, it carries substantial legal risks regarding defamation and invasion of privacy.
“The biographer’s task is not to sit in judgment, but to understand. However, when writing without authorization, the line between investigative journalism and intrusive speculation must be tread with extreme caution.”
2. Ghostwriting: Giving Voice to Someone Else’s “I”
Sometimes, you are not writing about someone else from the outside looking in; instead, you are writing as them. This specialized, highly collaborative process is called ghostwriting.
When a celebrity, CEO, politician, or survivor of a remarkable event wants to publish their memoir or autobiography but lacks the time, structural expertise, or writing skills to do so, they hire a professional ghostwriter. The ghostwriter conducts extensive interviews, captures the subject’s unique cadence, tone, and worldview, and drafts the manuscript in the first-person narrative voice.
In these cases, the public-facing author of the book is the subject themselves, while the ghostwriter remains behind the scenes, often bound by a strict Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA). In some instances, the ghostwriter may receive a “with” or “as told to” credit on the cover, but the narrative remains firmly classified as an autobiography or memoir.
For individuals looking to bring their stories to life with professional literary execution, partnering with an established agency like Geeks Ghostwriting provides the strategic guidance, narrative structuring, and elite writing capabilities required to produce a market-ready memoir or autobiography that resonates with readers and publishers alike.
3. Creative and Fictionalized Approaches to Real Lives
Not all books about real people are bound by the strict rules of non-fiction. Writers often turn to creative formats to explore the lives of others when historical records are sparse, or when they want to explore the psychological depths of a subject in a way that factual reporting does not allow.
Biographical Fiction (Biofic)
Biographical fiction is a rapidly growing genre where the protagonist is a real, historical person, but the writer uses the tools of fiction—imagined dialogue, invented minor characters, and speculative internal monologues—to fill in the blanks of the historical record. Famous examples include Hilary Mantel’s Wolf Hall (about Thomas Cromwell) and modern biological novels focusing on figures like Zelda Fitzgerald or Al Capone. The goal is to capture the “spirit” of the person’s life rather than adhering strictly to verifiable facts.
Roman à Clef (The “Novel with a Key”)
A French term translating to “novel with a key,” a roman à clef is a work of fiction depicting real-world events and historical people behind a thin veil of fictionalization. Writers use this format for two primary reasons: to protect themselves from libel lawsuits, or to write satirically and critically about powerful figures who are still alive. By changing names, locations, and specific identifying details, the author creates a layer of artistic distance, even if the public can easily guess who the characters are based on.
Legal and Ethical Boundaries: What You Must Know Before Writing
Writing about another person—especially a living individual—comes with significant legal responsibilities. Before putting pen to paper, every writer must understand the legal doctrines that govern the portrayal of real people.
Defamation: Libel and Slander
If you write something untrue about a living person that damages their reputation, livelihood, or social standing, you can be sued for libel (written defamation). To protect yourself, every controversial claim made in a biography must be backed by rigorous, double-sourced evidence. Public figures have a higher threshold to clear to win a libel suit (they must prove “actual malice”—that you wrote the falsehood knowing it was untrue or with reckless disregard for the truth), but private individuals enjoy much stronger protections.
The Right of Publicity and Privacy
Living individuals have a right to control how their name, image, and likeness are used for commercial purposes. While biographical works are generally protected under the First Amendment (freedom of speech and press) as matters of public interest, using someone’s life story to sell merchandise or implying their endorsement of a commercial product without permission can trigger lawsuits over the Right of Publicity.
Can You Write a Book About a Deceased Person?
Generally speaking, you cannot defame the dead. Under U.S. law, libel and defamation claims do not survive the death of the subject. This means writers have far greater legal freedom when writing biographies of historical figures or recently deceased individuals. However, the subject’s estate may still hold copyrights to their private letters, diaries, and unpublished writings. You cannot reprint these copyrighted materials extensively without permission from the estate, even if the subject is deceased.
Step-by-Step: How to Write a Book About Someone Else
If you are planning to write a biography, memoir, or biographical novel about another person, following a structured methodology is essential to ensure both accuracy and narrative engagement.
- Define Your Angle and Scope: A cradle-to-grave biography can be overwhelming. Decide whether you are writing a comprehensive life history or focusing on a specific, transformative era of their life (a “focused biography” or “memoir-style biography”).
- Secure Necessary Permissions: If possible, obtain written consent from the subject or their estate. This grants you access to primary sources and protects you from future legal challenges.
- Conduct Exhaustive Research: Dive into public records, historical archives, court documents, letters, diaries, and newspaper archives. Cross-reference every key event to ensure accuracy.
- Interview Primary and Secondary Sources: Speak directly with the subject, their family members, colleagues, childhood friends, and even their critics to build a multi-dimensional portrait.
- Develop a Narrative Arc: Real life is messy and disorganized. Your job as a writer is to find the underlying themes, conflicts, turning points, and character growth to structure the book like a compelling story.
- Perform a Legal Review: Before publishing, have an experienced publishing attorney review the manuscript, particularly if you are writing an unauthorized biography containing sensitive or controversial information.
Common Search Queries and Reader FAQs
Can I write a book about someone without their permission?
Yes, you can write a book about someone without their permission, provided the information you write is true, sourced from public records, or constitutes fair comment on a public figure. However, you must avoid making false statements (libel), invading their private life in ways that are not of public interest, or using their name and likeness to falsely imply their endorsement of your book.
What is the difference between a biography and a memoir?
A biography is a third-person account of a person’s entire life written by someone else. A memoir is a first-person account written by the subject themselves (or with a ghostwriter), focusing on a specific theme, period, or collection of experiences rather than their entire lifespan.
What is it called when you write a book about your own life?
When you write a book about your own life, it is called an autobiography (covering your entire life chronologically) or a memoir (focusing on specific memories, themes, or periods of your life).
How do ghostwriters get credited?
Ghostwriters can be credited in several ways: with a co-author credit on the cover (“By Subject Name and Ghostwriter Name”), an “as told to” credit (“By Subject Name as told to Ghostwriter Name”), a mention in the acknowledgments section, or no public credit at all (fully anonymous, secured by an NDA).
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