Similar to self-help materials, but more focused on specific skills, such as cooking, musical notation, athletics instruction, and at-home hobbies.

San Jose State University

Some of the most significant genres of non-fictional literature are, or have been:

- History
- Biographies/Autobiographies/Memoirs
- Travel Guides/Travelogues
- Academic Textbooks
- Philosophy/Insight
- Journalism
- Self-help/Instruction
- Guides/How-to Manuals
- Humor/Commentary
- Sports 

Genres of Non-Fictional Literature

MasterClass staff. Learn about nonfiction: Definition, examples, and 9 essential nonfiction genres - 2021. MasterClass. (2021, September 29). Retrieved October 29, 2021, from https://www.masterclass.com/articles/learn-about-nonfiction#what-is-the-difference-between-fiction-and-nonfiction. 

Historical nonfiction deals with actual accounts of historical events and eras. Some histories deal solely with objective facts, while others are presented from the author’s own perspective, explaining and examining the author's own personal beliefs. History books must present factual information in order to be consoidered non-fictional. Examples of well-known historical non-fiction writers include  Doris Kearns Goodwin and David Halberstam.

Historical Non-Fiction

These are non-fictional works that focus on the life story of a specific individual. Biographies are third-person accounts about someone besides the author. Memoirs and autobiographies are written by the author themselves. Memoirs and autobiographies are, by definition, written by someone who was alive at the time of writing. Biographies, however, can deal with subjects who are/were either living or dead.

Biographies/Autobiographies/Memoirs

Similar to memoirs, travelogues recount specific experiences that an author had while traveling to a specific place. Travel guides, on the other hand, are more instructive, offering practical information and suggestions for travelers planning to visit a specific place (places to see, hotels and restaurants, etc.). 

Travel Guides/Travelogues

These are designed to instruct their readers on how to navigate and become more informed about a given topic. The best examples of academic books would be textbooks assigned by an instructor at a school or college that form the basis for a semester- or year-long class. Another example might be textbooks used by people who wish to learn a given trade, such as home repair, or learning how to compose or arrange music.

Academic Textbooks

Similar to academic textbooks, these works are typically published by publishing houses affiliated with major universities. This genre can cover a wide range of topics, from traditional philosophy (from Plato or Aristotle to Descartes) to scientific theories (from Newton to Watson and Crick) to analyses of cultural or scientific phenomena.

Philosophy/Insight

Journalism encompasses a broad range of different media. Journalism most commonly takes the form of newspapers or magazines, as well as TV news reports,  journals, and more. Journalists report on true events that tend to be relevant to a contemporary audience, but they don't have to be.  Journalistic works can also come in book form. Examples include books dealing with true crime, as well as non-fictional narratives. Some of these can blur the line between history and journalism. 

Journalism

These have been some of the best-selling non-fiction books. They can deal with everything from being successful in business, to increasing confidence, improving organization, advice on relationships, advice on dieting, and managing finances.

Self-help/Instruction

Guide/How-to Manuals

These are creative but non-fictional works, in which an author analyzes and reflects on their own point of view regarding real-world events. This perspective can be humorous, political, or completely meditative. These works are considered non-fictional because they deal with actual, objective events, whether present-day or historical.

Humor/Commentary

These are non-fictional works related to a given sport, from basic rules of play, to histories of the sport and related specific leagues, and teams within those leagues, to biographies of specific individuals that contributed to the growth and development of the sport. 

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