By Ross Browne

Unlike the loosely defined and often-overlapping genre classifications fiction writers struggle with in categorizing their novels, most works of nonfiction will fall into one concretely identifiable category thanks to topic and subject matter. Correct classification is important because there is a staggering amount of nonfiction published each year and in many cases a high degree of specialization among the publishers and literary agents who bring these manuscripts to market. So writers needs to fully understand where their manuscript or book proposal fits best and also to consider the full spectrum of what’s available in their respective genre when they put together marketing pages and competitive analyses for book proposals.

What you’ll find here is a short exploration of commonly confused terms relating to nonfiction classification followed by a comprehensive guide to nonfiction genre and subgenre based on the way bookstores are organized.

Narrative Nonfiction vs. Creative Nonfiction

“It is hard to imagine a more vibrant genre, combining the immediacy of journalism and the power of true accounts with the texture, read, drama, emotional punch, point of view and broad themes of a novel. Then again, narrative nonfiction also can deliver the worst of both worlds, when the desire to construct a story trumps the responsibility to stick to the facts, no matter how inconvenient.”

~Edward Humes, Pulitzer Prize-winning author, on the topic of narrative nonfiction

Mr. Humes really hits the nail on the head in speaking of the appeal of all kinds of narrative nonfiction, which can cover just about any topic and resultantly fit in just about any category. The best narrative nonfiction is every bit as engaging and entertaining as a good novel, ideally telling a riveting and often emotionally charged story that often resonates on a deeper level or is perceived as being just more interesting because it happens to be true. The problem, of course, is that the author must stick to the facts, which is often difficult to do because life so rarely delivers neatly wrapped stories that would make good books.

Good narrative nonfiction generally employs a good bit of fiction technique, with attention to pacing and structure, setting, suspense, characterization and viewpoint, dialogue, and overall narrative voice. Classic examples of narrative nonfiction include The Right Stuff, by Tom Wolfe, Executioner’s Song, by Norman Mailer, Seabiscuit, by Laura Hillenbrand, and The Hot Zone, by Richard Preston. The authors may be looking to educate, inform, enlighten, and persuade, but they’re also looking to entertain.

Creative Nonfiction shares many of the same characteristics of narrative nonfiction, and like narrative nonfiction can often employ a good deal of fiction craft in its execution. It’s probably fair to say than one main difference between the two categories involves what the author is hoping to accomplish with the work—a position that is affirmed by creative nonfiction’s sometime alias, ‘literary journalism.’

Author Lee Gutkind, who wrote The Art of Creative Nonfiction and maintains one of the internet’s best-respected resources on the topic at www.creativenonfiction.org, points out that creative nonfiction “must go beyond an expression of the self. The personal experiences should connect with the rest of the world and include some kind of research (i.e. secondary research of primary research where the writer interviews other people about the experience) and thus connects the personal experience to the rest of the world.”

University of Pittsburgh English Department Alum Bruce Hoffman makes a good point in saying that “Creative nonfiction, alternatively known as the ‘literature of fact,’ is that branch of writing which employs literary techniques and artistic vision usually associated with fiction or poetry to report on actual persons and events.”

So one distinction between creative nonfiction and narrative nonfiction involves the extent to which the story is interpreted and considered connected to bigger or more universal issues. A first-person expose recounting the experience of the O.J. Simpson trial from the viewpoint of Kato Kaelin may be well received (by some, anyway) as a legitimate work of narrative nonfiction, whereas a creative nonfiction approach might more carefully examine the more universal importance of the trial and what the outcome tells us about the state of our legal system or how justice can be compromised when a defendant’s race or celebrity status is a deciding factor in a verdict.

Classic examples of creative nonfiction include Notes of a Native Son by James Baldwin, Let Us Now Praise Famous Men, by James Agee, Stop-Time by Frank Conroy, and The Hunger of Memory by Richard Rodriguez.

