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From the Ashes: My Story of Being Métis, Homeless, and Finding My Way

In this extraordinary and inspiring debut memoir, Jesse Thistle—once a high school dropout and now a rising Indigenous scholar—chronicles his life on the streets and how he overcame trauma and addiction to discover the truth about who he is.

"If I can just make it to the next minute . . . then I might have a chance to live; I might have a chance to be something more than just a struggling crackhead."

From the Ashes is a remarkable memoir about hope and resilience, and a revelatory look into the life of a Métis-Cree man who refused to give up.

Abandoned by his parents as a toddler, Jesse Thistle briefly found himself in the foster-care system with his two brothers, cut off from all they had known. Eventually the children landed in the home of their paternal grandparents, but their tough-love attitudes meant conflicts became commonplace. And the ghost of Jesse’s drug-addicted father haunted the halls of the house and the memories of every family member. Struggling, Jesse succumbed to a self-destructive cycle of drug and alcohol addiction and petty crime, spending more than a decade on and off the streets, often homeless. One day, he finally realized he would die unless he turned his life around.

In this heartwarming and heartbreaking memoir, Jesse Thistle writes honestly and fearlessly about his painful experiences with abuse, uncovering the truth about his parents, and how he found his way back into the circle of his Indigenous culture and family through education.

An eloquent exploration of what it means to live in a world surrounded by prejudice and racism and to be cast adrift, From the Ashes is, in the end, about how love and support can help one find happiness despite the odds.

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Genre: Memoir / True story about the author's own life  (Non-Fiction)

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Genre: Memoir / True story about the author's own life  (Non-Fiction)

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Authors need to have a firm grasp on all the different genres of books in order to find the perfect home for their own. The tropes and expectations of a book's genre will inform its content and style during the writing process, as well as fundamentals such as word count. But it's also central to the marketing of a book, determining its target audience, and those all-important Amazon categories. Get your genre wrong, and you could be waving goodbye to book sales and hello to unsatisfied reader reviews!

How many book genres are there?

Though we're only covering 35 of the most popular in this post, there are around 50 genres in total - the exact number depends on who you ask. If you take subgenres into account, over on Reedsy Discovery we have 107 different categories, while Amazon has over 16,000!

That can be a lot to take in. So if you'd like some personalized guidance, we recommend taking this 1-minute quiz that will point you towards your genre (and subgenre).

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For an overview of all of the genres, that's what the rest of this post is for. There's bound to be a genre that's the perfect fit for your book - all you have to do is find it!

Fiction genres

"Writing fiction is the act of weaving a series of lies to arrive at a greater truth." - Khaled Hosseini

Fantasy

This book genre is characterized by elements of magic or the supernatural and is often inspired by mythology or folklore. In high fantasy - one that's set in an entirely fictional world - these magical elements are at the forefront of the plot, as in Trudi Canavan's Black Magician trilogy. In low fantasy or magical realism, however, magic is subtly woven into an otherwise familiar, real-world setting. You can delve into fantasy's manysubgenres to get to know your Arcanepunk from your Flintlock, and find your book's home!

Pro tip for writing fantasy: To make your world feel real and functional, make sure it's grounded in rules - an internal rationale, so to speak, encompassing everything from the workings of your society to your magic system.

Science Fiction

Though science fiction and fantasy are often considered two sides of the same (speculative fiction) coin, sci-fi is distinguished by its preoccupation with real or real-feeling science. Lots of sci-fi is set in the distant future, which makes it a seedbed for stories about time travel and space exploration. But your science fiction novel doesn't need to be inspired by "hard" science like physics and astronomy. Some of the books in this genre reflect on "soft" sciences, such as sociology and anthropology, to predict the future of the human race - more on that next!

Dystopian

A popular genre of science fiction, dystopian novels offer a bleak and frightening vision of the future. Authors writing dystopias imagine a grim society, often in the aftermath of a disaster, facing things like oppressive governments, Black Mirror-esque technology, and environmental ruin. From widely popular series like The Hunger Games to critically-acclaimed classics like Nineteen Eighty-four, the enduring appeal of dystopian fiction lies in our burning desire to know where mankind is headed - and our perverse enjoyment of dark stories, so long as they aren't actually happening to us.

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Action & Adventure

If you're writing adventure, then chances are your book follows the structure of the Hero's Journey. Your protagonist has a very important goal to achieve, but they're really going to have to go through the wringer first! You throw up obstacle after obstacle, putting your hero in downright dangerous situations but eventually, they triumph and return home transformed. The action and adventure genre also complements a huge range of others, which means it has its fingers in everything from fantasy novels like The Hobbit to classic romance like J ane Eyre.

Mystery

Also called detective fiction, this book genre is characterized by a gripping plot that revolves around a mystery - but hopefully, you've cracked that clue! The setting, characters, and tone of your book will determine precisely which category it falls under: cozy mystery, hardboiled, or something in between. But at the core of any mystery is a crime that must be solved by the protagonist. To get a sense of the clever trail of clues that's so vital to this genre, check out Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie - the grande dame of mystery fiction.

Pro tip for writing a mystery: When planning your novel, consult the Fichtean curve, a narrative structure that emphasizes mini-crises, ratcheting up the tension to keep readers anxious to reach the climax.

Horror

What unites the books in this genre is not theme, plot, or setting, but the feeling they inspire in the reader: your pulse quickens, and your skin prickles as you turn the page with bated breath. Of course, this feeling of dread only comes about if the author creates the right atmosphere - an essential feature dependent on the subgenre. Gothic horror, for example, sends a shiver down your spine with spooky settings and paranormal elements, while gross-out horror shocks the reader with hacked-up flesh and buckets of blood. The master of horror fiction in all its guises? Stephen King, of course.

Pro tip for writing horror: Make the stakes plain and straightforward - survival, the death of a loved one, etc. - and clearly establish them for the reader, so they are in no doubt about the character's motivation.

Thriller & Suspense

A horror story can also be called a thriller, if it employs psychological fear to build suspense. But not all thrillers are horror stories. So what are they? While this book genre encompasses many of the same elements as mystery, in a thriller the protagonist is usually acting to save their own life, rather than to solve the crime. Thrillers typically include cliffhangers, deception, high emotional stakes, and plenty of action - keeping the reader on the edge of their seat until the book's climax. Gillian Flynn's Gone Girl is a masterclass in the dark, mysterious thriller.

Pro tip for writing a thriller: Avoid anything that bogs down the pacing. If you notice that a scene is getting tied up in everyday details, or doesn't add enough excitement to the plot, rewrite it or cut it altogether!

Historical Fiction

This book genre encompasses fictional stories in a historical setting, carefully balancing creativity and facts. In most cases, the characters and events are imagined by the author and enriched with historically accurate details from a specific time period. Take The Help by Kathryn Stockett, for example - a fictional story set in Mississippi during the Civil Rights Movement. But occasionally, as is the case with Hilary Mantel's Cromwell trilogy, the author builds the main story around real historical figures and events.

Like almost all of these genres, it's crucial that historical fiction works in exposition and historical detail subtly. Want to learn more about how to do this? Check out our free course on the golden writing rule, Show, Don't Tell.

Romance

Romance is so frequently used as a subplot that it can sometimes be tricky to know whether or not you're writing in this genre. The key thing to remember is that the romantic relationship must be the center point of the plot. (Other giveaways include a "happily ever after" ending and the warm fuzzies.) If your novel has a romantic relationship at its heart and is perfectly at home in another genre, it probably falls into one of romance's many subgenres, including but not limited to: young adult romance, paranormal romance, and historical romance.

Women's Fiction

Women's fiction is an umbrella term for books written to target a female audience, generally reflecting on the shared experience of being a woman or the growth of a female protagonist. Because of this rather broad definition, authors will quite often write a romance novel or mystery, for example, that could also be labeled women's fiction. Despite the connotations of one alternative name for this genre ("chick-lit"), many critically acclaimed bestsellers, including Jaqueline Woodson's Red at The Bone, fall under its purview.

LGBTQ+

Any fiction with authentic LGBTQ+ representation falls into this book genre. It's important to note that while your book's queer characters should feature in the main plot, the centerpiece of your plot doesn't have to be a romance. In fact, there doesn't need to be any romance at all! This means that your fantasy, thriller, or historical novel could fall under the LGBTQ+ umbrella.

Contemporary Fiction

This book genre is occasionally lumped in with others to indicate that the book takes place in the present day. But in its simplest form, contemporary fiction is better understood as the absence of a genre. Your book doesn't need tropes and trappings, monsters and mysteries, when its tension, drama, and conflict lies in the quirks and quandaries of your protagonist's everyday life: work, politics, relationships, and the struggles of the modern era.

Literary Fiction

Like contemporary fiction, books considered literary fiction can't be neatly filed under any other genre. What distinguishes this genre from contemporary fiction is that works of literary fiction are thought to have considerable artistic value. If your prose is meant to engage the reader in thought, if your narrative is character-driven and introspective, and if you provide personal or social commentary on a "serious" theme, then chances are you're writing lit-fic. Modern classics by the likes of Virginia Woolf or Ali Smith would be labeled literary fiction.

Like we mentioned, lit-fic is heavy on character, and lighter on plot. If you're interested in writing a character-driven story, try out our profile template for developing well-rounded, fully realized ones.

Magical Realism

You may remember us mentioning magical realism under the umbrella of fantasy - but considering its highbrow style and literary prestige, magical realism is often considered a genre in its own right. Its hallmarks include a real-world setting, a cast of run-of-the-mill characters (no vampires, fairies, or sorcerers), a fluid and non-linear timeline, and supernatural happenings - a baby born with feathered wings, or an egg hatching a ruby - left unexplained. Authors like Isabel Allende and Toni Morrison have used this literary style to grapple with serious social ills, from colonialism to fascism and slavery.

Graphic Novel

Some book genres aren't defined by their content at all, but by their form. Graphic novels are presented to the reader through narrative art (illustrations and typography) either in the traditional panel layout you'll be familiar with from comic books, or in the artist's own style. Once considered cheap entertainment for children, graphic novels are increasingly read and respected these days for their rich blend of visuals and writing. This powerful method of storytelling now portrays everything from memoirs, to manga, to adaptations of classic literature.

Short Story

Though they can belong to any of the other book genres on this list, short stories are frequently grouped together in their own genre because they're, well, so much shorter than novels. Often the author will compile a collection linked together by a narrative thread or, more commonly, a shared theme. The stories in A Manual for Cleaning Women by Lucia Berlin, for example, follow a series of women in different occupations - from cleaning women to ER nurses - all struggling to survive.

Young Adult

Young adult fiction, or YA, targets readers aged 12-18 and reflects its readership by following teenage characters as they grapple with the unique challenges of adolescence. Most works of YA fiction can be labeled " coming-of-age novels", in which the characters exit childhood and enter adulthood - a transition that results in a loss of innocence and a shifting sense of identity. Some of the biggest bestsellers in recent years have belonged to this genre, including The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas and anything by John Green.

Pro tip for writing young adult fiction: Though your teen character's voice should be true to her life experience, you should never "dumb down" the language, story, or style choices in a YA novel.

New Adult

The shiny new penny on this book genres list, new adult is like young adult aged-up: coming-of-age stories after the messiness of adolescence. Its college-age protagonists are walked through the gauntlet of becoming fully-fledged grownups, ditching the stress of the SATs and senior prom for college exams, career transitions, and more mature first times. Big names in New Adult, like Cora Carmack, tend to write steamy romances set in dorm rooms. But this genre isn't all about collegiate love stories - your gritty urban fantasy or immersive historical fiction could find its home here, too.

Children's

Books in this genre are written with readers under the age of twelve in mind. Of course, kids will do a lot of growing between the ages of zero and twelve, which is why children's books range from baby board books all the way up to middle grade 'epics' of 50,000 words. Hopefully, if you're writing children's literature, you already know you are. But it's crucial that you also know which age group you're trying to target, as this will impact the themes, characters, and complexity of your book.

Nonfiction genres

This is a broad category encompassing a number of nonfiction subgenres. From memoirs and biographies to books to self-help and true crime books, there's a type of nonfiction for every kind of reader.

Memoir & Autobiography

Both memoirs and autobiographies provide a true account of the author's life. They differ in that an autobiography provides a chronological account of your life's events and accomplishments, whereas a memoir puts the emphasis on only the most defining, emotional moments. Generally, these moments are drawn together by a single theme - or a significant time, place, or relationship - to communicate a message you wish to share with readers. The Argonauts by Maggie Nelson is a popular example of a memoir.

Pro tip for writing a memoir: Treat yourself as an interview subject and ask yourself questions that will trigger those life-defining stories - the ups and downs, the events that shaped you, what you sacrificed, what you learned.

Biography

Like autobiographies, biographies provide readers with a person's life story; but they're written in the third person by someone other than the subject. Generally, the subject of a biography is (or was) well-known - somebody whose life can teach readers an interesting lesson worth learning. Biographies, memoirs, and autobiographies differ from the rest of the nonfiction on this list, in that they weave a narrative in almost the same way a novel does. A great biography, like Ron Chernow's Alexander Hamilton, isn't a laundry list of events, but a life-giving tribute.

Food & Drink

Food and drink is one of nonfiction's hottest book genres, making it a crowded and highly competitive market. As a result, today's cookbooks tend to cater to specific cuisines, dietary, and/or lifestyle needs. If you're writing a cookbook, you might consider pairing recipes with nutritional information, short autobiographical narratives, or even workouts. Jo Wicks's 30 Day Kickstart Plan and Less Fuss No Waste Kitchen by Lindsay Miles are excellent examples of modern cookbooks.

Art & Photography

This genre is home to a few different kinds of books, all united by their love of art. Your book could find its way into this vibrant and stylish genre if it discusses an artist's work or an artistic style in detail; if it teaches a specific art method; if it explores a facet of art history; or if it showcases your own art in that chic, coffee-table book way.

Self-help

Some of the bestselling books in nonfiction, self-help books encourage personal improvement and confidence. Whether the focus is on relationships, emotional well-being, or finances, if you're writing a book that aims to uplift and empower the reader, then you're probably writing self-help.

History

The books in this genre lay down the known facts about a historical era, event, or figure. And since this is nonfiction, all the facts have to be accurate (though that doesn't mean there's no room for inference or opinion). The goal of these books is to educate and inform the reader, so this genre does include all those textbooks you used in school. But many history books ditch the play-by-play format to chronicle the past in a way more akin to storytelling. One of our favorite history books is Sapiens: A Brief History of Mankind by Yuval Noah Harari.

Travel

Travel memoirs and travelogues, like Jonathan Glancey's The Journey Matters, take us all over the world, giving even the most devoted homebodies a tantalizing taste of adventure, wildlife, and the great outdoors. These pocket-sized books - featuring destination reviews, lists of where to eat and what to see, and tips for traveling on a budget - are without a doubt some of the most useful titles on the shelves.

True Crime

Crime-fiction writers have put some pretty twisted plots to paper, but if you prefer to chronicle real crimes in all their haunting and fascinating detail, then the true crime genre is where your book belongs. From infamous murders to domestic disappearances, works in this genre pen true stories, about all things fearful and forbidden, that read as smoothly as well-crafted fiction.

Humor

Laugh-out-loud memoirs by the funniest celebs, satirical essays from the likes of David Sedaris, or gag gifts like How to Adult - all the books in this rib-tickling genre are written with one thing in mind: making readers laugh! So if you've compiled a collection of all your favorite dad jokes or penned a cathartic brain-dump of your most cringe-worthy memories, then your book may also belong in the humor genre.

Essays

An essay may sound like a boring assignment from your school years, but the books in this genre are among some of the most moving and inspirational works of literature there are. Many powerful voices - like James Baldwin and Roxane Gay - have used these short works to reflect on their own personal experiences and views, combining them into a collection that serves as an eye-opening social commentary on a particular theme or subject.

Guide / How-to

Readers turn to this book genre to develop a skill, hobby, or craft. So if you're an expert in a particular field and you've written a book showing hobbyists how to achieve something specific (like "how to master chess openings" or "a guide to floristry"), then this is its home! Of course, one dead giveaway might be your book's title.

Religion & Spirituality

From histories of the Catholic Church to spiritual guidebooks and memoirs of the Eat, Pray, Love variety, this genre has a place for anything and everything related to the topics of religion and spirituality.

Humanities & Social Sciences

Got something wise to say? Then your book might just belong among the books of this eclectic genre - as long as it discusses a topic related to (deep breath): philosophy, history, literature, language, art, religion, music, or the human condition. This might seem like a pretty wide net to fall into, but keep in mind that books in this genre are typically quite academic; if you've written more of a free-flowing spiritual guide, it probably belongs in the previous genre.

Parenting & Families

Parents and families struggling with discipline, education, bonding, the care of a newborn baby, or a child with special needs, can turn to this well-stocked genre of books when they need to bring in the reinforcements. If you've written a memoir that'll have families whole-heartedly nodding in agreement, or a guide brimming with advice for frazzled parents, then you can find a place for your book in the parenting and families section.

Science & Technology

The job of science nonfiction is not to predict the future, but to make sense of the world we're currently living in - which, quite honestly, can feel like science fiction to some of us! Readers of this genre range from complete beginners trying to understand the things around them to technophiles whose brains are whirring to keep up with the pace of change, so there's bound to be a niche for your book, however advanced it is.

Children's

As much as kids love fairytales and talking animals, they're often just as happy to pick up a nonfiction book at storytime. Whether it's an activity book to keep them busy, a powerful true story like Malala's Magic Pencil, or a children's encyclopedia to feed their brains, children's nonfiction is all about making learning fun. And the wildly popular Horrible Histories series has proven that this genre can compete with wizards and superheroes at every age!

There you have it: 35 of the most popular genres of books. Hopefully, this list will help you get your foot in the right door. But if your book doesn't slot neatly into any of these categories (though there are quite some more types of nonfiction to consider), don't be afraid to declare it a hybrid, or to dig a little deeper into the subcategories that you'll find in the shade of these umbrella genres.

And no matter what kind of book you're writing, check out our book development template to get started.

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The Ultimate List of Book Genres: 35 Popular Genres

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Among these 35 popular book genres, there's bound to be one that fits your book like a glove - so let's find it!

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In 1966, twelve-year-old Chanie Wenjack froze to death after running away from residential school. An inquest was called and four recommendations were made to prevent another tragedy. None of those recommendations were applied.

More than a quarter of a century later, from 2000 to 2011, seven Indigenous high school students died in Thunder Bay, Ontario. The seven were forced to leave their families and homes, and live in a foreign and unwelcoming city. Five were found dead in the rivers surrounding Lake Superior. Jordan Wabasse, a gentle boy and star hockey player, disappeared into the freezing winter night. The body of celebrated artist Norval Morrisseau’s grandson, Kyle, was pulled from a river, as was Curran Strang’s. Robyn Harper died in her boarding-house hallway and Paul Panacheese inexplicably collapsed on his kitchen floor. Reggie Bushie’s death finally prompted an inquest, seven years after the discovery of Jethro Anderson, the first boy whose body was found in the water.

Focusing on the lives of the students, investigative journalist Tanya Talaga delves into the history of this small northern city that has come to manifest Canada’s long struggle with human rights violations against Indigenous communities.

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When his father was given a diagnosis of terminal cancer, Winnipeg broadcaster and musician Wab Kinew decided to spend a year reconnecting with the accomplished but distant aboriginal man who'd raised him. As Kinew revisits his own childhood in Winnipeg and on a reserve in Northern Ontario, he learns more about his father's traumatic childhood at residential school.

Born to an Anishinaabe father and a non-native mother, Wab Kinew has a foot in both cultures. He is a Sundancer, an academic, a former rapper, a hereditary chief, and an urban activist.

His father, Tobasonakwut, was both a beloved traditional chief and a respected elected leader who engaged directly with Ottawa. Internally divided, his father embraced both traditional native religion and Catholicism, the religion that was inculcated into him at the residential school where he was physically and sexually abused. In a gesture of reconciliation, Kinew's father invited the Roman Catholic bishop of Winnipeg to a Sundance ceremony in which he adopted him as his brother.

Kinew writes affectingly of his own struggles in his twenties to find the right path, eventually giving up a self-destructive lifestyle to passionately pursue music and martial arts.

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Goodreads Choice Award

Nominee for Best Debut Novel (2021), Winner for Best Young Adult Fiction (2021)

As a biracial, unenrolled tribal member and the product of a scandal, Daunis Fontaine has never quite fit in—both in her hometown and on the nearby Ojibwe reservation. When her family is struck by tragedy, Daunis puts her dreams on hold to care for her fragile mother. The only bright spot is meeting Jamie, the charming new recruit on her brother’s hockey team.

After Daunis witnesses a shocking murder that thrusts her into a criminal investigation, she agrees to go undercover. But the deceptions—and deaths—keep piling up and soon the threat strikes too close to home. How far will she go to protect her community if it means tearing apart the only world she’s ever known?

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Everyone knows a guy like Jared: the burnout kid in high school who sells weed cookies and has a scary mom who's often wasted and wielding some kind of weapon. Jared does smoke and drink too much, and he does make the best cookies in town, and his mom is a mess, but he's also a kid who has an immense capacity for compassion and an impulse to watch over people more than twice his age, and he can't rely on anyone for consistent love and support, except for his flatulent pit bull, Baby Killer (he calls her Baby)--and now she's dead.

Jared can't count on his mom to stay sober and stick around to take care of him. He can't rely on his dad to pay the bills and support his new wife and step-daughter. Jared is only sixteen but feels like he is the one who must stabilize his family's life, even look out for his elderly neighbours. But he struggles to keep everything afloat...and sometimes he blacks out. And he puzzles over why his maternal grandmother has never liked him, why she says he's the son of a trickster, that he isn't human. Mind you, ravens speak to him--even when he's not stoned.

You think you know Jared, but you don't.

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Jen Ferguson serves up a powerful story about rage, secrets, and all the spectrums that make up a person—and the sweetness that can still live alongside the bitterest truth.

Lou has enough confusion in front of her this summer. She’ll be working in her family’s ice cream shack with her newly ex-boyfriend—whose kisses never made her feel desire, only discomfort—and her former best friend, King, who is back in their Canadian prairie town after disappearing three years ago without a word.

But when she gets a letter from her biological father—a man she hoped would stay behind bars for the rest of his life—Lou immediately knows that she cannot meet him, no matter how much he insists.

While King’s friendship makes Lou feel safer and warmer than she would have thought possible, when her family’s business comes under threat, she soon realizes that she can’t ignore her father forever.

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Taken from their families when they are small and sent to a remote, church-run residential school, Kenny, Lucy, Clara, Howie and Maisie are barely out of childhood when they are finally released. Without any skills, support or families, the teens find their way to the seedy world of Downtown Eastside Vancouver, where they strive to find safety and belonging.

Fuelled by rage and furious with God, Clara finds her way into the dangerous, highly charged world of the American Indian Movement. Maisie internalizes her pain, continually placing herself in dangerous situations. Famous for his daring escapes from the school, Kenny can’t stop running and moves from job to job, trying to outrun his memories and his addiction. Lucy finds peace in motherhood and nurtures a secret compulsive disorder as she waits for Kenny to return. After almost beating one of his tormentors to death, Howie serves time in prison, then tries once again to re-enter society and begin life anew.

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Otter Lake is a sleepy Anishnawbe community where little happens. Until the day a handsome stranger pulls up astride a 1953 Indian Chief motorcycle – and turns Otter Lake completely upside down. Maggie, the Reserve’s chief, is swept off her feet, but Virgil, her teenage son, is less than enchanted. Suspicious of the stranger’s intentions, he teams up with his uncle Wayne – a master of aboriginal martial arts – to drive the stranger from the Reserve. And it turns out that the raccoons are willing to lend a hand.

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The captain of Canada’s Under-18 and a fan favourite on the World Junior squad, Jordin Tootoo became the first player of Inuk descent to play in the NHL.

The stress of competition, the travel, the media, the homesickness—and the added pressure to hold one’s head high as a role model not only for the young people of his hometown but for the culture that had given him the strength and the opportunities to succeed—would have challenged any rookie. But Tootoo faced something far more difficult: the loss of his brother in the year between his draft and his first shift for the Predators. The tragedy took its inevitable toll. In 2010, Tootoo checked himself into rehab for alcohol addiction. It seemed a promising career had ended too soon.

But that’s not the way it would end. As heir to a cultural legacy that included alcohol, despair, and suicide, Tootoo could also draw on a heritage that could help sustain him even thousands of miles away from Nunavut.

All the Way is the searing, honest tale of a young man who has risen to every challenge and nearly fallen short in the toughest game of all, while finding a way to draw strength from his community and heritage, and giving back to it as well. - Joey Mueller

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A daring post-apocalyptic thriller. With winter looming, a small northern Anishinaabe community goes dark. Cut off, people become passive and confused. Panic builds as the food supply dwindles. While the band council and a pocket of community members struggle to maintain order, an unexpected visitor arrives, escaping the crumbling society to the south. Soon after, others follow.

The community leadership loses its grip on power as the visitors manipulate the tired and hungry to take control of the reserve. Tensions rise and, as the months pass, so does the death toll due to sickness and despair. Frustrated by the building chaos, a group of young friends and their families turn to the land and Anishinaabe tradition in hopes of helping their community thrive again. Out of catastrophe comes resilience. And as one society collapses, another is reborn.

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This teen novel, by Inuit author Aviaq Johnston, is a coming-of-age story that follows a young shaman named Pitu as he learns to use his powers and ultimately finds himself lost in the world of the spirits.

After a blizzard leaves Pitu stranded on the sea ice, he realizes that he is no longer in the world that he once knew. The storm has carried him into the world of the spirits, a world populated with terrifying creatures, as well as beings less frightening, but equally as incredible.

After stumbling upon a fellow shaman who has been trapped in the spirit world for many years, Pitu must master all of his shamanic powers to make his way back to the world of the living, to his family, and to the girl that he loves.

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A revised version of the novel In Search of April Raintree, written specifically for students in grades 9 through 12. Through her characterization of two young sisters who are removed from their family, the author poignantly illustrates the difficulties that many Indigenous people face in maintaining a positive self-identity. April and her sister, Cheryl, have a very different view of their Métis identity, affecting their relationships and life paths.

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Morgan and Eli, two Indigenous children forced away from their families and communities, are brought together in a foster home in Winnipeg, Manitoba. They each feel disconnected, from their culture and each other, and struggle to fit in at school and at their new home -- until they find a secret place, walled off in an unfinished attic bedroom. A portal opens to another reality, Askí, bringing them onto frozen, barren grounds, where they meet Ochek (Fisher). The only hunter supporting his starving community, Misewa, Ochek welcomes the human children, teaching them traditional ways to survive. But as the need for food becomes desperate, they embark on a dangerous mission. Accompanied by Arik, a sassy Squirrel they catch stealing from the trapline, they try to save Misewa before the icy grip of winter freezes everything -- including them.

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Saul Indian Horse’s last binge almost killed him, and now he’s a reluctant resident in a treatment centre for alcoholics. But Saul wants peace, and he’ll find it only through telling his story. With him, readers embark on a journey back through the life he’s led as a northern Ojibway, with all its joys and sorrows.

For Saul, taken forcibly from the land and his family when he’s sent to residential school, salvation comes for a while through his incredible gifts as a hockey player. But in the harsh realities of 1960s Canada, he battles obdurate racism and the spirit-destroying effects of cultural alienation and displacement. Indian Horse unfolds against the bleak loveliness of northern Ontario, all rock, marsh, bog and cedar. Wagamese writes with a spare beauty, penetrating the heart of a remarkable Ojibway man.

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In a futuristic world ravaged by global warming, people have lost the ability to dream, and the dreamlessness has led to widespread madness. The only people still able to dream are North America's Indigenous people, and it is their marrow that holds the cure for the rest of the world. But getting the marrow, and dreams, means death for the unwilling donors. Driven to flight, a fifteen-year-old and his companions struggle for survival, attempt to reunite with loved ones and take refuge from the "recruiters" who seek them out to bring them to the marrow-stealing "factories."

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Authors need to have a firm grasp on all the different genres of books in order to find the perfect home for their own. The tropes and expectations of a book's genre will inform its content and style during the writing process, as well as fundamentals such as word count. But it's also central to the marketing of a book, determining its target audience, and those all-important Amazon categories. Get your genre wrong, and you could be waving goodbye to book sales and hello to unsatisfied reader reviews!

How many book genres are there?

Though we're only covering 35 of the most popular in this post, there are around 50 genres in total - the exact number depends on who you ask. If you take subgenres into account, over on Reedsy Discovery we have 107 different categories, while Amazon has over 16,000!

That can be a lot to take in. So if you'd like some personalized guidance, we recommend taking this 1-minute quiz that will point you towards your genre (and subgenre).

🖊️

For an overview of all of the genres, that's what the rest of this post is for. There's bound to be a genre that's the perfect fit for your book - all you have to do is find it!

Fiction genres

"Writing fiction is the act of weaving a series of lies to arrive at a greater truth." - Khaled Hosseini

Fantasy

This book genre is characterized by elements of magic or the supernatural and is often inspired by mythology or folklore. In high fantasy - one that's set in an entirely fictional world - these magical elements are at the forefront of the plot, as in Trudi Canavan's Black Magician trilogy. In low fantasy or magical realism, however, magic is subtly woven into an otherwise familiar, real-world setting. You can delve into fantasy's manysubgenres to get to know your Arcanepunk from your Flintlock, and find your book's home!

Pro tip for writing fantasy: To make your world feel real and functional, make sure it's grounded in rules - an internal rationale, so to speak, encompassing everything from the workings of your society to your magic system.

Science Fiction

Though science fiction and fantasy are often considered two sides of the same (speculative fiction) coin, sci-fi is distinguished by its preoccupation with real or real-feeling science. Lots of sci-fi is set in the distant future, which makes it a seedbed for stories about time travel and space exploration. But your science fiction novel doesn't need to be inspired by "hard" science like physics and astronomy. Some of the books in this genre reflect on "soft" sciences, such as sociology and anthropology, to predict the future of the human race - more on that next!

Dystopian

A popular genre of science fiction, dystopian novels offer a bleak and frightening vision of the future. Authors writing dystopias imagine a grim society, often in the aftermath of a disaster, facing things like oppressive governments, Black Mirror-esque technology, and environmental ruin. From widely popular series like The Hunger Games to critically-acclaimed classics like Nineteen Eighty-four, the enduring appeal of dystopian fiction lies in our burning desire to know where mankind is headed - and our perverse enjoyment of dark stories, so long as they aren't actually happening to us.

If you struggle to write consistently, sign up for our How to Write a Novel course to finish a novel in just 3 months.

Action & Adventure

If you're writing adventure, then chances are your book follows the structure of the Hero's Journey. Your protagonist has a very important goal to achieve, but they're really going to have to go through the wringer first! You throw up obstacle after obstacle, putting your hero in downright dangerous situations but eventually, they triumph and return home transformed. The action and adventure genre also complements a huge range of others, which means it has its fingers in everything from fantasy novels like The Hobbit to classic romance like J ane Eyre.

Mystery

Also called detective fiction, this book genre is characterized by a gripping plot that revolves around a mystery - but hopefully, you've cracked that clue! The setting, characters, and tone of your book will determine precisely which category it falls under: cozy mystery, hardboiled, or something in between. But at the core of any mystery is a crime that must be solved by the protagonist. To get a sense of the clever trail of clues that's so vital to this genre, check out Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie - the grande dame of mystery fiction.

Pro tip for writing a mystery: When planning your novel, consult the Fichtean curve, a narrative structure that emphasizes mini-crises, ratcheting up the tension to keep readers anxious to reach the climax.

Horror

What unites the books in this genre is not theme, plot, or setting, but the feeling they inspire in the reader: your pulse quickens, and your skin prickles as you turn the page with bated breath. Of course, this feeling of dread only comes about if the author creates the right atmosphere - an essential feature dependent on the subgenre. Gothic horror, for example, sends a shiver down your spine with spooky settings and paranormal elements, while gross-out horror shocks the reader with hacked-up flesh and buckets of blood. The master of horror fiction in all its guises? Stephen King, of course.

Pro tip for writing horror: Make the stakes plain and straightforward - survival, the death of a loved one, etc. - and clearly establish them for the reader, so they are in no doubt about the character's motivation.

Thriller & Suspense

A horror story can also be called a thriller, if it employs psychological fear to build suspense. But not all thrillers are horror stories. So what are they? While this book genre encompasses many of the same elements as mystery, in a thriller the protagonist is usually acting to save their own life, rather than to solve the crime. Thrillers typically include cliffhangers, deception, high emotional stakes, and plenty of action - keeping the reader on the edge of their seat until the book's climax. Gillian Flynn's Gone Girl is a masterclass in the dark, mysterious thriller.

Pro tip for writing a thriller: Avoid anything that bogs down the pacing. If you notice that a scene is getting tied up in everyday details, or doesn't add enough excitement to the plot, rewrite it or cut it altogether!

Historical Fiction

This book genre encompasses fictional stories in a historical setting, carefully balancing creativity and facts. In most cases, the characters and events are imagined by the author and enriched with historically accurate details from a specific time period. Take The Help by Kathryn Stockett, for example - a fictional story set in Mississippi during the Civil Rights Movement. But occasionally, as is the case with Hilary Mantel's Cromwell trilogy, the author builds the main story around real historical figures and events.

Like almost all of these genres, it's crucial that historical fiction works in exposition and historical detail subtly. Want to learn more about how to do this? Check out our free course on the golden writing rule, Show, Don't Tell.

Romance

Romance is so frequently used as a subplot that it can sometimes be tricky to know whether or not you're writing in this genre. The key thing to remember is that the romantic relationship must be the center point of the plot. (Other giveaways include a "happily ever after" ending and the warm fuzzies.) If your novel has a romantic relationship at its heart and is perfectly at home in another genre, it probably falls into one of romance's many subgenres, including but not limited to: young adult romance, paranormal romance, and historical romance.

Women's Fiction

Women's fiction is an umbrella term for books written to target a female audience, generally reflecting on the shared experience of being a woman or the growth of a female protagonist. Because of this rather broad definition, authors will quite often write a romance novel or mystery, for example, that could also be labeled women's fiction. Despite the connotations of one alternative name for this genre ("chick-lit"), many critically acclaimed bestsellers, including Jaqueline Woodson's Red at The Bone, fall under its purview.

LGBTQ+

Any fiction with authentic LGBTQ+ representation falls into this book genre. It's important to note that while your book's queer characters should feature in the main plot, the centerpiece of your plot doesn't have to be a romance. In fact, there doesn't need to be any romance at all! This means that your fantasy, thriller, or historical novel could fall under the LGBTQ+ umbrella.

Contemporary Fiction

This book genre is occasionally lumped in with others to indicate that the book takes place in the present day. But in its simplest form, contemporary fiction is better understood as the absence of a genre. Your book doesn't need tropes and trappings, monsters and mysteries, when its tension, drama, and conflict lies in the quirks and quandaries of your protagonist's everyday life: work, politics, relationships, and the struggles of the modern era.

Literary Fiction

Like contemporary fiction, books considered literary fiction can't be neatly filed under any other genre. What distinguishes this genre from contemporary fiction is that works of literary fiction are thought to have considerable artistic value. If your prose is meant to engage the reader in thought, if your narrative is character-driven and introspective, and if you provide personal or social commentary on a "serious" theme, then chances are you're writing lit-fic. Modern classics by the likes of Virginia Woolf or Ali Smith would be labeled literary fiction.

Like we mentioned, lit-fic is heavy on character, and lighter on plot. If you're interested in writing a character-driven story, try out our profile template for developing well-rounded, fully realized ones.

Magical Realism

You may remember us mentioning magical realism under the umbrella of fantasy - but considering its highbrow style and literary prestige, magical realism is often considered a genre in its own right. Its hallmarks include a real-world setting, a cast of run-of-the-mill characters (no vampires, fairies, or sorcerers), a fluid and non-linear timeline, and supernatural happenings - a baby born with feathered wings, or an egg hatching a ruby - left unexplained. Authors like Isabel Allende and Toni Morrison have used this literary style to grapple with serious social ills, from colonialism to fascism and slavery.

Graphic Novel

Some book genres aren't defined by their content at all, but by their form. Graphic novels are presented to the reader through narrative art (illustrations and typography) either in the traditional panel layout you'll be familiar with from comic books, or in the artist's own style. Once considered cheap entertainment for children, graphic novels are increasingly read and respected these days for their rich blend of visuals and writing. This powerful method of storytelling now portrays everything from memoirs, to manga, to adaptations of classic literature.

Short Story

Though they can belong to any of the other book genres on this list, short stories are frequently grouped together in their own genre because they're, well, so much shorter than novels. Often the author will compile a collection linked together by a narrative thread or, more commonly, a shared theme. The stories in A Manual for Cleaning Women by Lucia Berlin, for example, follow a series of women in different occupations - from cleaning women to ER nurses - all struggling to survive.

Young Adult

Young adult fiction, or YA, targets readers aged 12-18 and reflects its readership by following teenage characters as they grapple with the unique challenges of adolescence. Most works of YA fiction can be labeled " coming-of-age novels", in which the characters exit childhood and enter adulthood - a transition that results in a loss of innocence and a shifting sense of identity. Some of the biggest bestsellers in recent years have belonged to this genre, including The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas and anything by John Green.

Pro tip for writing young adult fiction: Though your teen character's voice should be true to her life experience, you should never "dumb down" the language, story, or style choices in a YA novel.

New Adult

The shiny new penny on this book genres list, new adult is like young adult aged-up: coming-of-age stories after the messiness of adolescence. Its college-age protagonists are walked through the gauntlet of becoming fully-fledged grownups, ditching the stress of the SATs and senior prom for college exams, career transitions, and more mature first times. Big names in New Adult, like Cora Carmack, tend to write steamy romances set in dorm rooms. But this genre isn't all about collegiate love stories - your gritty urban fantasy or immersive historical fiction could find its home here, too.

Children's

Books in this genre are written with readers under the age of twelve in mind. Of course, kids will do a lot of growing between the ages of zero and twelve, which is why children's books range from baby board books all the way up to middle grade 'epics' of 50,000 words. Hopefully, if you're writing children's literature, you already know you are. But it's crucial that you also know which age group you're trying to target, as this will impact the themes, characters, and complexity of your book.

Nonfiction genres

This is a broad category encompassing a number of nonfiction subgenres. From memoirs and biographies to books to self-help and true crime books, there's a type of nonfiction for every kind of reader.

Memoir & Autobiography

Both memoirs and autobiographies provide a true account of the author's life. They differ in that an autobiography provides a chronological account of your life's events and accomplishments, whereas a memoir puts the emphasis on only the most defining, emotional moments. Generally, these moments are drawn together by a single theme - or a significant time, place, or relationship - to communicate a message you wish to share with readers. The Argonauts by Maggie Nelson is a popular example of a memoir.

Pro tip for writing a memoir: Treat yourself as an interview subject and ask yourself questions that will trigger those life-defining stories - the ups and downs, the events that shaped you, what you sacrificed, what you learned.

Biography

Like autobiographies, biographies provide readers with a person's life story; but they're written in the third person by someone other than the subject. Generally, the subject of a biography is (or was) well-known - somebody whose life can teach readers an interesting lesson worth learning. Biographies, memoirs, and autobiographies differ from the rest of the nonfiction on this list, in that they weave a narrative in almost the same way a novel does. A great biography, like Ron Chernow's Alexander Hamilton, isn't a laundry list of events, but a life-giving tribute.

Food & Drink

Food and drink is one of nonfiction's hottest book genres, making it a crowded and highly competitive market. As a result, today's cookbooks tend to cater to specific cuisines, dietary, and/or lifestyle needs. If you're writing a cookbook, you might consider pairing recipes with nutritional information, short autobiographical narratives, or even workouts. Jo Wicks's 30 Day Kickstart Plan and Less Fuss No Waste Kitchen by Lindsay Miles are excellent examples of modern cookbooks.

Art & Photography

This genre is home to a few different kinds of books, all united by their love of art. Your book could find its way into this vibrant and stylish genre if it discusses an artist's work or an artistic style in detail; if it teaches a specific art method; if it explores a facet of art history; or if it showcases your own art in that chic, coffee-table book way.

Self-help

Some of the bestselling books in nonfiction, self-help books encourage personal improvement and confidence. Whether the focus is on relationships, emotional well-being, or finances, if you're writing a book that aims to uplift and empower the reader, then you're probably writing self-help.

History

The books in this genre lay down the known facts about a historical era, event, or figure. And since this is nonfiction, all the facts have to be accurate (though that doesn't mean there's no room for inference or opinion). The goal of these books is to educate and inform the reader, so this genre does include all those textbooks you used in school. But many history books ditch the play-by-play format to chronicle the past in a way more akin to storytelling. One of our favorite history books is Sapiens: A Brief History of Mankind by Yuval Noah Harari.

Travel

Travel memoirs and travelogues, like Jonathan Glancey's The Journey Matters, take us all over the world, giving even the most devoted homebodies a tantalizing taste of adventure, wildlife, and the great outdoors. These pocket-sized books - featuring destination reviews, lists of where to eat and what to see, and tips for traveling on a budget - are without a doubt some of the most useful titles on the shelves.

True Crime

Crime-fiction writers have put some pretty twisted plots to paper, but if you prefer to chronicle real crimes in all their haunting and fascinating detail, then the true crime genre is where your book belongs. From infamous murders to domestic disappearances, works in this genre pen true stories, about all things fearful and forbidden, that read as smoothly as well-crafted fiction.

Humor

Laugh-out-loud memoirs by the funniest celebs, satirical essays from the likes of David Sedaris, or gag gifts like How to Adult - all the books in this rib-tickling genre are written with one thing in mind: making readers laugh! So if you've compiled a collection of all your favorite dad jokes or penned a cathartic brain-dump of your most cringe-worthy memories, then your book may also belong in the humor genre.

Essays

An essay may sound like a boring assignment from your school years, but the books in this genre are among some of the most moving and inspirational works of literature there are. Many powerful voices - like James Baldwin and Roxane Gay - have used these short works to reflect on their own personal experiences and views, combining them into a collection that serves as an eye-opening social commentary on a particular theme or subject.

Guide / How-to

Readers turn to this book genre to develop a skill, hobby, or craft. So if you're an expert in a particular field and you've written a book showing hobbyists how to achieve something specific (like "how to master chess openings" or "a guide to floristry"), then this is its home! Of course, one dead giveaway might be your book's title.

