Nonfiction Genres: Types of Books You Can Write
So, you’ve decided to write a nonfiction book? Good for you, but first, you will need to know the different types of nonfiction genres to label your book correctly. For starters, any literary work that is fact-based and designed to depict genuine events and facts as precisely as possible is classified as nonfiction. Unlike fiction, on the other hand, which is made up of stories based entirely on the author’s imagination.
In short, nonfiction books concentrate on the truth. While narrative nonfiction is told in the manner of a tale, expository nonfiction is more informative; both are dedicated to enlightening readers about the facts. Nonfiction is a type of writing that tells a tale based on true occurrences. Biographies, history books, and travel guides are all examples of nonfiction writing. Whether you’re an author looking for the right category for your work or a reader interested in learning more about fact-based literature, understanding the many styles of nonfiction writing might help.
Biographies
This subgenre of nonfiction is concerned with a person’s life narrative. Biographies concerning people other than the author are written in the third person. Autobiographies and memoirs are written by the person who is the topic of the book. While autobiographies and memoirs must be written by someone who is alive at the time of publication, biographies can feature both living and deceased people.
Memoires
A memoir informs readers about major events in the author’s life. Because they are both written from the same point of view, memoirs and autobiographies are frequently mistaken. Memoirs, on the other hand, can be written about a shorter period of time, such as a single event or experience in the writer’s life.
Journalism
Journalism is a large nonfiction subgenre that spans a variety of mediums. Newspapers and magazines, as well as monthly journals, TV news programs, and other forms of journalism, are widely consumed. Journalism covers actual stories that are usually, but not always, relevant to a modern audience. Books may also be used as a type of journalism. This includes nonfiction books that tell a story and true crime books. The Pulitzer Prize, and the Peabody and Polk prizes, are given to the greatest journalism.
History
True records of historical eras and events make up historical nonfiction. Some histories are based solely on facts, while others are filtered via the author’s own opinions. To be classified as nonfiction, history books must provide real stories in both cases.
Nonfiction history writing entails narrating a historical event or time period. While authors have some control over how the material is presented, all information in history nonfiction must be verified, factual, and historically correct. Adam Higginbotham’s Midnight at Chernobyl is an example of a popular historical nonfiction book.
Politics
Books in political and social science examine and remark on a certain aspect or structure of society. Some authors in this genre utilize scholarly studies as a basis for their writing, while others rely on anecdotal information. Anthropology, sociology, anthropology, and archaeology are examples of social science topics.
Travel Guides
By explaining locations to visit, languages, and pricing, travel guides assist visitors and travelers in preparing for and discovering new regions. Cultural and historical facts are frequently included in travel guides. Travel writers may choose to specialize on a certain travel subject, such as leisure, adventure, or gourmet experiences.
Flash Nonfiction
Essays ranging in length from a few hundred to 2,000 words are considered flash nonfiction. However, most magazines limit the word count to 1,000. The emphasis of flash nonfiction is on compression and accuracy. It frequently pushes the boundaries of how much you can say or how much of a story you can construct in a few hundred words. The emphasis of flash nonfiction is on compression and accuracy. Micro-essays are an excellent way to get started writing, try out new styles, and record daily events.
Academic
These are the long-form conclusion of research on a certain topic. Academic publications can cover a wide range of subjects, from physics and mathematics to language and psychology. Reference books, like technical books, are primarily informational publications that serve as a point of reference. Reference books, on the other hand, are usually shorter and include information that must be discovered fast. Reference books are used to find specific pieces of information rather than being read from cover to cover. Dictionaries, thesauruses, encyclopedias, and atlases are examples of this genre.
Whether you are looking to write the nonfiction genres mentioned above, or the many other categories in nonfiction, Edit911 has a team of professional editors and proofreaders who can help you.
