At first, the biographical annal histories written in those days, beginning with the "Shiji" and the "Hanshu", and including such works as the "Annals of the Three Kingdoms" (the historical work, not the romance) by Western Jin historian Shou CHEN, the "Hou Hanshu" (Later Book of Han) by Southern Liu Song historian Ye FAN, and the "Songshu" (Book of Song) by the Southern Liang historian Yue SHEN, were all compiled privately, as personal efforts.
しかし、「史記」「漢書」をはじめ、西晋の陳寿が書いた『三国志(歴史書)』、宋(南朝)の范曄が書いた『後漢書』、梁(南朝)の沈約が書いた『宋書』など、当初の紀伝体史書はみな個人の撰であった。