Religion & Spirituality

From histories of the Catholic Church to spiritual guidebooks and memoirs of the Eat, Pray, Love variety, this genre has a place for anything and everything related to the topics of religion and spirituality.

Humanities & Social Sciences

Got something wise to say? Then your book might just belong among the books of this eclectic genre - as long as it discusses a topic related to (deep breath): philosophy, history, literature, language, art, religion, music, or the human condition. This might seem like a pretty wide net to fall into, but keep in mind that books in this genre are typically quite academic; if you've written more of a free-flowing spiritual guide, it probably belongs in the previous genre.

Parenting & Families

Parents and families struggling with discipline, education, bonding, the care of a newborn baby, or a child with special needs, can turn to this well-stocked genre of books when they need to bring in the reinforcements. If you've written a memoir that'll have families whole-heartedly nodding in agreement, or a guide brimming with advice for frazzled parents, then you can find a place for your book in the parenting and families section.

Science & Technology

The job of science nonfiction is not to predict the future, but to make sense of the world we're currently living in - which, quite honestly, can feel like science fiction to some of us! Readers of this genre range from complete beginners trying to understand the things around them to technophiles whose brains are whirring to keep up with the pace of change, so there's bound to be a niche for your book, however advanced it is.

Children's

As much as kids love fairytales and talking animals, they're often just as happy to pick up a nonfiction book at storytime. Whether it's an activity book to keep them busy, a powerful true story like Malala's Magic Pencil, or a children's encyclopedia to feed their brains, children's nonfiction is all about making learning fun. And the wildly popular Horrible Histories series has proven that this genre can compete with wizards and superheroes at every age!

There you have it: 35 of the most popular genres of books. Hopefully, this list will help you get your foot in the right door. But if your book doesn't slot neatly into any of these categories (though there are quite some more types of nonfiction to consider), don't be afraid to declare it a hybrid, or to dig a little deeper into the subcategories that you'll find in the shade of these umbrella genres.

And no matter what kind of book you're writing, check out our book development template to get started.

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The Ultimate List of Book Genres: 35 Popular Genres

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Among these 35 popular book genres, there's bound to be one that fits your book like a glove - so let's find it!

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Genre: Memoir / True story about the author's own life  (Non-Fiction)

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Genre: Memoir / True story about the author's own life  (Non-Fiction)

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Authors need to have a firm grasp on all the different genres of books in order to find the perfect home for their own. The tropes and expectations of a book's genre will inform its content and style during the writing process, as well as fundamentals such as word count. But it's also central to the marketing of a book, determining its target audience, and those all-important Amazon categories. Get your genre wrong, and you could be waving goodbye to book sales and hello to unsatisfied reader reviews!

How many book genres are there?

Though we're only covering 35 of the most popular in this post, there are around 50 genres in total - the exact number depends on who you ask. If you take subgenres into account, over on Reedsy Discovery we have 107 different categories, while Amazon has over 16,000!

That can be a lot to take in. So if you'd like some personalized guidance, we recommend taking this 1-minute quiz that will point you towards your genre (and subgenre).

🖊️

For an overview of all of the genres, that's what the rest of this post is for. There's bound to be a genre that's the perfect fit for your book - all you have to do is find it!

Fiction genres

"Writing fiction is the act of weaving a series of lies to arrive at a greater truth." - Khaled Hosseini

Fantasy

This book genre is characterized by elements of magic or the supernatural and is often inspired by mythology or folklore. In high fantasy - one that's set in an entirely fictional world - these magical elements are at the forefront of the plot, as in Trudi Canavan's Black Magician trilogy. In low fantasy or magical realism, however, magic is subtly woven into an otherwise familiar, real-world setting. You can delve into fantasy's manysubgenres to get to know your Arcanepunk from your Flintlock, and find your book's home!

Pro tip for writing fantasy: To make your world feel real and functional, make sure it's grounded in rules - an internal rationale, so to speak, encompassing everything from the workings of your society to your magic system.

Science Fiction

Though science fiction and fantasy are often considered two sides of the same (speculative fiction) coin, sci-fi is distinguished by its preoccupation with real or real-feeling science. Lots of sci-fi is set in the distant future, which makes it a seedbed for stories about time travel and space exploration. But your science fiction novel doesn't need to be inspired by "hard" science like physics and astronomy. Some of the books in this genre reflect on "soft" sciences, such as sociology and anthropology, to predict the future of the human race - more on that next!

Dystopian

A popular genre of science fiction, dystopian novels offer a bleak and frightening vision of the future. Authors writing dystopias imagine a grim society, often in the aftermath of a disaster, facing things like oppressive governments, Black Mirror-esque technology, and environmental ruin. From widely popular series like The Hunger Games to critically-acclaimed classics like Nineteen Eighty-four, the enduring appeal of dystopian fiction lies in our burning desire to know where mankind is headed - and our perverse enjoyment of dark stories, so long as they aren't actually happening to us.

If you struggle to write consistently, sign up for our How to Write a Novel course to finish a novel in just 3 months.

Action & Adventure

If you're writing adventure, then chances are your book follows the structure of the Hero's Journey. Your protagonist has a very important goal to achieve, but they're really going to have to go through the wringer first! You throw up obstacle after obstacle, putting your hero in downright dangerous situations but eventually, they triumph and return home transformed. The action and adventure genre also complements a huge range of others, which means it has its fingers in everything from fantasy novels like The Hobbit to classic romance like J ane Eyre.

Mystery

Also called detective fiction, this book genre is characterized by a gripping plot that revolves around a mystery - but hopefully, you've cracked that clue! The setting, characters, and tone of your book will determine precisely which category it falls under: cozy mystery, hardboiled, or something in between. But at the core of any mystery is a crime that must be solved by the protagonist. To get a sense of the clever trail of clues that's so vital to this genre, check out Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie - the grande dame of mystery fiction.

Pro tip for writing a mystery: When planning your novel, consult the Fichtean curve, a narrative structure that emphasizes mini-crises, ratcheting up the tension to keep readers anxious to reach the climax.

Horror

What unites the books in this genre is not theme, plot, or setting, but the feeling they inspire in the reader: your pulse quickens, and your skin prickles as you turn the page with bated breath. Of course, this feeling of dread only comes about if the author creates the right atmosphere - an essential feature dependent on the subgenre. Gothic horror, for example, sends a shiver down your spine with spooky settings and paranormal elements, while gross-out horror shocks the reader with hacked-up flesh and buckets of blood. The master of horror fiction in all its guises? Stephen King, of course.

Pro tip for writing horror: Make the stakes plain and straightforward - survival, the death of a loved one, etc. - and clearly establish them for the reader, so they are in no doubt about the character's motivation.

Thriller & Suspense

A horror story can also be called a thriller, if it employs psychological fear to build suspense. But not all thrillers are horror stories. So what are they? While this book genre encompasses many of the same elements as mystery, in a thriller the protagonist is usually acting to save their own life, rather than to solve the crime. Thrillers typically include cliffhangers, deception, high emotional stakes, and plenty of action - keeping the reader on the edge of their seat until the book's climax. Gillian Flynn's Gone Girl is a masterclass in the dark, mysterious thriller.

Pro tip for writing a thriller: Avoid anything that bogs down the pacing. If you notice that a scene is getting tied up in everyday details, or doesn't add enough excitement to the plot, rewrite it or cut it altogether!

Historical Fiction

This book genre encompasses fictional stories in a historical setting, carefully balancing creativity and facts. In most cases, the characters and events are imagined by the author and enriched with historically accurate details from a specific time period. Take The Help by Kathryn Stockett, for example - a fictional story set in Mississippi during the Civil Rights Movement. But occasionally, as is the case with Hilary Mantel's Cromwell trilogy, the author builds the main story around real historical figures and events.

Like almost all of these genres, it's crucial that historical fiction works in exposition and historical detail subtly. Want to learn more about how to do this? Check out our free course on the golden writing rule, Show, Don't Tell.

Romance

Romance is so frequently used as a subplot that it can sometimes be tricky to know whether or not you're writing in this genre. The key thing to remember is that the romantic relationship must be the center point of the plot. (Other giveaways include a "happily ever after" ending and the warm fuzzies.) If your novel has a romantic relationship at its heart and is perfectly at home in another genre, it probably falls into one of romance's many subgenres, including but not limited to: young adult romance, paranormal romance, and historical romance.

Women's Fiction

Women's fiction is an umbrella term for books written to target a female audience, generally reflecting on the shared experience of being a woman or the growth of a female protagonist. Because of this rather broad definition, authors will quite often write a romance novel or mystery, for example, that could also be labeled women's fiction. Despite the connotations of one alternative name for this genre ("chick-lit"), many critically acclaimed bestsellers, including Jaqueline Woodson's Red at The Bone, fall under its purview.

LGBTQ+

Any fiction with authentic LGBTQ+ representation falls into this book genre. It's important to note that while your book's queer characters should feature in the main plot, the centerpiece of your plot doesn't have to be a romance. In fact, there doesn't need to be any romance at all! This means that your fantasy, thriller, or historical novel could fall under the LGBTQ+ umbrella.

Contemporary Fiction

This book genre is occasionally lumped in with others to indicate that the book takes place in the present day. But in its simplest form, contemporary fiction is better understood as the absence of a genre. Your book doesn't need tropes and trappings, monsters and mysteries, when its tension, drama, and conflict lies in the quirks and quandaries of your protagonist's everyday life: work, politics, relationships, and the struggles of the modern era.

Literary Fiction

Like contemporary fiction, books considered literary fiction can't be neatly filed under any other genre. What distinguishes this genre from contemporary fiction is that works of literary fiction are thought to have considerable artistic value. If your prose is meant to engage the reader in thought, if your narrative is character-driven and introspective, and if you provide personal or social commentary on a "serious" theme, then chances are you're writing lit-fic. Modern classics by the likes of Virginia Woolf or Ali Smith would be labeled literary fiction.

Like we mentioned, lit-fic is heavy on character, and lighter on plot. If you're interested in writing a character-driven story, try out our profile template for developing well-rounded, fully realized ones.

Magical Realism

You may remember us mentioning magical realism under the umbrella of fantasy - but considering its highbrow style and literary prestige, magical realism is often considered a genre in its own right. Its hallmarks include a real-world setting, a cast of run-of-the-mill characters (no vampires, fairies, or sorcerers), a fluid and non-linear timeline, and supernatural happenings - a baby born with feathered wings, or an egg hatching a ruby - left unexplained. Authors like Isabel Allende and Toni Morrison have used this literary style to grapple with serious social ills, from colonialism to fascism and slavery.

Graphic Novel

Some book genres aren't defined by their content at all, but by their form. Graphic novels are presented to the reader through narrative art (illustrations and typography) either in the traditional panel layout you'll be familiar with from comic books, or in the artist's own style. Once considered cheap entertainment for children, graphic novels are increasingly read and respected these days for their rich blend of visuals and writing. This powerful method of storytelling now portrays everything from memoirs, to manga, to adaptations of classic literature.

Short Story

Though they can belong to any of the other book genres on this list, short stories are frequently grouped together in their own genre because they're, well, so much shorter than novels. Often the author will compile a collection linked together by a narrative thread or, more commonly, a shared theme. The stories in A Manual for Cleaning Women by Lucia Berlin, for example, follow a series of women in different occupations - from cleaning women to ER nurses - all struggling to survive.

Young Adult

Young adult fiction, or YA, targets readers aged 12-18 and reflects its readership by following teenage characters as they grapple with the unique challenges of adolescence. Most works of YA fiction can be labeled " coming-of-age novels", in which the characters exit childhood and enter adulthood - a transition that results in a loss of innocence and a shifting sense of identity. Some of the biggest bestsellers in recent years have belonged to this genre, including The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas and anything by John Green.

Pro tip for writing young adult fiction: Though your teen character's voice should be true to her life experience, you should never "dumb down" the language, story, or style choices in a YA novel.

New Adult

The shiny new penny on this book genres list, new adult is like young adult aged-up: coming-of-age stories after the messiness of adolescence. Its college-age protagonists are walked through the gauntlet of becoming fully-fledged grownups, ditching the stress of the SATs and senior prom for college exams, career transitions, and more mature first times. Big names in New Adult, like Cora Carmack, tend to write steamy romances set in dorm rooms. But this genre isn't all about collegiate love stories - your gritty urban fantasy or immersive historical fiction could find its home here, too.

Children's

Books in this genre are written with readers under the age of twelve in mind. Of course, kids will do a lot of growing between the ages of zero and twelve, which is why children's books range from baby board books all the way up to middle grade 'epics' of 50,000 words. Hopefully, if you're writing children's literature, you already know you are. But it's crucial that you also know which age group you're trying to target, as this will impact the themes, characters, and complexity of your book.

Nonfiction genres

This is a broad category encompassing a number of nonfiction subgenres. From memoirs and biographies to books to self-help and true crime books, there's a type of nonfiction for every kind of reader.

Memoir & Autobiography

Both memoirs and autobiographies provide a true account of the author's life. They differ in that an autobiography provides a chronological account of your life's events and accomplishments, whereas a memoir puts the emphasis on only the most defining, emotional moments. Generally, these moments are drawn together by a single theme - or a significant time, place, or relationship - to communicate a message you wish to share with readers. The Argonauts by Maggie Nelson is a popular example of a memoir.

Pro tip for writing a memoir: Treat yourself as an interview subject and ask yourself questions that will trigger those life-defining stories - the ups and downs, the events that shaped you, what you sacrificed, what you learned.

Biography

Like autobiographies, biographies provide readers with a person's life story; but they're written in the third person by someone other than the subject. Generally, the subject of a biography is (or was) well-known - somebody whose life can teach readers an interesting lesson worth learning. Biographies, memoirs, and autobiographies differ from the rest of the nonfiction on this list, in that they weave a narrative in almost the same way a novel does. A great biography, like Ron Chernow's Alexander Hamilton, isn't a laundry list of events, but a life-giving tribute.

Food & Drink

Food and drink is one of nonfiction's hottest book genres, making it a crowded and highly competitive market. As a result, today's cookbooks tend to cater to specific cuisines, dietary, and/or lifestyle needs. If you're writing a cookbook, you might consider pairing recipes with nutritional information, short autobiographical narratives, or even workouts. Jo Wicks's 30 Day Kickstart Plan and Less Fuss No Waste Kitchen by Lindsay Miles are excellent examples of modern cookbooks.

Art & Photography

This genre is home to a few different kinds of books, all united by their love of art. Your book could find its way into this vibrant and stylish genre if it discusses an artist's work or an artistic style in detail; if it teaches a specific art method; if it explores a facet of art history; or if it showcases your own art in that chic, coffee-table book way.

Self-help

Some of the bestselling books in nonfiction, self-help books encourage personal improvement and confidence. Whether the focus is on relationships, emotional well-being, or finances, if you're writing a book that aims to uplift and empower the reader, then you're probably writing self-help.

History

The books in this genre lay down the known facts about a historical era, event, or figure. And since this is nonfiction, all the facts have to be accurate (though that doesn't mean there's no room for inference or opinion). The goal of these books is to educate and inform the reader, so this genre does include all those textbooks you used in school. But many history books ditch the play-by-play format to chronicle the past in a way more akin to storytelling. One of our favorite history books is Sapiens: A Brief History of Mankind by Yuval Noah Harari.

Travel

Travel memoirs and travelogues, like Jonathan Glancey's The Journey Matters, take us all over the world, giving even the most devoted homebodies a tantalizing taste of adventure, wildlife, and the great outdoors. These pocket-sized books - featuring destination reviews, lists of where to eat and what to see, and tips for traveling on a budget - are without a doubt some of the most useful titles on the shelves.

True Crime

Crime-fiction writers have put some pretty twisted plots to paper, but if you prefer to chronicle real crimes in all their haunting and fascinating detail, then the true crime genre is where your book belongs. From infamous murders to domestic disappearances, works in this genre pen true stories, about all things fearful and forbidden, that read as smoothly as well-crafted fiction.

Humor

Laugh-out-loud memoirs by the funniest celebs, satirical essays from the likes of David Sedaris, or gag gifts like How to Adult - all the books in this rib-tickling genre are written with one thing in mind: making readers laugh! So if you've compiled a collection of all your favorite dad jokes or penned a cathartic brain-dump of your most cringe-worthy memories, then your book may also belong in the humor genre.

Essays

An essay may sound like a boring assignment from your school years, but the books in this genre are among some of the most moving and inspirational works of literature there are. Many powerful voices - like James Baldwin and Roxane Gay - have used these short works to reflect on their own personal experiences and views, combining them into a collection that serves as an eye-opening social commentary on a particular theme or subject.

Guide / How-to

Readers turn to this book genre to develop a skill, hobby, or craft. So if you're an expert in a particular field and you've written a book showing hobbyists how to achieve something specific (like "how to master chess openings" or "a guide to floristry"), then this is its home! Of course, one dead giveaway might be your book's title.

Religion & Spirituality

From histories of the Catholic Church to spiritual guidebooks and memoirs of the Eat, Pray, Love variety, this genre has a place for anything and everything related to the topics of religion and spirituality.

Humanities & Social Sciences

Got something wise to say? Then your book might just belong among the books of this eclectic genre - as long as it discusses a topic related to (deep breath): philosophy, history, literature, language, art, religion, music, or the human condition. This might seem like a pretty wide net to fall into, but keep in mind that books in this genre are typically quite academic; if you've written more of a free-flowing spiritual guide, it probably belongs in the previous genre.

Parenting & Families

Parents and families struggling with discipline, education, bonding, the care of a newborn baby, or a child with special needs, can turn to this well-stocked genre of books when they need to bring in the reinforcements. If you've written a memoir that'll have families whole-heartedly nodding in agreement, or a guide brimming with advice for frazzled parents, then you can find a place for your book in the parenting and families section.

Science & Technology

The job of science nonfiction is not to predict the future, but to make sense of the world we're currently living in - which, quite honestly, can feel like science fiction to some of us! Readers of this genre range from complete beginners trying to understand the things around them to technophiles whose brains are whirring to keep up with the pace of change, so there's bound to be a niche for your book, however advanced it is.

Children's

As much as kids love fairytales and talking animals, they're often just as happy to pick up a nonfiction book at storytime. Whether it's an activity book to keep them busy, a powerful true story like Malala's Magic Pencil, or a children's encyclopedia to feed their brains, children's nonfiction is all about making learning fun. And the wildly popular Horrible Histories series has proven that this genre can compete with wizards and superheroes at every age!

There you have it: 35 of the most popular genres of books. Hopefully, this list will help you get your foot in the right door. But if your book doesn't slot neatly into any of these categories (though there are quite some more types of nonfiction to consider), don't be afraid to declare it a hybrid, or to dig a little deeper into the subcategories that you'll find in the shade of these umbrella genres.

And no matter what kind of book you're writing, check out our book development template to get started.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The Ultimate List of Book Genres: 35 Popular Genres

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Among these 35 popular book genres, there's bound to be one that fits your book like a glove - so let's find it!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Authors need to have a firm grasp on all the different genres of books in order to find the perfect home for their own. The tropes and expectations of a book's genre will inform its content and style during the writing process, as well as fundamentals such as word count. But it's also central to the marketing of a book, determining its target audience, and those all-important Amazon categories. Get your genre wrong, and you could be waving goodbye to book sales and hello to unsatisfied reader reviews!

How many book genres are there?

Though we're only covering 35 of the most popular in this post, there are around 50 genres in total - the exact number depends on who you ask. If you take subgenres into account, over on Reedsy Discovery we have 107 different categories, while Amazon has over 16,000!

That can be a lot to take in. So if you'd like some personalized guidance, we recommend taking this 1-minute quiz that will point you towards your genre (and subgenre).

🖊️

For an overview of all of the genres, that's what the rest of this post is for. There's bound to be a genre that's the perfect fit for your book - all you have to do is find it!

Fiction genres

"Writing fiction is the act of weaving a series of lies to arrive at a greater truth." - Khaled Hosseini

Fantasy

This book genre is characterized by elements of magic or the supernatural and is often inspired by mythology or folklore. In high fantasy - one that's set in an entirely fictional world - these magical elements are at the forefront of the plot, as in Trudi Canavan's Black Magician trilogy. In low fantasy or magical realism, however, magic is subtly woven into an otherwise familiar, real-world setting. You can delve into fantasy's manysubgenres to get to know your Arcanepunk from your Flintlock, and find your book's home!

Pro tip for writing fantasy: To make your world feel real and functional, make sure it's grounded in rules - an internal rationale, so to speak, encompassing everything from the workings of your society to your magic system.

Science Fiction

Though science fiction and fantasy are often considered two sides of the same (speculative fiction) coin, sci-fi is distinguished by its preoccupation with real or real-feeling science. Lots of sci-fi is set in the distant future, which makes it a seedbed for stories about time travel and space exploration. But your science fiction novel doesn't need to be inspired by "hard" science like physics and astronomy. Some of the books in this genre reflect on "soft" sciences, such as sociology and anthropology, to predict the future of the human race - more on that next!

Dystopian

A popular genre of science fiction, dystopian novels offer a bleak and frightening vision of the future. Authors writing dystopias imagine a grim society, often in the aftermath of a disaster, facing things like oppressive governments, Black Mirror-esque technology, and environmental ruin. From widely popular series like The Hunger Games to critically-acclaimed classics like Nineteen Eighty-four, the enduring appeal of dystopian fiction lies in our burning desire to know where mankind is headed - and our perverse enjoyment of dark stories, so long as they aren't actually happening to us.

If you struggle to write consistently, sign up for our How to Write a Novel course to finish a novel in just 3 months.

Action & Adventure

If you're writing adventure, then chances are your book follows the structure of the Hero's Journey. Your protagonist has a very important goal to achieve, but they're really going to have to go through the wringer first! You throw up obstacle after obstacle, putting your hero in downright dangerous situations but eventually, they triumph and return home transformed. The action and adventure genre also complements a huge range of others, which means it has its fingers in everything from fantasy novels like The Hobbit to classic romance like J ane Eyre.

Mystery

Also called detective fiction, this book genre is characterized by a gripping plot that revolves around a mystery - but hopefully, you've cracked that clue! The setting, characters, and tone of your book will determine precisely which category it falls under: cozy mystery, hardboiled, or something in between. But at the core of any mystery is a crime that must be solved by the protagonist. To get a sense of the clever trail of clues that's so vital to this genre, check out Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie - the grande dame of mystery fiction.

Pro tip for writing a mystery: When planning your novel, consult the Fichtean curve, a narrative structure that emphasizes mini-crises, ratcheting up the tension to keep readers anxious to reach the climax.

Horror

What unites the books in this genre is not theme, plot, or setting, but the feeling they inspire in the reader: your pulse quickens, and your skin prickles as you turn the page with bated breath. Of course, this feeling of dread only comes about if the author creates the right atmosphere - an essential feature dependent on the subgenre. Gothic horror, for example, sends a shiver down your spine with spooky settings and paranormal elements, while gross-out horror shocks the reader with hacked-up flesh and buckets of blood. The master of horror fiction in all its guises? Stephen King, of course.

Pro tip for writing horror: Make the stakes plain and straightforward - survival, the death of a loved one, etc. - and clearly establish them for the reader, so they are in no doubt about the character's motivation.

Thriller & Suspense

A horror story can also be called a thriller, if it employs psychological fear to build suspense. But not all thrillers are horror stories. So what are they? While this book genre encompasses many of the same elements as mystery, in a thriller the protagonist is usually acting to save their own life, rather than to solve the crime. Thrillers typically include cliffhangers, deception, high emotional stakes, and plenty of action - keeping the reader on the edge of their seat until the book's climax. Gillian Flynn's Gone Girl is a masterclass in the dark, mysterious thriller.

Pro tip for writing a thriller: Avoid anything that bogs down the pacing. If you notice that a scene is getting tied up in everyday details, or doesn't add enough excitement to the plot, rewrite it or cut it altogether!

Historical Fiction

This book genre encompasses fictional stories in a historical setting, carefully balancing creativity and facts. In most cases, the characters and events are imagined by the author and enriched with historically accurate details from a specific time period. Take The Help by Kathryn Stockett, for example - a fictional story set in Mississippi during the Civil Rights Movement. But occasionally, as is the case with Hilary Mantel's Cromwell trilogy, the author builds the main story around real historical figures and events.

Like almost all of these genres, it's crucial that historical fiction works in exposition and historical detail subtly. Want to learn more about how to do this? Check out our free course on the golden writing rule, Show, Don't Tell.

Romance

Romance is so frequently used as a subplot that it can sometimes be tricky to know whether or not you're writing in this genre. The key thing to remember is that the romantic relationship must be the center point of the plot. (Other giveaways include a "happily ever after" ending and the warm fuzzies.) If your novel has a romantic relationship at its heart and is perfectly at home in another genre, it probably falls into one of romance's many subgenres, including but not limited to: young adult romance, paranormal romance, and historical romance.

Women's Fiction

Women's fiction is an umbrella term for books written to target a female audience, generally reflecting on the shared experience of being a woman or the growth of a female protagonist. Because of this rather broad definition, authors will quite often write a romance novel or mystery, for example, that could also be labeled women's fiction. Despite the connotations of one alternative name for this genre ("chick-lit"), many critically acclaimed bestsellers, including Jaqueline Woodson's Red at The Bone, fall under its purview.

LGBTQ+

Any fiction with authentic LGBTQ+ representation falls into this book genre. It's important to note that while your book's queer characters should feature in the main plot, the centerpiece of your plot doesn't have to be a romance. In fact, there doesn't need to be any romance at all! This means that your fantasy, thriller, or historical novel could fall under the LGBTQ+ umbrella.

Contemporary Fiction

This book genre is occasionally lumped in with others to indicate that the book takes place in the present day. But in its simplest form, contemporary fiction is better understood as the absence of a genre. Your book doesn't need tropes and trappings, monsters and mysteries, when its tension, drama, and conflict lies in the quirks and quandaries of your protagonist's everyday life: work, politics, relationships, and the struggles of the modern era.

Literary Fiction

Like contemporary fiction, books considered literary fiction can't be neatly filed under any other genre. What distinguishes this genre from contemporary fiction is that works of literary fiction are thought to have considerable artistic value. If your prose is meant to engage the reader in thought, if your narrative is character-driven and introspective, and if you provide personal or social commentary on a "serious" theme, then chances are you're writing lit-fic. Modern classics by the likes of Virginia Woolf or Ali Smith would be labeled literary fiction.

Like we mentioned, lit-fic is heavy on character, and lighter on plot. If you're interested in writing a character-driven story, try out our profile template for developing well-rounded, fully realized ones.

Magical Realism

You may remember us mentioning magical realism under the umbrella of fantasy - but considering its highbrow style and literary prestige, magical realism is often considered a genre in its own right. Its hallmarks include a real-world setting, a cast of run-of-the-mill characters (no vampires, fairies, or sorcerers), a fluid and non-linear timeline, and supernatural happenings - a baby born with feathered wings, or an egg hatching a ruby - left unexplained. Authors like Isabel Allende and Toni Morrison have used this literary style to grapple with serious social ills, from colonialism to fascism and slavery.

Graphic Novel

Some book genres aren't defined by their content at all, but by their form. Graphic novels are presented to the reader through narrative art (illustrations and typography) either in the traditional panel layout you'll be familiar with from comic books, or in the artist's own style. Once considered cheap entertainment for children, graphic novels are increasingly read and respected these days for their rich blend of visuals and writing. This powerful method of storytelling now portrays everything from memoirs, to manga, to adaptations of classic literature.

Short Story

Though they can belong to any of the other book genres on this list, short stories are frequently grouped together in their own genre because they're, well, so much shorter than novels. Often the author will compile a collection linked together by a narrative thread or, more commonly, a shared theme. The stories in A Manual for Cleaning Women by Lucia Berlin, for example, follow a series of women in different occupations - from cleaning women to ER nurses - all struggling to survive.

Young Adult

Young adult fiction, or YA, targets readers aged 12-18 and reflects its readership by following teenage characters as they grapple with the unique challenges of adolescence. Most works of YA fiction can be labeled " coming-of-age novels", in which the characters exit childhood and enter adulthood - a transition that results in a loss of innocence and a shifting sense of identity. Some of the biggest bestsellers in recent years have belonged to this genre, including The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas and anything by John Green.

Pro tip for writing young adult fiction: Though your teen character's voice should be true to her life experience, you should never "dumb down" the language, story, or style choices in a YA novel.

New Adult

The shiny new penny on this book genres list, new adult is like young adult aged-up: coming-of-age stories after the messiness of adolescence. Its college-age protagonists are walked through the gauntlet of becoming fully-fledged grownups, ditching the stress of the SATs and senior prom for college exams, career transitions, and more mature first times. Big names in New Adult, like Cora Carmack, tend to write steamy romances set in dorm rooms. But this genre isn't all about collegiate love stories - your gritty urban fantasy or immersive historical fiction could find its home here, too.

Children's

Books in this genre are written with readers under the age of twelve in mind. Of course, kids will do a lot of growing between the ages of zero and twelve, which is why children's books range from baby board books all the way up to middle grade 'epics' of 50,000 words. Hopefully, if you're writing children's literature, you already know you are. But it's crucial that you also know which age group you're trying to target, as this will impact the themes, characters, and complexity of your book.

Nonfiction genres

This is a broad category encompassing a number of nonfiction subgenres. From memoirs and biographies to books to self-help and true crime books, there's a type of nonfiction for every kind of reader.

Memoir & Autobiography

Both memoirs and autobiographies provide a true account of the author's life. They differ in that an autobiography provides a chronological account of your life's events and accomplishments, whereas a memoir puts the emphasis on only the most defining, emotional moments. Generally, these moments are drawn together by a single theme - or a significant time, place, or relationship - to communicate a message you wish to share with readers. The Argonauts by Maggie Nelson is a popular example of a memoir.

Pro tip for writing a memoir: Treat yourself as an interview subject and ask yourself questions that will trigger those life-defining stories - the ups and downs, the events that shaped you, what you sacrificed, what you learned.

Biography

Like autobiographies, biographies provide readers with a person's life story; but they're written in the third person by someone other than the subject. Generally, the subject of a biography is (or was) well-known - somebody whose life can teach readers an interesting lesson worth learning. Biographies, memoirs, and autobiographies differ from the rest of the nonfiction on this list, in that they weave a narrative in almost the same way a novel does. A great biography, like Ron Chernow's Alexander Hamilton, isn't a laundry list of events, but a life-giving tribute.

Food & Drink

Food and drink is one of nonfiction's hottest book genres, making it a crowded and highly competitive market. As a result, today's cookbooks tend to cater to specific cuisines, dietary, and/or lifestyle needs. If you're writing a cookbook, you might consider pairing recipes with nutritional information, short autobiographical narratives, or even workouts. Jo Wicks's 30 Day Kickstart Plan and Less Fuss No Waste Kitchen by Lindsay Miles are excellent examples of modern cookbooks.

Art & Photography

This genre is home to a few different kinds of books, all united by their love of art. Your book could find its way into this vibrant and stylish genre if it discusses an artist's work or an artistic style in detail; if it teaches a specific art method; if it explores a facet of art history; or if it showcases your own art in that chic, coffee-table book way.

Self-help

Some of the bestselling books in nonfiction, self-help books encourage personal improvement and confidence. Whether the focus is on relationships, emotional well-being, or finances, if you're writing a book that aims to uplift and empower the reader, then you're probably writing self-help.

History

The books in this genre lay down the known facts about a historical era, event, or figure. And since this is nonfiction, all the facts have to be accurate (though that doesn't mean there's no room for inference or opinion). The goal of these books is to educate and inform the reader, so this genre does include all those textbooks you used in school. But many history books ditch the play-by-play format to chronicle the past in a way more akin to storytelling. One of our favorite history books is Sapiens: A Brief History of Mankind by Yuval Noah Harari.

Travel

Travel memoirs and travelogues, like Jonathan Glancey's The Journey Matters, take us all over the world, giving even the most devoted homebodies a tantalizing taste of adventure, wildlife, and the great outdoors. These pocket-sized books - featuring destination reviews, lists of where to eat and what to see, and tips for traveling on a budget - are without a doubt some of the most useful titles on the shelves.

True Crime

Crime-fiction writers have put some pretty twisted plots to paper, but if you prefer to chronicle real crimes in all their haunting and fascinating detail, then the true crime genre is where your book belongs. From infamous murders to domestic disappearances, works in this genre pen true stories, about all things fearful and forbidden, that read as smoothly as well-crafted fiction.

Humor

Laugh-out-loud memoirs by the funniest celebs, satirical essays from the likes of David Sedaris, or gag gifts like How to Adult - all the books in this rib-tickling genre are written with one thing in mind: making readers laugh! So if you've compiled a collection of all your favorite dad jokes or penned a cathartic brain-dump of your most cringe-worthy memories, then your book may also belong in the humor genre.

Essays

An essay may sound like a boring assignment from your school years, but the books in this genre are among some of the most moving and inspirational works of literature there are. Many powerful voices - like James Baldwin and Roxane Gay - have used these short works to reflect on their own personal experiences and views, combining them into a collection that serves as an eye-opening social commentary on a particular theme or subject.

Guide / How-to

Readers turn to this book genre to develop a skill, hobby, or craft. So if you're an expert in a particular field and you've written a book showing hobbyists how to achieve something specific (like "how to master chess openings" or "a guide to floristry"), then this is its home! Of course, one dead giveaway might be your book's title.

Religion & Spirituality

From histories of the Catholic Church to spiritual guidebooks and memoirs of the Eat, Pray, Love variety, this genre has a place for anything and everything related to the topics of religion and spirituality.

Humanities & Social Sciences

Got something wise to say? Then your book might just belong among the books of this eclectic genre - as long as it discusses a topic related to (deep breath): philosophy, history, literature, language, art, religion, music, or the human condition. This might seem like a pretty wide net to fall into, but keep in mind that books in this genre are typically quite academic; if you've written more of a free-flowing spiritual guide, it probably belongs in the previous genre.

Parenting & Families

Parents and families struggling with discipline, education, bonding, the care of a newborn baby, or a child with special needs, can turn to this well-stocked genre of books when they need to bring in the reinforcements. If you've written a memoir that'll have families whole-heartedly nodding in agreement, or a guide brimming with advice for frazzled parents, then you can find a place for your book in the parenting and families section.

Science & Technology

The job of science nonfiction is not to predict the future, but to make sense of the world we're currently living in - which, quite honestly, can feel like science fiction to some of us! Readers of this genre range from complete beginners trying to understand the things around them to technophiles whose brains are whirring to keep up with the pace of change, so there's bound to be a niche for your book, however advanced it is.

Children's

As much as kids love fairytales and talking animals, they're often just as happy to pick up a nonfiction book at storytime. Whether it's an activity book to keep them busy, a powerful true story like Malala's Magic Pencil, or a children's encyclopedia to feed their brains, children's nonfiction is all about making learning fun. And the wildly popular Horrible Histories series has proven that this genre can compete with wizards and superheroes at every age!

There you have it: 35 of the most popular genres of books. Hopefully, this list will help you get your foot in the right door. But if your book doesn't slot neatly into any of these categories (though there are quite some more types of nonfiction to consider), don't be afraid to declare it a hybrid, or to dig a little deeper into the subcategories that you'll find in the shade of these umbrella genres.

And no matter what kind of book you're writing, check out our book development template to get started.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The Ultimate List of Book Genres: 35 Popular Genres

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Among these 35 popular book genres, there's bound to be one that fits your book like a glove - so let's find it!

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Genre: Genre: Magical Realism (Real World, but with some magical / fantasy elements sprinkled in)

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Genre: Genre: Magical Realism (Real World, but with some magical / fantasy elements sprinkled in)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Authors need to have a firm grasp on all the different genres of books in order to find the perfect home for their own. The tropes and expectations of a book's genre will inform its content and style during the writing process, as well as fundamentals such as word count. But it's also central to the marketing of a book, determining its target audience, and those all-important Amazon categories. Get your genre wrong, and you could be waving goodbye to book sales and hello to unsatisfied reader reviews!

How many book genres are there?

Though we're only covering 35 of the most popular in this post, there are around 50 genres in total - the exact number depends on who you ask. If you take subgenres into account, over on Reedsy Discovery we have 107 different categories, while Amazon has over 16,000!

That can be a lot to take in. So if you'd like some personalized guidance, we recommend taking this 1-minute quiz that will point you towards your genre (and subgenre).

🖊️

For an overview of all of the genres, that's what the rest of this post is for. There's bound to be a genre that's the perfect fit for your book - all you have to do is find it!

Fiction genres

"Writing fiction is the act of weaving a series of lies to arrive at a greater truth." - Khaled Hosseini

Fantasy

This book genre is characterized by elements of magic or the supernatural and is often inspired by mythology or folklore. In high fantasy - one that's set in an entirely fictional world - these magical elements are at the forefront of the plot, as in Trudi Canavan's Black Magician trilogy. In low fantasy or magical realism, however, magic is subtly woven into an otherwise familiar, real-world setting. You can delve into fantasy's manysubgenres to get to know your Arcanepunk from your Flintlock, and find your book's home!

Pro tip for writing fantasy: To make your world feel real and functional, make sure it's grounded in rules - an internal rationale, so to speak, encompassing everything from the workings of your society to your magic system.

Science Fiction

Though science fiction and fantasy are often considered two sides of the same (speculative fiction) coin, sci-fi is distinguished by its preoccupation with real or real-feeling science. Lots of sci-fi is set in the distant future, which makes it a seedbed for stories about time travel and space exploration. But your science fiction novel doesn't need to be inspired by "hard" science like physics and astronomy. Some of the books in this genre reflect on "soft" sciences, such as sociology and anthropology, to predict the future of the human race - more on that next!

Dystopian

A popular genre of science fiction, dystopian novels offer a bleak and frightening vision of the future. Authors writing dystopias imagine a grim society, often in the aftermath of a disaster, facing things like oppressive governments, Black Mirror-esque technology, and environmental ruin. From widely popular series like The Hunger Games to critically-acclaimed classics like Nineteen Eighty-four, the enduring appeal of dystopian fiction lies in our burning desire to know where mankind is headed - and our perverse enjoyment of dark stories, so long as they aren't actually happening to us.

If you struggle to write consistently, sign up for our How to Write a Novel course to finish a novel in just 3 months.

Action & Adventure

If you're writing adventure, then chances are your book follows the structure of the Hero's Journey. Your protagonist has a very important goal to achieve, but they're really going to have to go through the wringer first! You throw up obstacle after obstacle, putting your hero in downright dangerous situations but eventually, they triumph and return home transformed. The action and adventure genre also complements a huge range of others, which means it has its fingers in everything from fantasy novels like The Hobbit to classic romance like J ane Eyre.

Mystery

Also called detective fiction, this book genre is characterized by a gripping plot that revolves around a mystery - but hopefully, you've cracked that clue! The setting, characters, and tone of your book will determine precisely which category it falls under: cozy mystery, hardboiled, or something in between. But at the core of any mystery is a crime that must be solved by the protagonist. To get a sense of the clever trail of clues that's so vital to this genre, check out Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie - the grande dame of mystery fiction.

Pro tip for writing a mystery: When planning your novel, consult the Fichtean curve, a narrative structure that emphasizes mini-crises, ratcheting up the tension to keep readers anxious to reach the climax.

Horror

What unites the books in this genre is not theme, plot, or setting, but the feeling they inspire in the reader: your pulse quickens, and your skin prickles as you turn the page with bated breath. Of course, this feeling of dread only comes about if the author creates the right atmosphere - an essential feature dependent on the subgenre. Gothic horror, for example, sends a shiver down your spine with spooky settings and paranormal elements, while gross-out horror shocks the reader with hacked-up flesh and buckets of blood. The master of horror fiction in all its guises? Stephen King, of course.

Pro tip for writing horror: Make the stakes plain and straightforward - survival, the death of a loved one, etc. - and clearly establish them for the reader, so they are in no doubt about the character's motivation.

Thriller & Suspense

A horror story can also be called a thriller, if it employs psychological fear to build suspense. But not all thrillers are horror stories. So what are they? While this book genre encompasses many of the same elements as mystery, in a thriller the protagonist is usually acting to save their own life, rather than to solve the crime. Thrillers typically include cliffhangers, deception, high emotional stakes, and plenty of action - keeping the reader on the edge of their seat until the book's climax. Gillian Flynn's Gone Girl is a masterclass in the dark, mysterious thriller.

Pro tip for writing a thriller: Avoid anything that bogs down the pacing. If you notice that a scene is getting tied up in everyday details, or doesn't add enough excitement to the plot, rewrite it or cut it altogether!

Historical Fiction

This book genre encompasses fictional stories in a historical setting, carefully balancing creativity and facts. In most cases, the characters and events are imagined by the author and enriched with historically accurate details from a specific time period. Take The Help by Kathryn Stockett, for example - a fictional story set in Mississippi during the Civil Rights Movement. But occasionally, as is the case with Hilary Mantel's Cromwell trilogy, the author builds the main story around real historical figures and events.

Like almost all of these genres, it's crucial that historical fiction works in exposition and historical detail subtly. Want to learn more about how to do this? Check out our free course on the golden writing rule, Show, Don't Tell.

Romance

Romance is so frequently used as a subplot that it can sometimes be tricky to know whether or not you're writing in this genre. The key thing to remember is that the romantic relationship must be the center point of the plot. (Other giveaways include a "happily ever after" ending and the warm fuzzies.) If your novel has a romantic relationship at its heart and is perfectly at home in another genre, it probably falls into one of romance's many subgenres, including but not limited to: young adult romance, paranormal romance, and historical romance.

Women's Fiction

Women's fiction is an umbrella term for books written to target a female audience, generally reflecting on the shared experience of being a woman or the growth of a female protagonist. Because of this rather broad definition, authors will quite often write a romance novel or mystery, for example, that could also be labeled women's fiction. Despite the connotations of one alternative name for this genre ("chick-lit"), many critically acclaimed bestsellers, including Jaqueline Woodson's Red at The Bone, fall under its purview.

LGBTQ+

Any fiction with authentic LGBTQ+ representation falls into this book genre. It's important to note that while your book's queer characters should feature in the main plot, the centerpiece of your plot doesn't have to be a romance. In fact, there doesn't need to be any romance at all! This means that your fantasy, thriller, or historical novel could fall under the LGBTQ+ umbrella.

