Studying a Biographer

Job Description:

A biographer is a writer who is responsible for creating written summaries of a person’s life. Their typical duties and responsibilities include: assembling biographical materials from various sources (e.g., diaries, news accounts, personal correspondence, interviews), researching these biographical materials to gather a better understanding, interviewing the subject of the biography applying psychological analysis and the subject’s environment in the portrayal of character, working with editors, publishers, proofreaders and stakeholders, and marketing and selling the biographical work(s) produced.

Salary: $33660 - $112450 per year

Occupational Outlook:

Employment of writers and authors is projected to grow 4 percent from 2021 to 2031, about as fast as the average for all occupations. About 15,200 openings for writers and authors are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.

Links to Learn More About This Career:

Educational Requirements:

Generally speaking, biographers will need a bachelor's degree in English, communications, or journalism. Any of these degrees will teach aspiring biographers the key skills they need for a full-time position as a writer or author. Experience gained through internships or any writing that improves skill, such as blogging, is beneficial.

Berea College

Address: 101 Chestnut St., Berea, KY 40404

Website: https://www.berea.edu/

Information on the Major: https://www.berea.edu/

University of Kentucky

Address: 619 Patterson Office Tower, Lexington, KY 40506-0027

Website: https://www.uky.edu/

Information on the Major: https://www.uky.edu/academics/bachelors/journalism

Asbury University

Address: One Macklem Drive, Wilmore, KY 40390

Website: https://www.asbury.edu/

Information on the Major: https://www.asbury.edu/academics/departments/communication-theatre/

Soft Skills, Characteristics, and/or Abilities Need For This Career:

Passion for the subject, so that they can engage and entice readers
Research skills, as biographers will need to spend a lot of time researching the subject to ensure they are writing the correct information
Integrity, as biographers need to be able to set aside personal views to objectively and accurately set a historical context
Persistence, as writing is a competitive field so biographers need to be able to push through and work consistently

Software Knowledge Needed For This Career:

Scrivener
Google Docs
Google Sheets OR Microsoft Excel
Atticus
Vellum
ProWritingAid
Publisher Rocket
Evernote OR Ulysses
Freedom
Microsoft Word
Bonus: Google Drive OR Dropbox

Pros and Cons to Choosing This Career

Pros (Positives to this Career)

You can talk directly with the subject of your story
Access to authorized biography (you have permission to write about your subject)
You get a more personalized look at the person since you’re able to interview them or their friends, family, and former co-workers.

Cons (Negatives to this Career)

People usually don’t allow less-than-flattering things to be written about them.
When you write something your subject doesn’t want revealed, your story can quickly turn unauthorized. (makes you lose personal effects)
It’s often a lot harder to meet friends and family members, but they’re harder to find, and they’re not always willing to talk.

Typical Working Conditions For This Career:

Writers and authors may work anywhere they have access to a computer. Many writers and authors are self-employed. Some biographers will work part time and have another job on the side. Others will work full time. Most biographers will work regular office hours so that they can stay in contact with sources and editors, but many set their own hours.

Bonus #1

Sylvia Nasar

James S. and John L. Knight Professor of Business Journalism

Bonus #2

Ron Chernow

PEN

Bonus #3

Caroline Fraser

The New Yorker, The New York Review of Books, The Atlantic Monthly, Outside Magazine, and The London Review of Books, among other publications

Career Researched By: Tristan Rose