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Back in middle school, we learned the difference between fiction and nonfiction books: works of fiction are made up, and nonfiction is based on fact.

But within fiction and nonfiction titles, there are even more differences.

There are generally considered to be nine types of fiction: romance, fantasy, science fiction, suspense, horror, mystery, Western, historical, and young adult. Each has its own approach, narrative arc, and style. What they have in common is that they are the result of a creative mind that has conceived the characters, the situation, and the plot.

A nonfiction book, on the other hand, is factual. Sure, some of the material may be based on an expert’s opinions and observations, but that is not fantasy.

Within nonfiction, there are even more types. Depending on who you ask, you may hear as many as a couple dozen genres or as few as five.

The big categories for me are: memoir, personal essay, travel writing, narrative nonfiction (such as a corporate history), descriptive, self-help, how-to, and thought leadership.

Pick a Genre

Before you start writing your book, with or without a ghostwriter, it’s important to determine what kind of content you’ll be sharing.

You can choose a topic and approach it from a variety of perspectives. For example, let’s say you’re an expert in negotiation.

You could write a how-to book on how to improve your negotiation skills based on your experience.

You could write a thought leadership book that delves more into how the nature of negotiation has shifted in modern times and what strategies work best today.

Or you could write more of a memoir or piece of narrative nonfiction that frames a time in your life as being all about negotiations.

To be sure you pick a single path and stay on it, you’ll want to determine first which genre or approach makes the most sense for you. If you want the content of the book to be less about you, a memoir isn’t the right choice, for example.

What’s Your Purpose

The path or genre you choose should be rooted in why you’re writing the book. What is its purpose?

If you’re writing a book to distinguish yourself in your field, you should consider a thought leadership or big idea book. In this type of book, you’ll share your perspective and present a new way of viewing your topic or field. You’ll want to try to change how people perceive your topic so that they associate you with it from now on. You’re seen as a leading thinker and visionary when you do that.

However, if your goal with your book is to build a business around it, such as a boutique consulting firm, you’ll need to demonstrate evidence of your experience and expertise. The most common way to do this is by weaving in a how-to element. For example, if your book is about what companies can do today to transform a dysfunctional corporate culture, your readers will want more than high-level thinking about the nature of culture — they want steps and guidance on how to effect change. They want you to tell them what to do.

Those are very different types of books. If you’re working with a writing partner, you’ll probably want to choose one who is an expert in the type of book you’re writing, too. Don’t hire a memoir writer if your book is a corporate history, or a strict how-to ghost if you want more of a thought leadership book.

Fortunately, if you’re not sure how best to write about your topic, ask for input from the ghostwriters and publishers you’re talking to. Ask them what they might recommend based on current publishing trends, your budget, and purpose.

The experts will give you their two cents, likely framed that way since your decision ultimately comes down to what resonates with you.

The clearer you are about your “why,” the faster your “how” will come into focus.

If you’d like my feedback, let’s set up a time to chat. Email me at marcia at marcialaytonturner.com.

 

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