Contemporary Fiction

This book genre is occasionally lumped in with others to indicate that the book takes place in the present day. But in its simplest form, contemporary fiction is better understood as the absence of a genre. Your book doesn't need tropes and trappings, monsters and mysteries, when its tension, drama, and conflict lies in the quirks and quandaries of your protagonist's everyday life: work, politics, relationships, and the struggles of the modern era.

Literary Fiction

Like contemporary fiction, books considered literary fiction can't be neatly filed under any other genre. What distinguishes this genre from contemporary fiction is that works of literary fiction are thought to have considerable artistic value. If your prose is meant to engage the reader in thought, if your narrative is character-driven and introspective, and if you provide personal or social commentary on a "serious" theme, then chances are you're writing lit-fic. Modern classics by the likes of Virginia Woolf or Ali Smith would be labeled literary fiction.

Like we mentioned, lit-fic is heavy on character, and lighter on plot. If you're interested in writing a character-driven story, try out our profile template for developing well-rounded, fully realized ones.

Magical Realism

You may remember us mentioning magical realism under the umbrella of fantasy - but considering its highbrow style and literary prestige, magical realism is often considered a genre in its own right. Its hallmarks include a real-world setting, a cast of run-of-the-mill characters (no vampires, fairies, or sorcerers), a fluid and non-linear timeline, and supernatural happenings - a baby born with feathered wings, or an egg hatching a ruby - left unexplained. Authors like Isabel Allende and Toni Morrison have used this literary style to grapple with serious social ills, from colonialism to fascism and slavery.

Graphic Novel

Some book genres aren't defined by their content at all, but by their form. Graphic novels are presented to the reader through narrative art (illustrations and typography) either in the traditional panel layout you'll be familiar with from comic books, or in the artist's own style. Once considered cheap entertainment for children, graphic novels are increasingly read and respected these days for their rich blend of visuals and writing. This powerful method of storytelling now portrays everything from memoirs, to manga, to adaptations of classic literature.

Short Story

Though they can belong to any of the other book genres on this list, short stories are frequently grouped together in their own genre because they're, well, so much shorter than novels. Often the author will compile a collection linked together by a narrative thread or, more commonly, a shared theme. The stories in A Manual for Cleaning Women by Lucia Berlin, for example, follow a series of women in different occupations - from cleaning women to ER nurses - all struggling to survive.

Young Adult

Young adult fiction, or YA, targets readers aged 12-18 and reflects its readership by following teenage characters as they grapple with the unique challenges of adolescence. Most works of YA fiction can be labeled " coming-of-age novels", in which the characters exit childhood and enter adulthood - a transition that results in a loss of innocence and a shifting sense of identity. Some of the biggest bestsellers in recent years have belonged to this genre, including The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas and anything by John Green.

Pro tip for writing young adult fiction: Though your teen character's voice should be true to her life experience, you should never "dumb down" the language, story, or style choices in a YA novel.

New Adult

The shiny new penny on this book genres list, new adult is like young adult aged-up: coming-of-age stories after the messiness of adolescence. Its college-age protagonists are walked through the gauntlet of becoming fully-fledged grownups, ditching the stress of the SATs and senior prom for college exams, career transitions, and more mature first times. Big names in New Adult, like Cora Carmack, tend to write steamy romances set in dorm rooms. But this genre isn't all about collegiate love stories - your gritty urban fantasy or immersive historical fiction could find its home here, too.

Children's

Books in this genre are written with readers under the age of twelve in mind. Of course, kids will do a lot of growing between the ages of zero and twelve, which is why children's books range from baby board books all the way up to middle grade 'epics' of 50,000 words. Hopefully, if you're writing children's literature, you already know you are. But it's crucial that you also know which age group you're trying to target, as this will impact the themes, characters, and complexity of your book.

Nonfiction genres

This is a broad category encompassing a number of nonfiction subgenres. From memoirs and biographies to books to self-help and true crime books, there's a type of nonfiction for every kind of reader.

Memoir & Autobiography

Both memoirs and autobiographies provide a true account of the author's life. They differ in that an autobiography provides a chronological account of your life's events and accomplishments, whereas a memoir puts the emphasis on only the most defining, emotional moments. Generally, these moments are drawn together by a single theme - or a significant time, place, or relationship - to communicate a message you wish to share with readers. The Argonauts by Maggie Nelson is a popular example of a memoir.

Pro tip for writing a memoir: Treat yourself as an interview subject and ask yourself questions that will trigger those life-defining stories - the ups and downs, the events that shaped you, what you sacrificed, what you learned.

Biography

Like autobiographies, biographies provide readers with a person's life story; but they're written in the third person by someone other than the subject. Generally, the subject of a biography is (or was) well-known - somebody whose life can teach readers an interesting lesson worth learning. Biographies, memoirs, and autobiographies differ from the rest of the nonfiction on this list, in that they weave a narrative in almost the same way a novel does. A great biography, like Ron Chernow's Alexander Hamilton, isn't a laundry list of events, but a life-giving tribute.

Food & Drink

Food and drink is one of nonfiction's hottest book genres, making it a crowded and highly competitive market. As a result, today's cookbooks tend to cater to specific cuisines, dietary, and/or lifestyle needs. If you're writing a cookbook, you might consider pairing recipes with nutritional information, short autobiographical narratives, or even workouts. Jo Wicks's 30 Day Kickstart Plan and Less Fuss No Waste Kitchen by Lindsay Miles are excellent examples of modern cookbooks.

Art & Photography

This genre is home to a few different kinds of books, all united by their love of art. Your book could find its way into this vibrant and stylish genre if it discusses an artist's work or an artistic style in detail; if it teaches a specific art method; if it explores a facet of art history; or if it showcases your own art in that chic, coffee-table book way.

Self-help

Some of the bestselling books in nonfiction, self-help books encourage personal improvement and confidence. Whether the focus is on relationships, emotional well-being, or finances, if you're writing a book that aims to uplift and empower the reader, then you're probably writing self-help.

History

The books in this genre lay down the known facts about a historical era, event, or figure. And since this is nonfiction, all the facts have to be accurate (though that doesn't mean there's no room for inference or opinion). The goal of these books is to educate and inform the reader, so this genre does include all those textbooks you used in school. But many history books ditch the play-by-play format to chronicle the past in a way more akin to storytelling. One of our favorite history books is Sapiens: A Brief History of Mankind by Yuval Noah Harari.

Travel

Travel memoirs and travelogues, like Jonathan Glancey's The Journey Matters, take us all over the world, giving even the most devoted homebodies a tantalizing taste of adventure, wildlife, and the great outdoors. These pocket-sized books - featuring destination reviews, lists of where to eat and what to see, and tips for traveling on a budget - are without a doubt some of the most useful titles on the shelves.

True Crime

Crime-fiction writers have put some pretty twisted plots to paper, but if you prefer to chronicle real crimes in all their haunting and fascinating detail, then the true crime genre is where your book belongs. From infamous murders to domestic disappearances, works in this genre pen true stories, about all things fearful and forbidden, that read as smoothly as well-crafted fiction.

Humor

Laugh-out-loud memoirs by the funniest celebs, satirical essays from the likes of David Sedaris, or gag gifts like How to Adult - all the books in this rib-tickling genre are written with one thing in mind: making readers laugh! So if you've compiled a collection of all your favorite dad jokes or penned a cathartic brain-dump of your most cringe-worthy memories, then your book may also belong in the humor genre.

Essays

An essay may sound like a boring assignment from your school years, but the books in this genre are among some of the most moving and inspirational works of literature there are. Many powerful voices - like James Baldwin and Roxane Gay - have used these short works to reflect on their own personal experiences and views, combining them into a collection that serves as an eye-opening social commentary on a particular theme or subject.

Guide / How-to

Readers turn to this book genre to develop a skill, hobby, or craft. So if you're an expert in a particular field and you've written a book showing hobbyists how to achieve something specific (like "how to master chess openings" or "a guide to floristry"), then this is its home! Of course, one dead giveaway might be your book's title.

Religion & Spirituality

From histories of the Catholic Church to spiritual guidebooks and memoirs of the Eat, Pray, Love variety, this genre has a place for anything and everything related to the topics of religion and spirituality.

Humanities & Social Sciences

Got something wise to say? Then your book might just belong among the books of this eclectic genre - as long as it discusses a topic related to (deep breath): philosophy, history, literature, language, art, religion, music, or the human condition. This might seem like a pretty wide net to fall into, but keep in mind that books in this genre are typically quite academic; if you've written more of a free-flowing spiritual guide, it probably belongs in the previous genre.

Parenting & Families

Parents and families struggling with discipline, education, bonding, the care of a newborn baby, or a child with special needs, can turn to this well-stocked genre of books when they need to bring in the reinforcements. If you've written a memoir that'll have families whole-heartedly nodding in agreement, or a guide brimming with advice for frazzled parents, then you can find a place for your book in the parenting and families section.

Science & Technology

The job of science nonfiction is not to predict the future, but to make sense of the world we're currently living in - which, quite honestly, can feel like science fiction to some of us! Readers of this genre range from complete beginners trying to understand the things around them to technophiles whose brains are whirring to keep up with the pace of change, so there's bound to be a niche for your book, however advanced it is.

Children's

As much as kids love fairytales and talking animals, they're often just as happy to pick up a nonfiction book at storytime. Whether it's an activity book to keep them busy, a powerful true story like Malala's Magic Pencil, or a children's encyclopedia to feed their brains, children's nonfiction is all about making learning fun. And the wildly popular Horrible Histories series has proven that this genre can compete with wizards and superheroes at every age!

There you have it: 35 of the most popular genres of books. Hopefully, this list will help you get your foot in the right door. But if your book doesn't slot neatly into any of these categories (though there are quite some more types of nonfiction to consider), don't be afraid to declare it a hybrid, or to dig a little deeper into the subcategories that you'll find in the shade of these umbrella genres.

And no matter what kind of book you're writing, check out our book development template to get started.

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The Ultimate List of Book Genres: 35 Popular Genres

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Among these 35 popular book genres, there's bound to be one that fits your book like a glove - so let's find it!

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Genre: Realistic / Contemporary Fiction, Romance

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Genre: Realistic / Contemporary Fiction, Romance

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Authors need to have a firm grasp on all the different genres of books in order to find the perfect home for their own. The tropes and expectations of a book's genre will inform its content and style during the writing process, as well as fundamentals such as word count. But it's also central to the marketing of a book, determining its target audience, and those all-important Amazon categories. Get your genre wrong, and you could be waving goodbye to book sales and hello to unsatisfied reader reviews!

How many book genres are there?

Though we're only covering 35 of the most popular in this post, there are around 50 genres in total - the exact number depends on who you ask. If you take subgenres into account, over on Reedsy Discovery we have 107 different categories, while Amazon has over 16,000!

That can be a lot to take in. So if you'd like some personalized guidance, we recommend taking this 1-minute quiz that will point you towards your genre (and subgenre).

🖊️

For an overview of all of the genres, that's what the rest of this post is for. There's bound to be a genre that's the perfect fit for your book - all you have to do is find it!

Fiction genres

"Writing fiction is the act of weaving a series of lies to arrive at a greater truth." - Khaled Hosseini

Fantasy

This book genre is characterized by elements of magic or the supernatural and is often inspired by mythology or folklore. In high fantasy - one that's set in an entirely fictional world - these magical elements are at the forefront of the plot, as in Trudi Canavan's Black Magician trilogy. In low fantasy or magical realism, however, magic is subtly woven into an otherwise familiar, real-world setting. You can delve into fantasy's manysubgenres to get to know your Arcanepunk from your Flintlock, and find your book's home!

Pro tip for writing fantasy: To make your world feel real and functional, make sure it's grounded in rules - an internal rationale, so to speak, encompassing everything from the workings of your society to your magic system.

Science Fiction

Though science fiction and fantasy are often considered two sides of the same (speculative fiction) coin, sci-fi is distinguished by its preoccupation with real or real-feeling science. Lots of sci-fi is set in the distant future, which makes it a seedbed for stories about time travel and space exploration. But your science fiction novel doesn't need to be inspired by "hard" science like physics and astronomy. Some of the books in this genre reflect on "soft" sciences, such as sociology and anthropology, to predict the future of the human race - more on that next!

Dystopian

A popular genre of science fiction, dystopian novels offer a bleak and frightening vision of the future. Authors writing dystopias imagine a grim society, often in the aftermath of a disaster, facing things like oppressive governments, Black Mirror-esque technology, and environmental ruin. From widely popular series like The Hunger Games to critically-acclaimed classics like Nineteen Eighty-four, the enduring appeal of dystopian fiction lies in our burning desire to know where mankind is headed - and our perverse enjoyment of dark stories, so long as they aren't actually happening to us.

If you struggle to write consistently, sign up for our How to Write a Novel course to finish a novel in just 3 months.

Action & Adventure

If you're writing adventure, then chances are your book follows the structure of the Hero's Journey. Your protagonist has a very important goal to achieve, but they're really going to have to go through the wringer first! You throw up obstacle after obstacle, putting your hero in downright dangerous situations but eventually, they triumph and return home transformed. The action and adventure genre also complements a huge range of others, which means it has its fingers in everything from fantasy novels like The Hobbit to classic romance like J ane Eyre.

Mystery

Also called detective fiction, this book genre is characterized by a gripping plot that revolves around a mystery - but hopefully, you've cracked that clue! The setting, characters, and tone of your book will determine precisely which category it falls under: cozy mystery, hardboiled, or something in between. But at the core of any mystery is a crime that must be solved by the protagonist. To get a sense of the clever trail of clues that's so vital to this genre, check out Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie - the grande dame of mystery fiction.

Pro tip for writing a mystery: When planning your novel, consult the Fichtean curve, a narrative structure that emphasizes mini-crises, ratcheting up the tension to keep readers anxious to reach the climax.

Horror

What unites the books in this genre is not theme, plot, or setting, but the feeling they inspire in the reader: your pulse quickens, and your skin prickles as you turn the page with bated breath. Of course, this feeling of dread only comes about if the author creates the right atmosphere - an essential feature dependent on the subgenre. Gothic horror, for example, sends a shiver down your spine with spooky settings and paranormal elements, while gross-out horror shocks the reader with hacked-up flesh and buckets of blood. The master of horror fiction in all its guises? Stephen King, of course.

Pro tip for writing horror: Make the stakes plain and straightforward - survival, the death of a loved one, etc. - and clearly establish them for the reader, so they are in no doubt about the character's motivation.

Thriller & Suspense

A horror story can also be called a thriller, if it employs psychological fear to build suspense. But not all thrillers are horror stories. So what are they? While this book genre encompasses many of the same elements as mystery, in a thriller the protagonist is usually acting to save their own life, rather than to solve the crime. Thrillers typically include cliffhangers, deception, high emotional stakes, and plenty of action - keeping the reader on the edge of their seat until the book's climax. Gillian Flynn's Gone Girl is a masterclass in the dark, mysterious thriller.

Pro tip for writing a thriller: Avoid anything that bogs down the pacing. If you notice that a scene is getting tied up in everyday details, or doesn't add enough excitement to the plot, rewrite it or cut it altogether!

Historical Fiction

This book genre encompasses fictional stories in a historical setting, carefully balancing creativity and facts. In most cases, the characters and events are imagined by the author and enriched with historically accurate details from a specific time period. Take The Help by Kathryn Stockett, for example - a fictional story set in Mississippi during the Civil Rights Movement. But occasionally, as is the case with Hilary Mantel's Cromwell trilogy, the author builds the main story around real historical figures and events.

Like almost all of these genres, it's crucial that historical fiction works in exposition and historical detail subtly. Want to learn more about how to do this? Check out our free course on the golden writing rule, Show, Don't Tell.

Romance

Romance is so frequently used as a subplot that it can sometimes be tricky to know whether or not you're writing in this genre. The key thing to remember is that the romantic relationship must be the center point of the plot. (Other giveaways include a "happily ever after" ending and the warm fuzzies.) If your novel has a romantic relationship at its heart and is perfectly at home in another genre, it probably falls into one of romance's many subgenres, including but not limited to: young adult romance, paranormal romance, and historical romance.

Women's Fiction

Women's fiction is an umbrella term for books written to target a female audience, generally reflecting on the shared experience of being a woman or the growth of a female protagonist. Because of this rather broad definition, authors will quite often write a romance novel or mystery, for example, that could also be labeled women's fiction. Despite the connotations of one alternative name for this genre ("chick-lit"), many critically acclaimed bestsellers, including Jaqueline Woodson's Red at The Bone, fall under its purview.

LGBTQ+

Any fiction with authentic LGBTQ+ representation falls into this book genre. It's important to note that while your book's queer characters should feature in the main plot, the centerpiece of your plot doesn't have to be a romance. In fact, there doesn't need to be any romance at all! This means that your fantasy, thriller, or historical novel could fall under the LGBTQ+ umbrella.

Contemporary Fiction

This book genre is occasionally lumped in with others to indicate that the book takes place in the present day. But in its simplest form, contemporary fiction is better understood as the absence of a genre. Your book doesn't need tropes and trappings, monsters and mysteries, when its tension, drama, and conflict lies in the quirks and quandaries of your protagonist's everyday life: work, politics, relationships, and the struggles of the modern era.

Literary Fiction

Like contemporary fiction, books considered literary fiction can't be neatly filed under any other genre. What distinguishes this genre from contemporary fiction is that works of literary fiction are thought to have considerable artistic value. If your prose is meant to engage the reader in thought, if your narrative is character-driven and introspective, and if you provide personal or social commentary on a "serious" theme, then chances are you're writing lit-fic. Modern classics by the likes of Virginia Woolf or Ali Smith would be labeled literary fiction.

Like we mentioned, lit-fic is heavy on character, and lighter on plot. If you're interested in writing a character-driven story, try out our profile template for developing well-rounded, fully realized ones.

Magical Realism

You may remember us mentioning magical realism under the umbrella of fantasy - but considering its highbrow style and literary prestige, magical realism is often considered a genre in its own right. Its hallmarks include a real-world setting, a cast of run-of-the-mill characters (no vampires, fairies, or sorcerers), a fluid and non-linear timeline, and supernatural happenings - a baby born with feathered wings, or an egg hatching a ruby - left unexplained. Authors like Isabel Allende and Toni Morrison have used this literary style to grapple with serious social ills, from colonialism to fascism and slavery.

Graphic Novel

Some book genres aren't defined by their content at all, but by their form. Graphic novels are presented to the reader through narrative art (illustrations and typography) either in the traditional panel layout you'll be familiar with from comic books, or in the artist's own style. Once considered cheap entertainment for children, graphic novels are increasingly read and respected these days for their rich blend of visuals and writing. This powerful method of storytelling now portrays everything from memoirs, to manga, to adaptations of classic literature.

Short Story

Though they can belong to any of the other book genres on this list, short stories are frequently grouped together in their own genre because they're, well, so much shorter than novels. Often the author will compile a collection linked together by a narrative thread or, more commonly, a shared theme. The stories in A Manual for Cleaning Women by Lucia Berlin, for example, follow a series of women in different occupations - from cleaning women to ER nurses - all struggling to survive.

Young Adult

Young adult fiction, or YA, targets readers aged 12-18 and reflects its readership by following teenage characters as they grapple with the unique challenges of adolescence. Most works of YA fiction can be labeled " coming-of-age novels", in which the characters exit childhood and enter adulthood - a transition that results in a loss of innocence and a shifting sense of identity. Some of the biggest bestsellers in recent years have belonged to this genre, including The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas and anything by John Green.

Pro tip for writing young adult fiction: Though your teen character's voice should be true to her life experience, you should never "dumb down" the language, story, or style choices in a YA novel.

New Adult

The shiny new penny on this book genres list, new adult is like young adult aged-up: coming-of-age stories after the messiness of adolescence. Its college-age protagonists are walked through the gauntlet of becoming fully-fledged grownups, ditching the stress of the SATs and senior prom for college exams, career transitions, and more mature first times. Big names in New Adult, like Cora Carmack, tend to write steamy romances set in dorm rooms. But this genre isn't all about collegiate love stories - your gritty urban fantasy or immersive historical fiction could find its home here, too.

Children's

Books in this genre are written with readers under the age of twelve in mind. Of course, kids will do a lot of growing between the ages of zero and twelve, which is why children's books range from baby board books all the way up to middle grade 'epics' of 50,000 words. Hopefully, if you're writing children's literature, you already know you are. But it's crucial that you also know which age group you're trying to target, as this will impact the themes, characters, and complexity of your book.

Nonfiction genres

This is a broad category encompassing a number of nonfiction subgenres. From memoirs and biographies to books to self-help and true crime books, there's a type of nonfiction for every kind of reader.

Memoir & Autobiography

Both memoirs and autobiographies provide a true account of the author's life. They differ in that an autobiography provides a chronological account of your life's events and accomplishments, whereas a memoir puts the emphasis on only the most defining, emotional moments. Generally, these moments are drawn together by a single theme - or a significant time, place, or relationship - to communicate a message you wish to share with readers. The Argonauts by Maggie Nelson is a popular example of a memoir.

Pro tip for writing a memoir: Treat yourself as an interview subject and ask yourself questions that will trigger those life-defining stories - the ups and downs, the events that shaped you, what you sacrificed, what you learned.

Biography

Like autobiographies, biographies provide readers with a person's life story; but they're written in the third person by someone other than the subject. Generally, the subject of a biography is (or was) well-known - somebody whose life can teach readers an interesting lesson worth learning. Biographies, memoirs, and autobiographies differ from the rest of the nonfiction on this list, in that they weave a narrative in almost the same way a novel does. A great biography, like Ron Chernow's Alexander Hamilton, isn't a laundry list of events, but a life-giving tribute.

Food & Drink

Food and drink is one of nonfiction's hottest book genres, making it a crowded and highly competitive market. As a result, today's cookbooks tend to cater to specific cuisines, dietary, and/or lifestyle needs. If you're writing a cookbook, you might consider pairing recipes with nutritional information, short autobiographical narratives, or even workouts. Jo Wicks's 30 Day Kickstart Plan and Less Fuss No Waste Kitchen by Lindsay Miles are excellent examples of modern cookbooks.

Art & Photography

This genre is home to a few different kinds of books, all united by their love of art. Your book could find its way into this vibrant and stylish genre if it discusses an artist's work or an artistic style in detail; if it teaches a specific art method; if it explores a facet of art history; or if it showcases your own art in that chic, coffee-table book way.

Self-help

Some of the bestselling books in nonfiction, self-help books encourage personal improvement and confidence. Whether the focus is on relationships, emotional well-being, or finances, if you're writing a book that aims to uplift and empower the reader, then you're probably writing self-help.

History

The books in this genre lay down the known facts about a historical era, event, or figure. And since this is nonfiction, all the facts have to be accurate (though that doesn't mean there's no room for inference or opinion). The goal of these books is to educate and inform the reader, so this genre does include all those textbooks you used in school. But many history books ditch the play-by-play format to chronicle the past in a way more akin to storytelling. One of our favorite history books is Sapiens: A Brief History of Mankind by Yuval Noah Harari.

Travel

Travel memoirs and travelogues, like Jonathan Glancey's The Journey Matters, take us all over the world, giving even the most devoted homebodies a tantalizing taste of adventure, wildlife, and the great outdoors. These pocket-sized books - featuring destination reviews, lists of where to eat and what to see, and tips for traveling on a budget - are without a doubt some of the most useful titles on the shelves.

True Crime

Crime-fiction writers have put some pretty twisted plots to paper, but if you prefer to chronicle real crimes in all their haunting and fascinating detail, then the true crime genre is where your book belongs. From infamous murders to domestic disappearances, works in this genre pen true stories, about all things fearful and forbidden, that read as smoothly as well-crafted fiction.

Humor

Laugh-out-loud memoirs by the funniest celebs, satirical essays from the likes of David Sedaris, or gag gifts like How to Adult - all the books in this rib-tickling genre are written with one thing in mind: making readers laugh! So if you've compiled a collection of all your favorite dad jokes or penned a cathartic brain-dump of your most cringe-worthy memories, then your book may also belong in the humor genre.

Essays

An essay may sound like a boring assignment from your school years, but the books in this genre are among some of the most moving and inspirational works of literature there are. Many powerful voices - like James Baldwin and Roxane Gay - have used these short works to reflect on their own personal experiences and views, combining them into a collection that serves as an eye-opening social commentary on a particular theme or subject.

Guide / How-to

Readers turn to this book genre to develop a skill, hobby, or craft. So if you're an expert in a particular field and you've written a book showing hobbyists how to achieve something specific (like "how to master chess openings" or "a guide to floristry"), then this is its home! Of course, one dead giveaway might be your book's title.

Religion & Spirituality

From histories of the Catholic Church to spiritual guidebooks and memoirs of the Eat, Pray, Love variety, this genre has a place for anything and everything related to the topics of religion and spirituality.

Humanities & Social Sciences

Got something wise to say? Then your book might just belong among the books of this eclectic genre - as long as it discusses a topic related to (deep breath): philosophy, history, literature, language, art, religion, music, or the human condition. This might seem like a pretty wide net to fall into, but keep in mind that books in this genre are typically quite academic; if you've written more of a free-flowing spiritual guide, it probably belongs in the previous genre.

Parenting & Families

Parents and families struggling with discipline, education, bonding, the care of a newborn baby, or a child with special needs, can turn to this well-stocked genre of books when they need to bring in the reinforcements. If you've written a memoir that'll have families whole-heartedly nodding in agreement, or a guide brimming with advice for frazzled parents, then you can find a place for your book in the parenting and families section.

Science & Technology

The job of science nonfiction is not to predict the future, but to make sense of the world we're currently living in - which, quite honestly, can feel like science fiction to some of us! Readers of this genre range from complete beginners trying to understand the things around them to technophiles whose brains are whirring to keep up with the pace of change, so there's bound to be a niche for your book, however advanced it is.

Children's

As much as kids love fairytales and talking animals, they're often just as happy to pick up a nonfiction book at storytime. Whether it's an activity book to keep them busy, a powerful true story like Malala's Magic Pencil, or a children's encyclopedia to feed their brains, children's nonfiction is all about making learning fun. And the wildly popular Horrible Histories series has proven that this genre can compete with wizards and superheroes at every age!

There you have it: 35 of the most popular genres of books. Hopefully, this list will help you get your foot in the right door. But if your book doesn't slot neatly into any of these categories (though there are quite some more types of nonfiction to consider), don't be afraid to declare it a hybrid, or to dig a little deeper into the subcategories that you'll find in the shade of these umbrella genres.

And no matter what kind of book you're writing, check out our book development template to get started.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The Ultimate List of Book Genres: 35 Popular Genres

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Among these 35 popular book genres, there's bound to be one that fits your book like a glove - so let's find it!

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Genre: Realistic Fiction, Historical Fiction

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Genre: Realistic Fiction, Historical Fiction

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Authors need to have a firm grasp on all the different genres of books in order to find the perfect home for their own. The tropes and expectations of a book's genre will inform its content and style during the writing process, as well as fundamentals such as word count. But it's also central to the marketing of a book, determining its target audience, and those all-important Amazon categories. Get your genre wrong, and you could be waving goodbye to book sales and hello to unsatisfied reader reviews!

How many book genres are there?

Though we're only covering 35 of the most popular in this post, there are around 50 genres in total - the exact number depends on who you ask. If you take subgenres into account, over on Reedsy Discovery we have 107 different categories, while Amazon has over 16,000!

That can be a lot to take in. So if you'd like some personalized guidance, we recommend taking this 1-minute quiz that will point you towards your genre (and subgenre).

🖊️

For an overview of all of the genres, that's what the rest of this post is for. There's bound to be a genre that's the perfect fit for your book - all you have to do is find it!

Fiction genres

"Writing fiction is the act of weaving a series of lies to arrive at a greater truth." - Khaled Hosseini

Fantasy

This book genre is characterized by elements of magic or the supernatural and is often inspired by mythology or folklore. In high fantasy - one that's set in an entirely fictional world - these magical elements are at the forefront of the plot, as in Trudi Canavan's Black Magician trilogy. In low fantasy or magical realism, however, magic is subtly woven into an otherwise familiar, real-world setting. You can delve into fantasy's manysubgenres to get to know your Arcanepunk from your Flintlock, and find your book's home!

Pro tip for writing fantasy: To make your world feel real and functional, make sure it's grounded in rules - an internal rationale, so to speak, encompassing everything from the workings of your society to your magic system.

Science Fiction

Though science fiction and fantasy are often considered two sides of the same (speculative fiction) coin, sci-fi is distinguished by its preoccupation with real or real-feeling science. Lots of sci-fi is set in the distant future, which makes it a seedbed for stories about time travel and space exploration. But your science fiction novel doesn't need to be inspired by "hard" science like physics and astronomy. Some of the books in this genre reflect on "soft" sciences, such as sociology and anthropology, to predict the future of the human race - more on that next!

Dystopian

A popular genre of science fiction, dystopian novels offer a bleak and frightening vision of the future. Authors writing dystopias imagine a grim society, often in the aftermath of a disaster, facing things like oppressive governments, Black Mirror-esque technology, and environmental ruin. From widely popular series like The Hunger Games to critically-acclaimed classics like Nineteen Eighty-four, the enduring appeal of dystopian fiction lies in our burning desire to know where mankind is headed - and our perverse enjoyment of dark stories, so long as they aren't actually happening to us.

If you struggle to write consistently, sign up for our How to Write a Novel course to finish a novel in just 3 months.

Action & Adventure

If you're writing adventure, then chances are your book follows the structure of the Hero's Journey. Your protagonist has a very important goal to achieve, but they're really going to have to go through the wringer first! You throw up obstacle after obstacle, putting your hero in downright dangerous situations but eventually, they triumph and return home transformed. The action and adventure genre also complements a huge range of others, which means it has its fingers in everything from fantasy novels like The Hobbit to classic romance like J ane Eyre.

Mystery

Also called detective fiction, this book genre is characterized by a gripping plot that revolves around a mystery - but hopefully, you've cracked that clue! The setting, characters, and tone of your book will determine precisely which category it falls under: cozy mystery, hardboiled, or something in between. But at the core of any mystery is a crime that must be solved by the protagonist. To get a sense of the clever trail of clues that's so vital to this genre, check out Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie - the grande dame of mystery fiction.

Pro tip for writing a mystery: When planning your novel, consult the Fichtean curve, a narrative structure that emphasizes mini-crises, ratcheting up the tension to keep readers anxious to reach the climax.

Horror

What unites the books in this genre is not theme, plot, or setting, but the feeling they inspire in the reader: your pulse quickens, and your skin prickles as you turn the page with bated breath. Of course, this feeling of dread only comes about if the author creates the right atmosphere - an essential feature dependent on the subgenre. Gothic horror, for example, sends a shiver down your spine with spooky settings and paranormal elements, while gross-out horror shocks the reader with hacked-up flesh and buckets of blood. The master of horror fiction in all its guises? Stephen King, of course.

Pro tip for writing horror: Make the stakes plain and straightforward - survival, the death of a loved one, etc. - and clearly establish them for the reader, so they are in no doubt about the character's motivation.

Thriller & Suspense

A horror story can also be called a thriller, if it employs psychological fear to build suspense. But not all thrillers are horror stories. So what are they? While this book genre encompasses many of the same elements as mystery, in a thriller the protagonist is usually acting to save their own life, rather than to solve the crime. Thrillers typically include cliffhangers, deception, high emotional stakes, and plenty of action - keeping the reader on the edge of their seat until the book's climax. Gillian Flynn's Gone Girl is a masterclass in the dark, mysterious thriller.

Pro tip for writing a thriller: Avoid anything that bogs down the pacing. If you notice that a scene is getting tied up in everyday details, or doesn't add enough excitement to the plot, rewrite it or cut it altogether!

Historical Fiction

This book genre encompasses fictional stories in a historical setting, carefully balancing creativity and facts. In most cases, the characters and events are imagined by the author and enriched with historically accurate details from a specific time period. Take The Help by Kathryn Stockett, for example - a fictional story set in Mississippi during the Civil Rights Movement. But occasionally, as is the case with Hilary Mantel's Cromwell trilogy, the author builds the main story around real historical figures and events.

Like almost all of these genres, it's crucial that historical fiction works in exposition and historical detail subtly. Want to learn more about how to do this? Check out our free course on the golden writing rule, Show, Don't Tell.

Romance

Romance is so frequently used as a subplot that it can sometimes be tricky to know whether or not you're writing in this genre. The key thing to remember is that the romantic relationship must be the center point of the plot. (Other giveaways include a "happily ever after" ending and the warm fuzzies.) If your novel has a romantic relationship at its heart and is perfectly at home in another genre, it probably falls into one of romance's many subgenres, including but not limited to: young adult romance, paranormal romance, and historical romance.

Women's Fiction

Women's fiction is an umbrella term for books written to target a female audience, generally reflecting on the shared experience of being a woman or the growth of a female protagonist. Because of this rather broad definition, authors will quite often write a romance novel or mystery, for example, that could also be labeled women's fiction. Despite the connotations of one alternative name for this genre ("chick-lit"), many critically acclaimed bestsellers, including Jaqueline Woodson's Red at The Bone, fall under its purview.

LGBTQ+

Any fiction with authentic LGBTQ+ representation falls into this book genre. It's important to note that while your book's queer characters should feature in the main plot, the centerpiece of your plot doesn't have to be a romance. In fact, there doesn't need to be any romance at all! This means that your fantasy, thriller, or historical novel could fall under the LGBTQ+ umbrella.

Contemporary Fiction

This book genre is occasionally lumped in with others to indicate that the book takes place in the present day. But in its simplest form, contemporary fiction is better understood as the absence of a genre. Your book doesn't need tropes and trappings, monsters and mysteries, when its tension, drama, and conflict lies in the quirks and quandaries of your protagonist's everyday life: work, politics, relationships, and the struggles of the modern era.

Literary Fiction

Like contemporary fiction, books considered literary fiction can't be neatly filed under any other genre. What distinguishes this genre from contemporary fiction is that works of literary fiction are thought to have considerable artistic value. If your prose is meant to engage the reader in thought, if your narrative is character-driven and introspective, and if you provide personal or social commentary on a "serious" theme, then chances are you're writing lit-fic. Modern classics by the likes of Virginia Woolf or Ali Smith would be labeled literary fiction.

Like we mentioned, lit-fic is heavy on character, and lighter on plot. If you're interested in writing a character-driven story, try out our profile template for developing well-rounded, fully realized ones.

Magical Realism

You may remember us mentioning magical realism under the umbrella of fantasy - but considering its highbrow style and literary prestige, magical realism is often considered a genre in its own right. Its hallmarks include a real-world setting, a cast of run-of-the-mill characters (no vampires, fairies, or sorcerers), a fluid and non-linear timeline, and supernatural happenings - a baby born with feathered wings, or an egg hatching a ruby - left unexplained. Authors like Isabel Allende and Toni Morrison have used this literary style to grapple with serious social ills, from colonialism to fascism and slavery.

Graphic Novel

Some book genres aren't defined by their content at all, but by their form. Graphic novels are presented to the reader through narrative art (illustrations and typography) either in the traditional panel layout you'll be familiar with from comic books, or in the artist's own style. Once considered cheap entertainment for children, graphic novels are increasingly read and respected these days for their rich blend of visuals and writing. This powerful method of storytelling now portrays everything from memoirs, to manga, to adaptations of classic literature.

Short Story

Though they can belong to any of the other book genres on this list, short stories are frequently grouped together in their own genre because they're, well, so much shorter than novels. Often the author will compile a collection linked together by a narrative thread or, more commonly, a shared theme. The stories in A Manual for Cleaning Women by Lucia Berlin, for example, follow a series of women in different occupations - from cleaning women to ER nurses - all struggling to survive.

Young Adult

Young adult fiction, or YA, targets readers aged 12-18 and reflects its readership by following teenage characters as they grapple with the unique challenges of adolescence. Most works of YA fiction can be labeled " coming-of-age novels", in which the characters exit childhood and enter adulthood - a transition that results in a loss of innocence and a shifting sense of identity. Some of the biggest bestsellers in recent years have belonged to this genre, including The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas and anything by John Green.

Pro tip for writing young adult fiction: Though your teen character's voice should be true to her life experience, you should never "dumb down" the language, story, or style choices in a YA novel.

New Adult

The shiny new penny on this book genres list, new adult is like young adult aged-up: coming-of-age stories after the messiness of adolescence. Its college-age protagonists are walked through the gauntlet of becoming fully-fledged grownups, ditching the stress of the SATs and senior prom for college exams, career transitions, and more mature first times. Big names in New Adult, like Cora Carmack, tend to write steamy romances set in dorm rooms. But this genre isn't all about collegiate love stories - your gritty urban fantasy or immersive historical fiction could find its home here, too.

Children's

Books in this genre are written with readers under the age of twelve in mind. Of course, kids will do a lot of growing between the ages of zero and twelve, which is why children's books range from baby board books all the way up to middle grade 'epics' of 50,000 words. Hopefully, if you're writing children's literature, you already know you are. But it's crucial that you also know which age group you're trying to target, as this will impact the themes, characters, and complexity of your book.

Nonfiction genres

This is a broad category encompassing a number of nonfiction subgenres. From memoirs and biographies to books to self-help and true crime books, there's a type of nonfiction for every kind of reader.

Memoir & Autobiography

Both memoirs and autobiographies provide a true account of the author's life. They differ in that an autobiography provides a chronological account of your life's events and accomplishments, whereas a memoir puts the emphasis on only the most defining, emotional moments. Generally, these moments are drawn together by a single theme - or a significant time, place, or relationship - to communicate a message you wish to share with readers. The Argonauts by Maggie Nelson is a popular example of a memoir.

Pro tip for writing a memoir: Treat yourself as an interview subject and ask yourself questions that will trigger those life-defining stories - the ups and downs, the events that shaped you, what you sacrificed, what you learned.

Biography

Like autobiographies, biographies provide readers with a person's life story; but they're written in the third person by someone other than the subject. Generally, the subject of a biography is (or was) well-known - somebody whose life can teach readers an interesting lesson worth learning. Biographies, memoirs, and autobiographies differ from the rest of the nonfiction on this list, in that they weave a narrative in almost the same way a novel does. A great biography, like Ron Chernow's Alexander Hamilton, isn't a laundry list of events, but a life-giving tribute.

Food & Drink

Food and drink is one of nonfiction's hottest book genres, making it a crowded and highly competitive market. As a result, today's cookbooks tend to cater to specific cuisines, dietary, and/or lifestyle needs. If you're writing a cookbook, you might consider pairing recipes with nutritional information, short autobiographical narratives, or even workouts. Jo Wicks's 30 Day Kickstart Plan and Less Fuss No Waste Kitchen by Lindsay Miles are excellent examples of modern cookbooks.

Art & Photography

This genre is home to a few different kinds of books, all united by their love of art. Your book could find its way into this vibrant and stylish genre if it discusses an artist's work or an artistic style in detail; if it teaches a specific art method; if it explores a facet of art history; or if it showcases your own art in that chic, coffee-table book way.

Self-help

Some of the bestselling books in nonfiction, self-help books encourage personal improvement and confidence. Whether the focus is on relationships, emotional well-being, or finances, if you're writing a book that aims to uplift and empower the reader, then you're probably writing self-help.

History

The books in this genre lay down the known facts about a historical era, event, or figure. And since this is nonfiction, all the facts have to be accurate (though that doesn't mean there's no room for inference or opinion). The goal of these books is to educate and inform the reader, so this genre does include all those textbooks you used in school. But many history books ditch the play-by-play format to chronicle the past in a way more akin to storytelling. One of our favorite history books is Sapiens: A Brief History of Mankind by Yuval Noah Harari.

Travel

Travel memoirs and travelogues, like Jonathan Glancey's The Journey Matters, take us all over the world, giving even the most devoted homebodies a tantalizing taste of adventure, wildlife, and the great outdoors. These pocket-sized books - featuring destination reviews, lists of where to eat and what to see, and tips for traveling on a budget - are without a doubt some of the most useful titles on the shelves.

True Crime

Crime-fiction writers have put some pretty twisted plots to paper, but if you prefer to chronicle real crimes in all their haunting and fascinating detail, then the true crime genre is where your book belongs. From infamous murders to domestic disappearances, works in this genre pen true stories, about all things fearful and forbidden, that read as smoothly as well-crafted fiction.

Humor

Laugh-out-loud memoirs by the funniest celebs, satirical essays from the likes of David Sedaris, or gag gifts like How to Adult - all the books in this rib-tickling genre are written with one thing in mind: making readers laugh! So if you've compiled a collection of all your favorite dad jokes or penned a cathartic brain-dump of your most cringe-worthy memories, then your book may also belong in the humor genre.

Essays

An essay may sound like a boring assignment from your school years, but the books in this genre are among some of the most moving and inspirational works of literature there are. Many powerful voices - like James Baldwin and Roxane Gay - have used these short works to reflect on their own personal experiences and views, combining them into a collection that serves as an eye-opening social commentary on a particular theme or subject.

Guide / How-to

Readers turn to this book genre to develop a skill, hobby, or craft. So if you're an expert in a particular field and you've written a book showing hobbyists how to achieve something specific (like "how to master chess openings" or "a guide to floristry"), then this is its home! Of course, one dead giveaway might be your book's title.

Religion & Spirituality

From histories of the Catholic Church to spiritual guidebooks and memoirs of the Eat, Pray, Love variety, this genre has a place for anything and everything related to the topics of religion and spirituality.

Humanities & Social Sciences

Got something wise to say? Then your book might just belong among the books of this eclectic genre - as long as it discusses a topic related to (deep breath): philosophy, history, literature, language, art, religion, music, or the human condition. This might seem like a pretty wide net to fall into, but keep in mind that books in this genre are typically quite academic; if you've written more of a free-flowing spiritual guide, it probably belongs in the previous genre.

Parenting & Families

Parents and families struggling with discipline, education, bonding, the care of a newborn baby, or a child with special needs, can turn to this well-stocked genre of books when they need to bring in the reinforcements. If you've written a memoir that'll have families whole-heartedly nodding in agreement, or a guide brimming with advice for frazzled parents, then you can find a place for your book in the parenting and families section.

Science & Technology

The job of science nonfiction is not to predict the future, but to make sense of the world we're currently living in - which, quite honestly, can feel like science fiction to some of us! Readers of this genre range from complete beginners trying to understand the things around them to technophiles whose brains are whirring to keep up with the pace of change, so there's bound to be a niche for your book, however advanced it is.

