Memoir, autobiography or biography? What is the difference?
At LifeBook Memoirs, we’re often asked what the difference is between a memoir, an autobiography, and a biography – as the world’s leading autobiography service, we should know.
Put simply, a biography is an account of someone’s life written by someone else, not the person whose life is being told. So, for example, a biography might be written about a now-deceased celebrity. An autobiography, on the other hand, is written by someone about their own life. Autobiographies cover one’s whole life, from early years up to the point of writing.
Is a memoir the same as an autobiography?
The term memoir is often used interchangeably with autobiography, but there is a distinction. A memoir is a chronicle of stories written from an author’s perspective, remembering a specific period of their life, rather than an account of their whole life. Angela’s Ashes, the famous memoir by Frank McCourt, is a great example – it focuses just on his childhood in New York and Ireland, rather than his whole life.
The Benefits of Writing Your Memoir
There’s a reason so many people of note choose to have their autobiography, biography, or memoirs published. It guarantees that their story is immortalized for people who would otherwise never have a chance to learn about their life. And there’s a reason that autobiographies are almost always printed in books – longevity.
It’s easy to think that every moment of our lives is being recorded – we have Facebook timelines full of memories and photo albums on our phones brimming with holiday snaps and grandchildren playing. Social media can be home to years of conversations and interactions, and it can be a good record of everything you’ve done.
Longevity, though, is perhaps not something we associate with social media. Take MySpace, for example, was once the largest social media site in the world, with over 100 million users a month. Or Bebo, which became the most widely used social media site in the UK in the mid-2000s. These sites, as Facebook is now, were home to countless precious memories and photos. Now, they’ve faded into obscurity.
When thinking about preserving a life for posterity, the focus has to be on longevity. Everyone would like to know more about their ancestors’ lives, and their ancestors’ ancestors’ lives. What information we do have, though, is often incomplete. A handful of photographs with no names or dates, maybe, or a half-remembered fact that your grandfather owned a shop somewhere that sold something. When the social media accounts fade, what will remain for future generations?
That’s where an autobiography, or a memoir, comes in. After all, what has more lasting power than a book?
Photo by Natalia Y on Unsplash
The Longevity of Sharing Stories in Printed Books
The Gutenberg Bible was first printed in 1455, making the copy that sits in the New York Public Library 565 years old. That pales in comparison to the Diamond Sūtra, though, which is dated May 868 AD. However, the oldest known book in the world is the Etruscan Gold Book. Made of six sheets of 24-carat gold, the estimated age is 2,675 years old.
Preserve Your Story for Future Generations
We’re not suggesting you write a solid-gold memoir – though we’d be impressed if you did. But books have a longevity that eclipses our modern mobile phones or tablets.
A book can be physically passed from generation to generation; it can be pored over and is tangible. A memoir gives your family and friends, and many generations to come, the chance to read about your life, to see how different your childhood was, to realize you were once a fun-loving teenager too. In generations to come, when you’re no longer here, your ancestors will have a record of where their family came from and who you were in a way that no other medium can capture.
Beautiful, High-Quality Books that Will Last a LifeBook
This is why at LifeBook Memoirs we take such care in printing books using the highest-quality materials and processes. We print on archival quality paper that’s estimated to last hundreds of years, so your memoir could be the next Gutenberg Bible! Our books are sewn not just glued, meaning they won’t crack and fall apart over time. The photographs you choose to include are professionally improved, so they will continue to look their best over the years.
Autobiography or Memoir
When we say we produce ‘private autobiographies’, the reality is that your LifeBook Memoir could be an autobiography or a memoir. Many of our authors want to write a complete history of their life while others choose to focus just on their childhood, their career, or even on another family member.
Although there are differences, your LifeBook Memoir can be whatever you want it to be: an autobiography, a memoir, a life story, a record. The beauty is that however you refer to it, it is your story, captured for generations to come.
Want to Share Your Life Story? Get Started Today
We are privileged to help share the unique stories of our clients. At LifeBook Memoirs, we want to help you share your story and preserve it for future generations to come. Contact us today to work with our team of experts.
