What is the difference between biography and autobiography?

Summary/Overview

The two non-fiction genres, biography and autobiography, have historically been books. In the digital age, they are increasingly popular in social media bios, banners, and profiles. In this blog, we will help clarify the features and formats of these two genres. Learn tips for writing a good biography or autobiography to get noticed online.

Understanding the genres of biography and autobiography.

Biography and autobiography are two forms of literature which are accounts of the lives of real people. The main difference between them is that the author of a biography is someone other than the subject, whereas with autobiography it is the author themselves. A biography is often focused on a historical or living person’s life events from an objective perspective, while an autobiography is personal, from a subjective and more reflective perspective.

In the digital arena, individuals often adapt the traditional genres of autobiography and biography for social media profiles, including account banners, profiles, online CVs, and website About sections.

Examples of popular biographies and autobiographies.

Biographies and autobiographies include several sub-genres, in both digital and print forms, including:

Autobiographies

• Memoir, centred around a particular theme or event.
• Professional, detailing a person’s career journey and achievements.
• Diary, a chronological account of an author’s life, capturing immediate thoughts.
• Personal essays, exploring a topic relating to the author’s life or a lesson learned.
• Spiritual autobiographies, detailing a spiritual journey or realisation.
• Travel essays, intertwining cultural and geographical themes.
• Full autobiographies.
• Thematic, relating the author’s life to a particular idea.

Biographies

• Popular, focusing on famous or influential figures, either living or historical.
• Scholarly, an account of an individual’s life and analysis of their scholarly contributions.
• Historical, exploring an impactful person’s life in the context of historical events.
• Group, the story of individuals connected through shares circumstances or geography.
• Authorised and unauthorised.

On professional platforms, autobiography and biography are condensed. Think of daily TikTok videos as diary entries, a CV or LinkedIn About section as a professional autobiography, or an Instagram fan account as a popular biography.

Editable templates for biographies and autobiographies.

The main features of biographies and autobiographies.

With some examples in mind, let us delve into the main formats and features of biographies and autobiographies, plus how you can create them in a snap with Adobe Express.

Short form

• About me poster. Create an autobiographical snapshot in an appealing visual format.
• Biography infographics. Complete a historical character analysis or write a short biographical sketch on a historical author worksheet. Or you might fill in a timeline of key events in a historical person’s life.

Professional

• Resume and CV templates. Outline your career or education history on a clean, visually appealing profile to stand out amongst recruiters. This includes your profile photo, or brand colours which work well uploaded in your LinkedIn profile.
• Portfolio. Use these templates to showcase case studies, and examples of noteworthy projects or career milestones.

Social media

• Website about me page. Customise your page to look good when visitors find you online.
• Instagram bio. Condense details about who you are, what you like, and why people should follow you in 150 characters.
• LinkedIn or Facebook banner. Align these with your brand style, using design assets like backgrounds or shapes.

Whether you are writing a social media bio for yourself (an autobiography) or for a client (a biography), Adobe Express can provide the tools to design one that is eye-catching and authentic.

What makes a good biography or autobiography?

Adobe Express offers a range of articles and templates for creating biographies and autobiographies. A good biography is compelling, a true account, and relevant to the reader. Similarly, a good autobiography keeps the reader engaged, is compelling, and highlights key details of the author’s life. It’s important to keep in mind than when writing a biography or autobiography for social media, each platform has criteria that to some extent define acceptability, or what is “good”.

Here are some tips for creating good autobiographical or biographical content:

• Stay relevant by checking profile length requirements on each platform you publish on.
• Research your niche so your biography or autobiography reaches them.
• Use fonts, designs, and logos that convey your brand identity.
• Add niche or branded hashtags to your post descriptions.
• Update Adobe Express templates with personal information.
• Check biographical/autobiographical details in CVs and profiles for accuracy.
• Include a CTA (call to action) in your LinkedIn profile to keep the conversation going.

Adobe Express makes it easy to update the templates you use for your biography and autobiography as you acquire experience, or reach new milestones.

Build your own biography and autobiography content with Adobe Express.

Tips for writing a biography or autobiography.

With Adobe Express, you can personalise biographies and autobiographies quickly and easily. For instance, search for images related to your industry, themes, ideas, and historical events. Then drag and drop them onto a poster or banner.

You may also want to reflect on the locations of your biographical and autobiographical information online. Is your information the same on each platform? Or do you convey different messages in each place? In this way, you can better manage content that resonates.

Choose among the thousands of design assets in Adobe Express to suit your mood. Use your brand font, a colour that matches the tone of your autobiography, a brush, stroke, or border. Browse by theme: tap the Asset Type folder to discover assets in different categories. Social media bios (which are autobiographical) can be personal, professional, or business. Be sure to capture your individuality, interests, and hobbies, and use a tone that suits. Professional bios showcase career achievements, skills, and aspirations. Business bios are about a company's mission, products, and brand identity.

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Useful things to know.

Can I use AI features to create biographies and autobiographies?

Yes, Adobe Express offers AI design, image, and video features you can leverage once you have written your biographical or autobiographical content.

Does Adobe Express have tools for students?

Yes, Adobe Express’s editable templates and design tools are created with teachers and students in mind. Just click on the Education tab on the home page to learn more.

Do I need creative writing skills to write a compelling biography or autobiography?

No. Creating a biography or autobiography is made easy with Adobe Express. Editable templates, outlines, and writing checklists are all available in the template gallery.

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