Children's

As much as kids love fairytales and talking animals, they're often just as happy to pick up a nonfiction book at storytime. Whether it's an activity book to keep them busy, a powerful true story like Malala's Magic Pencil, or a children's encyclopedia to feed their brains, children's nonfiction is all about making learning fun. And the wildly popular Horrible Histories series has proven that this genre can compete with wizards and superheroes at every age!

There you have it: 35 of the most popular genres of books. Hopefully, this list will help you get your foot in the right door. But if your book doesn't slot neatly into any of these categories (though there are quite some more types of nonfiction to consider), don't be afraid to declare it a hybrid, or to dig a little deeper into the subcategories that you'll find in the shade of these umbrella genres.

And no matter what kind of book you're writing, check out our book development template to get started.

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The Ultimate List of Book Genres: 35 Popular Genres

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Among these 35 popular book genres, there's bound to be one that fits your book like a glove - so let's find it!

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Genre: Magical Realism (Real World, but with some magical / fantasy elements sprinkled in)

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Genre: Magical Realism (Real World, but with some magical / fantasy elements sprinkled in)

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Authors need to have a firm grasp on all the different genres of books in order to find the perfect home for their own. The tropes and expectations of a book's genre will inform its content and style during the writing process, as well as fundamentals such as word count. But it's also central to the marketing of a book, determining its target audience, and those all-important Amazon categories. Get your genre wrong, and you could be waving goodbye to book sales and hello to unsatisfied reader reviews!

How many book genres are there?

Though we're only covering 35 of the most popular in this post, there are around 50 genres in total - the exact number depends on who you ask. If you take subgenres into account, over on Reedsy Discovery we have 107 different categories, while Amazon has over 16,000!

That can be a lot to take in. So if you'd like some personalized guidance, we recommend taking this 1-minute quiz that will point you towards your genre (and subgenre).

🖊️

For an overview of all of the genres, that's what the rest of this post is for. There's bound to be a genre that's the perfect fit for your book - all you have to do is find it!

Fiction genres

"Writing fiction is the act of weaving a series of lies to arrive at a greater truth." - Khaled Hosseini

Fantasy

This book genre is characterized by elements of magic or the supernatural and is often inspired by mythology or folklore. In high fantasy - one that's set in an entirely fictional world - these magical elements are at the forefront of the plot, as in Trudi Canavan's Black Magician trilogy. In low fantasy or magical realism, however, magic is subtly woven into an otherwise familiar, real-world setting. You can delve into fantasy's manysubgenres to get to know your Arcanepunk from your Flintlock, and find your book's home!

Pro tip for writing fantasy: To make your world feel real and functional, make sure it's grounded in rules - an internal rationale, so to speak, encompassing everything from the workings of your society to your magic system.

Science Fiction

Though science fiction and fantasy are often considered two sides of the same (speculative fiction) coin, sci-fi is distinguished by its preoccupation with real or real-feeling science. Lots of sci-fi is set in the distant future, which makes it a seedbed for stories about time travel and space exploration. But your science fiction novel doesn't need to be inspired by "hard" science like physics and astronomy. Some of the books in this genre reflect on "soft" sciences, such as sociology and anthropology, to predict the future of the human race - more on that next!

Dystopian

A popular genre of science fiction, dystopian novels offer a bleak and frightening vision of the future. Authors writing dystopias imagine a grim society, often in the aftermath of a disaster, facing things like oppressive governments, Black Mirror-esque technology, and environmental ruin. From widely popular series like The Hunger Games to critically-acclaimed classics like Nineteen Eighty-four, the enduring appeal of dystopian fiction lies in our burning desire to know where mankind is headed - and our perverse enjoyment of dark stories, so long as they aren't actually happening to us.

If you struggle to write consistently, sign up for our How to Write a Novel course to finish a novel in just 3 months.

Action & Adventure

If you're writing adventure, then chances are your book follows the structure of the Hero's Journey. Your protagonist has a very important goal to achieve, but they're really going to have to go through the wringer first! You throw up obstacle after obstacle, putting your hero in downright dangerous situations but eventually, they triumph and return home transformed. The action and adventure genre also complements a huge range of others, which means it has its fingers in everything from fantasy novels like The Hobbit to classic romance like J ane Eyre.

Mystery

Also called detective fiction, this book genre is characterized by a gripping plot that revolves around a mystery - but hopefully, you've cracked that clue! The setting, characters, and tone of your book will determine precisely which category it falls under: cozy mystery, hardboiled, or something in between. But at the core of any mystery is a crime that must be solved by the protagonist. To get a sense of the clever trail of clues that's so vital to this genre, check out Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie - the grande dame of mystery fiction.

Pro tip for writing a mystery: When planning your novel, consult the Fichtean curve, a narrative structure that emphasizes mini-crises, ratcheting up the tension to keep readers anxious to reach the climax.

Horror

What unites the books in this genre is not theme, plot, or setting, but the feeling they inspire in the reader: your pulse quickens, and your skin prickles as you turn the page with bated breath. Of course, this feeling of dread only comes about if the author creates the right atmosphere - an essential feature dependent on the subgenre. Gothic horror, for example, sends a shiver down your spine with spooky settings and paranormal elements, while gross-out horror shocks the reader with hacked-up flesh and buckets of blood. The master of horror fiction in all its guises? Stephen King, of course.

Pro tip for writing horror: Make the stakes plain and straightforward - survival, the death of a loved one, etc. - and clearly establish them for the reader, so they are in no doubt about the character's motivation.

Thriller & Suspense

A horror story can also be called a thriller, if it employs psychological fear to build suspense. But not all thrillers are horror stories. So what are they? While this book genre encompasses many of the same elements as mystery, in a thriller the protagonist is usually acting to save their own life, rather than to solve the crime. Thrillers typically include cliffhangers, deception, high emotional stakes, and plenty of action - keeping the reader on the edge of their seat until the book's climax. Gillian Flynn's Gone Girl is a masterclass in the dark, mysterious thriller.

Pro tip for writing a thriller: Avoid anything that bogs down the pacing. If you notice that a scene is getting tied up in everyday details, or doesn't add enough excitement to the plot, rewrite it or cut it altogether!

Historical Fiction

This book genre encompasses fictional stories in a historical setting, carefully balancing creativity and facts. In most cases, the characters and events are imagined by the author and enriched with historically accurate details from a specific time period. Take The Help by Kathryn Stockett, for example - a fictional story set in Mississippi during the Civil Rights Movement. But occasionally, as is the case with Hilary Mantel's Cromwell trilogy, the author builds the main story around real historical figures and events.

Like almost all of these genres, it's crucial that historical fiction works in exposition and historical detail subtly. Want to learn more about how to do this? Check out our free course on the golden writing rule, Show, Don't Tell.

Romance

Romance is so frequently used as a subplot that it can sometimes be tricky to know whether or not you're writing in this genre. The key thing to remember is that the romantic relationship must be the center point of the plot. (Other giveaways include a "happily ever after" ending and the warm fuzzies.) If your novel has a romantic relationship at its heart and is perfectly at home in another genre, it probably falls into one of romance's many subgenres, including but not limited to: young adult romance, paranormal romance, and historical romance.

Women's Fiction

Women's fiction is an umbrella term for books written to target a female audience, generally reflecting on the shared experience of being a woman or the growth of a female protagonist. Because of this rather broad definition, authors will quite often write a romance novel or mystery, for example, that could also be labeled women's fiction. Despite the connotations of one alternative name for this genre ("chick-lit"), many critically acclaimed bestsellers, including Jaqueline Woodson's Red at The Bone, fall under its purview.

LGBTQ+

Any fiction with authentic LGBTQ+ representation falls into this book genre. It's important to note that while your book's queer characters should feature in the main plot, the centerpiece of your plot doesn't have to be a romance. In fact, there doesn't need to be any romance at all! This means that your fantasy, thriller, or historical novel could fall under the LGBTQ+ umbrella.

Contemporary Fiction

This book genre is occasionally lumped in with others to indicate that the book takes place in the present day. But in its simplest form, contemporary fiction is better understood as the absence of a genre. Your book doesn't need tropes and trappings, monsters and mysteries, when its tension, drama, and conflict lies in the quirks and quandaries of your protagonist's everyday life: work, politics, relationships, and the struggles of the modern era.

Literary Fiction

Like contemporary fiction, books considered literary fiction can't be neatly filed under any other genre. What distinguishes this genre from contemporary fiction is that works of literary fiction are thought to have considerable artistic value. If your prose is meant to engage the reader in thought, if your narrative is character-driven and introspective, and if you provide personal or social commentary on a "serious" theme, then chances are you're writing lit-fic. Modern classics by the likes of Virginia Woolf or Ali Smith would be labeled literary fiction.

Like we mentioned, lit-fic is heavy on character, and lighter on plot. If you're interested in writing a character-driven story, try out our profile template for developing well-rounded, fully realized ones.

Magical Realism

You may remember us mentioning magical realism under the umbrella of fantasy - but considering its highbrow style and literary prestige, magical realism is often considered a genre in its own right. Its hallmarks include a real-world setting, a cast of run-of-the-mill characters (no vampires, fairies, or sorcerers), a fluid and non-linear timeline, and supernatural happenings - a baby born with feathered wings, or an egg hatching a ruby - left unexplained. Authors like Isabel Allende and Toni Morrison have used this literary style to grapple with serious social ills, from colonialism to fascism and slavery.

Graphic Novel

Some book genres aren't defined by their content at all, but by their form. Graphic novels are presented to the reader through narrative art (illustrations and typography) either in the traditional panel layout you'll be familiar with from comic books, or in the artist's own style. Once considered cheap entertainment for children, graphic novels are increasingly read and respected these days for their rich blend of visuals and writing. This powerful method of storytelling now portrays everything from memoirs, to manga, to adaptations of classic literature.

Short Story

Though they can belong to any of the other book genres on this list, short stories are frequently grouped together in their own genre because they're, well, so much shorter than novels. Often the author will compile a collection linked together by a narrative thread or, more commonly, a shared theme. The stories in A Manual for Cleaning Women by Lucia Berlin, for example, follow a series of women in different occupations - from cleaning women to ER nurses - all struggling to survive.

Young Adult

Young adult fiction, or YA, targets readers aged 12-18 and reflects its readership by following teenage characters as they grapple with the unique challenges of adolescence. Most works of YA fiction can be labeled " coming-of-age novels", in which the characters exit childhood and enter adulthood - a transition that results in a loss of innocence and a shifting sense of identity. Some of the biggest bestsellers in recent years have belonged to this genre, including The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas and anything by John Green.

Pro tip for writing young adult fiction: Though your teen character's voice should be true to her life experience, you should never "dumb down" the language, story, or style choices in a YA novel.

New Adult

The shiny new penny on this book genres list, new adult is like young adult aged-up: coming-of-age stories after the messiness of adolescence. Its college-age protagonists are walked through the gauntlet of becoming fully-fledged grownups, ditching the stress of the SATs and senior prom for college exams, career transitions, and more mature first times. Big names in New Adult, like Cora Carmack, tend to write steamy romances set in dorm rooms. But this genre isn't all about collegiate love stories - your gritty urban fantasy or immersive historical fiction could find its home here, too.

Children's

Books in this genre are written with readers under the age of twelve in mind. Of course, kids will do a lot of growing between the ages of zero and twelve, which is why children's books range from baby board books all the way up to middle grade 'epics' of 50,000 words. Hopefully, if you're writing children's literature, you already know you are. But it's crucial that you also know which age group you're trying to target, as this will impact the themes, characters, and complexity of your book.

Nonfiction genres

This is a broad category encompassing a number of nonfiction subgenres. From memoirs and biographies to books to self-help and true crime books, there's a type of nonfiction for every kind of reader.

Memoir & Autobiography

Both memoirs and autobiographies provide a true account of the author's life. They differ in that an autobiography provides a chronological account of your life's events and accomplishments, whereas a memoir puts the emphasis on only the most defining, emotional moments. Generally, these moments are drawn together by a single theme - or a significant time, place, or relationship - to communicate a message you wish to share with readers. The Argonauts by Maggie Nelson is a popular example of a memoir.

Pro tip for writing a memoir: Treat yourself as an interview subject and ask yourself questions that will trigger those life-defining stories - the ups and downs, the events that shaped you, what you sacrificed, what you learned.

Biography

Like autobiographies, biographies provide readers with a person's life story; but they're written in the third person by someone other than the subject. Generally, the subject of a biography is (or was) well-known - somebody whose life can teach readers an interesting lesson worth learning. Biographies, memoirs, and autobiographies differ from the rest of the nonfiction on this list, in that they weave a narrative in almost the same way a novel does. A great biography, like Ron Chernow's Alexander Hamilton, isn't a laundry list of events, but a life-giving tribute.

Food & Drink

Food and drink is one of nonfiction's hottest book genres, making it a crowded and highly competitive market. As a result, today's cookbooks tend to cater to specific cuisines, dietary, and/or lifestyle needs. If you're writing a cookbook, you might consider pairing recipes with nutritional information, short autobiographical narratives, or even workouts. Jo Wicks's 30 Day Kickstart Plan and Less Fuss No Waste Kitchen by Lindsay Miles are excellent examples of modern cookbooks.

Art & Photography

This genre is home to a few different kinds of books, all united by their love of art. Your book could find its way into this vibrant and stylish genre if it discusses an artist's work or an artistic style in detail; if it teaches a specific art method; if it explores a facet of art history; or if it showcases your own art in that chic, coffee-table book way.

Self-help

Some of the bestselling books in nonfiction, self-help books encourage personal improvement and confidence. Whether the focus is on relationships, emotional well-being, or finances, if you're writing a book that aims to uplift and empower the reader, then you're probably writing self-help.

History

The books in this genre lay down the known facts about a historical era, event, or figure. And since this is nonfiction, all the facts have to be accurate (though that doesn't mean there's no room for inference or opinion). The goal of these books is to educate and inform the reader, so this genre does include all those textbooks you used in school. But many history books ditch the play-by-play format to chronicle the past in a way more akin to storytelling. One of our favorite history books is Sapiens: A Brief History of Mankind by Yuval Noah Harari.

Travel

Travel memoirs and travelogues, like Jonathan Glancey's The Journey Matters, take us all over the world, giving even the most devoted homebodies a tantalizing taste of adventure, wildlife, and the great outdoors. These pocket-sized books - featuring destination reviews, lists of where to eat and what to see, and tips for traveling on a budget - are without a doubt some of the most useful titles on the shelves.

True Crime

Crime-fiction writers have put some pretty twisted plots to paper, but if you prefer to chronicle real crimes in all their haunting and fascinating detail, then the true crime genre is where your book belongs. From infamous murders to domestic disappearances, works in this genre pen true stories, about all things fearful and forbidden, that read as smoothly as well-crafted fiction.

Humor

Laugh-out-loud memoirs by the funniest celebs, satirical essays from the likes of David Sedaris, or gag gifts like How to Adult - all the books in this rib-tickling genre are written with one thing in mind: making readers laugh! So if you've compiled a collection of all your favorite dad jokes or penned a cathartic brain-dump of your most cringe-worthy memories, then your book may also belong in the humor genre.

Essays

An essay may sound like a boring assignment from your school years, but the books in this genre are among some of the most moving and inspirational works of literature there are. Many powerful voices - like James Baldwin and Roxane Gay - have used these short works to reflect on their own personal experiences and views, combining them into a collection that serves as an eye-opening social commentary on a particular theme or subject.

Guide / How-to

Readers turn to this book genre to develop a skill, hobby, or craft. So if you're an expert in a particular field and you've written a book showing hobbyists how to achieve something specific (like "how to master chess openings" or "a guide to floristry"), then this is its home! Of course, one dead giveaway might be your book's title.

Religion & Spirituality

From histories of the Catholic Church to spiritual guidebooks and memoirs of the Eat, Pray, Love variety, this genre has a place for anything and everything related to the topics of religion and spirituality.

Humanities & Social Sciences

Got something wise to say? Then your book might just belong among the books of this eclectic genre - as long as it discusses a topic related to (deep breath): philosophy, history, literature, language, art, religion, music, or the human condition. This might seem like a pretty wide net to fall into, but keep in mind that books in this genre are typically quite academic; if you've written more of a free-flowing spiritual guide, it probably belongs in the previous genre.

Parenting & Families

Parents and families struggling with discipline, education, bonding, the care of a newborn baby, or a child with special needs, can turn to this well-stocked genre of books when they need to bring in the reinforcements. If you've written a memoir that'll have families whole-heartedly nodding in agreement, or a guide brimming with advice for frazzled parents, then you can find a place for your book in the parenting and families section.

Science & Technology

The job of science nonfiction is not to predict the future, but to make sense of the world we're currently living in - which, quite honestly, can feel like science fiction to some of us! Readers of this genre range from complete beginners trying to understand the things around them to technophiles whose brains are whirring to keep up with the pace of change, so there's bound to be a niche for your book, however advanced it is.

Children's

As much as kids love fairytales and talking animals, they're often just as happy to pick up a nonfiction book at storytime. Whether it's an activity book to keep them busy, a powerful true story like Malala's Magic Pencil, or a children's encyclopedia to feed their brains, children's nonfiction is all about making learning fun. And the wildly popular Horrible Histories series has proven that this genre can compete with wizards and superheroes at every age!

There you have it: 35 of the most popular genres of books. Hopefully, this list will help you get your foot in the right door. But if your book doesn't slot neatly into any of these categories (though there are quite some more types of nonfiction to consider), don't be afraid to declare it a hybrid, or to dig a little deeper into the subcategories that you'll find in the shade of these umbrella genres.

And no matter what kind of book you're writing, check out our book development template to get started.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The Ultimate List of Book Genres: 35 Popular Genres

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Among these 35 popular book genres, there's bound to be one that fits your book like a glove - so let's find it!

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Genre(s): Non-fiction / Autobiography / Memoir (true story), Sports

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Genre(s): Non-fiction / Autobiography / Memoir (true story), Sports

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Similar books in the genre: Playing with Fire by Theo Fleury

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Authors need to have a firm grasp on all the different genres of books in order to find the perfect home for their own. The tropes and expectations of a book's genre will inform its content and style during the writing process, as well as fundamentals such as word count. But it's also central to the marketing of a book, determining its target audience, and those all-important Amazon categories. Get your genre wrong, and you could be waving goodbye to book sales and hello to unsatisfied reader reviews!

How many book genres are there?

Though we're only covering 35 of the most popular in this post, there are around 50 genres in total - the exact number depends on who you ask. If you take subgenres into account, over on Reedsy Discovery we have 107 different categories, while Amazon has over 16,000!

That can be a lot to take in. So if you'd like some personalized guidance, we recommend taking this 1-minute quiz that will point you towards your genre (and subgenre).

🖊️

For an overview of all of the genres, that's what the rest of this post is for. There's bound to be a genre that's the perfect fit for your book - all you have to do is find it!

Fiction genres

"Writing fiction is the act of weaving a series of lies to arrive at a greater truth." - Khaled Hosseini

Fantasy

This book genre is characterized by elements of magic or the supernatural and is often inspired by mythology or folklore. In high fantasy - one that's set in an entirely fictional world - these magical elements are at the forefront of the plot, as in Trudi Canavan's Black Magician trilogy. In low fantasy or magical realism, however, magic is subtly woven into an otherwise familiar, real-world setting. You can delve into fantasy's manysubgenres to get to know your Arcanepunk from your Flintlock, and find your book's home!

Pro tip for writing fantasy: To make your world feel real and functional, make sure it's grounded in rules - an internal rationale, so to speak, encompassing everything from the workings of your society to your magic system.

Science Fiction

Though science fiction and fantasy are often considered two sides of the same (speculative fiction) coin, sci-fi is distinguished by its preoccupation with real or real-feeling science. Lots of sci-fi is set in the distant future, which makes it a seedbed for stories about time travel and space exploration. But your science fiction novel doesn't need to be inspired by "hard" science like physics and astronomy. Some of the books in this genre reflect on "soft" sciences, such as sociology and anthropology, to predict the future of the human race - more on that next!

Dystopian

A popular genre of science fiction, dystopian novels offer a bleak and frightening vision of the future. Authors writing dystopias imagine a grim society, often in the aftermath of a disaster, facing things like oppressive governments, Black Mirror-esque technology, and environmental ruin. From widely popular series like The Hunger Games to critically-acclaimed classics like Nineteen Eighty-four, the enduring appeal of dystopian fiction lies in our burning desire to know where mankind is headed - and our perverse enjoyment of dark stories, so long as they aren't actually happening to us.

If you struggle to write consistently, sign up for our How to Write a Novel course to finish a novel in just 3 months.

Action & Adventure

If you're writing adventure, then chances are your book follows the structure of the Hero's Journey. Your protagonist has a very important goal to achieve, but they're really going to have to go through the wringer first! You throw up obstacle after obstacle, putting your hero in downright dangerous situations but eventually, they triumph and return home transformed. The action and adventure genre also complements a huge range of others, which means it has its fingers in everything from fantasy novels like The Hobbit to classic romance like J ane Eyre.

Mystery

Also called detective fiction, this book genre is characterized by a gripping plot that revolves around a mystery - but hopefully, you've cracked that clue! The setting, characters, and tone of your book will determine precisely which category it falls under: cozy mystery, hardboiled, or something in between. But at the core of any mystery is a crime that must be solved by the protagonist. To get a sense of the clever trail of clues that's so vital to this genre, check out Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie - the grande dame of mystery fiction.

Pro tip for writing a mystery: When planning your novel, consult the Fichtean curve, a narrative structure that emphasizes mini-crises, ratcheting up the tension to keep readers anxious to reach the climax.

Horror

What unites the books in this genre is not theme, plot, or setting, but the feeling they inspire in the reader: your pulse quickens, and your skin prickles as you turn the page with bated breath. Of course, this feeling of dread only comes about if the author creates the right atmosphere - an essential feature dependent on the subgenre. Gothic horror, for example, sends a shiver down your spine with spooky settings and paranormal elements, while gross-out horror shocks the reader with hacked-up flesh and buckets of blood. The master of horror fiction in all its guises? Stephen King, of course.

Pro tip for writing horror: Make the stakes plain and straightforward - survival, the death of a loved one, etc. - and clearly establish them for the reader, so they are in no doubt about the character's motivation.

Thriller & Suspense

A horror story can also be called a thriller, if it employs psychological fear to build suspense. But not all thrillers are horror stories. So what are they? While this book genre encompasses many of the same elements as mystery, in a thriller the protagonist is usually acting to save their own life, rather than to solve the crime. Thrillers typically include cliffhangers, deception, high emotional stakes, and plenty of action - keeping the reader on the edge of their seat until the book's climax. Gillian Flynn's Gone Girl is a masterclass in the dark, mysterious thriller.

Pro tip for writing a thriller: Avoid anything that bogs down the pacing. If you notice that a scene is getting tied up in everyday details, or doesn't add enough excitement to the plot, rewrite it or cut it altogether!

Historical Fiction

This book genre encompasses fictional stories in a historical setting, carefully balancing creativity and facts. In most cases, the characters and events are imagined by the author and enriched with historically accurate details from a specific time period. Take The Help by Kathryn Stockett, for example - a fictional story set in Mississippi during the Civil Rights Movement. But occasionally, as is the case with Hilary Mantel's Cromwell trilogy, the author builds the main story around real historical figures and events.

Like almost all of these genres, it's crucial that historical fiction works in exposition and historical detail subtly. Want to learn more about how to do this? Check out our free course on the golden writing rule, Show, Don't Tell.

Romance

Romance is so frequently used as a subplot that it can sometimes be tricky to know whether or not you're writing in this genre. The key thing to remember is that the romantic relationship must be the center point of the plot. (Other giveaways include a "happily ever after" ending and the warm fuzzies.) If your novel has a romantic relationship at its heart and is perfectly at home in another genre, it probably falls into one of romance's many subgenres, including but not limited to: young adult romance, paranormal romance, and historical romance.

Women's Fiction

Women's fiction is an umbrella term for books written to target a female audience, generally reflecting on the shared experience of being a woman or the growth of a female protagonist. Because of this rather broad definition, authors will quite often write a romance novel or mystery, for example, that could also be labeled women's fiction. Despite the connotations of one alternative name for this genre ("chick-lit"), many critically acclaimed bestsellers, including Jaqueline Woodson's Red at The Bone, fall under its purview.

LGBTQ+

Any fiction with authentic LGBTQ+ representation falls into this book genre. It's important to note that while your book's queer characters should feature in the main plot, the centerpiece of your plot doesn't have to be a romance. In fact, there doesn't need to be any romance at all! This means that your fantasy, thriller, or historical novel could fall under the LGBTQ+ umbrella.

Contemporary Fiction

This book genre is occasionally lumped in with others to indicate that the book takes place in the present day. But in its simplest form, contemporary fiction is better understood as the absence of a genre. Your book doesn't need tropes and trappings, monsters and mysteries, when its tension, drama, and conflict lies in the quirks and quandaries of your protagonist's everyday life: work, politics, relationships, and the struggles of the modern era.

Literary Fiction

Like contemporary fiction, books considered literary fiction can't be neatly filed under any other genre. What distinguishes this genre from contemporary fiction is that works of literary fiction are thought to have considerable artistic value. If your prose is meant to engage the reader in thought, if your narrative is character-driven and introspective, and if you provide personal or social commentary on a "serious" theme, then chances are you're writing lit-fic. Modern classics by the likes of Virginia Woolf or Ali Smith would be labeled literary fiction.

Like we mentioned, lit-fic is heavy on character, and lighter on plot. If you're interested in writing a character-driven story, try out our profile template for developing well-rounded, fully realized ones.

Magical Realism

You may remember us mentioning magical realism under the umbrella of fantasy - but considering its highbrow style and literary prestige, magical realism is often considered a genre in its own right. Its hallmarks include a real-world setting, a cast of run-of-the-mill characters (no vampires, fairies, or sorcerers), a fluid and non-linear timeline, and supernatural happenings - a baby born with feathered wings, or an egg hatching a ruby - left unexplained. Authors like Isabel Allende and Toni Morrison have used this literary style to grapple with serious social ills, from colonialism to fascism and slavery.

Graphic Novel

Some book genres aren't defined by their content at all, but by their form. Graphic novels are presented to the reader through narrative art (illustrations and typography) either in the traditional panel layout you'll be familiar with from comic books, or in the artist's own style. Once considered cheap entertainment for children, graphic novels are increasingly read and respected these days for their rich blend of visuals and writing. This powerful method of storytelling now portrays everything from memoirs, to manga, to adaptations of classic literature.

Short Story

Though they can belong to any of the other book genres on this list, short stories are frequently grouped together in their own genre because they're, well, so much shorter than novels. Often the author will compile a collection linked together by a narrative thread or, more commonly, a shared theme. The stories in A Manual for Cleaning Women by Lucia Berlin, for example, follow a series of women in different occupations - from cleaning women to ER nurses - all struggling to survive.

Young Adult

Young adult fiction, or YA, targets readers aged 12-18 and reflects its readership by following teenage characters as they grapple with the unique challenges of adolescence. Most works of YA fiction can be labeled " coming-of-age novels", in which the characters exit childhood and enter adulthood - a transition that results in a loss of innocence and a shifting sense of identity. Some of the biggest bestsellers in recent years have belonged to this genre, including The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas and anything by John Green.

Pro tip for writing young adult fiction: Though your teen character's voice should be true to her life experience, you should never "dumb down" the language, story, or style choices in a YA novel.

New Adult

The shiny new penny on this book genres list, new adult is like young adult aged-up: coming-of-age stories after the messiness of adolescence. Its college-age protagonists are walked through the gauntlet of becoming fully-fledged grownups, ditching the stress of the SATs and senior prom for college exams, career transitions, and more mature first times. Big names in New Adult, like Cora Carmack, tend to write steamy romances set in dorm rooms. But this genre isn't all about collegiate love stories - your gritty urban fantasy or immersive historical fiction could find its home here, too.

Children's

Books in this genre are written with readers under the age of twelve in mind. Of course, kids will do a lot of growing between the ages of zero and twelve, which is why children's books range from baby board books all the way up to middle grade 'epics' of 50,000 words. Hopefully, if you're writing children's literature, you already know you are. But it's crucial that you also know which age group you're trying to target, as this will impact the themes, characters, and complexity of your book.

Nonfiction genres

This is a broad category encompassing a number of nonfiction subgenres. From memoirs and biographies to books to self-help and true crime books, there's a type of nonfiction for every kind of reader.

Memoir & Autobiography

Both memoirs and autobiographies provide a true account of the author's life. They differ in that an autobiography provides a chronological account of your life's events and accomplishments, whereas a memoir puts the emphasis on only the most defining, emotional moments. Generally, these moments are drawn together by a single theme - or a significant time, place, or relationship - to communicate a message you wish to share with readers. The Argonauts by Maggie Nelson is a popular example of a memoir.

Pro tip for writing a memoir: Treat yourself as an interview subject and ask yourself questions that will trigger those life-defining stories - the ups and downs, the events that shaped you, what you sacrificed, what you learned.

Biography

Like autobiographies, biographies provide readers with a person's life story; but they're written in the third person by someone other than the subject. Generally, the subject of a biography is (or was) well-known - somebody whose life can teach readers an interesting lesson worth learning. Biographies, memoirs, and autobiographies differ from the rest of the nonfiction on this list, in that they weave a narrative in almost the same way a novel does. A great biography, like Ron Chernow's Alexander Hamilton, isn't a laundry list of events, but a life-giving tribute.

Food & Drink

Food and drink is one of nonfiction's hottest book genres, making it a crowded and highly competitive market. As a result, today's cookbooks tend to cater to specific cuisines, dietary, and/or lifestyle needs. If you're writing a cookbook, you might consider pairing recipes with nutritional information, short autobiographical narratives, or even workouts. Jo Wicks's 30 Day Kickstart Plan and Less Fuss No Waste Kitchen by Lindsay Miles are excellent examples of modern cookbooks.

Art & Photography

This genre is home to a few different kinds of books, all united by their love of art. Your book could find its way into this vibrant and stylish genre if it discusses an artist's work or an artistic style in detail; if it teaches a specific art method; if it explores a facet of art history; or if it showcases your own art in that chic, coffee-table book way.

Self-help

Some of the bestselling books in nonfiction, self-help books encourage personal improvement and confidence. Whether the focus is on relationships, emotional well-being, or finances, if you're writing a book that aims to uplift and empower the reader, then you're probably writing self-help.

History

The books in this genre lay down the known facts about a historical era, event, or figure. And since this is nonfiction, all the facts have to be accurate (though that doesn't mean there's no room for inference or opinion). The goal of these books is to educate and inform the reader, so this genre does include all those textbooks you used in school. But many history books ditch the play-by-play format to chronicle the past in a way more akin to storytelling. One of our favorite history books is Sapiens: A Brief History of Mankind by Yuval Noah Harari.

Travel

Travel memoirs and travelogues, like Jonathan Glancey's The Journey Matters, take us all over the world, giving even the most devoted homebodies a tantalizing taste of adventure, wildlife, and the great outdoors. These pocket-sized books - featuring destination reviews, lists of where to eat and what to see, and tips for traveling on a budget - are without a doubt some of the most useful titles on the shelves.

True Crime

Crime-fiction writers have put some pretty twisted plots to paper, but if you prefer to chronicle real crimes in all their haunting and fascinating detail, then the true crime genre is where your book belongs. From infamous murders to domestic disappearances, works in this genre pen true stories, about all things fearful and forbidden, that read as smoothly as well-crafted fiction.

Humor

Laugh-out-loud memoirs by the funniest celebs, satirical essays from the likes of David Sedaris, or gag gifts like How to Adult - all the books in this rib-tickling genre are written with one thing in mind: making readers laugh! So if you've compiled a collection of all your favorite dad jokes or penned a cathartic brain-dump of your most cringe-worthy memories, then your book may also belong in the humor genre.

Essays

An essay may sound like a boring assignment from your school years, but the books in this genre are among some of the most moving and inspirational works of literature there are. Many powerful voices - like James Baldwin and Roxane Gay - have used these short works to reflect on their own personal experiences and views, combining them into a collection that serves as an eye-opening social commentary on a particular theme or subject.

Guide / How-to

Readers turn to this book genre to develop a skill, hobby, or craft. So if you're an expert in a particular field and you've written a book showing hobbyists how to achieve something specific (like "how to master chess openings" or "a guide to floristry"), then this is its home! Of course, one dead giveaway might be your book's title.

Religion & Spirituality

From histories of the Catholic Church to spiritual guidebooks and memoirs of the Eat, Pray, Love variety, this genre has a place for anything and everything related to the topics of religion and spirituality.

Humanities & Social Sciences

Got something wise to say? Then your book might just belong among the books of this eclectic genre - as long as it discusses a topic related to (deep breath): philosophy, history, literature, language, art, religion, music, or the human condition. This might seem like a pretty wide net to fall into, but keep in mind that books in this genre are typically quite academic; if you've written more of a free-flowing spiritual guide, it probably belongs in the previous genre.

Parenting & Families

Parents and families struggling with discipline, education, bonding, the care of a newborn baby, or a child with special needs, can turn to this well-stocked genre of books when they need to bring in the reinforcements. If you've written a memoir that'll have families whole-heartedly nodding in agreement, or a guide brimming with advice for frazzled parents, then you can find a place for your book in the parenting and families section.

Science & Technology

The job of science nonfiction is not to predict the future, but to make sense of the world we're currently living in - which, quite honestly, can feel like science fiction to some of us! Readers of this genre range from complete beginners trying to understand the things around them to technophiles whose brains are whirring to keep up with the pace of change, so there's bound to be a niche for your book, however advanced it is.

Children's

As much as kids love fairytales and talking animals, they're often just as happy to pick up a nonfiction book at storytime. Whether it's an activity book to keep them busy, a powerful true story like Malala's Magic Pencil, or a children's encyclopedia to feed their brains, children's nonfiction is all about making learning fun. And the wildly popular Horrible Histories series has proven that this genre can compete with wizards and superheroes at every age!

There you have it: 35 of the most popular genres of books. Hopefully, this list will help you get your foot in the right door. But if your book doesn't slot neatly into any of these categories (though there are quite some more types of nonfiction to consider), don't be afraid to declare it a hybrid, or to dig a little deeper into the subcategories that you'll find in the shade of these umbrella genres.

And no matter what kind of book you're writing, check out our book development template to get started.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The Ultimate List of Book Genres: 35 Popular Genres

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Among these 35 popular book genres, there's bound to be one that fits your book like a glove - so let's find it!

# data[].attributes.headline
Genre: Horror, Science Fiction, Dystopia, Post-Apocalyptic

# data[].attributes.subject
Genre: Horror, Science Fiction, Dystopia, Post-Apocalyptic

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Authors need to have a firm grasp on all the different genres of books in order to find the perfect home for their own. The tropes and expectations of a book's genre will inform its content and style during the writing process, as well as fundamentals such as word count. But it's also central to the marketing of a book, determining its target audience, and those all-important Amazon categories. Get your genre wrong, and you could be waving goodbye to book sales and hello to unsatisfied reader reviews!

How many book genres are there?

Though we're only covering 35 of the most popular in this post, there are around 50 genres in total - the exact number depends on who you ask. If you take subgenres into account, over on Reedsy Discovery we have 107 different categories, while Amazon has over 16,000!

That can be a lot to take in. So if you'd like some personalized guidance, we recommend taking this 1-minute quiz that will point you towards your genre (and subgenre).

🖊️

For an overview of all of the genres, that's what the rest of this post is for. There's bound to be a genre that's the perfect fit for your book - all you have to do is find it!

Fiction genres

"Writing fiction is the act of weaving a series of lies to arrive at a greater truth." - Khaled Hosseini

Fantasy

This book genre is characterized by elements of magic or the supernatural and is often inspired by mythology or folklore. In high fantasy - one that's set in an entirely fictional world - these magical elements are at the forefront of the plot, as in Trudi Canavan's Black Magician trilogy. In low fantasy or magical realism, however, magic is subtly woven into an otherwise familiar, real-world setting. You can delve into fantasy's manysubgenres to get to know your Arcanepunk from your Flintlock, and find your book's home!

Pro tip for writing fantasy: To make your world feel real and functional, make sure it's grounded in rules - an internal rationale, so to speak, encompassing everything from the workings of your society to your magic system.

Science Fiction

Though science fiction and fantasy are often considered two sides of the same (speculative fiction) coin, sci-fi is distinguished by its preoccupation with real or real-feeling science. Lots of sci-fi is set in the distant future, which makes it a seedbed for stories about time travel and space exploration. But your science fiction novel doesn't need to be inspired by "hard" science like physics and astronomy. Some of the books in this genre reflect on "soft" sciences, such as sociology and anthropology, to predict the future of the human race - more on that next!

Dystopian

A popular genre of science fiction, dystopian novels offer a bleak and frightening vision of the future. Authors writing dystopias imagine a grim society, often in the aftermath of a disaster, facing things like oppressive governments, Black Mirror-esque technology, and environmental ruin. From widely popular series like The Hunger Games to critically-acclaimed classics like Nineteen Eighty-four, the enduring appeal of dystopian fiction lies in our burning desire to know where mankind is headed - and our perverse enjoyment of dark stories, so long as they aren't actually happening to us.

If you struggle to write consistently, sign up for our How to Write a Novel course to finish a novel in just 3 months.

Action & Adventure

If you're writing adventure, then chances are your book follows the structure of the Hero's Journey. Your protagonist has a very important goal to achieve, but they're really going to have to go through the wringer first! You throw up obstacle after obstacle, putting your hero in downright dangerous situations but eventually, they triumph and return home transformed. The action and adventure genre also complements a huge range of others, which means it has its fingers in everything from fantasy novels like The Hobbit to classic romance like J ane Eyre.

Mystery

Also called detective fiction, this book genre is characterized by a gripping plot that revolves around a mystery - but hopefully, you've cracked that clue! The setting, characters, and tone of your book will determine precisely which category it falls under: cozy mystery, hardboiled, or something in between. But at the core of any mystery is a crime that must be solved by the protagonist. To get a sense of the clever trail of clues that's so vital to this genre, check out Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie - the grande dame of mystery fiction.

Pro tip for writing a mystery: When planning your novel, consult the Fichtean curve, a narrative structure that emphasizes mini-crises, ratcheting up the tension to keep readers anxious to reach the climax.

Horror

What unites the books in this genre is not theme, plot, or setting, but the feeling they inspire in the reader: your pulse quickens, and your skin prickles as you turn the page with bated breath. Of course, this feeling of dread only comes about if the author creates the right atmosphere - an essential feature dependent on the subgenre. Gothic horror, for example, sends a shiver down your spine with spooky settings and paranormal elements, while gross-out horror shocks the reader with hacked-up flesh and buckets of blood. The master of horror fiction in all its guises? Stephen King, of course.

Pro tip for writing horror: Make the stakes plain and straightforward - survival, the death of a loved one, etc. - and clearly establish them for the reader, so they are in no doubt about the character's motivation.

Thriller & Suspense

A horror story can also be called a thriller, if it employs psychological fear to build suspense. But not all thrillers are horror stories. So what are they? While this book genre encompasses many of the same elements as mystery, in a thriller the protagonist is usually acting to save their own life, rather than to solve the crime. Thrillers typically include cliffhangers, deception, high emotional stakes, and plenty of action - keeping the reader on the edge of their seat until the book's climax. Gillian Flynn's Gone Girl is a masterclass in the dark, mysterious thriller.

Pro tip for writing a thriller: Avoid anything that bogs down the pacing. If you notice that a scene is getting tied up in everyday details, or doesn't add enough excitement to the plot, rewrite it or cut it altogether!

Historical Fiction

This book genre encompasses fictional stories in a historical setting, carefully balancing creativity and facts. In most cases, the characters and events are imagined by the author and enriched with historically accurate details from a specific time period. Take The Help by Kathryn Stockett, for example - a fictional story set in Mississippi during the Civil Rights Movement. But occasionally, as is the case with Hilary Mantel's Cromwell trilogy, the author builds the main story around real historical figures and events.

Like almost all of these genres, it's crucial that historical fiction works in exposition and historical detail subtly. Want to learn more about how to do this? Check out our free course on the golden writing rule, Show, Don't Tell.

Romance

Romance is so frequently used as a subplot that it can sometimes be tricky to know whether or not you're writing in this genre. The key thing to remember is that the romantic relationship must be the center point of the plot. (Other giveaways include a "happily ever after" ending and the warm fuzzies.) If your novel has a romantic relationship at its heart and is perfectly at home in another genre, it probably falls into one of romance's many subgenres, including but not limited to: young adult romance, paranormal romance, and historical romance.

Women's Fiction

Women's fiction is an umbrella term for books written to target a female audience, generally reflecting on the shared experience of being a woman or the growth of a female protagonist. Because of this rather broad definition, authors will quite often write a romance novel or mystery, for example, that could also be labeled women's fiction. Despite the connotations of one alternative name for this genre ("chick-lit"), many critically acclaimed bestsellers, including Jaqueline Woodson's Red at The Bone, fall under its purview.

LGBTQ+

Any fiction with authentic LGBTQ+ representation falls into this book genre. It's important to note that while your book's queer characters should feature in the main plot, the centerpiece of your plot doesn't have to be a romance. In fact, there doesn't need to be any romance at all! This means that your fantasy, thriller, or historical novel could fall under the LGBTQ+ umbrella.

Contemporary Fiction

This book genre is occasionally lumped in with others to indicate that the book takes place in the present day. But in its simplest form, contemporary fiction is better understood as the absence of a genre. Your book doesn't need tropes and trappings, monsters and mysteries, when its tension, drama, and conflict lies in the quirks and quandaries of your protagonist's everyday life: work, politics, relationships, and the struggles of the modern era.

Literary Fiction

Like contemporary fiction, books considered literary fiction can't be neatly filed under any other genre. What distinguishes this genre from contemporary fiction is that works of literary fiction are thought to have considerable artistic value. If your prose is meant to engage the reader in thought, if your narrative is character-driven and introspective, and if you provide personal or social commentary on a "serious" theme, then chances are you're writing lit-fic. Modern classics by the likes of Virginia Woolf or Ali Smith would be labeled literary fiction.

Like we mentioned, lit-fic is heavy on character, and lighter on plot. If you're interested in writing a character-driven story, try out our profile template for developing well-rounded, fully realized ones.

Magical Realism

You may remember us mentioning magical realism under the umbrella of fantasy - but considering its highbrow style and literary prestige, magical realism is often considered a genre in its own right. Its hallmarks include a real-world setting, a cast of run-of-the-mill characters (no vampires, fairies, or sorcerers), a fluid and non-linear timeline, and supernatural happenings - a baby born with feathered wings, or an egg hatching a ruby - left unexplained. Authors like Isabel Allende and Toni Morrison have used this literary style to grapple with serious social ills, from colonialism to fascism and slavery.

