AUTHORIZED BIOGRAPHY

 A situation where a writer will write the life story of a subject with that person's full cooperation. Full cooperation means the subject will agree to in-depth, recorded interviews, access to personal records or correspondence, and will provide the names of friends or even enemies who will provide additional insight into the person's life and reputation. In some cases, the subject will already be dead, so the author will have to have the cooperation of his relatives or the executor of his estate.

Since the author is working in cooperation with the subject, it will be expected that the subject will be able to see the finished manuscript before it is submitted to the publisher. Before such a biography is started, there needs to be some agreement between the parties as to whether the subject will be receiving any of the advance or royalties, or a byline on the finished book. As in other situations where more than one person is involved in the writing process, it is a good idea to cover all such issues in a written contract. Invariably where money is concerned, there is the potential for conflict—even if the conflicting parties are related to the subject or are life-long friends. For more on the role of the authorized biographer, go to: http://www.wisegeekedu.com/what-does-a-biography-writer-do.htm#slideshow.