Finding Your Nonfiction Niche

We all know fiction genres: romance, science fiction, fantasy… all types of books that have their own shelves in bookstores everywhere. But what about nonfiction? Most people know what nonfiction is: books about real world concepts, people, or events. You might not know it, but there are different types of nonfiction. Much like fiction genres, there aren’t any hard and fast rules for nonfiction genres—if you ask ten different people about these genres, you’ll get ten different answers. But if you want to dig deeper, here are some categories you might start with. 

Academic nonfiction
Often published by a university press, academic nonfiction is nonfiction written by specialists for specialists. The subject matter can vary, but the language can be a bit dense for the common reader. These books undergo peer review, a process where they are vetted by other academics, which gives them an air of legitimacy that some of these other genres lack. Expect footnotes upon footnotes!
Examples: Wading In: Desegregation on the Mississippi Gulf Coast by Amy Lemco, Behind the Big House: Reconciling Slavery, Race, and Heritage in the U.S. South by Jodi Skipper.

“Dad books”
It’s the most nebulously defined genre out there and yet everybody has an opinion of what counts as one. “Dad books” are generally nonfiction dealing with wars (usually World War 2), history, boats, or sports. They’re the sort of thing that you would get your father-in-law for his birthday when you have absolutely no idea what the man likes.
Examples: Eight Days in May: The Final Collapse of the Third Reich by Volker Ullrich, The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics by Daniel James Brown.

Essay collections
These books do not have an overarching narrative. Instead, they consist of usually six to a dozen individual essays, all focused on the same theme. These can be biographical essays, as an author focuses on aspects of their life. The essays can be written by different authors, all focused on the same subject. The tone of these books varies, but the shorter, complete chapters can be easier to digest than a 1,000 page narrative.
Examples: The Anthropocene Reviewed by John Green, Wow, No Thank You by Samantha Irby.

Graphic nonfiction
Graphic novels can be works of nonfiction as well! These can be any type of nonfiction imaginable: memoirs, history, self-help, individual essays. The world’s your oyster! The only unifying format is that these are nonfiction texts in a graphic novel form, telling a story using a mixture of art and text displayed in a sequential format.
Examples: Ducks by Kate Beaton, Cook Korean! A Comic Book with Recipes by Robin Ha

History
History books focus on one moment in history. This could be a single event, a longer period, a focus on a particular country or trend, et cetera. These books vary in academic rigor: some are highly academic and vetted by professionals, while others are a layman’s account of the situation.
Examples: The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny, and Murder by David Grann, SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome by Mary Beard.

Memoirs
A memoir is a book written by the author, focused on the author’s life. Some memoirs can encompass secondary information: a book written by a mortician could include chapters about the history and practices of the funeral industry. The main focus of a memoir is the author remembering their own life and experience.
Examples: Spare by Prince Harry, The Woman In Me by Britney Spears.

Narrative journalism
Narrative journalism (or literary journalism) is nonfiction that focuses on a subject’s life in a linear, narrative fashion. These can use secondary sources to provide context, but mainly pull from primary sources and first-hand accounts, such as letters, diaries, and interviews. Narrative journalism often reads like a fiction book, focusing on the craft of writing to tell a good story.
Examples: Hidden Valley Road: Inside the Mind of an American Family by Robert Kolker, In Cold Blood by Truman Capote

Pop Psychology
Pop psychology (short for popular psychology) nonfiction includes theories that present themselves as credible psychology texts, but which are written for a general audience by an author who may or may not have academic credentials. That’s not to say that these books can’t be useful! But your Dear Abbys and Dr. Phils can only do so much in comparison to a licensed therapist.
Examples: Atomic Habits by James Clear, The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell.

Self-Help
Is there something about yourself you’d like to change? Do you want to declutter your entire house? Do you want to earn more money? Do you want to push past your negative feelings? Self-help books are designed to help you achieve a goal. These have some of the same pitfalls as pop psychology books (very few of these authors have academic credentials), but the wide-ranging scope of self-help books mean that there are less potential pitfalls than pop psychology books.
Examples: The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo, Find Your Unicorn Space: Reclaim Your Creative Life in a Too-Busy World by Eve Rodsky.

Travelogues / Travel memoirs
Travelogues or travel memoirs focus on one person as they experience a new destination. Some of these are a more straightforward account of their travels, while others delve into how this experience changed the author mentally, physically, or spiritually. A weird amount of these were made into early 2010s movies that your mom probably loves.
Examples: Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert, Travels With Charley by John Steinbeck.

True Crime
True crime nonfiction focuses on notable crimes, how the crime was committed, and the response from law enforcement afterwards. While the genre is often associated with serial killers and mass murderers, true crime can also focus on non-violent crime, such as an art heist. Likewise, some modern true crime books focus on exploring the lives of the victims instead of the perpetrator.
Examples: The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper by Hallie Rubenhold, Norco '80: The True Story of the Most Spectacular Bank Robbery in American History by Peter Houlahan.

Hopefully this will get you started on exploring the wide world of nonfiction!