Graphic Novel

Some book genres aren't defined by their content at all, but by their form. Graphic novels are presented to the reader through narrative art (illustrations and typography) either in the traditional panel layout you'll be familiar with from comic books, or in the artist's own style. Once considered cheap entertainment for children, graphic novels are increasingly read and respected these days for their rich blend of visuals and writing. This powerful method of storytelling now portrays everything from memoirs, to manga, to adaptations of classic literature.

Short Story

Though they can belong to any of the other book genres on this list, short stories are frequently grouped together in their own genre because they're, well, so much shorter than novels. Often the author will compile a collection linked together by a narrative thread or, more commonly, a shared theme. The stories in A Manual for Cleaning Women by Lucia Berlin, for example, follow a series of women in different occupations - from cleaning women to ER nurses - all struggling to survive.

Young Adult

Young adult fiction, or YA, targets readers aged 12-18 and reflects its readership by following teenage characters as they grapple with the unique challenges of adolescence. Most works of YA fiction can be labeled " coming-of-age novels", in which the characters exit childhood and enter adulthood - a transition that results in a loss of innocence and a shifting sense of identity. Some of the biggest bestsellers in recent years have belonged to this genre, including The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas and anything by John Green.

Pro tip for writing young adult fiction: Though your teen character's voice should be true to her life experience, you should never "dumb down" the language, story, or style choices in a YA novel.

New Adult

The shiny new penny on this book genres list, new adult is like young adult aged-up: coming-of-age stories after the messiness of adolescence. Its college-age protagonists are walked through the gauntlet of becoming fully-fledged grownups, ditching the stress of the SATs and senior prom for college exams, career transitions, and more mature first times. Big names in New Adult, like Cora Carmack, tend to write steamy romances set in dorm rooms. But this genre isn't all about collegiate love stories - your gritty urban fantasy or immersive historical fiction could find its home here, too.

Children's

Books in this genre are written with readers under the age of twelve in mind. Of course, kids will do a lot of growing between the ages of zero and twelve, which is why children's books range from baby board books all the way up to middle grade 'epics' of 50,000 words. Hopefully, if you're writing children's literature, you already know you are. But it's crucial that you also know which age group you're trying to target, as this will impact the themes, characters, and complexity of your book.

Nonfiction genres

This is a broad category encompassing a number of nonfiction subgenres. From memoirs and biographies to books to self-help and true crime books, there's a type of nonfiction for every kind of reader.

Memoir & Autobiography

Both memoirs and autobiographies provide a true account of the author's life. They differ in that an autobiography provides a chronological account of your life's events and accomplishments, whereas a memoir puts the emphasis on only the most defining, emotional moments. Generally, these moments are drawn together by a single theme - or a significant time, place, or relationship - to communicate a message you wish to share with readers. The Argonauts by Maggie Nelson is a popular example of a memoir.

Pro tip for writing a memoir: Treat yourself as an interview subject and ask yourself questions that will trigger those life-defining stories - the ups and downs, the events that shaped you, what you sacrificed, what you learned.

Biography

Like autobiographies, biographies provide readers with a person's life story; but they're written in the third person by someone other than the subject. Generally, the subject of a biography is (or was) well-known - somebody whose life can teach readers an interesting lesson worth learning. Biographies, memoirs, and autobiographies differ from the rest of the nonfiction on this list, in that they weave a narrative in almost the same way a novel does. A great biography, like Ron Chernow's Alexander Hamilton, isn't a laundry list of events, but a life-giving tribute.

Food & Drink

Food and drink is one of nonfiction's hottest book genres, making it a crowded and highly competitive market. As a result, today's cookbooks tend to cater to specific cuisines, dietary, and/or lifestyle needs. If you're writing a cookbook, you might consider pairing recipes with nutritional information, short autobiographical narratives, or even workouts. Jo Wicks's 30 Day Kickstart Plan and Less Fuss No Waste Kitchen by Lindsay Miles are excellent examples of modern cookbooks.

Art & Photography

This genre is home to a few different kinds of books, all united by their love of art. Your book could find its way into this vibrant and stylish genre if it discusses an artist's work or an artistic style in detail; if it teaches a specific art method; if it explores a facet of art history; or if it showcases your own art in that chic, coffee-table book way.

Self-help

Some of the bestselling books in nonfiction, self-help books encourage personal improvement and confidence. Whether the focus is on relationships, emotional well-being, or finances, if you're writing a book that aims to uplift and empower the reader, then you're probably writing self-help.

History

The books in this genre lay down the known facts about a historical era, event, or figure. And since this is nonfiction, all the facts have to be accurate (though that doesn't mean there's no room for inference or opinion). The goal of these books is to educate and inform the reader, so this genre does include all those textbooks you used in school. But many history books ditch the play-by-play format to chronicle the past in a way more akin to storytelling. One of our favorite history books is Sapiens: A Brief History of Mankind by Yuval Noah Harari.

Travel

Travel memoirs and travelogues, like Jonathan Glancey's The Journey Matters, take us all over the world, giving even the most devoted homebodies a tantalizing taste of adventure, wildlife, and the great outdoors. These pocket-sized books - featuring destination reviews, lists of where to eat and what to see, and tips for traveling on a budget - are without a doubt some of the most useful titles on the shelves.

True Crime

Crime-fiction writers have put some pretty twisted plots to paper, but if you prefer to chronicle real crimes in all their haunting and fascinating detail, then the true crime genre is where your book belongs. From infamous murders to domestic disappearances, works in this genre pen true stories, about all things fearful and forbidden, that read as smoothly as well-crafted fiction.

Humor

Laugh-out-loud memoirs by the funniest celebs, satirical essays from the likes of David Sedaris, or gag gifts like How to Adult - all the books in this rib-tickling genre are written with one thing in mind: making readers laugh! So if you've compiled a collection of all your favorite dad jokes or penned a cathartic brain-dump of your most cringe-worthy memories, then your book may also belong in the humor genre.

Essays

An essay may sound like a boring assignment from your school years, but the books in this genre are among some of the most moving and inspirational works of literature there are. Many powerful voices - like James Baldwin and Roxane Gay - have used these short works to reflect on their own personal experiences and views, combining them into a collection that serves as an eye-opening social commentary on a particular theme or subject.

Guide / How-to

Readers turn to this book genre to develop a skill, hobby, or craft. So if you're an expert in a particular field and you've written a book showing hobbyists how to achieve something specific (like "how to master chess openings" or "a guide to floristry"), then this is its home! Of course, one dead giveaway might be your book's title.

Religion & Spirituality

From histories of the Catholic Church to spiritual guidebooks and memoirs of the Eat, Pray, Love variety, this genre has a place for anything and everything related to the topics of religion and spirituality.

Humanities & Social Sciences

Got something wise to say? Then your book might just belong among the books of this eclectic genre - as long as it discusses a topic related to (deep breath): philosophy, history, literature, language, art, religion, music, or the human condition. This might seem like a pretty wide net to fall into, but keep in mind that books in this genre are typically quite academic; if you've written more of a free-flowing spiritual guide, it probably belongs in the previous genre.

Parenting & Families

Parents and families struggling with discipline, education, bonding, the care of a newborn baby, or a child with special needs, can turn to this well-stocked genre of books when they need to bring in the reinforcements. If you've written a memoir that'll have families whole-heartedly nodding in agreement, or a guide brimming with advice for frazzled parents, then you can find a place for your book in the parenting and families section.

Science & Technology

The job of science nonfiction is not to predict the future, but to make sense of the world we're currently living in - which, quite honestly, can feel like science fiction to some of us! Readers of this genre range from complete beginners trying to understand the things around them to technophiles whose brains are whirring to keep up with the pace of change, so there's bound to be a niche for your book, however advanced it is.

Children's

As much as kids love fairytales and talking animals, they're often just as happy to pick up a nonfiction book at storytime. Whether it's an activity book to keep them busy, a powerful true story like Malala's Magic Pencil, or a children's encyclopedia to feed their brains, children's nonfiction is all about making learning fun. And the wildly popular Horrible Histories series has proven that this genre can compete with wizards and superheroes at every age!

There you have it: 35 of the most popular genres of books. Hopefully, this list will help you get your foot in the right door. But if your book doesn't slot neatly into any of these categories (though there are quite some more types of nonfiction to consider), don't be afraid to declare it a hybrid, or to dig a little deeper into the subcategories that you'll find in the shade of these umbrella genres.

And no matter what kind of book you're writing, check out our book development template to get started.

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The Ultimate List of Book Genres: 35 Popular Genres

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Among these 35 popular book genres, there's bound to be one that fits your book like a glove - so let's find it!

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Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Fantasy/Mythology

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Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Fantasy/Mythology

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Authors need to have a firm grasp on all the different genres of books in order to find the perfect home for their own. The tropes and expectations of a book's genre will inform its content and style during the writing process, as well as fundamentals such as word count. But it's also central to the marketing of a book, determining its target audience, and those all-important Amazon categories. Get your genre wrong, and you could be waving goodbye to book sales and hello to unsatisfied reader reviews!

How many book genres are there?

Though we're only covering 35 of the most popular in this post, there are around 50 genres in total - the exact number depends on who you ask. If you take subgenres into account, over on Reedsy Discovery we have 107 different categories, while Amazon has over 16,000!

That can be a lot to take in. So if you'd like some personalized guidance, we recommend taking this 1-minute quiz that will point you towards your genre (and subgenre).

🖊️

For an overview of all of the genres, that's what the rest of this post is for. There's bound to be a genre that's the perfect fit for your book - all you have to do is find it!

Fiction genres

"Writing fiction is the act of weaving a series of lies to arrive at a greater truth." - Khaled Hosseini

Fantasy

This book genre is characterized by elements of magic or the supernatural and is often inspired by mythology or folklore. In high fantasy - one that's set in an entirely fictional world - these magical elements are at the forefront of the plot, as in Trudi Canavan's Black Magician trilogy. In low fantasy or magical realism, however, magic is subtly woven into an otherwise familiar, real-world setting. You can delve into fantasy's manysubgenres to get to know your Arcanepunk from your Flintlock, and find your book's home!

Pro tip for writing fantasy: To make your world feel real and functional, make sure it's grounded in rules - an internal rationale, so to speak, encompassing everything from the workings of your society to your magic system.

Science Fiction

Though science fiction and fantasy are often considered two sides of the same (speculative fiction) coin, sci-fi is distinguished by its preoccupation with real or real-feeling science. Lots of sci-fi is set in the distant future, which makes it a seedbed for stories about time travel and space exploration. But your science fiction novel doesn't need to be inspired by "hard" science like physics and astronomy. Some of the books in this genre reflect on "soft" sciences, such as sociology and anthropology, to predict the future of the human race - more on that next!

Dystopian

A popular genre of science fiction, dystopian novels offer a bleak and frightening vision of the future. Authors writing dystopias imagine a grim society, often in the aftermath of a disaster, facing things like oppressive governments, Black Mirror-esque technology, and environmental ruin. From widely popular series like The Hunger Games to critically-acclaimed classics like Nineteen Eighty-four, the enduring appeal of dystopian fiction lies in our burning desire to know where mankind is headed - and our perverse enjoyment of dark stories, so long as they aren't actually happening to us.

If you struggle to write consistently, sign up for our How to Write a Novel course to finish a novel in just 3 months.

Action & Adventure

If you're writing adventure, then chances are your book follows the structure of the Hero's Journey. Your protagonist has a very important goal to achieve, but they're really going to have to go through the wringer first! You throw up obstacle after obstacle, putting your hero in downright dangerous situations but eventually, they triumph and return home transformed. The action and adventure genre also complements a huge range of others, which means it has its fingers in everything from fantasy novels like The Hobbit to classic romance like J ane Eyre.

Mystery

Also called detective fiction, this book genre is characterized by a gripping plot that revolves around a mystery - but hopefully, you've cracked that clue! The setting, characters, and tone of your book will determine precisely which category it falls under: cozy mystery, hardboiled, or something in between. But at the core of any mystery is a crime that must be solved by the protagonist. To get a sense of the clever trail of clues that's so vital to this genre, check out Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie - the grande dame of mystery fiction.

Pro tip for writing a mystery: When planning your novel, consult the Fichtean curve, a narrative structure that emphasizes mini-crises, ratcheting up the tension to keep readers anxious to reach the climax.

Horror

What unites the books in this genre is not theme, plot, or setting, but the feeling they inspire in the reader: your pulse quickens, and your skin prickles as you turn the page with bated breath. Of course, this feeling of dread only comes about if the author creates the right atmosphere - an essential feature dependent on the subgenre. Gothic horror, for example, sends a shiver down your spine with spooky settings and paranormal elements, while gross-out horror shocks the reader with hacked-up flesh and buckets of blood. The master of horror fiction in all its guises? Stephen King, of course.

Pro tip for writing horror: Make the stakes plain and straightforward - survival, the death of a loved one, etc. - and clearly establish them for the reader, so they are in no doubt about the character's motivation.

Thriller & Suspense

A horror story can also be called a thriller, if it employs psychological fear to build suspense. But not all thrillers are horror stories. So what are they? While this book genre encompasses many of the same elements as mystery, in a thriller the protagonist is usually acting to save their own life, rather than to solve the crime. Thrillers typically include cliffhangers, deception, high emotional stakes, and plenty of action - keeping the reader on the edge of their seat until the book's climax. Gillian Flynn's Gone Girl is a masterclass in the dark, mysterious thriller.

Pro tip for writing a thriller: Avoid anything that bogs down the pacing. If you notice that a scene is getting tied up in everyday details, or doesn't add enough excitement to the plot, rewrite it or cut it altogether!

Historical Fiction

This book genre encompasses fictional stories in a historical setting, carefully balancing creativity and facts. In most cases, the characters and events are imagined by the author and enriched with historically accurate details from a specific time period. Take The Help by Kathryn Stockett, for example - a fictional story set in Mississippi during the Civil Rights Movement. But occasionally, as is the case with Hilary Mantel's Cromwell trilogy, the author builds the main story around real historical figures and events.

Like almost all of these genres, it's crucial that historical fiction works in exposition and historical detail subtly. Want to learn more about how to do this? Check out our free course on the golden writing rule, Show, Don't Tell.

Romance

Romance is so frequently used as a subplot that it can sometimes be tricky to know whether or not you're writing in this genre. The key thing to remember is that the romantic relationship must be the center point of the plot. (Other giveaways include a "happily ever after" ending and the warm fuzzies.) If your novel has a romantic relationship at its heart and is perfectly at home in another genre, it probably falls into one of romance's many subgenres, including but not limited to: young adult romance, paranormal romance, and historical romance.

Women's Fiction

Women's fiction is an umbrella term for books written to target a female audience, generally reflecting on the shared experience of being a woman or the growth of a female protagonist. Because of this rather broad definition, authors will quite often write a romance novel or mystery, for example, that could also be labeled women's fiction. Despite the connotations of one alternative name for this genre ("chick-lit"), many critically acclaimed bestsellers, including Jaqueline Woodson's Red at The Bone, fall under its purview.

LGBTQ+

Any fiction with authentic LGBTQ+ representation falls into this book genre. It's important to note that while your book's queer characters should feature in the main plot, the centerpiece of your plot doesn't have to be a romance. In fact, there doesn't need to be any romance at all! This means that your fantasy, thriller, or historical novel could fall under the LGBTQ+ umbrella.

Contemporary Fiction

This book genre is occasionally lumped in with others to indicate that the book takes place in the present day. But in its simplest form, contemporary fiction is better understood as the absence of a genre. Your book doesn't need tropes and trappings, monsters and mysteries, when its tension, drama, and conflict lies in the quirks and quandaries of your protagonist's everyday life: work, politics, relationships, and the struggles of the modern era.

Literary Fiction

Like contemporary fiction, books considered literary fiction can't be neatly filed under any other genre. What distinguishes this genre from contemporary fiction is that works of literary fiction are thought to have considerable artistic value. If your prose is meant to engage the reader in thought, if your narrative is character-driven and introspective, and if you provide personal or social commentary on a "serious" theme, then chances are you're writing lit-fic. Modern classics by the likes of Virginia Woolf or Ali Smith would be labeled literary fiction.

Like we mentioned, lit-fic is heavy on character, and lighter on plot. If you're interested in writing a character-driven story, try out our profile template for developing well-rounded, fully realized ones.

Magical Realism

You may remember us mentioning magical realism under the umbrella of fantasy - but considering its highbrow style and literary prestige, magical realism is often considered a genre in its own right. Its hallmarks include a real-world setting, a cast of run-of-the-mill characters (no vampires, fairies, or sorcerers), a fluid and non-linear timeline, and supernatural happenings - a baby born with feathered wings, or an egg hatching a ruby - left unexplained. Authors like Isabel Allende and Toni Morrison have used this literary style to grapple with serious social ills, from colonialism to fascism and slavery.

Graphic Novel

Some book genres aren't defined by their content at all, but by their form. Graphic novels are presented to the reader through narrative art (illustrations and typography) either in the traditional panel layout you'll be familiar with from comic books, or in the artist's own style. Once considered cheap entertainment for children, graphic novels are increasingly read and respected these days for their rich blend of visuals and writing. This powerful method of storytelling now portrays everything from memoirs, to manga, to adaptations of classic literature.

Short Story

Though they can belong to any of the other book genres on this list, short stories are frequently grouped together in their own genre because they're, well, so much shorter than novels. Often the author will compile a collection linked together by a narrative thread or, more commonly, a shared theme. The stories in A Manual for Cleaning Women by Lucia Berlin, for example, follow a series of women in different occupations - from cleaning women to ER nurses - all struggling to survive.

Young Adult

Young adult fiction, or YA, targets readers aged 12-18 and reflects its readership by following teenage characters as they grapple with the unique challenges of adolescence. Most works of YA fiction can be labeled " coming-of-age novels", in which the characters exit childhood and enter adulthood - a transition that results in a loss of innocence and a shifting sense of identity. Some of the biggest bestsellers in recent years have belonged to this genre, including The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas and anything by John Green.

Pro tip for writing young adult fiction: Though your teen character's voice should be true to her life experience, you should never "dumb down" the language, story, or style choices in a YA novel.

New Adult

The shiny new penny on this book genres list, new adult is like young adult aged-up: coming-of-age stories after the messiness of adolescence. Its college-age protagonists are walked through the gauntlet of becoming fully-fledged grownups, ditching the stress of the SATs and senior prom for college exams, career transitions, and more mature first times. Big names in New Adult, like Cora Carmack, tend to write steamy romances set in dorm rooms. But this genre isn't all about collegiate love stories - your gritty urban fantasy or immersive historical fiction could find its home here, too.

Children's

Books in this genre are written with readers under the age of twelve in mind. Of course, kids will do a lot of growing between the ages of zero and twelve, which is why children's books range from baby board books all the way up to middle grade 'epics' of 50,000 words. Hopefully, if you're writing children's literature, you already know you are. But it's crucial that you also know which age group you're trying to target, as this will impact the themes, characters, and complexity of your book.

Nonfiction genres

This is a broad category encompassing a number of nonfiction subgenres. From memoirs and biographies to books to self-help and true crime books, there's a type of nonfiction for every kind of reader.

Memoir & Autobiography

Both memoirs and autobiographies provide a true account of the author's life. They differ in that an autobiography provides a chronological account of your life's events and accomplishments, whereas a memoir puts the emphasis on only the most defining, emotional moments. Generally, these moments are drawn together by a single theme - or a significant time, place, or relationship - to communicate a message you wish to share with readers. The Argonauts by Maggie Nelson is a popular example of a memoir.

Pro tip for writing a memoir: Treat yourself as an interview subject and ask yourself questions that will trigger those life-defining stories - the ups and downs, the events that shaped you, what you sacrificed, what you learned.

Biography

Like autobiographies, biographies provide readers with a person's life story; but they're written in the third person by someone other than the subject. Generally, the subject of a biography is (or was) well-known - somebody whose life can teach readers an interesting lesson worth learning. Biographies, memoirs, and autobiographies differ from the rest of the nonfiction on this list, in that they weave a narrative in almost the same way a novel does. A great biography, like Ron Chernow's Alexander Hamilton, isn't a laundry list of events, but a life-giving tribute.

Food & Drink

Food and drink is one of nonfiction's hottest book genres, making it a crowded and highly competitive market. As a result, today's cookbooks tend to cater to specific cuisines, dietary, and/or lifestyle needs. If you're writing a cookbook, you might consider pairing recipes with nutritional information, short autobiographical narratives, or even workouts. Jo Wicks's 30 Day Kickstart Plan and Less Fuss No Waste Kitchen by Lindsay Miles are excellent examples of modern cookbooks.

Art & Photography

This genre is home to a few different kinds of books, all united by their love of art. Your book could find its way into this vibrant and stylish genre if it discusses an artist's work or an artistic style in detail; if it teaches a specific art method; if it explores a facet of art history; or if it showcases your own art in that chic, coffee-table book way.

Self-help

Some of the bestselling books in nonfiction, self-help books encourage personal improvement and confidence. Whether the focus is on relationships, emotional well-being, or finances, if you're writing a book that aims to uplift and empower the reader, then you're probably writing self-help.

History

The books in this genre lay down the known facts about a historical era, event, or figure. And since this is nonfiction, all the facts have to be accurate (though that doesn't mean there's no room for inference or opinion). The goal of these books is to educate and inform the reader, so this genre does include all those textbooks you used in school. But many history books ditch the play-by-play format to chronicle the past in a way more akin to storytelling. One of our favorite history books is Sapiens: A Brief History of Mankind by Yuval Noah Harari.

Travel

Travel memoirs and travelogues, like Jonathan Glancey's The Journey Matters, take us all over the world, giving even the most devoted homebodies a tantalizing taste of adventure, wildlife, and the great outdoors. These pocket-sized books - featuring destination reviews, lists of where to eat and what to see, and tips for traveling on a budget - are without a doubt some of the most useful titles on the shelves.

True Crime

Crime-fiction writers have put some pretty twisted plots to paper, but if you prefer to chronicle real crimes in all their haunting and fascinating detail, then the true crime genre is where your book belongs. From infamous murders to domestic disappearances, works in this genre pen true stories, about all things fearful and forbidden, that read as smoothly as well-crafted fiction.

Humor

Laugh-out-loud memoirs by the funniest celebs, satirical essays from the likes of David Sedaris, or gag gifts like How to Adult - all the books in this rib-tickling genre are written with one thing in mind: making readers laugh! So if you've compiled a collection of all your favorite dad jokes or penned a cathartic brain-dump of your most cringe-worthy memories, then your book may also belong in the humor genre.

Essays

An essay may sound like a boring assignment from your school years, but the books in this genre are among some of the most moving and inspirational works of literature there are. Many powerful voices - like James Baldwin and Roxane Gay - have used these short works to reflect on their own personal experiences and views, combining them into a collection that serves as an eye-opening social commentary on a particular theme or subject.

Guide / How-to

Readers turn to this book genre to develop a skill, hobby, or craft. So if you're an expert in a particular field and you've written a book showing hobbyists how to achieve something specific (like "how to master chess openings" or "a guide to floristry"), then this is its home! Of course, one dead giveaway might be your book's title.

Religion & Spirituality

From histories of the Catholic Church to spiritual guidebooks and memoirs of the Eat, Pray, Love variety, this genre has a place for anything and everything related to the topics of religion and spirituality.

Humanities & Social Sciences

Got something wise to say? Then your book might just belong among the books of this eclectic genre - as long as it discusses a topic related to (deep breath): philosophy, history, literature, language, art, religion, music, or the human condition. This might seem like a pretty wide net to fall into, but keep in mind that books in this genre are typically quite academic; if you've written more of a free-flowing spiritual guide, it probably belongs in the previous genre.

Parenting & Families

Parents and families struggling with discipline, education, bonding, the care of a newborn baby, or a child with special needs, can turn to this well-stocked genre of books when they need to bring in the reinforcements. If you've written a memoir that'll have families whole-heartedly nodding in agreement, or a guide brimming with advice for frazzled parents, then you can find a place for your book in the parenting and families section.

Science & Technology

The job of science nonfiction is not to predict the future, but to make sense of the world we're currently living in - which, quite honestly, can feel like science fiction to some of us! Readers of this genre range from complete beginners trying to understand the things around them to technophiles whose brains are whirring to keep up with the pace of change, so there's bound to be a niche for your book, however advanced it is.

Children's

As much as kids love fairytales and talking animals, they're often just as happy to pick up a nonfiction book at storytime. Whether it's an activity book to keep them busy, a powerful true story like Malala's Magic Pencil, or a children's encyclopedia to feed their brains, children's nonfiction is all about making learning fun. And the wildly popular Horrible Histories series has proven that this genre can compete with wizards and superheroes at every age!

There you have it: 35 of the most popular genres of books. Hopefully, this list will help you get your foot in the right door. But if your book doesn't slot neatly into any of these categories (though there are quite some more types of nonfiction to consider), don't be afraid to declare it a hybrid, or to dig a little deeper into the subcategories that you'll find in the shade of these umbrella genres.

And no matter what kind of book you're writing, check out our book development template to get started.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The Ultimate List of Book Genres: 35 Popular Genres

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Among these 35 popular book genres, there's bound to be one that fits your book like a glove - so let's find it!

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Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Realistic Fiction

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Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Realistic Fiction

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Authors need to have a firm grasp on all the different genres of books in order to find the perfect home for their own. The tropes and expectations of a book's genre will inform its content and style during the writing process, as well as fundamentals such as word count. But it's also central to the marketing of a book, determining its target audience, and those all-important Amazon categories. Get your genre wrong, and you could be waving goodbye to book sales and hello to unsatisfied reader reviews!

How many book genres are there?

Though we're only covering 35 of the most popular in this post, there are around 50 genres in total - the exact number depends on who you ask. If you take subgenres into account, over on Reedsy Discovery we have 107 different categories, while Amazon has over 16,000!

That can be a lot to take in. So if you'd like some personalized guidance, we recommend taking this 1-minute quiz that will point you towards your genre (and subgenre).

🖊️

For an overview of all of the genres, that's what the rest of this post is for. There's bound to be a genre that's the perfect fit for your book - all you have to do is find it!

Fiction genres

"Writing fiction is the act of weaving a series of lies to arrive at a greater truth." - Khaled Hosseini

Fantasy

This book genre is characterized by elements of magic or the supernatural and is often inspired by mythology or folklore. In high fantasy - one that's set in an entirely fictional world - these magical elements are at the forefront of the plot, as in Trudi Canavan's Black Magician trilogy. In low fantasy or magical realism, however, magic is subtly woven into an otherwise familiar, real-world setting. You can delve into fantasy's manysubgenres to get to know your Arcanepunk from your Flintlock, and find your book's home!

Pro tip for writing fantasy: To make your world feel real and functional, make sure it's grounded in rules - an internal rationale, so to speak, encompassing everything from the workings of your society to your magic system.

Science Fiction

Though science fiction and fantasy are often considered two sides of the same (speculative fiction) coin, sci-fi is distinguished by its preoccupation with real or real-feeling science. Lots of sci-fi is set in the distant future, which makes it a seedbed for stories about time travel and space exploration. But your science fiction novel doesn't need to be inspired by "hard" science like physics and astronomy. Some of the books in this genre reflect on "soft" sciences, such as sociology and anthropology, to predict the future of the human race - more on that next!

Dystopian

A popular genre of science fiction, dystopian novels offer a bleak and frightening vision of the future. Authors writing dystopias imagine a grim society, often in the aftermath of a disaster, facing things like oppressive governments, Black Mirror-esque technology, and environmental ruin. From widely popular series like The Hunger Games to critically-acclaimed classics like Nineteen Eighty-four, the enduring appeal of dystopian fiction lies in our burning desire to know where mankind is headed - and our perverse enjoyment of dark stories, so long as they aren't actually happening to us.

If you struggle to write consistently, sign up for our How to Write a Novel course to finish a novel in just 3 months.

Action & Adventure

If you're writing adventure, then chances are your book follows the structure of the Hero's Journey. Your protagonist has a very important goal to achieve, but they're really going to have to go through the wringer first! You throw up obstacle after obstacle, putting your hero in downright dangerous situations but eventually, they triumph and return home transformed. The action and adventure genre also complements a huge range of others, which means it has its fingers in everything from fantasy novels like The Hobbit to classic romance like J ane Eyre.

Mystery

Also called detective fiction, this book genre is characterized by a gripping plot that revolves around a mystery - but hopefully, you've cracked that clue! The setting, characters, and tone of your book will determine precisely which category it falls under: cozy mystery, hardboiled, or something in between. But at the core of any mystery is a crime that must be solved by the protagonist. To get a sense of the clever trail of clues that's so vital to this genre, check out Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie - the grande dame of mystery fiction.

Pro tip for writing a mystery: When planning your novel, consult the Fichtean curve, a narrative structure that emphasizes mini-crises, ratcheting up the tension to keep readers anxious to reach the climax.

Horror

What unites the books in this genre is not theme, plot, or setting, but the feeling they inspire in the reader: your pulse quickens, and your skin prickles as you turn the page with bated breath. Of course, this feeling of dread only comes about if the author creates the right atmosphere - an essential feature dependent on the subgenre. Gothic horror, for example, sends a shiver down your spine with spooky settings and paranormal elements, while gross-out horror shocks the reader with hacked-up flesh and buckets of blood. The master of horror fiction in all its guises? Stephen King, of course.

Pro tip for writing horror: Make the stakes plain and straightforward - survival, the death of a loved one, etc. - and clearly establish them for the reader, so they are in no doubt about the character's motivation.

Thriller & Suspense

A horror story can also be called a thriller, if it employs psychological fear to build suspense. But not all thrillers are horror stories. So what are they? While this book genre encompasses many of the same elements as mystery, in a thriller the protagonist is usually acting to save their own life, rather than to solve the crime. Thrillers typically include cliffhangers, deception, high emotional stakes, and plenty of action - keeping the reader on the edge of their seat until the book's climax. Gillian Flynn's Gone Girl is a masterclass in the dark, mysterious thriller.

Pro tip for writing a thriller: Avoid anything that bogs down the pacing. If you notice that a scene is getting tied up in everyday details, or doesn't add enough excitement to the plot, rewrite it or cut it altogether!

Historical Fiction

This book genre encompasses fictional stories in a historical setting, carefully balancing creativity and facts. In most cases, the characters and events are imagined by the author and enriched with historically accurate details from a specific time period. Take The Help by Kathryn Stockett, for example - a fictional story set in Mississippi during the Civil Rights Movement. But occasionally, as is the case with Hilary Mantel's Cromwell trilogy, the author builds the main story around real historical figures and events.

Like almost all of these genres, it's crucial that historical fiction works in exposition and historical detail subtly. Want to learn more about how to do this? Check out our free course on the golden writing rule, Show, Don't Tell.

Romance

Romance is so frequently used as a subplot that it can sometimes be tricky to know whether or not you're writing in this genre. The key thing to remember is that the romantic relationship must be the center point of the plot. (Other giveaways include a "happily ever after" ending and the warm fuzzies.) If your novel has a romantic relationship at its heart and is perfectly at home in another genre, it probably falls into one of romance's many subgenres, including but not limited to: young adult romance, paranormal romance, and historical romance.

Women's Fiction

Women's fiction is an umbrella term for books written to target a female audience, generally reflecting on the shared experience of being a woman or the growth of a female protagonist. Because of this rather broad definition, authors will quite often write a romance novel or mystery, for example, that could also be labeled women's fiction. Despite the connotations of one alternative name for this genre ("chick-lit"), many critically acclaimed bestsellers, including Jaqueline Woodson's Red at The Bone, fall under its purview.

LGBTQ+

Any fiction with authentic LGBTQ+ representation falls into this book genre. It's important to note that while your book's queer characters should feature in the main plot, the centerpiece of your plot doesn't have to be a romance. In fact, there doesn't need to be any romance at all! This means that your fantasy, thriller, or historical novel could fall under the LGBTQ+ umbrella.

Contemporary Fiction

This book genre is occasionally lumped in with others to indicate that the book takes place in the present day. But in its simplest form, contemporary fiction is better understood as the absence of a genre. Your book doesn't need tropes and trappings, monsters and mysteries, when its tension, drama, and conflict lies in the quirks and quandaries of your protagonist's everyday life: work, politics, relationships, and the struggles of the modern era.

Literary Fiction

Like contemporary fiction, books considered literary fiction can't be neatly filed under any other genre. What distinguishes this genre from contemporary fiction is that works of literary fiction are thought to have considerable artistic value. If your prose is meant to engage the reader in thought, if your narrative is character-driven and introspective, and if you provide personal or social commentary on a "serious" theme, then chances are you're writing lit-fic. Modern classics by the likes of Virginia Woolf or Ali Smith would be labeled literary fiction.

Like we mentioned, lit-fic is heavy on character, and lighter on plot. If you're interested in writing a character-driven story, try out our profile template for developing well-rounded, fully realized ones.

Magical Realism

You may remember us mentioning magical realism under the umbrella of fantasy - but considering its highbrow style and literary prestige, magical realism is often considered a genre in its own right. Its hallmarks include a real-world setting, a cast of run-of-the-mill characters (no vampires, fairies, or sorcerers), a fluid and non-linear timeline, and supernatural happenings - a baby born with feathered wings, or an egg hatching a ruby - left unexplained. Authors like Isabel Allende and Toni Morrison have used this literary style to grapple with serious social ills, from colonialism to fascism and slavery.

Graphic Novel

Some book genres aren't defined by their content at all, but by their form. Graphic novels are presented to the reader through narrative art (illustrations and typography) either in the traditional panel layout you'll be familiar with from comic books, or in the artist's own style. Once considered cheap entertainment for children, graphic novels are increasingly read and respected these days for their rich blend of visuals and writing. This powerful method of storytelling now portrays everything from memoirs, to manga, to adaptations of classic literature.

Short Story

Though they can belong to any of the other book genres on this list, short stories are frequently grouped together in their own genre because they're, well, so much shorter than novels. Often the author will compile a collection linked together by a narrative thread or, more commonly, a shared theme. The stories in A Manual for Cleaning Women by Lucia Berlin, for example, follow a series of women in different occupations - from cleaning women to ER nurses - all struggling to survive.

Young Adult

Young adult fiction, or YA, targets readers aged 12-18 and reflects its readership by following teenage characters as they grapple with the unique challenges of adolescence. Most works of YA fiction can be labeled " coming-of-age novels", in which the characters exit childhood and enter adulthood - a transition that results in a loss of innocence and a shifting sense of identity. Some of the biggest bestsellers in recent years have belonged to this genre, including The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas and anything by John Green.

Pro tip for writing young adult fiction: Though your teen character's voice should be true to her life experience, you should never "dumb down" the language, story, or style choices in a YA novel.

New Adult

The shiny new penny on this book genres list, new adult is like young adult aged-up: coming-of-age stories after the messiness of adolescence. Its college-age protagonists are walked through the gauntlet of becoming fully-fledged grownups, ditching the stress of the SATs and senior prom for college exams, career transitions, and more mature first times. Big names in New Adult, like Cora Carmack, tend to write steamy romances set in dorm rooms. But this genre isn't all about collegiate love stories - your gritty urban fantasy or immersive historical fiction could find its home here, too.

Children's

Books in this genre are written with readers under the age of twelve in mind. Of course, kids will do a lot of growing between the ages of zero and twelve, which is why children's books range from baby board books all the way up to middle grade 'epics' of 50,000 words. Hopefully, if you're writing children's literature, you already know you are. But it's crucial that you also know which age group you're trying to target, as this will impact the themes, characters, and complexity of your book.

Nonfiction genres

This is a broad category encompassing a number of nonfiction subgenres. From memoirs and biographies to books to self-help and true crime books, there's a type of nonfiction for every kind of reader.

Memoir & Autobiography

Both memoirs and autobiographies provide a true account of the author's life. They differ in that an autobiography provides a chronological account of your life's events and accomplishments, whereas a memoir puts the emphasis on only the most defining, emotional moments. Generally, these moments are drawn together by a single theme - or a significant time, place, or relationship - to communicate a message you wish to share with readers. The Argonauts by Maggie Nelson is a popular example of a memoir.

Pro tip for writing a memoir: Treat yourself as an interview subject and ask yourself questions that will trigger those life-defining stories - the ups and downs, the events that shaped you, what you sacrificed, what you learned.

Biography

Like autobiographies, biographies provide readers with a person's life story; but they're written in the third person by someone other than the subject. Generally, the subject of a biography is (or was) well-known - somebody whose life can teach readers an interesting lesson worth learning. Biographies, memoirs, and autobiographies differ from the rest of the nonfiction on this list, in that they weave a narrative in almost the same way a novel does. A great biography, like Ron Chernow's Alexander Hamilton, isn't a laundry list of events, but a life-giving tribute.

Food & Drink

Food and drink is one of nonfiction's hottest book genres, making it a crowded and highly competitive market. As a result, today's cookbooks tend to cater to specific cuisines, dietary, and/or lifestyle needs. If you're writing a cookbook, you might consider pairing recipes with nutritional information, short autobiographical narratives, or even workouts. Jo Wicks's 30 Day Kickstart Plan and Less Fuss No Waste Kitchen by Lindsay Miles are excellent examples of modern cookbooks.

Art & Photography

This genre is home to a few different kinds of books, all united by their love of art. Your book could find its way into this vibrant and stylish genre if it discusses an artist's work or an artistic style in detail; if it teaches a specific art method; if it explores a facet of art history; or if it showcases your own art in that chic, coffee-table book way.

Self-help

Some of the bestselling books in nonfiction, self-help books encourage personal improvement and confidence. Whether the focus is on relationships, emotional well-being, or finances, if you're writing a book that aims to uplift and empower the reader, then you're probably writing self-help.

History

The books in this genre lay down the known facts about a historical era, event, or figure. And since this is nonfiction, all the facts have to be accurate (though that doesn't mean there's no room for inference or opinion). The goal of these books is to educate and inform the reader, so this genre does include all those textbooks you used in school. But many history books ditch the play-by-play format to chronicle the past in a way more akin to storytelling. One of our favorite history books is Sapiens: A Brief History of Mankind by Yuval Noah Harari.

Travel

Travel memoirs and travelogues, like Jonathan Glancey's The Journey Matters, take us all over the world, giving even the most devoted homebodies a tantalizing taste of adventure, wildlife, and the great outdoors. These pocket-sized books - featuring destination reviews, lists of where to eat and what to see, and tips for traveling on a budget - are without a doubt some of the most useful titles on the shelves.

True Crime

Crime-fiction writers have put some pretty twisted plots to paper, but if you prefer to chronicle real crimes in all their haunting and fascinating detail, then the true crime genre is where your book belongs. From infamous murders to domestic disappearances, works in this genre pen true stories, about all things fearful and forbidden, that read as smoothly as well-crafted fiction.

Humor

Laugh-out-loud memoirs by the funniest celebs, satirical essays from the likes of David Sedaris, or gag gifts like How to Adult - all the books in this rib-tickling genre are written with one thing in mind: making readers laugh! So if you've compiled a collection of all your favorite dad jokes or penned a cathartic brain-dump of your most cringe-worthy memories, then your book may also belong in the humor genre.

Essays

An essay may sound like a boring assignment from your school years, but the books in this genre are among some of the most moving and inspirational works of literature there are. Many powerful voices - like James Baldwin and Roxane Gay - have used these short works to reflect on their own personal experiences and views, combining them into a collection that serves as an eye-opening social commentary on a particular theme or subject.

Guide / How-to

Readers turn to this book genre to develop a skill, hobby, or craft. So if you're an expert in a particular field and you've written a book showing hobbyists how to achieve something specific (like "how to master chess openings" or "a guide to floristry"), then this is its home! Of course, one dead giveaway might be your book's title.

Religion & Spirituality

From histories of the Catholic Church to spiritual guidebooks and memoirs of the Eat, Pray, Love variety, this genre has a place for anything and everything related to the topics of religion and spirituality.

Humanities & Social Sciences

Got something wise to say? Then your book might just belong among the books of this eclectic genre - as long as it discusses a topic related to (deep breath): philosophy, history, literature, language, art, religion, music, or the human condition. This might seem like a pretty wide net to fall into, but keep in mind that books in this genre are typically quite academic; if you've written more of a free-flowing spiritual guide, it probably belongs in the previous genre.

Parenting & Families

Parents and families struggling with discipline, education, bonding, the care of a newborn baby, or a child with special needs, can turn to this well-stocked genre of books when they need to bring in the reinforcements. If you've written a memoir that'll have families whole-heartedly nodding in agreement, or a guide brimming with advice for frazzled parents, then you can find a place for your book in the parenting and families section.

Science & Technology

The job of science nonfiction is not to predict the future, but to make sense of the world we're currently living in - which, quite honestly, can feel like science fiction to some of us! Readers of this genre range from complete beginners trying to understand the things around them to technophiles whose brains are whirring to keep up with the pace of change, so there's bound to be a niche for your book, however advanced it is.

Children's

As much as kids love fairytales and talking animals, they're often just as happy to pick up a nonfiction book at storytime. Whether it's an activity book to keep them busy, a powerful true story like Malala's Magic Pencil, or a children's encyclopedia to feed their brains, children's nonfiction is all about making learning fun. And the wildly popular Horrible Histories series has proven that this genre can compete with wizards and superheroes at every age!

There you have it: 35 of the most popular genres of books. Hopefully, this list will help you get your foot in the right door. But if your book doesn't slot neatly into any of these categories (though there are quite some more types of nonfiction to consider), don't be afraid to declare it a hybrid, or to dig a little deeper into the subcategories that you'll find in the shade of these umbrella genres.

And no matter what kind of book you're writing, check out our book development template to get started.

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The Ultimate List of Book Genres: 35 Popular Genres

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Among these 35 popular book genres, there's bound to be one that fits your book like a glove - so let's find it!

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Genre: Fantasy,  Adventure, Young Adult Fiction

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Genre: Fantasy,  Adventure, Young Adult Fiction

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Authors need to have a firm grasp on all the different genres of books in order to find the perfect home for their own. The tropes and expectations of a book's genre will inform its content and style during the writing process, as well as fundamentals such as word count. But it's also central to the marketing of a book, determining its target audience, and those all-important Amazon categories. Get your genre wrong, and you could be waving goodbye to book sales and hello to unsatisfied reader reviews!