Autobiography vs. Memoir

While autobiographies often focus on the big picture of someone’s life, often starting with his or her birth and going on through the time of writing, memoirs generally focus on a singular aspect of the author's life or a period or experience of exceptional interest. Memoirs are sometimes (but not always) written by people who aren’t famous in their own right but who went through something with enough universal interest to be considered book-worthy. Unless self-published, autobiographies usually chronicle the life of a person who is at least reasonably well known and whose life as a whole is likely to be of interest to a decent-sized readership.

On to the major categories and related topics:

Arts & Photography: Architecture, Artists A-Z,  Design & Decorative Arts,  Drawing, Fashion,    Art History & Criticism, Instructional & How-To, Museums & Collections, Other Media, Painting, Performing Arts, Photography, Art Reference, Religious, Schools, Periods & Styles, Sculpture

Biographies & Memoirs: Arts & Literature, Ethnic & National, Family & Childhood, Historical, Leaders & Notable People, People A-Z, Professionals & Academics, Regional, Sports & Outdoors, Travel

Business & Investing: Accounting, Biography & History, Business Life, Economics, Finance, Industries & Professions, International, Investing, Job Hunting & Careers, Management & Leadership, Marketing & Sales, Organizational Behavior, Personal Finance, Popular Economics, Real Estate, Reference, Skills, Small Business & Entrepreneurship, Women & Business

Christian Books: Bibles, Catholicism, Children's & Teens, Christian Living, Church History, Congregations & Orders, Education, Evangelism, Holidays, Jesus, Ministry & Church Leadership, Monasticism, Mormonism, Music, Orthodoxy, Other Denominations & Sects, Protestantism, Reference, Theology, Worship & Devotion

Cooking, Food & Wine: Baking, Canning & Preserving, Cooking by Ingredient, Culinary Arts & Techniques, Drinks & Beverages, Gastronomy, Meals, Natural Foods, Organic Cooking, Outdoor Cooking, Professional Cooking, Quick & Easy, Reference, Regional & International, Special Appliances, Special Diet, Special Occasions, Vegetables & Vegetarian

Crime & Criminals: Crime & Criminals, Criminology, Forensic Science, Gangs, Law Enforcement, Offenders, Penology, War on Drugs

Current Events: Arms Control, Civil Rights & Liberties, Conspiracy Theories, Disaster Relief, Gun Control, International, Legal, Mass Media, Poverty, September 11, Terrorism, War & Peace

Education: Adult & Continuing, Asia, Africa & Pacifica, Canada & Mexico, Children's Literature Guides, College & University, Counseling, Curricula, Education Theory, Europe & Eurasia, Funding, Homeschooling, Instruction Method, Language Instruction, Lesson Planning, Literacy, Parent Participation, Pedagogy, Policy, Reading, Religious Education, Special Education, Standards, Study Skills, Technology & Distance Learning, Vocational

Entertainment: Humor, Movies, Music, Performing Arts, Pop Culture, Radio, Sheet Music & Scores, Television

Gay & Lesbian: Biographies & Memoirs, Civil Rights, History, Parenting & Families, Philosophy, Sexuality, Transgender

Government: Civics, Congresses, Senates & Legislative Bodies, Constitutions, Democracy, Elections, Federal Government, Legal System, Public Affairs & Administration, Public Policy, Social Policy, State & Local Government, United Nations

Health, Mind, & Body: Aging, Alternative Medicine, Beauty & Fashion, Cancer, Death & Grief, Diets & Weight Loss, Disorders & Diseases, Exercise & Fitness, Large Print, Men's Health, Mental Health, Nutrition, Personal Health, Psychology & Counseling, Recovery, Relationships, Safety & First Aid, Self-Help, Sex, Women's Health

History: Africa, Americas, Ancient, Arctic & Antarctica, Asia, Australia & Oceania, Europe, Gay & Lesbian, Historical Study, Middle East, Military, Military Science, Russia, United States, World

