7 Types of Nonfiction Books

While people have been telling stories and delivering speeches for thousands of years, the history of nonfiction book writing is fairly brief. Still, over the last 500 years or so, patterns have begun to emerge, tried and true ways of writing nonfiction books, depending on the authors goals.

By studying and applying the lessons of these structures, you can write a better nonfiction book in much less time.

In this post, I'm going to share the five main types of nonfiction books. We'll also talk about how each of these types is usually structured.

Which type of nonfiction book are you writing?

1. How-to and Self-Help

How-to and self-help books guide people to solve a particular problem or achieve a particular goal in their lives.

Most how-to and self-help books will have chapters that flow through the following pattern:

Problem OR Promise. What problem is your reader experiencing? Or what promise do you offer if they apply what you're going to talk about in this book?
Story. The story either illustrates the problem and/or promise, or it acts as a solution story for how the solution to the readers' problem was discovered.
Principle. Finally, a universal principle or process is shared that will solve the readers' problem.

Here are some other patterns found in How-To and Self-Help books:

Introduction focuses on the problem or promise, solution story, and principles or steps will be covered in book
Chapters focus on 5-12 principles or steps
May have caveats/objections/applications section
Conclusion focuses on exhortation and/or promise

Examples of a Self-Help Book:

The 4-Hour Workweek by Timothy Ferriss
Whole Brain Child by Daniel J. Siegel and Tina Payne Bryson
Seven Habits of Highly Effective People

2. Investigative

Investigative nonfiction books are trying to understand what is really going on in the world and in people's lives. They may share some universal principles or solve people's problems, but the primary aim is to better understand one aspect of the world.

True crime or forensic psychology books follow this structure, but it's also used by writers like Chip and Dan Heath and Malcolm Gladwell.

Investigative books will have chapters that flow through the following pattern:

Story. The story brings up an attention grabbing or misunderstood subject for investigation.
Investigation or Analysis. Next, the author delves into what's really going on with this subject.
Principle or Result. Finally, a universal principle or the result of the investigation is shared. Sometimes, this result may be applicable to the readers' lives or work.

Here are some other patterns found in investigative books:

Introduction focuses on the topic of investigation, who the book is for, and what principles will be covered
Chapters organized by questions
Often includes principles but not steps
Conclude with “here’s what have we learned”

Examples of Investigative Books:

Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell
Made to Stick by Chip and Dan Heath
Freakonomics by Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner

3. Reference

Reference books collect definitions, terms, and practices for a specific field. Examples of reference books include dictionaries, recipe books, and even many writing guides.

Reference books will have chapters that flow through the following pattern:

Define. Define the term or focus for the chapter, e.g adobo street tacos or nonfiction book types.
Expand. Give context on that term, either through a story, illustration, history, or some other way.
Process, Steps, or Tips, if applicable. What steps, process, or tips will help the reader better understand the subject or reproduce its results.
Examples. Share examples, if applicable.

Examples of Reference books:

The Personal MBA by Josh Kaufman
The Write Structure by Joe Bunting (that's me!)
Wikipedia

4. Inspirational/“How to” Memoir

Inspirational or “How-to Memoir” is a book type similar to how-to/self-help but with a greater emphasis on narrative and story telling and exhortation.

Most inspirational books will have chapters that flow through the following pattern:

Story. The story either illustrates the problem and/or promise, or it acts as a solution story for how the solution to the readers' problem was discovered.
Problem. What problem is your reader experiencing? Or what promise do you offer if they apply what you're going to talk about in this book?
Exhortation. The exhortation not only solves the readers problem but exhorts them to go solve it.

Examples of Inspirational books include:

Real Artists Don't Starve by Jeff Goins
Girl, Wash Your Face by Rachel Hollis
Most religious books

5. Riff

The riff is a type of book usually by an expert in a field that may combine pieces from each of the above book types in varied patterns and lengths.

For example, On Writing is everything Stephen King thinks about the craft of writing. Or New Seeds of Contemplation is everything Thomas Merton knows about prayer and God.

It may combine stories, exhortation, problems, and principles, but does it in a varied pattern and with chapters of various lengths.

6. Biography

Autobiography is a particular style of narrative book that often combines personal stories and historical context to tell the story of one person's life.

Biography may be written about the writer's own life, in which case it's called autobiography, or about another person's life.

Biography must be true, and it usually contains the complete life story, from birth until death (or the person's life thus far, in case they are still alive).

In all but rare occurrences, biographies are written about notable people and celebrities, which differs from memoir (see below).

7. Academic

Academic books follow structures that vary based on the field of study, and are out of the scope of this article.

Not included here: Memoir

Memoir is a specific style of nonfiction writing that is based on the writers' own life but much narrower in focus than autobiography. Thus, memoir has much more in common with the novel than most nonfiction books, and most writers will benefit more from learning about the types of story here than nonfiction book types.

However, some memoirs are more instructional and inspirational focused, and if so, these writers will find the Inspirational book type most useful.

Which nonfiction book type are you writing? Let us know in the comments below.

Joe Bunting

Website

Joe Bunting is an author and the leader of The Write Practice community. He is also the author of the new book Crowdsourcing Paris, a real life adventure story set in France. It was a #1 New Release on Amazon. Follow him on Instagram (@jhbunting).

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