How many book genres are there?

Though we're only covering 35 of the most popular in this post, there are around 50 genres in total - the exact number depends on who you ask. If you take subgenres into account, over on Reedsy Discovery we have 107 different categories, while Amazon has over 16,000!

That can be a lot to take in. So if you'd like some personalized guidance, we recommend taking this 1-minute quiz that will point you towards your genre (and subgenre).

🖊️

For an overview of all of the genres, that's what the rest of this post is for. There's bound to be a genre that's the perfect fit for your book - all you have to do is find it!

Fiction genres

"Writing fiction is the act of weaving a series of lies to arrive at a greater truth." - Khaled Hosseini

Fantasy

This book genre is characterized by elements of magic or the supernatural and is often inspired by mythology or folklore. In high fantasy - one that's set in an entirely fictional world - these magical elements are at the forefront of the plot, as in Trudi Canavan's Black Magician trilogy. In low fantasy or magical realism, however, magic is subtly woven into an otherwise familiar, real-world setting. You can delve into fantasy's manysubgenres to get to know your Arcanepunk from your Flintlock, and find your book's home!

Pro tip for writing fantasy: To make your world feel real and functional, make sure it's grounded in rules - an internal rationale, so to speak, encompassing everything from the workings of your society to your magic system.

Science Fiction

Though science fiction and fantasy are often considered two sides of the same (speculative fiction) coin, sci-fi is distinguished by its preoccupation with real or real-feeling science. Lots of sci-fi is set in the distant future, which makes it a seedbed for stories about time travel and space exploration. But your science fiction novel doesn't need to be inspired by "hard" science like physics and astronomy. Some of the books in this genre reflect on "soft" sciences, such as sociology and anthropology, to predict the future of the human race - more on that next!

Dystopian

A popular genre of science fiction, dystopian novels offer a bleak and frightening vision of the future. Authors writing dystopias imagine a grim society, often in the aftermath of a disaster, facing things like oppressive governments, Black Mirror-esque technology, and environmental ruin. From widely popular series like The Hunger Games to critically-acclaimed classics like Nineteen Eighty-four, the enduring appeal of dystopian fiction lies in our burning desire to know where mankind is headed - and our perverse enjoyment of dark stories, so long as they aren't actually happening to us.

If you struggle to write consistently, sign up for our How to Write a Novel course to finish a novel in just 3 months.

Action & Adventure

If you're writing adventure, then chances are your book follows the structure of the Hero's Journey. Your protagonist has a very important goal to achieve, but they're really going to have to go through the wringer first! You throw up obstacle after obstacle, putting your hero in downright dangerous situations but eventually, they triumph and return home transformed. The action and adventure genre also complements a huge range of others, which means it has its fingers in everything from fantasy novels like The Hobbit to classic romance like J ane Eyre.

Mystery

Also called detective fiction, this book genre is characterized by a gripping plot that revolves around a mystery - but hopefully, you've cracked that clue! The setting, characters, and tone of your book will determine precisely which category it falls under: cozy mystery, hardboiled, or something in between. But at the core of any mystery is a crime that must be solved by the protagonist. To get a sense of the clever trail of clues that's so vital to this genre, check out Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie - the grande dame of mystery fiction.

Pro tip for writing a mystery: When planning your novel, consult the Fichtean curve, a narrative structure that emphasizes mini-crises, ratcheting up the tension to keep readers anxious to reach the climax.

Horror

What unites the books in this genre is not theme, plot, or setting, but the feeling they inspire in the reader: your pulse quickens, and your skin prickles as you turn the page with bated breath. Of course, this feeling of dread only comes about if the author creates the right atmosphere - an essential feature dependent on the subgenre. Gothic horror, for example, sends a shiver down your spine with spooky settings and paranormal elements, while gross-out horror shocks the reader with hacked-up flesh and buckets of blood. The master of horror fiction in all its guises? Stephen King, of course.

Pro tip for writing horror: Make the stakes plain and straightforward - survival, the death of a loved one, etc. - and clearly establish them for the reader, so they are in no doubt about the character's motivation.

Thriller & Suspense

A horror story can also be called a thriller, if it employs psychological fear to build suspense. But not all thrillers are horror stories. So what are they? While this book genre encompasses many of the same elements as mystery, in a thriller the protagonist is usually acting to save their own life, rather than to solve the crime. Thrillers typically include cliffhangers, deception, high emotional stakes, and plenty of action - keeping the reader on the edge of their seat until the book's climax. Gillian Flynn's Gone Girl is a masterclass in the dark, mysterious thriller.

Pro tip for writing a thriller: Avoid anything that bogs down the pacing. If you notice that a scene is getting tied up in everyday details, or doesn't add enough excitement to the plot, rewrite it or cut it altogether!

Historical Fiction

This book genre encompasses fictional stories in a historical setting, carefully balancing creativity and facts. In most cases, the characters and events are imagined by the author and enriched with historically accurate details from a specific time period. Take The Help by Kathryn Stockett, for example - a fictional story set in Mississippi during the Civil Rights Movement. But occasionally, as is the case with Hilary Mantel's Cromwell trilogy, the author builds the main story around real historical figures and events.

Like almost all of these genres, it's crucial that historical fiction works in exposition and historical detail subtly. Want to learn more about how to do this? Check out our free course on the golden writing rule, Show, Don't Tell.

Romance

Romance is so frequently used as a subplot that it can sometimes be tricky to know whether or not you're writing in this genre. The key thing to remember is that the romantic relationship must be the center point of the plot. (Other giveaways include a "happily ever after" ending and the warm fuzzies.) If your novel has a romantic relationship at its heart and is perfectly at home in another genre, it probably falls into one of romance's many subgenres, including but not limited to: young adult romance, paranormal romance, and historical romance.

Women's Fiction

Women's fiction is an umbrella term for books written to target a female audience, generally reflecting on the shared experience of being a woman or the growth of a female protagonist. Because of this rather broad definition, authors will quite often write a romance novel or mystery, for example, that could also be labeled women's fiction. Despite the connotations of one alternative name for this genre ("chick-lit"), many critically acclaimed bestsellers, including Jaqueline Woodson's Red at The Bone, fall under its purview.

LGBTQ+

Any fiction with authentic LGBTQ+ representation falls into this book genre. It's important to note that while your book's queer characters should feature in the main plot, the centerpiece of your plot doesn't have to be a romance. In fact, there doesn't need to be any romance at all! This means that your fantasy, thriller, or historical novel could fall under the LGBTQ+ umbrella.

Contemporary Fiction

This book genre is occasionally lumped in with others to indicate that the book takes place in the present day. But in its simplest form, contemporary fiction is better understood as the absence of a genre. Your book doesn't need tropes and trappings, monsters and mysteries, when its tension, drama, and conflict lies in the quirks and quandaries of your protagonist's everyday life: work, politics, relationships, and the struggles of the modern era.

Literary Fiction

Like contemporary fiction, books considered literary fiction can't be neatly filed under any other genre. What distinguishes this genre from contemporary fiction is that works of literary fiction are thought to have considerable artistic value. If your prose is meant to engage the reader in thought, if your narrative is character-driven and introspective, and if you provide personal or social commentary on a "serious" theme, then chances are you're writing lit-fic. Modern classics by the likes of Virginia Woolf or Ali Smith would be labeled literary fiction.

Like we mentioned, lit-fic is heavy on character, and lighter on plot. If you're interested in writing a character-driven story, try out our profile template for developing well-rounded, fully realized ones.

Magical Realism

You may remember us mentioning magical realism under the umbrella of fantasy - but considering its highbrow style and literary prestige, magical realism is often considered a genre in its own right. Its hallmarks include a real-world setting, a cast of run-of-the-mill characters (no vampires, fairies, or sorcerers), a fluid and non-linear timeline, and supernatural happenings - a baby born with feathered wings, or an egg hatching a ruby - left unexplained. Authors like Isabel Allende and Toni Morrison have used this literary style to grapple with serious social ills, from colonialism to fascism and slavery.

Graphic Novel

Some book genres aren't defined by their content at all, but by their form. Graphic novels are presented to the reader through narrative art (illustrations and typography) either in the traditional panel layout you'll be familiar with from comic books, or in the artist's own style. Once considered cheap entertainment for children, graphic novels are increasingly read and respected these days for their rich blend of visuals and writing. This powerful method of storytelling now portrays everything from memoirs, to manga, to adaptations of classic literature.

Short Story

Though they can belong to any of the other book genres on this list, short stories are frequently grouped together in their own genre because they're, well, so much shorter than novels. Often the author will compile a collection linked together by a narrative thread or, more commonly, a shared theme. The stories in A Manual for Cleaning Women by Lucia Berlin, for example, follow a series of women in different occupations - from cleaning women to ER nurses - all struggling to survive.

Young Adult

Young adult fiction, or YA, targets readers aged 12-18 and reflects its readership by following teenage characters as they grapple with the unique challenges of adolescence. Most works of YA fiction can be labeled " coming-of-age novels", in which the characters exit childhood and enter adulthood - a transition that results in a loss of innocence and a shifting sense of identity. Some of the biggest bestsellers in recent years have belonged to this genre, including The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas and anything by John Green.

Pro tip for writing young adult fiction: Though your teen character's voice should be true to her life experience, you should never "dumb down" the language, story, or style choices in a YA novel.

New Adult

The shiny new penny on this book genres list, new adult is like young adult aged-up: coming-of-age stories after the messiness of adolescence. Its college-age protagonists are walked through the gauntlet of becoming fully-fledged grownups, ditching the stress of the SATs and senior prom for college exams, career transitions, and more mature first times. Big names in New Adult, like Cora Carmack, tend to write steamy romances set in dorm rooms. But this genre isn't all about collegiate love stories - your gritty urban fantasy or immersive historical fiction could find its home here, too.

Children's

Books in this genre are written with readers under the age of twelve in mind. Of course, kids will do a lot of growing between the ages of zero and twelve, which is why children's books range from baby board books all the way up to middle grade 'epics' of 50,000 words. Hopefully, if you're writing children's literature, you already know you are. But it's crucial that you also know which age group you're trying to target, as this will impact the themes, characters, and complexity of your book.

Nonfiction genres

This is a broad category encompassing a number of nonfiction subgenres. From memoirs and biographies to books to self-help and true crime books, there's a type of nonfiction for every kind of reader.

Memoir & Autobiography

Both memoirs and autobiographies provide a true account of the author's life. They differ in that an autobiography provides a chronological account of your life's events and accomplishments, whereas a memoir puts the emphasis on only the most defining, emotional moments. Generally, these moments are drawn together by a single theme - or a significant time, place, or relationship - to communicate a message you wish to share with readers. The Argonauts by Maggie Nelson is a popular example of a memoir.

Pro tip for writing a memoir: Treat yourself as an interview subject and ask yourself questions that will trigger those life-defining stories - the ups and downs, the events that shaped you, what you sacrificed, what you learned.

Biography

Like autobiographies, biographies provide readers with a person's life story; but they're written in the third person by someone other than the subject. Generally, the subject of a biography is (or was) well-known - somebody whose life can teach readers an interesting lesson worth learning. Biographies, memoirs, and autobiographies differ from the rest of the nonfiction on this list, in that they weave a narrative in almost the same way a novel does. A great biography, like Ron Chernow's Alexander Hamilton, isn't a laundry list of events, but a life-giving tribute.

Food & Drink

Food and drink is one of nonfiction's hottest book genres, making it a crowded and highly competitive market. As a result, today's cookbooks tend to cater to specific cuisines, dietary, and/or lifestyle needs. If you're writing a cookbook, you might consider pairing recipes with nutritional information, short autobiographical narratives, or even workouts. Jo Wicks's 30 Day Kickstart Plan and Less Fuss No Waste Kitchen by Lindsay Miles are excellent examples of modern cookbooks.

Art & Photography

This genre is home to a few different kinds of books, all united by their love of art. Your book could find its way into this vibrant and stylish genre if it discusses an artist's work or an artistic style in detail; if it teaches a specific art method; if it explores a facet of art history; or if it showcases your own art in that chic, coffee-table book way.

Self-help

Some of the bestselling books in nonfiction, self-help books encourage personal improvement and confidence. Whether the focus is on relationships, emotional well-being, or finances, if you're writing a book that aims to uplift and empower the reader, then you're probably writing self-help.

History

The books in this genre lay down the known facts about a historical era, event, or figure. And since this is nonfiction, all the facts have to be accurate (though that doesn't mean there's no room for inference or opinion). The goal of these books is to educate and inform the reader, so this genre does include all those textbooks you used in school. But many history books ditch the play-by-play format to chronicle the past in a way more akin to storytelling. One of our favorite history books is Sapiens: A Brief History of Mankind by Yuval Noah Harari.

Travel

Travel memoirs and travelogues, like Jonathan Glancey's The Journey Matters, take us all over the world, giving even the most devoted homebodies a tantalizing taste of adventure, wildlife, and the great outdoors. These pocket-sized books - featuring destination reviews, lists of where to eat and what to see, and tips for traveling on a budget - are without a doubt some of the most useful titles on the shelves.

True Crime

Crime-fiction writers have put some pretty twisted plots to paper, but if you prefer to chronicle real crimes in all their haunting and fascinating detail, then the true crime genre is where your book belongs. From infamous murders to domestic disappearances, works in this genre pen true stories, about all things fearful and forbidden, that read as smoothly as well-crafted fiction.

Humor

Laugh-out-loud memoirs by the funniest celebs, satirical essays from the likes of David Sedaris, or gag gifts like How to Adult - all the books in this rib-tickling genre are written with one thing in mind: making readers laugh! So if you've compiled a collection of all your favorite dad jokes or penned a cathartic brain-dump of your most cringe-worthy memories, then your book may also belong in the humor genre.

Essays

An essay may sound like a boring assignment from your school years, but the books in this genre are among some of the most moving and inspirational works of literature there are. Many powerful voices - like James Baldwin and Roxane Gay - have used these short works to reflect on their own personal experiences and views, combining them into a collection that serves as an eye-opening social commentary on a particular theme or subject.

Guide / How-to

Readers turn to this book genre to develop a skill, hobby, or craft. So if you're an expert in a particular field and you've written a book showing hobbyists how to achieve something specific (like "how to master chess openings" or "a guide to floristry"), then this is its home! Of course, one dead giveaway might be your book's title.

Religion & Spirituality

From histories of the Catholic Church to spiritual guidebooks and memoirs of the Eat, Pray, Love variety, this genre has a place for anything and everything related to the topics of religion and spirituality.

Humanities & Social Sciences

Got something wise to say? Then your book might just belong among the books of this eclectic genre - as long as it discusses a topic related to (deep breath): philosophy, history, literature, language, art, religion, music, or the human condition. This might seem like a pretty wide net to fall into, but keep in mind that books in this genre are typically quite academic; if you've written more of a free-flowing spiritual guide, it probably belongs in the previous genre.

Parenting & Families

Parents and families struggling with discipline, education, bonding, the care of a newborn baby, or a child with special needs, can turn to this well-stocked genre of books when they need to bring in the reinforcements. If you've written a memoir that'll have families whole-heartedly nodding in agreement, or a guide brimming with advice for frazzled parents, then you can find a place for your book in the parenting and families section.

Science & Technology

The job of science nonfiction is not to predict the future, but to make sense of the world we're currently living in - which, quite honestly, can feel like science fiction to some of us! Readers of this genre range from complete beginners trying to understand the things around them to technophiles whose brains are whirring to keep up with the pace of change, so there's bound to be a niche for your book, however advanced it is.

Children's

As much as kids love fairytales and talking animals, they're often just as happy to pick up a nonfiction book at storytime. Whether it's an activity book to keep them busy, a powerful true story like Malala's Magic Pencil, or a children's encyclopedia to feed their brains, children's nonfiction is all about making learning fun. And the wildly popular Horrible Histories series has proven that this genre can compete with wizards and superheroes at every age!

There you have it: 35 of the most popular genres of books. Hopefully, this list will help you get your foot in the right door. But if your book doesn't slot neatly into any of these categories (though there are quite some more types of nonfiction to consider), don't be afraid to declare it a hybrid, or to dig a little deeper into the subcategories that you'll find in the shade of these umbrella genres.

And no matter what kind of book you're writing, check out our book development template to get started.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The Ultimate List of Book Genres: 35 Popular Genres

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Among these 35 popular book genres, there's bound to be one that fits your book like a glove - so let's find it!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Authors need to have a firm grasp on all the different genres of books in order to find the perfect home for their own. The tropes and expectations of a book's genre will inform its content and style during the writing process, as well as fundamentals such as word count. But it's also central to the marketing of a book, determining its target audience, and those all-important Amazon categories. Get your genre wrong, and you could be waving goodbye to book sales and hello to unsatisfied reader reviews!

How many book genres are there?

Though we're only covering 35 of the most popular in this post, there are around 50 genres in total - the exact number depends on who you ask. If you take subgenres into account, over on Reedsy Discovery we have 107 different categories, while Amazon has over 16,000!

That can be a lot to take in. So if you'd like some personalized guidance, we recommend taking this 1-minute quiz that will point you towards your genre (and subgenre).

🖊️

For an overview of all of the genres, that's what the rest of this post is for. There's bound to be a genre that's the perfect fit for your book - all you have to do is find it!

Fiction genres

"Writing fiction is the act of weaving a series of lies to arrive at a greater truth." - Khaled Hosseini

Fantasy

This book genre is characterized by elements of magic or the supernatural and is often inspired by mythology or folklore. In high fantasy - one that's set in an entirely fictional world - these magical elements are at the forefront of the plot, as in Trudi Canavan's Black Magician trilogy. In low fantasy or magical realism, however, magic is subtly woven into an otherwise familiar, real-world setting. You can delve into fantasy's manysubgenres to get to know your Arcanepunk from your Flintlock, and find your book's home!

Pro tip for writing fantasy: To make your world feel real and functional, make sure it's grounded in rules - an internal rationale, so to speak, encompassing everything from the workings of your society to your magic system.

Science Fiction

Though science fiction and fantasy are often considered two sides of the same (speculative fiction) coin, sci-fi is distinguished by its preoccupation with real or real-feeling science. Lots of sci-fi is set in the distant future, which makes it a seedbed for stories about time travel and space exploration. But your science fiction novel doesn't need to be inspired by "hard" science like physics and astronomy. Some of the books in this genre reflect on "soft" sciences, such as sociology and anthropology, to predict the future of the human race - more on that next!

Dystopian

A popular genre of science fiction, dystopian novels offer a bleak and frightening vision of the future. Authors writing dystopias imagine a grim society, often in the aftermath of a disaster, facing things like oppressive governments, Black Mirror-esque technology, and environmental ruin. From widely popular series like The Hunger Games to critically-acclaimed classics like Nineteen Eighty-four, the enduring appeal of dystopian fiction lies in our burning desire to know where mankind is headed - and our perverse enjoyment of dark stories, so long as they aren't actually happening to us.

If you struggle to write consistently, sign up for our How to Write a Novel course to finish a novel in just 3 months.

Action & Adventure

If you're writing adventure, then chances are your book follows the structure of the Hero's Journey. Your protagonist has a very important goal to achieve, but they're really going to have to go through the wringer first! You throw up obstacle after obstacle, putting your hero in downright dangerous situations but eventually, they triumph and return home transformed. The action and adventure genre also complements a huge range of others, which means it has its fingers in everything from fantasy novels like The Hobbit to classic romance like J ane Eyre.

Mystery

Also called detective fiction, this book genre is characterized by a gripping plot that revolves around a mystery - but hopefully, you've cracked that clue! The setting, characters, and tone of your book will determine precisely which category it falls under: cozy mystery, hardboiled, or something in between. But at the core of any mystery is a crime that must be solved by the protagonist. To get a sense of the clever trail of clues that's so vital to this genre, check out Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie - the grande dame of mystery fiction.

Pro tip for writing a mystery: When planning your novel, consult the Fichtean curve, a narrative structure that emphasizes mini-crises, ratcheting up the tension to keep readers anxious to reach the climax.

Horror

What unites the books in this genre is not theme, plot, or setting, but the feeling they inspire in the reader: your pulse quickens, and your skin prickles as you turn the page with bated breath. Of course, this feeling of dread only comes about if the author creates the right atmosphere - an essential feature dependent on the subgenre. Gothic horror, for example, sends a shiver down your spine with spooky settings and paranormal elements, while gross-out horror shocks the reader with hacked-up flesh and buckets of blood. The master of horror fiction in all its guises? Stephen King, of course.

Pro tip for writing horror: Make the stakes plain and straightforward - survival, the death of a loved one, etc. - and clearly establish them for the reader, so they are in no doubt about the character's motivation.

Thriller & Suspense

A horror story can also be called a thriller, if it employs psychological fear to build suspense. But not all thrillers are horror stories. So what are they? While this book genre encompasses many of the same elements as mystery, in a thriller the protagonist is usually acting to save their own life, rather than to solve the crime. Thrillers typically include cliffhangers, deception, high emotional stakes, and plenty of action - keeping the reader on the edge of their seat until the book's climax. Gillian Flynn's Gone Girl is a masterclass in the dark, mysterious thriller.

Pro tip for writing a thriller: Avoid anything that bogs down the pacing. If you notice that a scene is getting tied up in everyday details, or doesn't add enough excitement to the plot, rewrite it or cut it altogether!

Historical Fiction

This book genre encompasses fictional stories in a historical setting, carefully balancing creativity and facts. In most cases, the characters and events are imagined by the author and enriched with historically accurate details from a specific time period. Take The Help by Kathryn Stockett, for example - a fictional story set in Mississippi during the Civil Rights Movement. But occasionally, as is the case with Hilary Mantel's Cromwell trilogy, the author builds the main story around real historical figures and events.

Like almost all of these genres, it's crucial that historical fiction works in exposition and historical detail subtly. Want to learn more about how to do this? Check out our free course on the golden writing rule, Show, Don't Tell.

Romance

Romance is so frequently used as a subplot that it can sometimes be tricky to know whether or not you're writing in this genre. The key thing to remember is that the romantic relationship must be the center point of the plot. (Other giveaways include a "happily ever after" ending and the warm fuzzies.) If your novel has a romantic relationship at its heart and is perfectly at home in another genre, it probably falls into one of romance's many subgenres, including but not limited to: young adult romance, paranormal romance, and historical romance.

Women's Fiction

Women's fiction is an umbrella term for books written to target a female audience, generally reflecting on the shared experience of being a woman or the growth of a female protagonist. Because of this rather broad definition, authors will quite often write a romance novel or mystery, for example, that could also be labeled women's fiction. Despite the connotations of one alternative name for this genre ("chick-lit"), many critically acclaimed bestsellers, including Jaqueline Woodson's Red at The Bone, fall under its purview.

LGBTQ+

Any fiction with authentic LGBTQ+ representation falls into this book genre. It's important to note that while your book's queer characters should feature in the main plot, the centerpiece of your plot doesn't have to be a romance. In fact, there doesn't need to be any romance at all! This means that your fantasy, thriller, or historical novel could fall under the LGBTQ+ umbrella.

Contemporary Fiction

This book genre is occasionally lumped in with others to indicate that the book takes place in the present day. But in its simplest form, contemporary fiction is better understood as the absence of a genre. Your book doesn't need tropes and trappings, monsters and mysteries, when its tension, drama, and conflict lies in the quirks and quandaries of your protagonist's everyday life: work, politics, relationships, and the struggles of the modern era.

Literary Fiction

Like contemporary fiction, books considered literary fiction can't be neatly filed under any other genre. What distinguishes this genre from contemporary fiction is that works of literary fiction are thought to have considerable artistic value. If your prose is meant to engage the reader in thought, if your narrative is character-driven and introspective, and if you provide personal or social commentary on a "serious" theme, then chances are you're writing lit-fic. Modern classics by the likes of Virginia Woolf or Ali Smith would be labeled literary fiction.

Like we mentioned, lit-fic is heavy on character, and lighter on plot. If you're interested in writing a character-driven story, try out our profile template for developing well-rounded, fully realized ones.

Magical Realism

You may remember us mentioning magical realism under the umbrella of fantasy - but considering its highbrow style and literary prestige, magical realism is often considered a genre in its own right. Its hallmarks include a real-world setting, a cast of run-of-the-mill characters (no vampires, fairies, or sorcerers), a fluid and non-linear timeline, and supernatural happenings - a baby born with feathered wings, or an egg hatching a ruby - left unexplained. Authors like Isabel Allende and Toni Morrison have used this literary style to grapple with serious social ills, from colonialism to fascism and slavery.

Graphic Novel

Some book genres aren't defined by their content at all, but by their form. Graphic novels are presented to the reader through narrative art (illustrations and typography) either in the traditional panel layout you'll be familiar with from comic books, or in the artist's own style. Once considered cheap entertainment for children, graphic novels are increasingly read and respected these days for their rich blend of visuals and writing. This powerful method of storytelling now portrays everything from memoirs, to manga, to adaptations of classic literature.

Short Story

Though they can belong to any of the other book genres on this list, short stories are frequently grouped together in their own genre because they're, well, so much shorter than novels. Often the author will compile a collection linked together by a narrative thread or, more commonly, a shared theme. The stories in A Manual for Cleaning Women by Lucia Berlin, for example, follow a series of women in different occupations - from cleaning women to ER nurses - all struggling to survive.

Young Adult

Young adult fiction, or YA, targets readers aged 12-18 and reflects its readership by following teenage characters as they grapple with the unique challenges of adolescence. Most works of YA fiction can be labeled " coming-of-age novels", in which the characters exit childhood and enter adulthood - a transition that results in a loss of innocence and a shifting sense of identity. Some of the biggest bestsellers in recent years have belonged to this genre, including The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas and anything by John Green.

Pro tip for writing young adult fiction: Though your teen character's voice should be true to her life experience, you should never "dumb down" the language, story, or style choices in a YA novel.

New Adult

The shiny new penny on this book genres list, new adult is like young adult aged-up: coming-of-age stories after the messiness of adolescence. Its college-age protagonists are walked through the gauntlet of becoming fully-fledged grownups, ditching the stress of the SATs and senior prom for college exams, career transitions, and more mature first times. Big names in New Adult, like Cora Carmack, tend to write steamy romances set in dorm rooms. But this genre isn't all about collegiate love stories - your gritty urban fantasy or immersive historical fiction could find its home here, too.

Children's

Books in this genre are written with readers under the age of twelve in mind. Of course, kids will do a lot of growing between the ages of zero and twelve, which is why children's books range from baby board books all the way up to middle grade 'epics' of 50,000 words. Hopefully, if you're writing children's literature, you already know you are. But it's crucial that you also know which age group you're trying to target, as this will impact the themes, characters, and complexity of your book.

Nonfiction genres

This is a broad category encompassing a number of nonfiction subgenres. From memoirs and biographies to books to self-help and true crime books, there's a type of nonfiction for every kind of reader.

Memoir & Autobiography

Both memoirs and autobiographies provide a true account of the author's life. They differ in that an autobiography provides a chronological account of your life's events and accomplishments, whereas a memoir puts the emphasis on only the most defining, emotional moments. Generally, these moments are drawn together by a single theme - or a significant time, place, or relationship - to communicate a message you wish to share with readers. The Argonauts by Maggie Nelson is a popular example of a memoir.

Pro tip for writing a memoir: Treat yourself as an interview subject and ask yourself questions that will trigger those life-defining stories - the ups and downs, the events that shaped you, what you sacrificed, what you learned.

Biography

Like autobiographies, biographies provide readers with a person's life story; but they're written in the third person by someone other than the subject. Generally, the subject of a biography is (or was) well-known - somebody whose life can teach readers an interesting lesson worth learning. Biographies, memoirs, and autobiographies differ from the rest of the nonfiction on this list, in that they weave a narrative in almost the same way a novel does. A great biography, like Ron Chernow's Alexander Hamilton, isn't a laundry list of events, but a life-giving tribute.

Food & Drink

Food and drink is one of nonfiction's hottest book genres, making it a crowded and highly competitive market. As a result, today's cookbooks tend to cater to specific cuisines, dietary, and/or lifestyle needs. If you're writing a cookbook, you might consider pairing recipes with nutritional information, short autobiographical narratives, or even workouts. Jo Wicks's 30 Day Kickstart Plan and Less Fuss No Waste Kitchen by Lindsay Miles are excellent examples of modern cookbooks.

Art & Photography

This genre is home to a few different kinds of books, all united by their love of art. Your book could find its way into this vibrant and stylish genre if it discusses an artist's work or an artistic style in detail; if it teaches a specific art method; if it explores a facet of art history; or if it showcases your own art in that chic, coffee-table book way.

Self-help

Some of the bestselling books in nonfiction, self-help books encourage personal improvement and confidence. Whether the focus is on relationships, emotional well-being, or finances, if you're writing a book that aims to uplift and empower the reader, then you're probably writing self-help.

History

The books in this genre lay down the known facts about a historical era, event, or figure. And since this is nonfiction, all the facts have to be accurate (though that doesn't mean there's no room for inference or opinion). The goal of these books is to educate and inform the reader, so this genre does include all those textbooks you used in school. But many history books ditch the play-by-play format to chronicle the past in a way more akin to storytelling. One of our favorite history books is Sapiens: A Brief History of Mankind by Yuval Noah Harari.

Travel

Travel memoirs and travelogues, like Jonathan Glancey's The Journey Matters, take us all over the world, giving even the most devoted homebodies a tantalizing taste of adventure, wildlife, and the great outdoors. These pocket-sized books - featuring destination reviews, lists of where to eat and what to see, and tips for traveling on a budget - are without a doubt some of the most useful titles on the shelves.

True Crime

Crime-fiction writers have put some pretty twisted plots to paper, but if you prefer to chronicle real crimes in all their haunting and fascinating detail, then the true crime genre is where your book belongs. From infamous murders to domestic disappearances, works in this genre pen true stories, about all things fearful and forbidden, that read as smoothly as well-crafted fiction.

Humor

Laugh-out-loud memoirs by the funniest celebs, satirical essays from the likes of David Sedaris, or gag gifts like How to Adult - all the books in this rib-tickling genre are written with one thing in mind: making readers laugh! So if you've compiled a collection of all your favorite dad jokes or penned a cathartic brain-dump of your most cringe-worthy memories, then your book may also belong in the humor genre.

Essays

An essay may sound like a boring assignment from your school years, but the books in this genre are among some of the most moving and inspirational works of literature there are. Many powerful voices - like James Baldwin and Roxane Gay - have used these short works to reflect on their own personal experiences and views, combining them into a collection that serves as an eye-opening social commentary on a particular theme or subject.

Guide / How-to

Readers turn to this book genre to develop a skill, hobby, or craft. So if you're an expert in a particular field and you've written a book showing hobbyists how to achieve something specific (like "how to master chess openings" or "a guide to floristry"), then this is its home! Of course, one dead giveaway might be your book's title.

Religion & Spirituality

From histories of the Catholic Church to spiritual guidebooks and memoirs of the Eat, Pray, Love variety, this genre has a place for anything and everything related to the topics of religion and spirituality.

Humanities & Social Sciences

Got something wise to say? Then your book might just belong among the books of this eclectic genre - as long as it discusses a topic related to (deep breath): philosophy, history, literature, language, art, religion, music, or the human condition. This might seem like a pretty wide net to fall into, but keep in mind that books in this genre are typically quite academic; if you've written more of a free-flowing spiritual guide, it probably belongs in the previous genre.

Parenting & Families

Parents and families struggling with discipline, education, bonding, the care of a newborn baby, or a child with special needs, can turn to this well-stocked genre of books when they need to bring in the reinforcements. If you've written a memoir that'll have families whole-heartedly nodding in agreement, or a guide brimming with advice for frazzled parents, then you can find a place for your book in the parenting and families section.

Science & Technology

The job of science nonfiction is not to predict the future, but to make sense of the world we're currently living in - which, quite honestly, can feel like science fiction to some of us! Readers of this genre range from complete beginners trying to understand the things around them to technophiles whose brains are whirring to keep up with the pace of change, so there's bound to be a niche for your book, however advanced it is.

Children's

As much as kids love fairytales and talking animals, they're often just as happy to pick up a nonfiction book at storytime. Whether it's an activity book to keep them busy, a powerful true story like Malala's Magic Pencil, or a children's encyclopedia to feed their brains, children's nonfiction is all about making learning fun. And the wildly popular Horrible Histories series has proven that this genre can compete with wizards and superheroes at every age!

There you have it: 35 of the most popular genres of books. Hopefully, this list will help you get your foot in the right door. But if your book doesn't slot neatly into any of these categories (though there are quite some more types of nonfiction to consider), don't be afraid to declare it a hybrid, or to dig a little deeper into the subcategories that you'll find in the shade of these umbrella genres.

And no matter what kind of book you're writing, check out our book development template to get started.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The Ultimate List of Book Genres: 35 Popular Genres

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Among these 35 popular book genres, there's bound to be one that fits your book like a glove - so let's find it!

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Similar books in this genre: Divergent, The Hunger Games, The Maze Runner,

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Authors need to have a firm grasp on all the different genres of books in order to find the perfect home for their own. The tropes and expectations of a book's genre will inform its content and style during the writing process, as well as fundamentals such as word count. But it's also central to the marketing of a book, determining its target audience, and those all-important Amazon categories. Get your genre wrong, and you could be waving goodbye to book sales and hello to unsatisfied reader reviews!

How many book genres are there?

Though we're only covering 35 of the most popular in this post, there are around 50 genres in total - the exact number depends on who you ask. If you take subgenres into account, over on Reedsy Discovery we have 107 different categories, while Amazon has over 16,000!

That can be a lot to take in. So if you'd like some personalized guidance, we recommend taking this 1-minute quiz that will point you towards your genre (and subgenre).

🖊️

For an overview of all of the genres, that's what the rest of this post is for. There's bound to be a genre that's the perfect fit for your book - all you have to do is find it!

Fiction genres

"Writing fiction is the act of weaving a series of lies to arrive at a greater truth." - Khaled Hosseini

Fantasy

This book genre is characterized by elements of magic or the supernatural and is often inspired by mythology or folklore. In high fantasy - one that's set in an entirely fictional world - these magical elements are at the forefront of the plot, as in Trudi Canavan's Black Magician trilogy. In low fantasy or magical realism, however, magic is subtly woven into an otherwise familiar, real-world setting. You can delve into fantasy's manysubgenres to get to know your Arcanepunk from your Flintlock, and find your book's home!

Pro tip for writing fantasy: To make your world feel real and functional, make sure it's grounded in rules - an internal rationale, so to speak, encompassing everything from the workings of your society to your magic system.

Science Fiction

Though science fiction and fantasy are often considered two sides of the same (speculative fiction) coin, sci-fi is distinguished by its preoccupation with real or real-feeling science. Lots of sci-fi is set in the distant future, which makes it a seedbed for stories about time travel and space exploration. But your science fiction novel doesn't need to be inspired by "hard" science like physics and astronomy. Some of the books in this genre reflect on "soft" sciences, such as sociology and anthropology, to predict the future of the human race - more on that next!

Dystopian

A popular genre of science fiction, dystopian novels offer a bleak and frightening vision of the future. Authors writing dystopias imagine a grim society, often in the aftermath of a disaster, facing things like oppressive governments, Black Mirror-esque technology, and environmental ruin. From widely popular series like The Hunger Games to critically-acclaimed classics like Nineteen Eighty-four, the enduring appeal of dystopian fiction lies in our burning desire to know where mankind is headed - and our perverse enjoyment of dark stories, so long as they aren't actually happening to us.

If you struggle to write consistently, sign up for our How to Write a Novel course to finish a novel in just 3 months.

Action & Adventure

If you're writing adventure, then chances are your book follows the structure of the Hero's Journey. Your protagonist has a very important goal to achieve, but they're really going to have to go through the wringer first! You throw up obstacle after obstacle, putting your hero in downright dangerous situations but eventually, they triumph and return home transformed. The action and adventure genre also complements a huge range of others, which means it has its fingers in everything from fantasy novels like The Hobbit to classic romance like J ane Eyre.

Mystery

Also called detective fiction, this book genre is characterized by a gripping plot that revolves around a mystery - but hopefully, you've cracked that clue! The setting, characters, and tone of your book will determine precisely which category it falls under: cozy mystery, hardboiled, or something in between. But at the core of any mystery is a crime that must be solved by the protagonist. To get a sense of the clever trail of clues that's so vital to this genre, check out Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie - the grande dame of mystery fiction.

Pro tip for writing a mystery: When planning your novel, consult the Fichtean curve, a narrative structure that emphasizes mini-crises, ratcheting up the tension to keep readers anxious to reach the climax.

Horror

What unites the books in this genre is not theme, plot, or setting, but the feeling they inspire in the reader: your pulse quickens, and your skin prickles as you turn the page with bated breath. Of course, this feeling of dread only comes about if the author creates the right atmosphere - an essential feature dependent on the subgenre. Gothic horror, for example, sends a shiver down your spine with spooky settings and paranormal elements, while gross-out horror shocks the reader with hacked-up flesh and buckets of blood. The master of horror fiction in all its guises? Stephen King, of course.

Pro tip for writing horror: Make the stakes plain and straightforward - survival, the death of a loved one, etc. - and clearly establish them for the reader, so they are in no doubt about the character's motivation.

Thriller & Suspense

A horror story can also be called a thriller, if it employs psychological fear to build suspense. But not all thrillers are horror stories. So what are they? While this book genre encompasses many of the same elements as mystery, in a thriller the protagonist is usually acting to save their own life, rather than to solve the crime. Thrillers typically include cliffhangers, deception, high emotional stakes, and plenty of action - keeping the reader on the edge of their seat until the book's climax. Gillian Flynn's Gone Girl is a masterclass in the dark, mysterious thriller.

Pro tip for writing a thriller: Avoid anything that bogs down the pacing. If you notice that a scene is getting tied up in everyday details, or doesn't add enough excitement to the plot, rewrite it or cut it altogether!

Historical Fiction

This book genre encompasses fictional stories in a historical setting, carefully balancing creativity and facts. In most cases, the characters and events are imagined by the author and enriched with historically accurate details from a specific time period. Take The Help by Kathryn Stockett, for example - a fictional story set in Mississippi during the Civil Rights Movement. But occasionally, as is the case with Hilary Mantel's Cromwell trilogy, the author builds the main story around real historical figures and events.

Like almost all of these genres, it's crucial that historical fiction works in exposition and historical detail subtly. Want to learn more about how to do this? Check out our free course on the golden writing rule, Show, Don't Tell.

Romance

Romance is so frequently used as a subplot that it can sometimes be tricky to know whether or not you're writing in this genre. The key thing to remember is that the romantic relationship must be the center point of the plot. (Other giveaways include a "happily ever after" ending and the warm fuzzies.) If your novel has a romantic relationship at its heart and is perfectly at home in another genre, it probably falls into one of romance's many subgenres, including but not limited to: young adult romance, paranormal romance, and historical romance.

Women's Fiction

Women's fiction is an umbrella term for books written to target a female audience, generally reflecting on the shared experience of being a woman or the growth of a female protagonist. Because of this rather broad definition, authors will quite often write a romance novel or mystery, for example, that could also be labeled women's fiction. Despite the connotations of one alternative name for this genre ("chick-lit"), many critically acclaimed bestsellers, including Jaqueline Woodson's Red at The Bone, fall under its purview.

LGBTQ+

Any fiction with authentic LGBTQ+ representation falls into this book genre. It's important to note that while your book's queer characters should feature in the main plot, the centerpiece of your plot doesn't have to be a romance. In fact, there doesn't need to be any romance at all! This means that your fantasy, thriller, or historical novel could fall under the LGBTQ+ umbrella.

Contemporary Fiction

This book genre is occasionally lumped in with others to indicate that the book takes place in the present day. But in its simplest form, contemporary fiction is better understood as the absence of a genre. Your book doesn't need tropes and trappings, monsters and mysteries, when its tension, drama, and conflict lies in the quirks and quandaries of your protagonist's everyday life: work, politics, relationships, and the struggles of the modern era.

Literary Fiction

Like contemporary fiction, books considered literary fiction can't be neatly filed under any other genre. What distinguishes this genre from contemporary fiction is that works of literary fiction are thought to have considerable artistic value. If your prose is meant to engage the reader in thought, if your narrative is character-driven and introspective, and if you provide personal or social commentary on a "serious" theme, then chances are you're writing lit-fic. Modern classics by the likes of Virginia Woolf or Ali Smith would be labeled literary fiction.

Like we mentioned, lit-fic is heavy on character, and lighter on plot. If you're interested in writing a character-driven story, try out our profile template for developing well-rounded, fully realized ones.

Magical Realism

You may remember us mentioning magical realism under the umbrella of fantasy - but considering its highbrow style and literary prestige, magical realism is often considered a genre in its own right. Its hallmarks include a real-world setting, a cast of run-of-the-mill characters (no vampires, fairies, or sorcerers), a fluid and non-linear timeline, and supernatural happenings - a baby born with feathered wings, or an egg hatching a ruby - left unexplained. Authors like Isabel Allende and Toni Morrison have used this literary style to grapple with serious social ills, from colonialism to fascism and slavery.

Graphic Novel

Some book genres aren't defined by their content at all, but by their form. Graphic novels are presented to the reader through narrative art (illustrations and typography) either in the traditional panel layout you'll be familiar with from comic books, or in the artist's own style. Once considered cheap entertainment for children, graphic novels are increasingly read and respected these days for their rich blend of visuals and writing. This powerful method of storytelling now portrays everything from memoirs, to manga, to adaptations of classic literature.

Short Story

Though they can belong to any of the other book genres on this list, short stories are frequently grouped together in their own genre because they're, well, so much shorter than novels. Often the author will compile a collection linked together by a narrative thread or, more commonly, a shared theme. The stories in A Manual for Cleaning Women by Lucia Berlin, for example, follow a series of women in different occupations - from cleaning women to ER nurses - all struggling to survive.

Young Adult

Young adult fiction, or YA, targets readers aged 12-18 and reflects its readership by following teenage characters as they grapple with the unique challenges of adolescence. Most works of YA fiction can be labeled " coming-of-age novels", in which the characters exit childhood and enter adulthood - a transition that results in a loss of innocence and a shifting sense of identity. Some of the biggest bestsellers in recent years have belonged to this genre, including The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas and anything by John Green.

Pro tip for writing young adult fiction: Though your teen character's voice should be true to her life experience, you should never "dumb down" the language, story, or style choices in a YA novel.