Home & Garden: Animal Care & Pets, Antiques & Collectibles, Crafts & Hobbies, Entertaining, Expert Advice, Gardening & Horticulture, Home Design, How-to & Home Improvements, Interior Design, Small Homes & Cottages, Sustainable Living, Weddings

Outdoors & Nature: Birdwatching, Conservation, Ecology, Ecosystems, Environment, Fauna, Field Guides, Flora, Hiking & Camping, Hunting & Fishing, Natural Resources, Nature Writing, Outdoor Recreation, Reference, Survival Skills, Travel

Parenting & Families: Adoption, Aging Parents, Education, Family Activities, Family Health, Family Relationships, Fertility, Humor, Parenting, Pregnancy & Childbirth, Reference, Special Needs

Philosophy: Aesthetics, Analytic Philosophy, Ancient, Consciousness & Thought, Criticism, Eastern, Epistemology, Ethics & Morality, Free Will & Determinism, Good & Evil, Greek & Roman, History & Surveys, History, 17th & 18th Century, Islamic, Logic & Language, Medieval Thought, Metaphysics, Methodology, Modern, Modern Renaissance, Movements, Ontology, Philosophy of Religion, Political, Reference, Religious, Social Philosophy, Theism

Politics: Activism, Freedom & Security, Globalization, History & Theory, Human Rights, Ideologies, International, Labor & Industrial Relations, Labor Unions, Leadership, Lobbying, Political Parties, Practical Politics, Reference, Regional Planning, Social Security, U.S.

Professional & Technical: Accounting & Finance, Architecture, Business Management, Education, Engineering, Law, Medical, Professional Science

Reference: Almanacs & Yearbooks, Atlases & Maps, Business Skills, Careers, Catalogs & Directories, Consumer Guides, Dictionaries & Thesauruses, Education, Encyclopedias, Etiquette, Foreign Languages, Fun Facts, Genealogy, Job Hunting, Law, Publishing & Books, Quotations, Language Reference, Study Guides, Test Prep Central, Words & Language, Writing

Religion & Spirituality: Bible & Other Sacred Texts, Buddhism, Christianity, Earth-Based Religions, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, New Age, Occult, Other Eastern Religions,  Religious Art, Religious Studies, Spirituality

Science: Agricultural Sciences, Archaeology, Astronomy, Behavioral Sciences, Biological Sciences, Chemistry, Earth Sciences, Education, Essays & Commentary, Evolution, Experiments, Instruments & Measurement, History & Philosophy, Mathematics, Medicine, Nature & Ecology, Physics, Technology

Social Sciences: Anthropology, Archaeology, Children's Studies, Communication, Customs & Traditions, Demography, Discrimination & Racism,  Emigration & Immigration, Ethics, Folklore & Mythology, Gender Studies, Gerontology, Human Geography, Library & Information Science, Linguistics, Media Studies,  Methodology, Museum Studies & Museology, Philanthropy & Charity, Philosophy, Political Science, Popular Culture, Pornography, Reference, Research, Social Work, Sociology,  Special Groups, Statistics, Violence in Society

Sports: Baseball, Basketball, Biographies, Coaching, Extreme Sports, Football (American), Golf, Hiking & Camping, Hockey, Hunting & Fishing, Individual Sports, Mountaineering, Other Team Sports, Racket Sports, Rodeos, Soccer, Softball, Training, Water Sports, Winter Sports

Travel: Africa, Asia, Atlases & Maps, Australia & South Pacific, Canada, Caribbean, Europe, Guidebook Series, Latin America, Middle East, North America, Polar Regions, South America, Specialty Travel, United States, Reference & Tips

Transportation: Aviation, Economics, Ferries, Mass Transit, Transportation Policy, RVs, Railroads, Reference, Ships

True Accounts: Espionage, Murder & Mayhem, Organized Crime, Serial Killers, True Crime

Urban Planning & Development: Coastal Zone Planning, Environmental Planning, New Towns, Rural Planning, Urban Planning

Women's Studies: Abortion & Birth Control, Feminist Criticism, Feminist Theology, Feminist Theory, Motherhood Issues