Writing a biography

aruna said:

Hello everyone, hope you can help here!
I'm writing a political biography of a woman who is not well known but has a fascinating life story. The proposal and query are coming together quite nicely but I am wondering what I should write in the "market" section. I have little idea of what political biographies sold well in the US (my main market, hopefully) and how well they did/do generally. Can anyone make suggestions of books I should mention? Right off the cuff Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama springs to mind; any others? Dare make such high profile comparisons, for a person most people will say "Janet who?" to?

Click to expand...

Hey there! Great to see you, and I'm really intrigued about your new project! Wondering...are you perhaps thinking about the Competition section, where you mention works that share the same shelf space/section of the bookstore and then demonstrate how your book will have equal or better success?


You might want to slice and dice this section -- key historical figures, current politicians, scandalous creatures, those who've been roasted on their petards and those who've achieved sainthood. Each sells to a different audience (maybe, I'm guessing), and each compares in different ways to your project.

John Adams is an HBO special right now; I'm guessing the companion book's doing very well. And while we don't have Tricky Dick to kick around any more, biographies about Nixon sold well for a long time after he exited, stage left. Books about Madeleine Albright, Golda Maier and Margaret Thatcher might compare to yours in a positive way, which shows the broader world audience your book will attract.

I'm not sure I directly addressed what you're asking for, but I hope it's helpful in some small way. Best of luck to you!!