New Adult

The shiny new penny on this book genres list, new adult is like young adult aged-up: coming-of-age stories after the messiness of adolescence. Its college-age protagonists are walked through the gauntlet of becoming fully-fledged grownups, ditching the stress of the SATs and senior prom for college exams, career transitions, and more mature first times. Big names in New Adult, like Cora Carmack, tend to write steamy romances set in dorm rooms. But this genre isn't all about collegiate love stories - your gritty urban fantasy or immersive historical fiction could find its home here, too.

Children's

Books in this genre are written with readers under the age of twelve in mind. Of course, kids will do a lot of growing between the ages of zero and twelve, which is why children's books range from baby board books all the way up to middle grade 'epics' of 50,000 words. Hopefully, if you're writing children's literature, you already know you are. But it's crucial that you also know which age group you're trying to target, as this will impact the themes, characters, and complexity of your book.

Nonfiction genres

This is a broad category encompassing a number of nonfiction subgenres. From memoirs and biographies to books to self-help and true crime books, there's a type of nonfiction for every kind of reader.

Memoir & Autobiography

Both memoirs and autobiographies provide a true account of the author's life. They differ in that an autobiography provides a chronological account of your life's events and accomplishments, whereas a memoir puts the emphasis on only the most defining, emotional moments. Generally, these moments are drawn together by a single theme - or a significant time, place, or relationship - to communicate a message you wish to share with readers. The Argonauts by Maggie Nelson is a popular example of a memoir.

Pro tip for writing a memoir: Treat yourself as an interview subject and ask yourself questions that will trigger those life-defining stories - the ups and downs, the events that shaped you, what you sacrificed, what you learned.

Biography

Like autobiographies, biographies provide readers with a person's life story; but they're written in the third person by someone other than the subject. Generally, the subject of a biography is (or was) well-known - somebody whose life can teach readers an interesting lesson worth learning. Biographies, memoirs, and autobiographies differ from the rest of the nonfiction on this list, in that they weave a narrative in almost the same way a novel does. A great biography, like Ron Chernow's Alexander Hamilton, isn't a laundry list of events, but a life-giving tribute.

Food & Drink

Food and drink is one of nonfiction's hottest book genres, making it a crowded and highly competitive market. As a result, today's cookbooks tend to cater to specific cuisines, dietary, and/or lifestyle needs. If you're writing a cookbook, you might consider pairing recipes with nutritional information, short autobiographical narratives, or even workouts. Jo Wicks's 30 Day Kickstart Plan and Less Fuss No Waste Kitchen by Lindsay Miles are excellent examples of modern cookbooks.

Art & Photography

This genre is home to a few different kinds of books, all united by their love of art. Your book could find its way into this vibrant and stylish genre if it discusses an artist's work or an artistic style in detail; if it teaches a specific art method; if it explores a facet of art history; or if it showcases your own art in that chic, coffee-table book way.

Self-help

Some of the bestselling books in nonfiction, self-help books encourage personal improvement and confidence. Whether the focus is on relationships, emotional well-being, or finances, if you're writing a book that aims to uplift and empower the reader, then you're probably writing self-help.

History

The books in this genre lay down the known facts about a historical era, event, or figure. And since this is nonfiction, all the facts have to be accurate (though that doesn't mean there's no room for inference or opinion). The goal of these books is to educate and inform the reader, so this genre does include all those textbooks you used in school. But many history books ditch the play-by-play format to chronicle the past in a way more akin to storytelling. One of our favorite history books is Sapiens: A Brief History of Mankind by Yuval Noah Harari.

Travel

Travel memoirs and travelogues, like Jonathan Glancey's The Journey Matters, take us all over the world, giving even the most devoted homebodies a tantalizing taste of adventure, wildlife, and the great outdoors. These pocket-sized books - featuring destination reviews, lists of where to eat and what to see, and tips for traveling on a budget - are without a doubt some of the most useful titles on the shelves.

True Crime

Crime-fiction writers have put some pretty twisted plots to paper, but if you prefer to chronicle real crimes in all their haunting and fascinating detail, then the true crime genre is where your book belongs. From infamous murders to domestic disappearances, works in this genre pen true stories, about all things fearful and forbidden, that read as smoothly as well-crafted fiction.

Humor

Laugh-out-loud memoirs by the funniest celebs, satirical essays from the likes of David Sedaris, or gag gifts like How to Adult - all the books in this rib-tickling genre are written with one thing in mind: making readers laugh! So if you've compiled a collection of all your favorite dad jokes or penned a cathartic brain-dump of your most cringe-worthy memories, then your book may also belong in the humor genre.

Essays

An essay may sound like a boring assignment from your school years, but the books in this genre are among some of the most moving and inspirational works of literature there are. Many powerful voices - like James Baldwin and Roxane Gay - have used these short works to reflect on their own personal experiences and views, combining them into a collection that serves as an eye-opening social commentary on a particular theme or subject.

Guide / How-to

Readers turn to this book genre to develop a skill, hobby, or craft. So if you're an expert in a particular field and you've written a book showing hobbyists how to achieve something specific (like "how to master chess openings" or "a guide to floristry"), then this is its home! Of course, one dead giveaway might be your book's title.

Religion & Spirituality

From histories of the Catholic Church to spiritual guidebooks and memoirs of the Eat, Pray, Love variety, this genre has a place for anything and everything related to the topics of religion and spirituality.

Humanities & Social Sciences

Got something wise to say? Then your book might just belong among the books of this eclectic genre - as long as it discusses a topic related to (deep breath): philosophy, history, literature, language, art, religion, music, or the human condition. This might seem like a pretty wide net to fall into, but keep in mind that books in this genre are typically quite academic; if you've written more of a free-flowing spiritual guide, it probably belongs in the previous genre.

Parenting & Families

Parents and families struggling with discipline, education, bonding, the care of a newborn baby, or a child with special needs, can turn to this well-stocked genre of books when they need to bring in the reinforcements. If you've written a memoir that'll have families whole-heartedly nodding in agreement, or a guide brimming with advice for frazzled parents, then you can find a place for your book in the parenting and families section.

Science & Technology

The job of science nonfiction is not to predict the future, but to make sense of the world we're currently living in - which, quite honestly, can feel like science fiction to some of us! Readers of this genre range from complete beginners trying to understand the things around them to technophiles whose brains are whirring to keep up with the pace of change, so there's bound to be a niche for your book, however advanced it is.

Children's

As much as kids love fairytales and talking animals, they're often just as happy to pick up a nonfiction book at storytime. Whether it's an activity book to keep them busy, a powerful true story like Malala's Magic Pencil, or a children's encyclopedia to feed their brains, children's nonfiction is all about making learning fun. And the wildly popular Horrible Histories series has proven that this genre can compete with wizards and superheroes at every age!

There you have it: 35 of the most popular genres of books. Hopefully, this list will help you get your foot in the right door. But if your book doesn't slot neatly into any of these categories (though there are quite some more types of nonfiction to consider), don't be afraid to declare it a hybrid, or to dig a little deeper into the subcategories that you'll find in the shade of these umbrella genres.

And no matter what kind of book you're writing, check out our book development template to get started.

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The Ultimate List of Book Genres: 35 Popular Genres

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Among these 35 popular book genres, there's bound to be one that fits your book like a glove - so let's find it!

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This book is extremely intense.

I loved the perspective it gives. It really helps to show how such small steps can spiral out of control to the point where decisions are not just poor decisions but become about survival. Not everyone is given an equal chance starting out in life and it can be very hard to overcome the effects that has on a developing child's mind.

I have multiple family members who have dealt with many of the things he has dealt with and it was just really hard to read.  If you or anyone in your family has dealt with addiction then please be warned, this entire book is basically one big trigger.  It is very honest and very dark.

Overall, I loved this book. I found it hard to put down and I genuinely feel so proud of Jesse. Not many people who live the life that he lived are ever able to come back from it and achieve what he has. I applaud him for his courage. I'm sure the book would have been interesting based on content alone but the writing was very good as well.

I do recommend this book. I thought it was amazing but it definitely will not be for everyone however, I suggest you at least try it out because it is so good.

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Hands down one of the most important nonfiction books I have ever read. It's also one that I encourage every single resident of the US and Canada to read, whether or not it's a book you WANT to read. While it is about the Seven Fallen Feathers (mysterious deaths of Indigenous teens in Thunder Bay), it's so so much more. It's about the crimes against the First Nations, it's about attempts at reconciliation between Canada and the victims of the Indian boarding schools, and most of all, it brings to life the horrible conditions that many Indigenous youths are still living in today.

Add this to your TBR and read it. I finished it in a day, but feel free to take your time. But read it. And soon.

- Kate Olson

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This book is a powerful and important memoir for all Canadians! The Reason You Walk should be mandatory reading in High School/University! Wab Kinew has the gift of storytelling and brings to life our painful (and shameful) history. From the abuse that his Father and thousands of others endured at the hands of those running the Residential Schools, to the vital Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada. He talks about how important our families and friends are in our lives, and the painful process of losing those we love.

I have only touched on just a few of the elements that make this such a brilliant book!

One of the most valuable lessons that I have learned from this memoir is that it is your duty to be the best person that you can be and that you must stand up for your beliefs!

This book is a must read for all!

One of the few books that I will read again and again!

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Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley is one of the most powerful and important books I’ve ever read. It made my heart feel so full and broken at the same time. As a Lingít reader, I appreciated how unapologetically Anishinaabe this novel was in it’s use of language, traditions, and culture that created such a rich world. The community was so real and visceral, I felt like I knew the characters, and I absolutely loved all of it. This book shines a valuable light on Anishinaabe people and issues, which many other Indigenous communities across Turtle Island will see themselves reflected in. Boulley has delivered a masterpiece of Indigenous literature. It’s one I’ll be revisiting many times, and pushing on everyone I know.

I would classify this as a young adult crime fiction, so I highly recommend going in as blind as you can. It added to my reading experience and had me gushing, screaming, and wishing I could talk to someone while I read it. And if you are usually turned off by a book being young adult, please don’t let that turn you away from this book. I highly recommend this to teen and adult readers.

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This book gave me a lot to think about. It is a modern coming of age story mixed with Native folklore and magical realism. The magical stuff comes in pretty late in the book, however, and there will be more revealed about that in the next books, so my small complaint is that the pacing is a bit strange if you read this as a standalone.

We follow sixteen-year-old Jared Martin living in the small town of Kitimak in northern British Columbia. Jared is clever and quick with insults - accordingly, the books is full of witty dialogue and dark humour with a large dose of popular culture references. Jared has to deal with a lot over the course of the book; in addition to regular teen struggles in high school (bullying, girls, schoolwork), his parents are unreliable guardians, he is trying to recover from a past trauma, and he self medicates with drugs and alcohol.

Jared is Native living off-Rez, and of particular interest for me were his interactions with other Native (on and off Rez) and white characters in his town.

This book brings to life many contemporary Canadian Indigenous issues. A novel is a great format for going beyond the symptoms and statistics to understand the context and background through, in our case, the story of Jared's family. In particular I thought the topic of multi-generational residential school trauma was subtly and well explained in the thread with Jared's maternal grandmother.

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I love seeing a story set here in Alberta, and even more so with some ace representation. It brought me back to living in a res, and felt like, while feeling somewhat simple in its story, well executed in conveying some pretty complex issues, on top of a grounded story about a girl coming into her own, feeling othered, and dealing with her families demons coming home to roost.

The ace rep is the type of inclusion that pops up organically, based on the situations she’s in, and not a book capital a about that, and a crash course on it. Which I liked. It would have probably felt awkward otherwise, in this kind of story.

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I wanted to read this book after learning about the recent Canadian news surrounding the residential schools. I knew nothing about this part of our history and am shocked and devastated by what has happened in our country. This book gives an eye opening glimpse into what some residential school survivors have had to endure after living through the abuse and neglect suffered at these schools.

A powerful and important story that gives a voice to five residential school survivors. The author created some unforgettable characters who tell the stories of what her own mother experienced while living at a residential school. While there are many gut wrenching situations that these characters face, the author tells their stories in a lighter tone, avoiding any graphic detail of abuse. The story ended up having a more hopeful and heart warming feel than I had expected which I enjoyed. Overall, a highly impactful and heart wrenching book.

Thank you to my lovely local library for the loan of this book!

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What a hoot! I really enjoyed this book. There are magical things going on here, and the fun is in just letting go and enjoying the ride. In to town rides a mysterious stranger - with a really hot motorbike. His appearance sends ripples of excitement and disquiet through the community and an unlikely band of allies come together to find out what the stranger is up to. I don't want to give away too much - but lets just say that I don't often read books in which raccoons are major players!

It is a funny book, but thought provoking, too. Life on a contemporary First Nations reserve, the implications of residential schools, interactions with the various levels of government, the differing opinions within the reservation residents about how their future should look - Hayden Taylor covers a lot of ground in this book. Well done!

- Sharon Stoneman

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Everyone in their lifetime has had to find ways around certain roadblocks keeping them from success. This autobiography about by Tootoo is an exact representation of how everyone has felt at least one time in their life. All the Way follows the life of Jordin Tootoo, a hockey player from Inuk descent, and overall shows all of the personal roadblocks he endured in and got around to reach his ultimate goal, to be a professional player. Ranging from when he was a young boy skating out on the ponds all the way to when he was an adult playing the game, he had to overcome many issues that were real and relatable to.

Overall I would recommend this story to just about anyone who enjoys reading and learning about normal people doing big things. Jordin had to overcome a lot just like millions of other americans and this story gives hope for all people. I believe that everyone should read this story to help them become better people and strive to become someone great.

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Slow and ominous, haunting and powerful. Fans of The Marrow Thieves- make this your next read. - LaLa

It feels weird to say I enjoyed a novel about apocalypse and disaster, but I really did! I'd been circling this one for a while and didn't get to it in my year of focusing on Canada, so it got back burnered a bit. It tells the story of an Anishinaabe community (in what could also be northern Ontario), already pretty isolated, and what happens when the power goes out. The author and the audiobook narrator are both from Indigenous Canadian backgrounds - Waubgeshig Rice is an Anishinaabe writer and journalist from the Wasauksing First Nation, and Billy Merasty is a Cree actor.

The narration was excellent, so much so that I found reasons to keep listening. If you have #hoopla you have access already! - Jenny

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A very engrossing, quite moving novel that introduces readers to the culture of the Inuit, and elements of their way of life, providing readers a chance to situate themselves within a young shaman boy's development and experiences - Wendelle

There is a lot of action here and at times we even get the 'out-of-the-frying-pan-into-the-fire' rapid challenge after challenge which certainly keeps the reader turning pages, but I found the encounter and lessons from Taktuq quite interesting. While he's certainly painted as a bit of a curmudgeon, at his core he's still decent (he took Pitu in and helped him recover). But his bitter attitude is poisonous to Pitu who recognizes that this could be him if he doesn't find his way.

The adventure aspect will keep youngsters reading, but the message will sneak in and provide a thoughtful experience. This is 'Gary Paulsen' for a new generation of young readers.

- Daniel

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I really liked this book! It gives the reader great insight into what many Metis people have to go through in their lives. There were many times in this book that I figured that things for April and Cheryl couldn't get much worse, and then the author throws in another curve ball. You don't want to think about the fact that the events in their lives are actually happening to lots of people every day. I think it's a good thing that this book is written from April's point of view, because the emotions she is feeling are more in depth. I strongly recommend reading this book. It's hard to stop reading!

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Middle grade Indigenous adventure / fantasy MAGIC. A fellow reader recommended this as a perfect swap for, or comparison to, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, and that was spot on. The messages in this story about the horrors inflicted by Whites upon Indigenous peoples in Canada, as well as the horrors inflicted upon the natural world by Whites, are blatant but expertly woven into a riveting story of an attic portal into a different dimension. I can’t wait to see what Robertson does next in this series. - Kate Olson

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Wagamese envelopes me into this story. It’s hard to believe this was written in 2012. It’s only been on my radar since all the news of the the recent residential graves have been discovered in Canada.
The reality of Indian children taken from their families to residential schools where they had their culture physically and mentally stamped out of them. The shame we should have as Catholic Canadians.

But there is beauty and magic out of this annihilation of both traditions and spirit. Saul Indian Horse, is an Ojibway child, taken from his family and put into one of these residential schools at the age of 8. It is here he finds his escape through his love of hockey, team camaraderie and community.
It is through this skill, he is able to escape the brutal conditions the children suffered. It is through this vision, he is given the opportunity when a scout comes along to play for a junior A team in Toronto.

But the past will continue to haunt. The discrimination will continue to be felt until he realizes he can’t move forward until he faces the tragic past. Only then can he reclaim himself and his love of the sport and be at one with nature again. - Jen

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Wow... if you read the back of this book, you might get the sense that The Marrow Thieves is your typical YA dystopia just with Indigenous protagonists. You would be mistaken. The speculative aspects of Dimaline's novel are not particularly important. What shines is the Indigenous narrative about loss of culture, abuse and murder by a majority population, yet survival and resilience. It's a powerful, painful book that does not hold back. It moves slowly compared to many other offerings in the YA field, but it's such a valuable book that has the potential of teaching non-Indigenous teens at an early age about what white supremacy does to Indigenous people without also framing Indigenous people as some sort of mythical people who lived in the past. - Maggie Gordon

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Substance abuse

Child abuse

Sexual abuse/ violence

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References to child abuse, physical, emotional, and sexual

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Meth addiction, murder, grief, mourning, kidnapping, mention of drug overdose, rape, suicide

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Drug/Alcohol use, abuse, self-harm, suicide, exlicit language

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There are discussions about and references to a violent sexual assault; instances of intimate partner abuse; instances of racism and physical assault toward Indigenous and Black teens; discussions of drug use; under-aged alcohol use.

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Child abuse (sexual, emotional, physical - explicit)

Substance abuse

Death by suicide

Human trafficking situation in Chapter 2

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- Death by suicide
- Substance abuse
- Language

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- Profanity (F-word)

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This book is the first in a series - the school has access to it, if you'd like to keep reading when you're finished!

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Child abuse

Sexual violence

Death by suicide

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This book has a sequel - the school has access to it, if you'd like to keep reading when you're finished!

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- Child abuse (physical, sexual)
- Substance Abuse
- Death by Suicide

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- Sexual Violence (character recalls it happening)
- Systemic child abuse / murder is discussed

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This book has a sequel - the school has access to it, if you'd like to keep reading when you're finished! No copies left in the library? Talk to your teacher or ask Ms. Haefling if she can order some more!

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Though Youtube

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This book has a sequel - the school has access to it, if you'd like to keep reading when you're finished!

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Two hundred years from now, blood has become the most valuable commodity on the planet—especially the blood of aboriginal peoples, for it contains antibodies that protect them from the Plague ravaging the rest of the world.

Sixteen-year-old Cassandra Mercredi might be immune to the Plague, but that doesn’t mean she’s safe—government forces are searching for those of aboriginal heritage to harvest their blood. When a search threatens Cassandra and her family, they flee to the Island: a mysterious and idyllic territory protected by the Band, a group of guerilla warriors—and by an enigmatic energy barrier that keeps outsiders out and the spirit world in. And though the village healer has taken her under her wing, and the tribal leader’s son into his heart, the creatures of the spirit world are angry, and they have chosen Cassandra to be their voice and instrument...

Incorporating the traditions of the First Peoples as well as the more familiar stories of Greek mythology and Arthurian legend, Shadows Cast by Stars is a haunting, beautifully written story that breathes new life into ancient customs.

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This means that magic is subtly woven into an otherwise familiar, real-world setting. In other words, the world is realistic, but some magical or fantastical things might happen.

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Authors need to have a firm grasp on all the different genres of books in order to find the perfect home for their own. The tropes and expectations of a book's genre will inform its content and style during the writing process, as well as fundamentals such as word count. But it's also central to the marketing of a book, determining its target audience, and those all-important Amazon categories. Get your genre wrong, and you could be waving goodbye to book sales and hello to unsatisfied reader reviews!

How many book genres are there?

Though we're only covering 35 of the most popular in this post, there are around 50 genres in total - the exact number depends on who you ask. If you take subgenres into account, over on Reedsy Discovery we have 107 different categories, while Amazon has over 16,000!

That can be a lot to take in. So if you'd like some personalized guidance, we recommend taking this 1-minute quiz that will point you towards your genre (and subgenre).

🖊️

For an overview of all of the genres, that's what the rest of this post is for. There's bound to be a genre that's the perfect fit for your book - all you have to do is find it!

Fiction genres

"Writing fiction is the act of weaving a series of lies to arrive at a greater truth." - Khaled Hosseini

Fantasy

This book genre is characterized by elements of magic or the supernatural and is often inspired by mythology or folklore. In high fantasy - one that's set in an entirely fictional world - these magical elements are at the forefront of the plot, as in Trudi Canavan's Black Magician trilogy. In low fantasy or magical realism, however, magic is subtly woven into an otherwise familiar, real-world setting. You can delve into fantasy's manysubgenres to get to know your Arcanepunk from your Flintlock, and find your book's home!

Pro tip for writing fantasy: To make your world feel real and functional, make sure it's grounded in rules - an internal rationale, so to speak, encompassing everything from the workings of your society to your magic system.

Science Fiction

Though science fiction and fantasy are often considered two sides of the same (speculative fiction) coin, sci-fi is distinguished by its preoccupation with real or real-feeling science. Lots of sci-fi is set in the distant future, which makes it a seedbed for stories about time travel and space exploration. But your science fiction novel doesn't need to be inspired by "hard" science like physics and astronomy. Some of the books in this genre reflect on "soft" sciences, such as sociology and anthropology, to predict the future of the human race - more on that next!

Dystopian

A popular genre of science fiction, dystopian novels offer a bleak and frightening vision of the future. Authors writing dystopias imagine a grim society, often in the aftermath of a disaster, facing things like oppressive governments, Black Mirror-esque technology, and environmental ruin. From widely popular series like The Hunger Games to critically-acclaimed classics like Nineteen Eighty-four, the enduring appeal of dystopian fiction lies in our burning desire to know where mankind is headed - and our perverse enjoyment of dark stories, so long as they aren't actually happening to us.

If you struggle to write consistently, sign up for our How to Write a Novel course to finish a novel in just 3 months.

Action & Adventure

If you're writing adventure, then chances are your book follows the structure of the Hero's Journey. Your protagonist has a very important goal to achieve, but they're really going to have to go through the wringer first! You throw up obstacle after obstacle, putting your hero in downright dangerous situations but eventually, they triumph and return home transformed. The action and adventure genre also complements a huge range of others, which means it has its fingers in everything from fantasy novels like The Hobbit to classic romance like J ane Eyre.

Mystery

Also called detective fiction, this book genre is characterized by a gripping plot that revolves around a mystery - but hopefully, you've cracked that clue! The setting, characters, and tone of your book will determine precisely which category it falls under: cozy mystery, hardboiled, or something in between. But at the core of any mystery is a crime that must be solved by the protagonist. To get a sense of the clever trail of clues that's so vital to this genre, check out Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie - the grande dame of mystery fiction.

Pro tip for writing a mystery: When planning your novel, consult the Fichtean curve, a narrative structure that emphasizes mini-crises, ratcheting up the tension to keep readers anxious to reach the climax.

Horror

What unites the books in this genre is not theme, plot, or setting, but the feeling they inspire in the reader: your pulse quickens, and your skin prickles as you turn the page with bated breath. Of course, this feeling of dread only comes about if the author creates the right atmosphere - an essential feature dependent on the subgenre. Gothic horror, for example, sends a shiver down your spine with spooky settings and paranormal elements, while gross-out horror shocks the reader with hacked-up flesh and buckets of blood. The master of horror fiction in all its guises? Stephen King, of course.

Pro tip for writing horror: Make the stakes plain and straightforward - survival, the death of a loved one, etc. - and clearly establish them for the reader, so they are in no doubt about the character's motivation.

Thriller & Suspense

A horror story can also be called a thriller, if it employs psychological fear to build suspense. But not all thrillers are horror stories. So what are they? While this book genre encompasses many of the same elements as mystery, in a thriller the protagonist is usually acting to save their own life, rather than to solve the crime. Thrillers typically include cliffhangers, deception, high emotional stakes, and plenty of action - keeping the reader on the edge of their seat until the book's climax. Gillian Flynn's Gone Girl is a masterclass in the dark, mysterious thriller.

Pro tip for writing a thriller: Avoid anything that bogs down the pacing. If you notice that a scene is getting tied up in everyday details, or doesn't add enough excitement to the plot, rewrite it or cut it altogether!

Historical Fiction

This book genre encompasses fictional stories in a historical setting, carefully balancing creativity and facts. In most cases, the characters and events are imagined by the author and enriched with historically accurate details from a specific time period. Take The Help by Kathryn Stockett, for example - a fictional story set in Mississippi during the Civil Rights Movement. But occasionally, as is the case with Hilary Mantel's Cromwell trilogy, the author builds the main story around real historical figures and events.

Like almost all of these genres, it's crucial that historical fiction works in exposition and historical detail subtly. Want to learn more about how to do this? Check out our free course on the golden writing rule, Show, Don't Tell.

Romance

Romance is so frequently used as a subplot that it can sometimes be tricky to know whether or not you're writing in this genre. The key thing to remember is that the romantic relationship must be the center point of the plot. (Other giveaways include a "happily ever after" ending and the warm fuzzies.) If your novel has a romantic relationship at its heart and is perfectly at home in another genre, it probably falls into one of romance's many subgenres, including but not limited to: young adult romance, paranormal romance, and historical romance.

Women's Fiction

Women's fiction is an umbrella term for books written to target a female audience, generally reflecting on the shared experience of being a woman or the growth of a female protagonist. Because of this rather broad definition, authors will quite often write a romance novel or mystery, for example, that could also be labeled women's fiction. Despite the connotations of one alternative name for this genre ("chick-lit"), many critically acclaimed bestsellers, including Jaqueline Woodson's Red at The Bone, fall under its purview.

LGBTQ+

Any fiction with authentic LGBTQ+ representation falls into this book genre. It's important to note that while your book's queer characters should feature in the main plot, the centerpiece of your plot doesn't have to be a romance. In fact, there doesn't need to be any romance at all! This means that your fantasy, thriller, or historical novel could fall under the LGBTQ+ umbrella.

Contemporary Fiction

This book genre is occasionally lumped in with others to indicate that the book takes place in the present day. But in its simplest form, contemporary fiction is better understood as the absence of a genre. Your book doesn't need tropes and trappings, monsters and mysteries, when its tension, drama, and conflict lies in the quirks and quandaries of your protagonist's everyday life: work, politics, relationships, and the struggles of the modern era.

Literary Fiction

Like contemporary fiction, books considered literary fiction can't be neatly filed under any other genre. What distinguishes this genre from contemporary fiction is that works of literary fiction are thought to have considerable artistic value. If your prose is meant to engage the reader in thought, if your narrative is character-driven and introspective, and if you provide personal or social commentary on a "serious" theme, then chances are you're writing lit-fic. Modern classics by the likes of Virginia Woolf or Ali Smith would be labeled literary fiction.

Like we mentioned, lit-fic is heavy on character, and lighter on plot. If you're interested in writing a character-driven story, try out our profile template for developing well-rounded, fully realized ones.

Magical Realism

You may remember us mentioning magical realism under the umbrella of fantasy - but considering its highbrow style and literary prestige, magical realism is often considered a genre in its own right. Its hallmarks include a real-world setting, a cast of run-of-the-mill characters (no vampires, fairies, or sorcerers), a fluid and non-linear timeline, and supernatural happenings - a baby born with feathered wings, or an egg hatching a ruby - left unexplained. Authors like Isabel Allende and Toni Morrison have used this literary style to grapple with serious social ills, from colonialism to fascism and slavery.

Graphic Novel

Some book genres aren't defined by their content at all, but by their form. Graphic novels are presented to the reader through narrative art (illustrations and typography) either in the traditional panel layout you'll be familiar with from comic books, or in the artist's own style. Once considered cheap entertainment for children, graphic novels are increasingly read and respected these days for their rich blend of visuals and writing. This powerful method of storytelling now portrays everything from memoirs, to manga, to adaptations of classic literature.

Short Story

Though they can belong to any of the other book genres on this list, short stories are frequently grouped together in their own genre because they're, well, so much shorter than novels. Often the author will compile a collection linked together by a narrative thread or, more commonly, a shared theme. The stories in A Manual for Cleaning Women by Lucia Berlin, for example, follow a series of women in different occupations - from cleaning women to ER nurses - all struggling to survive.

Young Adult

Young adult fiction, or YA, targets readers aged 12-18 and reflects its readership by following teenage characters as they grapple with the unique challenges of adolescence. Most works of YA fiction can be labeled " coming-of-age novels", in which the characters exit childhood and enter adulthood - a transition that results in a loss of innocence and a shifting sense of identity. Some of the biggest bestsellers in recent years have belonged to this genre, including The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas and anything by John Green.

Pro tip for writing young adult fiction: Though your teen character's voice should be true to her life experience, you should never "dumb down" the language, story, or style choices in a YA novel.

New Adult

The shiny new penny on this book genres list, new adult is like young adult aged-up: coming-of-age stories after the messiness of adolescence. Its college-age protagonists are walked through the gauntlet of becoming fully-fledged grownups, ditching the stress of the SATs and senior prom for college exams, career transitions, and more mature first times. Big names in New Adult, like Cora Carmack, tend to write steamy romances set in dorm rooms. But this genre isn't all about collegiate love stories - your gritty urban fantasy or immersive historical fiction could find its home here, too.

Children's

Books in this genre are written with readers under the age of twelve in mind. Of course, kids will do a lot of growing between the ages of zero and twelve, which is why children's books range from baby board books all the way up to middle grade 'epics' of 50,000 words. Hopefully, if you're writing children's literature, you already know you are. But it's crucial that you also know which age group you're trying to target, as this will impact the themes, characters, and complexity of your book.

Nonfiction genres

This is a broad category encompassing a number of nonfiction subgenres. From memoirs and biographies to books to self-help and true crime books, there's a type of nonfiction for every kind of reader.

Memoir & Autobiography

Both memoirs and autobiographies provide a true account of the author's life. They differ in that an autobiography provides a chronological account of your life's events and accomplishments, whereas a memoir puts the emphasis on only the most defining, emotional moments. Generally, these moments are drawn together by a single theme - or a significant time, place, or relationship - to communicate a message you wish to share with readers. The Argonauts by Maggie Nelson is a popular example of a memoir.

Pro tip for writing a memoir: Treat yourself as an interview subject and ask yourself questions that will trigger those life-defining stories - the ups and downs, the events that shaped you, what you sacrificed, what you learned.

Biography

Like autobiographies, biographies provide readers with a person's life story; but they're written in the third person by someone other than the subject. Generally, the subject of a biography is (or was) well-known - somebody whose life can teach readers an interesting lesson worth learning. Biographies, memoirs, and autobiographies differ from the rest of the nonfiction on this list, in that they weave a narrative in almost the same way a novel does. A great biography, like Ron Chernow's Alexander Hamilton, isn't a laundry list of events, but a life-giving tribute.

Food & Drink

Food and drink is one of nonfiction's hottest book genres, making it a crowded and highly competitive market. As a result, today's cookbooks tend to cater to specific cuisines, dietary, and/or lifestyle needs. If you're writing a cookbook, you might consider pairing recipes with nutritional information, short autobiographical narratives, or even workouts. Jo Wicks's 30 Day Kickstart Plan and Less Fuss No Waste Kitchen by Lindsay Miles are excellent examples of modern cookbooks.

Art & Photography

This genre is home to a few different kinds of books, all united by their love of art. Your book could find its way into this vibrant and stylish genre if it discusses an artist's work or an artistic style in detail; if it teaches a specific art method; if it explores a facet of art history; or if it showcases your own art in that chic, coffee-table book way.

Self-help

Some of the bestselling books in nonfiction, self-help books encourage personal improvement and confidence. Whether the focus is on relationships, emotional well-being, or finances, if you're writing a book that aims to uplift and empower the reader, then you're probably writing self-help.

History

The books in this genre lay down the known facts about a historical era, event, or figure. And since this is nonfiction, all the facts have to be accurate (though that doesn't mean there's no room for inference or opinion). The goal of these books is to educate and inform the reader, so this genre does include all those textbooks you used in school. But many history books ditch the play-by-play format to chronicle the past in a way more akin to storytelling. One of our favorite history books is Sapiens: A Brief History of Mankind by Yuval Noah Harari.

Travel

Travel memoirs and travelogues, like Jonathan Glancey's The Journey Matters, take us all over the world, giving even the most devoted homebodies a tantalizing taste of adventure, wildlife, and the great outdoors. These pocket-sized books - featuring destination reviews, lists of where to eat and what to see, and tips for traveling on a budget - are without a doubt some of the most useful titles on the shelves.

True Crime

Crime-fiction writers have put some pretty twisted plots to paper, but if you prefer to chronicle real crimes in all their haunting and fascinating detail, then the true crime genre is where your book belongs. From infamous murders to domestic disappearances, works in this genre pen true stories, about all things fearful and forbidden, that read as smoothly as well-crafted fiction.

Humor

Laugh-out-loud memoirs by the funniest celebs, satirical essays from the likes of David Sedaris, or gag gifts like How to Adult - all the books in this rib-tickling genre are written with one thing in mind: making readers laugh! So if you've compiled a collection of all your favorite dad jokes or penned a cathartic brain-dump of your most cringe-worthy memories, then your book may also belong in the humor genre.

Essays

An essay may sound like a boring assignment from your school years, but the books in this genre are among some of the most moving and inspirational works of literature there are. Many powerful voices - like James Baldwin and Roxane Gay - have used these short works to reflect on their own personal experiences and views, combining them into a collection that serves as an eye-opening social commentary on a particular theme or subject.

Guide / How-to

Readers turn to this book genre to develop a skill, hobby, or craft. So if you're an expert in a particular field and you've written a book showing hobbyists how to achieve something specific (like "how to master chess openings" or "a guide to floristry"), then this is its home! Of course, one dead giveaway might be your book's title.

Religion & Spirituality

From histories of the Catholic Church to spiritual guidebooks and memoirs of the Eat, Pray, Love variety, this genre has a place for anything and everything related to the topics of religion and spirituality.

Humanities & Social Sciences

Got something wise to say? Then your book might just belong among the books of this eclectic genre - as long as it discusses a topic related to (deep breath): philosophy, history, literature, language, art, religion, music, or the human condition. This might seem like a pretty wide net to fall into, but keep in mind that books in this genre are typically quite academic; if you've written more of a free-flowing spiritual guide, it probably belongs in the previous genre.

Parenting & Families

Parents and families struggling with discipline, education, bonding, the care of a newborn baby, or a child with special needs, can turn to this well-stocked genre of books when they need to bring in the reinforcements. If you've written a memoir that'll have families whole-heartedly nodding in agreement, or a guide brimming with advice for frazzled parents, then you can find a place for your book in the parenting and families section.

Science & Technology

The job of science nonfiction is not to predict the future, but to make sense of the world we're currently living in - which, quite honestly, can feel like science fiction to some of us! Readers of this genre range from complete beginners trying to understand the things around them to technophiles whose brains are whirring to keep up with the pace of change, so there's bound to be a niche for your book, however advanced it is.

Children's

As much as kids love fairytales and talking animals, they're often just as happy to pick up a nonfiction book at storytime. Whether it's an activity book to keep them busy, a powerful true story like Malala's Magic Pencil, or a children's encyclopedia to feed their brains, children's nonfiction is all about making learning fun. And the wildly popular Horrible Histories series has proven that this genre can compete with wizards and superheroes at every age!

There you have it: 35 of the most popular genres of books. Hopefully, this list will help you get your foot in the right door. But if your book doesn't slot neatly into any of these categories (though there are quite some more types of nonfiction to consider), don't be afraid to declare it a hybrid, or to dig a little deeper into the subcategories that you'll find in the shade of these umbrella genres.

And no matter what kind of book you're writing, check out our book development template to get started.

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The Ultimate List of Book Genres: 35 Popular Genres

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Among these 35 popular book genres, there's bound to be one that fits your book like a glove - so let's find it!

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I was so impressed by this book. I loved the fact that Cassandra, the protagonist, was so multi-faceted. Not only was she strong and courageous, but she was also loving and giving, and therefore very appealing. The author, Catherine Knuttsson, wove in First Nations mythology, the supernatural, and herbal medicine as she told the story of a family in the future, trying to survive in a land at a time when so much was uncertain. It seemed that with every chapter, things couldn't get worse, and yet they did, over and over again, keeping me glued to the page and up at all hours of the night. I call that a good read.

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Lewis "Shoe" Blake is used to the joys and difficulties of life on the Tuscarora Indian reservation in 1975: the joking, the Fireball games, the snow blowing through his roof. What he's not used to is white people being nice to him -- people like George Haddonfield, whose family recently moved to town with the Air Force. As the boys connect through their mutual passion for music, especially the Beatles, Lewis has to lie more and more to hide the reality of his family's poverty from George. He also has to deal with the vicious Evan Reininger, who makes Lewis the special target of his wrath. But when everyone else is on Evan's side, how can he be defeated? And if George finds out the truth about Lewis's home -- will he still be his friend?

Acclaimed adult author Eric Gansworth makes his YA debut with this wry and powerful novel about friendship, memory, and the joy of rock 'n' roll.

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This means that the story is realistic, and takes place in a realistic world. The characters are like real people, experiencing things that could happen in a society like ours, or like another one in our world.

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Authors need to have a firm grasp on all the different genres of books in order to find the perfect home for their own. The tropes and expectations of a book's genre will inform its content and style during the writing process, as well as fundamentals such as word count. But it's also central to the marketing of a book, determining its target audience, and those all-important Amazon categories. Get your genre wrong, and you could be waving goodbye to book sales and hello to unsatisfied reader reviews!

How many book genres are there?

Though we're only covering 35 of the most popular in this post, there are around 50 genres in total - the exact number depends on who you ask. If you take subgenres into account, over on Reedsy Discovery we have 107 different categories, while Amazon has over 16,000!

That can be a lot to take in. So if you'd like some personalized guidance, we recommend taking this 1-minute quiz that will point you towards your genre (and subgenre).

🖊️

For an overview of all of the genres, that's what the rest of this post is for. There's bound to be a genre that's the perfect fit for your book - all you have to do is find it!

Fiction genres

"Writing fiction is the act of weaving a series of lies to arrive at a greater truth." - Khaled Hosseini

Fantasy

This book genre is characterized by elements of magic or the supernatural and is often inspired by mythology or folklore. In high fantasy - one that's set in an entirely fictional world - these magical elements are at the forefront of the plot, as in Trudi Canavan's Black Magician trilogy. In low fantasy or magical realism, however, magic is subtly woven into an otherwise familiar, real-world setting. You can delve into fantasy's manysubgenres to get to know your Arcanepunk from your Flintlock, and find your book's home!

Pro tip for writing fantasy: To make your world feel real and functional, make sure it's grounded in rules - an internal rationale, so to speak, encompassing everything from the workings of your society to your magic system.

Science Fiction

Though science fiction and fantasy are often considered two sides of the same (speculative fiction) coin, sci-fi is distinguished by its preoccupation with real or real-feeling science. Lots of sci-fi is set in the distant future, which makes it a seedbed for stories about time travel and space exploration. But your science fiction novel doesn't need to be inspired by "hard" science like physics and astronomy. Some of the books in this genre reflect on "soft" sciences, such as sociology and anthropology, to predict the future of the human race - more on that next!

Dystopian

A popular genre of science fiction, dystopian novels offer a bleak and frightening vision of the future. Authors writing dystopias imagine a grim society, often in the aftermath of a disaster, facing things like oppressive governments, Black Mirror-esque technology, and environmental ruin. From widely popular series like The Hunger Games to critically-acclaimed classics like Nineteen Eighty-four, the enduring appeal of dystopian fiction lies in our burning desire to know where mankind is headed - and our perverse enjoyment of dark stories, so long as they aren't actually happening to us.

If you struggle to write consistently, sign up for our How to Write a Novel course to finish a novel in just 3 months.

Action & Adventure

If you're writing adventure, then chances are your book follows the structure of the Hero's Journey. Your protagonist has a very important goal to achieve, but they're really going to have to go through the wringer first! You throw up obstacle after obstacle, putting your hero in downright dangerous situations but eventually, they triumph and return home transformed. The action and adventure genre also complements a huge range of others, which means it has its fingers in everything from fantasy novels like The Hobbit to classic romance like J ane Eyre.

Mystery

Also called detective fiction, this book genre is characterized by a gripping plot that revolves around a mystery - but hopefully, you've cracked that clue! The setting, characters, and tone of your book will determine precisely which category it falls under: cozy mystery, hardboiled, or something in between. But at the core of any mystery is a crime that must be solved by the protagonist. To get a sense of the clever trail of clues that's so vital to this genre, check out Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie - the grande dame of mystery fiction.

Pro tip for writing a mystery: When planning your novel, consult the Fichtean curve, a narrative structure that emphasizes mini-crises, ratcheting up the tension to keep readers anxious to reach the climax.

Horror

What unites the books in this genre is not theme, plot, or setting, but the feeling they inspire in the reader: your pulse quickens, and your skin prickles as you turn the page with bated breath. Of course, this feeling of dread only comes about if the author creates the right atmosphere - an essential feature dependent on the subgenre. Gothic horror, for example, sends a shiver down your spine with spooky settings and paranormal elements, while gross-out horror shocks the reader with hacked-up flesh and buckets of blood. The master of horror fiction in all its guises? Stephen King, of course.

Pro tip for writing horror: Make the stakes plain and straightforward - survival, the death of a loved one, etc. - and clearly establish them for the reader, so they are in no doubt about the character's motivation.

Thriller & Suspense

A horror story can also be called a thriller, if it employs psychological fear to build suspense. But not all thrillers are horror stories. So what are they? While this book genre encompasses many of the same elements as mystery, in a thriller the protagonist is usually acting to save their own life, rather than to solve the crime. Thrillers typically include cliffhangers, deception, high emotional stakes, and plenty of action - keeping the reader on the edge of their seat until the book's climax. Gillian Flynn's Gone Girl is a masterclass in the dark, mysterious thriller.

Pro tip for writing a thriller: Avoid anything that bogs down the pacing. If you notice that a scene is getting tied up in everyday details, or doesn't add enough excitement to the plot, rewrite it or cut it altogether!

Historical Fiction

This book genre encompasses fictional stories in a historical setting, carefully balancing creativity and facts. In most cases, the characters and events are imagined by the author and enriched with historically accurate details from a specific time period. Take The Help by Kathryn Stockett, for example - a fictional story set in Mississippi during the Civil Rights Movement. But occasionally, as is the case with Hilary Mantel's Cromwell trilogy, the author builds the main story around real historical figures and events.

Like almost all of these genres, it's crucial that historical fiction works in exposition and historical detail subtly. Want to learn more about how to do this? Check out our free course on the golden writing rule, Show, Don't Tell.

Romance

Romance is so frequently used as a subplot that it can sometimes be tricky to know whether or not you're writing in this genre. The key thing to remember is that the romantic relationship must be the center point of the plot. (Other giveaways include a "happily ever after" ending and the warm fuzzies.) If your novel has a romantic relationship at its heart and is perfectly at home in another genre, it probably falls into one of romance's many subgenres, including but not limited to: young adult romance, paranormal romance, and historical romance.

Women's Fiction

Women's fiction is an umbrella term for books written to target a female audience, generally reflecting on the shared experience of being a woman or the growth of a female protagonist. Because of this rather broad definition, authors will quite often write a romance novel or mystery, for example, that could also be labeled women's fiction. Despite the connotations of one alternative name for this genre ("chick-lit"), many critically acclaimed bestsellers, including Jaqueline Woodson's Red at The Bone, fall under its purview.

LGBTQ+

Any fiction with authentic LGBTQ+ representation falls into this book genre. It's important to note that while your book's queer characters should feature in the main plot, the centerpiece of your plot doesn't have to be a romance. In fact, there doesn't need to be any romance at all! This means that your fantasy, thriller, or historical novel could fall under the LGBTQ+ umbrella.

Contemporary Fiction

This book genre is occasionally lumped in with others to indicate that the book takes place in the present day. But in its simplest form, contemporary fiction is better understood as the absence of a genre. Your book doesn't need tropes and trappings, monsters and mysteries, when its tension, drama, and conflict lies in the quirks and quandaries of your protagonist's everyday life: work, politics, relationships, and the struggles of the modern era.

Literary Fiction

Like contemporary fiction, books considered literary fiction can't be neatly filed under any other genre. What distinguishes this genre from contemporary fiction is that works of literary fiction are thought to have considerable artistic value. If your prose is meant to engage the reader in thought, if your narrative is character-driven and introspective, and if you provide personal or social commentary on a "serious" theme, then chances are you're writing lit-fic. Modern classics by the likes of Virginia Woolf or Ali Smith would be labeled literary fiction.

Like we mentioned, lit-fic is heavy on character, and lighter on plot. If you're interested in writing a character-driven story, try out our profile template for developing well-rounded, fully realized ones.

Magical Realism

You may remember us mentioning magical realism under the umbrella of fantasy - but considering its highbrow style and literary prestige, magical realism is often considered a genre in its own right. Its hallmarks include a real-world setting, a cast of run-of-the-mill characters (no vampires, fairies, or sorcerers), a fluid and non-linear timeline, and supernatural happenings - a baby born with feathered wings, or an egg hatching a ruby - left unexplained. Authors like Isabel Allende and Toni Morrison have used this literary style to grapple with serious social ills, from colonialism to fascism and slavery.

Graphic Novel

Some book genres aren't defined by their content at all, but by their form. Graphic novels are presented to the reader through narrative art (illustrations and typography) either in the traditional panel layout you'll be familiar with from comic books, or in the artist's own style. Once considered cheap entertainment for children, graphic novels are increasingly read and respected these days for their rich blend of visuals and writing. This powerful method of storytelling now portrays everything from memoirs, to manga, to adaptations of classic literature.

Short Story

Though they can belong to any of the other book genres on this list, short stories are frequently grouped together in their own genre because they're, well, so much shorter than novels. Often the author will compile a collection linked together by a narrative thread or, more commonly, a shared theme. The stories in A Manual for Cleaning Women by Lucia Berlin, for example, follow a series of women in different occupations - from cleaning women to ER nurses - all struggling to survive.

Young Adult

Young adult fiction, or YA, targets readers aged 12-18 and reflects its readership by following teenage characters as they grapple with the unique challenges of adolescence. Most works of YA fiction can be labeled " coming-of-age novels", in which the characters exit childhood and enter adulthood - a transition that results in a loss of innocence and a shifting sense of identity. Some of the biggest bestsellers in recent years have belonged to this genre, including The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas and anything by John Green.

Pro tip for writing young adult fiction: Though your teen character's voice should be true to her life experience, you should never "dumb down" the language, story, or style choices in a YA novel.

New Adult

The shiny new penny on this book genres list, new adult is like young adult aged-up: coming-of-age stories after the messiness of adolescence. Its college-age protagonists are walked through the gauntlet of becoming fully-fledged grownups, ditching the stress of the SATs and senior prom for college exams, career transitions, and more mature first times. Big names in New Adult, like Cora Carmack, tend to write steamy romances set in dorm rooms. But this genre isn't all about collegiate love stories - your gritty urban fantasy or immersive historical fiction could find its home here, too.

Children's

Books in this genre are written with readers under the age of twelve in mind. Of course, kids will do a lot of growing between the ages of zero and twelve, which is why children's books range from baby board books all the way up to middle grade 'epics' of 50,000 words. Hopefully, if you're writing children's literature, you already know you are. But it's crucial that you also know which age group you're trying to target, as this will impact the themes, characters, and complexity of your book.

Nonfiction genres

This is a broad category encompassing a number of nonfiction subgenres. From memoirs and biographies to books to self-help and true crime books, there's a type of nonfiction for every kind of reader.

Memoir & Autobiography

Both memoirs and autobiographies provide a true account of the author's life. They differ in that an autobiography provides a chronological account of your life's events and accomplishments, whereas a memoir puts the emphasis on only the most defining, emotional moments. Generally, these moments are drawn together by a single theme - or a significant time, place, or relationship - to communicate a message you wish to share with readers. The Argonauts by Maggie Nelson is a popular example of a memoir.

Pro tip for writing a memoir: Treat yourself as an interview subject and ask yourself questions that will trigger those life-defining stories - the ups and downs, the events that shaped you, what you sacrificed, what you learned.

Biography

Like autobiographies, biographies provide readers with a person's life story; but they're written in the third person by someone other than the subject. Generally, the subject of a biography is (or was) well-known - somebody whose life can teach readers an interesting lesson worth learning. Biographies, memoirs, and autobiographies differ from the rest of the nonfiction on this list, in that they weave a narrative in almost the same way a novel does. A great biography, like Ron Chernow's Alexander Hamilton, isn't a laundry list of events, but a life-giving tribute.

Food & Drink

Food and drink is one of nonfiction's hottest book genres, making it a crowded and highly competitive market. As a result, today's cookbooks tend to cater to specific cuisines, dietary, and/or lifestyle needs. If you're writing a cookbook, you might consider pairing recipes with nutritional information, short autobiographical narratives, or even workouts. Jo Wicks's 30 Day Kickstart Plan and Less Fuss No Waste Kitchen by Lindsay Miles are excellent examples of modern cookbooks.

Art & Photography

This genre is home to a few different kinds of books, all united by their love of art. Your book could find its way into this vibrant and stylish genre if it discusses an artist's work or an artistic style in detail; if it teaches a specific art method; if it explores a facet of art history; or if it showcases your own art in that chic, coffee-table book way.

Self-help

Some of the bestselling books in nonfiction, self-help books encourage personal improvement and confidence. Whether the focus is on relationships, emotional well-being, or finances, if you're writing a book that aims to uplift and empower the reader, then you're probably writing self-help.

History

The books in this genre lay down the known facts about a historical era, event, or figure. And since this is nonfiction, all the facts have to be accurate (though that doesn't mean there's no room for inference or opinion). The goal of these books is to educate and inform the reader, so this genre does include all those textbooks you used in school. But many history books ditch the play-by-play format to chronicle the past in a way more akin to storytelling. One of our favorite history books is Sapiens: A Brief History of Mankind by Yuval Noah Harari.

Travel

Travel memoirs and travelogues, like Jonathan Glancey's The Journey Matters, take us all over the world, giving even the most devoted homebodies a tantalizing taste of adventure, wildlife, and the great outdoors. These pocket-sized books - featuring destination reviews, lists of where to eat and what to see, and tips for traveling on a budget - are without a doubt some of the most useful titles on the shelves.

True Crime

Crime-fiction writers have put some pretty twisted plots to paper, but if you prefer to chronicle real crimes in all their haunting and fascinating detail, then the true crime genre is where your book belongs. From infamous murders to domestic disappearances, works in this genre pen true stories, about all things fearful and forbidden, that read as smoothly as well-crafted fiction.

Humor

Laugh-out-loud memoirs by the funniest celebs, satirical essays from the likes of David Sedaris, or gag gifts like How to Adult - all the books in this rib-tickling genre are written with one thing in mind: making readers laugh! So if you've compiled a collection of all your favorite dad jokes or penned a cathartic brain-dump of your most cringe-worthy memories, then your book may also belong in the humor genre.

Essays

An essay may sound like a boring assignment from your school years, but the books in this genre are among some of the most moving and inspirational works of literature there are. Many powerful voices - like James Baldwin and Roxane Gay - have used these short works to reflect on their own personal experiences and views, combining them into a collection that serves as an eye-opening social commentary on a particular theme or subject.

Guide / How-to

Readers turn to this book genre to develop a skill, hobby, or craft. So if you're an expert in a particular field and you've written a book showing hobbyists how to achieve something specific (like "how to master chess openings" or "a guide to floristry"), then this is its home! Of course, one dead giveaway might be your book's title.

Religion & Spirituality

From histories of the Catholic Church to spiritual guidebooks and memoirs of the Eat, Pray, Love variety, this genre has a place for anything and everything related to the topics of religion and spirituality.

Humanities & Social Sciences

Got something wise to say? Then your book might just belong among the books of this eclectic genre - as long as it discusses a topic related to (deep breath): philosophy, history, literature, language, art, religion, music, or the human condition. This might seem like a pretty wide net to fall into, but keep in mind that books in this genre are typically quite academic; if you've written more of a free-flowing spiritual guide, it probably belongs in the previous genre.

Parenting & Families

Parents and families struggling with discipline, education, bonding, the care of a newborn baby, or a child with special needs, can turn to this well-stocked genre of books when they need to bring in the reinforcements. If you've written a memoir that'll have families whole-heartedly nodding in agreement, or a guide brimming with advice for frazzled parents, then you can find a place for your book in the parenting and families section.

Science & Technology

The job of science nonfiction is not to predict the future, but to make sense of the world we're currently living in - which, quite honestly, can feel like science fiction to some of us! Readers of this genre range from complete beginners trying to understand the things around them to technophiles whose brains are whirring to keep up with the pace of change, so there's bound to be a niche for your book, however advanced it is.

Children's

As much as kids love fairytales and talking animals, they're often just as happy to pick up a nonfiction book at storytime. Whether it's an activity book to keep them busy, a powerful true story like Malala's Magic Pencil, or a children's encyclopedia to feed their brains, children's nonfiction is all about making learning fun. And the wildly popular Horrible Histories series has proven that this genre can compete with wizards and superheroes at every age!

There you have it: 35 of the most popular genres of books. Hopefully, this list will help you get your foot in the right door. But if your book doesn't slot neatly into any of these categories (though there are quite some more types of nonfiction to consider), don't be afraid to declare it a hybrid, or to dig a little deeper into the subcategories that you'll find in the shade of these umbrella genres.

And no matter what kind of book you're writing, check out our book development template to get started.

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The Ultimate List of Book Genres: 35 Popular Genres

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Among these 35 popular book genres, there's bound to be one that fits your book like a glove - so let's find it!

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Relatable and touching.  I read this for school. At first, I absolutely hated it. As I dove further into the book, I fell in love with it. As this book follows Lewis through middle school, the lessons learned in this book become more and more valuable. There is some mention of underage drinking, smoking, and driving.
- evanescencefan101

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Throughout World War II, in the conflict fought against Japan, Navajo code talkers were a crucial part of the U.S. effort, sending messages back and forth in an unbreakable code that used their native language. They braved some of the heaviest fighting of the war, and with their code, they saved countless American lives. Yet their story remained classified for more than twenty years.

Joseph Bruchac brings their stories to life for young adults through the riveting fictional tale of Ned Begay, a sixteen-year-old Navajo boy who becomes a code talker. His grueling journey is eye-opening and inspiring. This deeply affecting novel honors all of those young men, like Ned, who dared to serve, and it honors the culture and language of the Navajo Indians.

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In most cases, the characters and events are imagined by the author and enriched with historically accurate details from a specific time period. This means that, while the story and people are made up, the events are realistic and might be similar to events, places, or societies that existed at some time in the past.

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Authors need to have a firm grasp on all the different genres of books in order to find the perfect home for their own. The tropes and expectations of a book's genre will inform its content and style during the writing process, as well as fundamentals such as word count. But it's also central to the marketing of a book, determining its target audience, and those all-important Amazon categories. Get your genre wrong, and you could be waving goodbye to book sales and hello to unsatisfied reader reviews!

How many book genres are there?

Though we're only covering 35 of the most popular in this post, there are around 50 genres in total - the exact number depends on who you ask. If you take subgenres into account, over on Reedsy Discovery we have 107 different categories, while Amazon has over 16,000!

That can be a lot to take in. So if you'd like some personalized guidance, we recommend taking this 1-minute quiz that will point you towards your genre (and subgenre).

🖊️

For an overview of all of the genres, that's what the rest of this post is for. There's bound to be a genre that's the perfect fit for your book - all you have to do is find it!

Fiction genres

"Writing fiction is the act of weaving a series of lies to arrive at a greater truth." - Khaled Hosseini

Fantasy

This book genre is characterized by elements of magic or the supernatural and is often inspired by mythology or folklore. In high fantasy - one that's set in an entirely fictional world - these magical elements are at the forefront of the plot, as in Trudi Canavan's Black Magician trilogy. In low fantasy or magical realism, however, magic is subtly woven into an otherwise familiar, real-world setting. You can delve into fantasy's manysubgenres to get to know your Arcanepunk from your Flintlock, and find your book's home!

Pro tip for writing fantasy: To make your world feel real and functional, make sure it's grounded in rules - an internal rationale, so to speak, encompassing everything from the workings of your society to your magic system.

Science Fiction

Though science fiction and fantasy are often considered two sides of the same (speculative fiction) coin, sci-fi is distinguished by its preoccupation with real or real-feeling science. Lots of sci-fi is set in the distant future, which makes it a seedbed for stories about time travel and space exploration. But your science fiction novel doesn't need to be inspired by "hard" science like physics and astronomy. Some of the books in this genre reflect on "soft" sciences, such as sociology and anthropology, to predict the future of the human race - more on that next!

Dystopian

A popular genre of science fiction, dystopian novels offer a bleak and frightening vision of the future. Authors writing dystopias imagine a grim society, often in the aftermath of a disaster, facing things like oppressive governments, Black Mirror-esque technology, and environmental ruin. From widely popular series like The Hunger Games to critically-acclaimed classics like Nineteen Eighty-four, the enduring appeal of dystopian fiction lies in our burning desire to know where mankind is headed - and our perverse enjoyment of dark stories, so long as they aren't actually happening to us.

If you struggle to write consistently, sign up for our How to Write a Novel course to finish a novel in just 3 months.

Action & Adventure

If you're writing adventure, then chances are your book follows the structure of the Hero's Journey. Your protagonist has a very important goal to achieve, but they're really going to have to go through the wringer first! You throw up obstacle after obstacle, putting your hero in downright dangerous situations but eventually, they triumph and return home transformed. The action and adventure genre also complements a huge range of others, which means it has its fingers in everything from fantasy novels like The Hobbit to classic romance like J ane Eyre.

Mystery

Also called detective fiction, this book genre is characterized by a gripping plot that revolves around a mystery - but hopefully, you've cracked that clue! The setting, characters, and tone of your book will determine precisely which category it falls under: cozy mystery, hardboiled, or something in between. But at the core of any mystery is a crime that must be solved by the protagonist. To get a sense of the clever trail of clues that's so vital to this genre, check out Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie - the grande dame of mystery fiction.

Pro tip for writing a mystery: When planning your novel, consult the Fichtean curve, a narrative structure that emphasizes mini-crises, ratcheting up the tension to keep readers anxious to reach the climax.

Horror

What unites the books in this genre is not theme, plot, or setting, but the feeling they inspire in the reader: your pulse quickens, and your skin prickles as you turn the page with bated breath. Of course, this feeling of dread only comes about if the author creates the right atmosphere - an essential feature dependent on the subgenre. Gothic horror, for example, sends a shiver down your spine with spooky settings and paranormal elements, while gross-out horror shocks the reader with hacked-up flesh and buckets of blood. The master of horror fiction in all its guises? Stephen King, of course.

Pro tip for writing horror: Make the stakes plain and straightforward - survival, the death of a loved one, etc. - and clearly establish them for the reader, so they are in no doubt about the character's motivation.

Thriller & Suspense

A horror story can also be called a thriller, if it employs psychological fear to build suspense. But not all thrillers are horror stories. So what are they? While this book genre encompasses many of the same elements as mystery, in a thriller the protagonist is usually acting to save their own life, rather than to solve the crime. Thrillers typically include cliffhangers, deception, high emotional stakes, and plenty of action - keeping the reader on the edge of their seat until the book's climax. Gillian Flynn's Gone Girl is a masterclass in the dark, mysterious thriller.

Pro tip for writing a thriller: Avoid anything that bogs down the pacing. If you notice that a scene is getting tied up in everyday details, or doesn't add enough excitement to the plot, rewrite it or cut it altogether!

Historical Fiction

This book genre encompasses fictional stories in a historical setting, carefully balancing creativity and facts. In most cases, the characters and events are imagined by the author and enriched with historically accurate details from a specific time period. Take The Help by Kathryn Stockett, for example - a fictional story set in Mississippi during the Civil Rights Movement. But occasionally, as is the case with Hilary Mantel's Cromwell trilogy, the author builds the main story around real historical figures and events.

Like almost all of these genres, it's crucial that historical fiction works in exposition and historical detail subtly. Want to learn more about how to do this? Check out our free course on the golden writing rule, Show, Don't Tell.

Romance

Romance is so frequently used as a subplot that it can sometimes be tricky to know whether or not you're writing in this genre. The key thing to remember is that the romantic relationship must be the center point of the plot. (Other giveaways include a "happily ever after" ending and the warm fuzzies.) If your novel has a romantic relationship at its heart and is perfectly at home in another genre, it probably falls into one of romance's many subgenres, including but not limited to: young adult romance, paranormal romance, and historical romance.

Women's Fiction

Women's fiction is an umbrella term for books written to target a female audience, generally reflecting on the shared experience of being a woman or the growth of a female protagonist. Because of this rather broad definition, authors will quite often write a romance novel or mystery, for example, that could also be labeled women's fiction. Despite the connotations of one alternative name for this genre ("chick-lit"), many critically acclaimed bestsellers, including Jaqueline Woodson's Red at The Bone, fall under its purview.

LGBTQ+

Any fiction with authentic LGBTQ+ representation falls into this book genre. It's important to note that while your book's queer characters should feature in the main plot, the centerpiece of your plot doesn't have to be a romance. In fact, there doesn't need to be any romance at all! This means that your fantasy, thriller, or historical novel could fall under the LGBTQ+ umbrella.

Contemporary Fiction

This book genre is occasionally lumped in with others to indicate that the book takes place in the present day. But in its simplest form, contemporary fiction is better understood as the absence of a genre. Your book doesn't need tropes and trappings, monsters and mysteries, when its tension, drama, and conflict lies in the quirks and quandaries of your protagonist's everyday life: work, politics, relationships, and the struggles of the modern era.

Literary Fiction

Like contemporary fiction, books considered literary fiction can't be neatly filed under any other genre. What distinguishes this genre from contemporary fiction is that works of literary fiction are thought to have considerable artistic value. If your prose is meant to engage the reader in thought, if your narrative is character-driven and introspective, and if you provide personal or social commentary on a "serious" theme, then chances are you're writing lit-fic. Modern classics by the likes of Virginia Woolf or Ali Smith would be labeled literary fiction.

Like we mentioned, lit-fic is heavy on character, and lighter on plot. If you're interested in writing a character-driven story, try out our profile template for developing well-rounded, fully realized ones.

Magical Realism

You may remember us mentioning magical realism under the umbrella of fantasy - but considering its highbrow style and literary prestige, magical realism is often considered a genre in its own right. Its hallmarks include a real-world setting, a cast of run-of-the-mill characters (no vampires, fairies, or sorcerers), a fluid and non-linear timeline, and supernatural happenings - a baby born with feathered wings, or an egg hatching a ruby - left unexplained. Authors like Isabel Allende and Toni Morrison have used this literary style to grapple with serious social ills, from colonialism to fascism and slavery.

Graphic Novel

Some book genres aren't defined by their content at all, but by their form. Graphic novels are presented to the reader through narrative art (illustrations and typography) either in the traditional panel layout you'll be familiar with from comic books, or in the artist's own style. Once considered cheap entertainment for children, graphic novels are increasingly read and respected these days for their rich blend of visuals and writing. This powerful method of storytelling now portrays everything from memoirs, to manga, to adaptations of classic literature.

Short Story

Though they can belong to any of the other book genres on this list, short stories are frequently grouped together in their own genre because they're, well, so much shorter than novels. Often the author will compile a collection linked together by a narrative thread or, more commonly, a shared theme. The stories in A Manual for Cleaning Women by Lucia Berlin, for example, follow a series of women in different occupations - from cleaning women to ER nurses - all struggling to survive.

Young Adult

Young adult fiction, or YA, targets readers aged 12-18 and reflects its readership by following teenage characters as they grapple with the unique challenges of adolescence. Most works of YA fiction can be labeled " coming-of-age novels", in which the characters exit childhood and enter adulthood - a transition that results in a loss of innocence and a shifting sense of identity. Some of the biggest bestsellers in recent years have belonged to this genre, including The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas and anything by John Green.

Pro tip for writing young adult fiction: Though your teen character's voice should be true to her life experience, you should never "dumb down" the language, story, or style choices in a YA novel.

New Adult

The shiny new penny on this book genres list, new adult is like young adult aged-up: coming-of-age stories after the messiness of adolescence. Its college-age protagonists are walked through the gauntlet of becoming fully-fledged grownups, ditching the stress of the SATs and senior prom for college exams, career transitions, and more mature first times. Big names in New Adult, like Cora Carmack, tend to write steamy romances set in dorm rooms. But this genre isn't all about collegiate love stories - your gritty urban fantasy or immersive historical fiction could find its home here, too.

Children's

Books in this genre are written with readers under the age of twelve in mind. Of course, kids will do a lot of growing between the ages of zero and twelve, which is why children's books range from baby board books all the way up to middle grade 'epics' of 50,000 words. Hopefully, if you're writing children's literature, you already know you are. But it's crucial that you also know which age group you're trying to target, as this will impact the themes, characters, and complexity of your book.

Nonfiction genres

This is a broad category encompassing a number of nonfiction subgenres. From memoirs and biographies to books to self-help and true crime books, there's a type of nonfiction for every kind of reader.

Memoir & Autobiography

Both memoirs and autobiographies provide a true account of the author's life. They differ in that an autobiography provides a chronological account of your life's events and accomplishments, whereas a memoir puts the emphasis on only the most defining, emotional moments. Generally, these moments are drawn together by a single theme - or a significant time, place, or relationship - to communicate a message you wish to share with readers. The Argonauts by Maggie Nelson is a popular example of a memoir.

Pro tip for writing a memoir: Treat yourself as an interview subject and ask yourself questions that will trigger those life-defining stories - the ups and downs, the events that shaped you, what you sacrificed, what you learned.

Biography

Like autobiographies, biographies provide readers with a person's life story; but they're written in the third person by someone other than the subject. Generally, the subject of a biography is (or was) well-known - somebody whose life can teach readers an interesting lesson worth learning. Biographies, memoirs, and autobiographies differ from the rest of the nonfiction on this list, in that they weave a narrative in almost the same way a novel does. A great biography, like Ron Chernow's Alexander Hamilton, isn't a laundry list of events, but a life-giving tribute.

Food & Drink

Food and drink is one of nonfiction's hottest book genres, making it a crowded and highly competitive market. As a result, today's cookbooks tend to cater to specific cuisines, dietary, and/or lifestyle needs. If you're writing a cookbook, you might consider pairing recipes with nutritional information, short autobiographical narratives, or even workouts. Jo Wicks's 30 Day Kickstart Plan and Less Fuss No Waste Kitchen by Lindsay Miles are excellent examples of modern cookbooks.

Art & Photography

This genre is home to a few different kinds of books, all united by their love of art. Your book could find its way into this vibrant and stylish genre if it discusses an artist's work or an artistic style in detail; if it teaches a specific art method; if it explores a facet of art history; or if it showcases your own art in that chic, coffee-table book way.

Self-help

Some of the bestselling books in nonfiction, self-help books encourage personal improvement and confidence. Whether the focus is on relationships, emotional well-being, or finances, if you're writing a book that aims to uplift and empower the reader, then you're probably writing self-help.

History

The books in this genre lay down the known facts about a historical era, event, or figure. And since this is nonfiction, all the facts have to be accurate (though that doesn't mean there's no room for inference or opinion). The goal of these books is to educate and inform the reader, so this genre does include all those textbooks you used in school. But many history books ditch the play-by-play format to chronicle the past in a way more akin to storytelling. One of our favorite history books is Sapiens: A Brief History of Mankind by Yuval Noah Harari.

Travel

Travel memoirs and travelogues, like Jonathan Glancey's The Journey Matters, take us all over the world, giving even the most devoted homebodies a tantalizing taste of adventure, wildlife, and the great outdoors. These pocket-sized books - featuring destination reviews, lists of where to eat and what to see, and tips for traveling on a budget - are without a doubt some of the most useful titles on the shelves.

True Crime

Crime-fiction writers have put some pretty twisted plots to paper, but if you prefer to chronicle real crimes in all their haunting and fascinating detail, then the true crime genre is where your book belongs. From infamous murders to domestic disappearances, works in this genre pen true stories, about all things fearful and forbidden, that read as smoothly as well-crafted fiction.

Humor

Laugh-out-loud memoirs by the funniest celebs, satirical essays from the likes of David Sedaris, or gag gifts like How to Adult - all the books in this rib-tickling genre are written with one thing in mind: making readers laugh! So if you've compiled a collection of all your favorite dad jokes or penned a cathartic brain-dump of your most cringe-worthy memories, then your book may also belong in the humor genre.

Essays

An essay may sound like a boring assignment from your school years, but the books in this genre are among some of the most moving and inspirational works of literature there are. Many powerful voices - like James Baldwin and Roxane Gay - have used these short works to reflect on their own personal experiences and views, combining them into a collection that serves as an eye-opening social commentary on a particular theme or subject.

Guide / How-to

Readers turn to this book genre to develop a skill, hobby, or craft. So if you're an expert in a particular field and you've written a book showing hobbyists how to achieve something specific (like "how to master chess openings" or "a guide to floristry"), then this is its home! Of course, one dead giveaway might be your book's title.

Religion & Spirituality

From histories of the Catholic Church to spiritual guidebooks and memoirs of the Eat, Pray, Love variety, this genre has a place for anything and everything related to the topics of religion and spirituality.

Humanities & Social Sciences

Got something wise to say? Then your book might just belong among the books of this eclectic genre - as long as it discusses a topic related to (deep breath): philosophy, history, literature, language, art, religion, music, or the human condition. This might seem like a pretty wide net to fall into, but keep in mind that books in this genre are typically quite academic; if you've written more of a free-flowing spiritual guide, it probably belongs in the previous genre.

Parenting & Families

Parents and families struggling with discipline, education, bonding, the care of a newborn baby, or a child with special needs, can turn to this well-stocked genre of books when they need to bring in the reinforcements. If you've written a memoir that'll have families whole-heartedly nodding in agreement, or a guide brimming with advice for frazzled parents, then you can find a place for your book in the parenting and families section.

Science & Technology

The job of science nonfiction is not to predict the future, but to make sense of the world we're currently living in - which, quite honestly, can feel like science fiction to some of us! Readers of this genre range from complete beginners trying to understand the things around them to technophiles whose brains are whirring to keep up with the pace of change, so there's bound to be a niche for your book, however advanced it is.

Children's

As much as kids love fairytales and talking animals, they're often just as happy to pick up a nonfiction book at storytime. Whether it's an activity book to keep them busy, a powerful true story like Malala's Magic Pencil, or a children's encyclopedia to feed their brains, children's nonfiction is all about making learning fun. And the wildly popular Horrible Histories series has proven that this genre can compete with wizards and superheroes at every age!

There you have it: 35 of the most popular genres of books. Hopefully, this list will help you get your foot in the right door. But if your book doesn't slot neatly into any of these categories (though there are quite some more types of nonfiction to consider), don't be afraid to declare it a hybrid, or to dig a little deeper into the subcategories that you'll find in the shade of these umbrella genres.

And no matter what kind of book you're writing, check out our book development template to get started.

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The Ultimate List of Book Genres: 35 Popular Genres

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Among these 35 popular book genres, there's bound to be one that fits your book like a glove - so let's find it!

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Fascinating look at World War II from a totally unique perspective. Without the proud, brave and capable Navajo code talkers, effective communication among all of the various U.S. military branches would have been for more difficult, if not impossible. The Navajos and their code were crucial to the hard-fought victory in the Pacific theater. - Jack Chaucer

While this is fiction, it is based around historical facts, and that's a big plus for this reviewer. The depressing treatment of Navajo (and many other Native Americans) starts this tale off and acts as a wonderful counterpoint to their work as Code Talkers during World War II. Tales of island hopping are accurate, even if the main character's two friends are caricatures. Especially well told is the accurate tale of the two flag raisings on Mt. Suribachi (Iwo Jima).

Also spot on though depressing is the main character's return to civilian life, where he is thrown out of a bar that doesn't serve Indians. While this young adult tale wasn't as good as the same author's Jim Thorpe, it was pretty darn good. Recommended! - Thom

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When Cole Harper is compelled to return to Wounded Sky First Nation, he finds his community in chaos: a series of shocking murders, a mysterious illness ravaging the residents, and reemerging questions about Cole’s role in the tragedy that drove him away 10 years ago. With the aid of an unhelpful spirit, a disfigured ghost, and his two oldest friends, Cole tries to figure out his purpose, and unravel the mysteries he left behind a decade ago. Will he find the answers in time to save his community?

Strangers is the first novel in The Reckoner series by David Alexander Robertson, award–winning writer, and author of HighWater Press’ acclaimed children’s book When We Were Alone.

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This means that magic is subtly woven into an otherwise familiar, real-world setting.  In other words, the world is realistic, but some magical or fantastical things might happen.

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Authors need to have a firm grasp on all the different genres of books in order to find the perfect home for their own. The tropes and expectations of a book's genre will inform its content and style during the writing process, as well as fundamentals such as word count. But it's also central to the marketing of a book, determining its target audience, and those all-important Amazon categories. Get your genre wrong, and you could be waving goodbye to book sales and hello to unsatisfied reader reviews!

How many book genres are there?

Though we're only covering 35 of the most popular in this post, there are around 50 genres in total - the exact number depends on who you ask. If you take subgenres into account, over on Reedsy Discovery we have 107 different categories, while Amazon has over 16,000!

That can be a lot to take in. So if you'd like some personalized guidance, we recommend taking this 1-minute quiz that will point you towards your genre (and subgenre).

🖊️

For an overview of all of the genres, that's what the rest of this post is for. There's bound to be a genre that's the perfect fit for your book - all you have to do is find it!

Fiction genres

"Writing fiction is the act of weaving a series of lies to arrive at a greater truth." - Khaled Hosseini

Fantasy

This book genre is characterized by elements of magic or the supernatural and is often inspired by mythology or folklore. In high fantasy - one that's set in an entirely fictional world - these magical elements are at the forefront of the plot, as in Trudi Canavan's Black Magician trilogy. In low fantasy or magical realism, however, magic is subtly woven into an otherwise familiar, real-world setting. You can delve into fantasy's manysubgenres to get to know your Arcanepunk from your Flintlock, and find your book's home!

Pro tip for writing fantasy: To make your world feel real and functional, make sure it's grounded in rules - an internal rationale, so to speak, encompassing everything from the workings of your society to your magic system.

Science Fiction

Though science fiction and fantasy are often considered two sides of the same (speculative fiction) coin, sci-fi is distinguished by its preoccupation with real or real-feeling science. Lots of sci-fi is set in the distant future, which makes it a seedbed for stories about time travel and space exploration. But your science fiction novel doesn't need to be inspired by "hard" science like physics and astronomy. Some of the books in this genre reflect on "soft" sciences, such as sociology and anthropology, to predict the future of the human race - more on that next!

Dystopian

A popular genre of science fiction, dystopian novels offer a bleak and frightening vision of the future. Authors writing dystopias imagine a grim society, often in the aftermath of a disaster, facing things like oppressive governments, Black Mirror-esque technology, and environmental ruin. From widely popular series like The Hunger Games to critically-acclaimed classics like Nineteen Eighty-four, the enduring appeal of dystopian fiction lies in our burning desire to know where mankind is headed - and our perverse enjoyment of dark stories, so long as they aren't actually happening to us.

If you struggle to write consistently, sign up for our How to Write a Novel course to finish a novel in just 3 months.

Action & Adventure

If you're writing adventure, then chances are your book follows the structure of the Hero's Journey. Your protagonist has a very important goal to achieve, but they're really going to have to go through the wringer first! You throw up obstacle after obstacle, putting your hero in downright dangerous situations but eventually, they triumph and return home transformed. The action and adventure genre also complements a huge range of others, which means it has its fingers in everything from fantasy novels like The Hobbit to classic romance like J ane Eyre.

Mystery

Also called detective fiction, this book genre is characterized by a gripping plot that revolves around a mystery - but hopefully, you've cracked that clue! The setting, characters, and tone of your book will determine precisely which category it falls under: cozy mystery, hardboiled, or something in between. But at the core of any mystery is a crime that must be solved by the protagonist. To get a sense of the clever trail of clues that's so vital to this genre, check out Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie - the grande dame of mystery fiction.

Pro tip for writing a mystery: When planning your novel, consult the Fichtean curve, a narrative structure that emphasizes mini-crises, ratcheting up the tension to keep readers anxious to reach the climax.

Horror

What unites the books in this genre is not theme, plot, or setting, but the feeling they inspire in the reader: your pulse quickens, and your skin prickles as you turn the page with bated breath. Of course, this feeling of dread only comes about if the author creates the right atmosphere - an essential feature dependent on the subgenre. Gothic horror, for example, sends a shiver down your spine with spooky settings and paranormal elements, while gross-out horror shocks the reader with hacked-up flesh and buckets of blood. The master of horror fiction in all its guises? Stephen King, of course.

Pro tip for writing horror: Make the stakes plain and straightforward - survival, the death of a loved one, etc. - and clearly establish them for the reader, so they are in no doubt about the character's motivation.

Thriller & Suspense

A horror story can also be called a thriller, if it employs psychological fear to build suspense. But not all thrillers are horror stories. So what are they? While this book genre encompasses many of the same elements as mystery, in a thriller the protagonist is usually acting to save their own life, rather than to solve the crime. Thrillers typically include cliffhangers, deception, high emotional stakes, and plenty of action - keeping the reader on the edge of their seat until the book's climax. Gillian Flynn's Gone Girl is a masterclass in the dark, mysterious thriller.

Pro tip for writing a thriller: Avoid anything that bogs down the pacing. If you notice that a scene is getting tied up in everyday details, or doesn't add enough excitement to the plot, rewrite it or cut it altogether!

Historical Fiction

This book genre encompasses fictional stories in a historical setting, carefully balancing creativity and facts. In most cases, the characters and events are imagined by the author and enriched with historically accurate details from a specific time period. Take The Help by Kathryn Stockett, for example - a fictional story set in Mississippi during the Civil Rights Movement. But occasionally, as is the case with Hilary Mantel's Cromwell trilogy, the author builds the main story around real historical figures and events.

Like almost all of these genres, it's crucial that historical fiction works in exposition and historical detail subtly. Want to learn more about how to do this? Check out our free course on the golden writing rule, Show, Don't Tell.

Romance

Romance is so frequently used as a subplot that it can sometimes be tricky to know whether or not you're writing in this genre. The key thing to remember is that the romantic relationship must be the center point of the plot. (Other giveaways include a "happily ever after" ending and the warm fuzzies.) If your novel has a romantic relationship at its heart and is perfectly at home in another genre, it probably falls into one of romance's many subgenres, including but not limited to: young adult romance, paranormal romance, and historical romance.

Women's Fiction

Women's fiction is an umbrella term for books written to target a female audience, generally reflecting on the shared experience of being a woman or the growth of a female protagonist. Because of this rather broad definition, authors will quite often write a romance novel or mystery, for example, that could also be labeled women's fiction. Despite the connotations of one alternative name for this genre ("chick-lit"), many critically acclaimed bestsellers, including Jaqueline Woodson's Red at The Bone, fall under its purview.

LGBTQ+

Any fiction with authentic LGBTQ+ representation falls into this book genre. It's important to note that while your book's queer characters should feature in the main plot, the centerpiece of your plot doesn't have to be a romance. In fact, there doesn't need to be any romance at all! This means that your fantasy, thriller, or historical novel could fall under the LGBTQ+ umbrella.

Contemporary Fiction

This book genre is occasionally lumped in with others to indicate that the book takes place in the present day. But in its simplest form, contemporary fiction is better understood as the absence of a genre. Your book doesn't need tropes and trappings, monsters and mysteries, when its tension, drama, and conflict lies in the quirks and quandaries of your protagonist's everyday life: work, politics, relationships, and the struggles of the modern era.

Literary Fiction

Like contemporary fiction, books considered literary fiction can't be neatly filed under any other genre. What distinguishes this genre from contemporary fiction is that works of literary fiction are thought to have considerable artistic value. If your prose is meant to engage the reader in thought, if your narrative is character-driven and introspective, and if you provide personal or social commentary on a "serious" theme, then chances are you're writing lit-fic. Modern classics by the likes of Virginia Woolf or Ali Smith would be labeled literary fiction.

Like we mentioned, lit-fic is heavy on character, and lighter on plot. If you're interested in writing a character-driven story, try out our profile template for developing well-rounded, fully realized ones.

Magical Realism

You may remember us mentioning magical realism under the umbrella of fantasy - but considering its highbrow style and literary prestige, magical realism is often considered a genre in its own right. Its hallmarks include a real-world setting, a cast of run-of-the-mill characters (no vampires, fairies, or sorcerers), a fluid and non-linear timeline, and supernatural happenings - a baby born with feathered wings, or an egg hatching a ruby - left unexplained. Authors like Isabel Allende and Toni Morrison have used this literary style to grapple with serious social ills, from colonialism to fascism and slavery.

Graphic Novel

Some book genres aren't defined by their content at all, but by their form. Graphic novels are presented to the reader through narrative art (illustrations and typography) either in the traditional panel layout you'll be familiar with from comic books, or in the artist's own style. Once considered cheap entertainment for children, graphic novels are increasingly read and respected these days for their rich blend of visuals and writing. This powerful method of storytelling now portrays everything from memoirs, to manga, to adaptations of classic literature.

Short Story

Though they can belong to any of the other book genres on this list, short stories are frequently grouped together in their own genre because they're, well, so much shorter than novels. Often the author will compile a collection linked together by a narrative thread or, more commonly, a shared theme. The stories in A Manual for Cleaning Women by Lucia Berlin, for example, follow a series of women in different occupations - from cleaning women to ER nurses - all struggling to survive.

Young Adult

Young adult fiction, or YA, targets readers aged 12-18 and reflects its readership by following teenage characters as they grapple with the unique challenges of adolescence. Most works of YA fiction can be labeled " coming-of-age novels", in which the characters exit childhood and enter adulthood - a transition that results in a loss of innocence and a shifting sense of identity. Some of the biggest bestsellers in recent years have belonged to this genre, including The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas and anything by John Green.

Pro tip for writing young adult fiction: Though your teen character's voice should be true to her life experience, you should never "dumb down" the language, story, or style choices in a YA novel.

New Adult

The shiny new penny on this book genres list, new adult is like young adult aged-up: coming-of-age stories after the messiness of adolescence. Its college-age protagonists are walked through the gauntlet of becoming fully-fledged grownups, ditching the stress of the SATs and senior prom for college exams, career transitions, and more mature first times. Big names in New Adult, like Cora Carmack, tend to write steamy romances set in dorm rooms. But this genre isn't all about collegiate love stories - your gritty urban fantasy or immersive historical fiction could find its home here, too.

Children's

Books in this genre are written with readers under the age of twelve in mind. Of course, kids will do a lot of growing between the ages of zero and twelve, which is why children's books range from baby board books all the way up to middle grade 'epics' of 50,000 words. Hopefully, if you're writing children's literature, you already know you are. But it's crucial that you also know which age group you're trying to target, as this will impact the themes, characters, and complexity of your book.

Nonfiction genres

This is a broad category encompassing a number of nonfiction subgenres. From memoirs and biographies to books to self-help and true crime books, there's a type of nonfiction for every kind of reader.

Memoir & Autobiography

Both memoirs and autobiographies provide a true account of the author's life. They differ in that an autobiography provides a chronological account of your life's events and accomplishments, whereas a memoir puts the emphasis on only the most defining, emotional moments. Generally, these moments are drawn together by a single theme - or a significant time, place, or relationship - to communicate a message you wish to share with readers. The Argonauts by Maggie Nelson is a popular example of a memoir.

Pro tip for writing a memoir: Treat yourself as an interview subject and ask yourself questions that will trigger those life-defining stories - the ups and downs, the events that shaped you, what you sacrificed, what you learned.

Biography

Like autobiographies, biographies provide readers with a person's life story; but they're written in the third person by someone other than the subject. Generally, the subject of a biography is (or was) well-known - somebody whose life can teach readers an interesting lesson worth learning. Biographies, memoirs, and autobiographies differ from the rest of the nonfiction on this list, in that they weave a narrative in almost the same way a novel does. A great biography, like Ron Chernow's Alexander Hamilton, isn't a laundry list of events, but a life-giving tribute.

Food & Drink

Food and drink is one of nonfiction's hottest book genres, making it a crowded and highly competitive market. As a result, today's cookbooks tend to cater to specific cuisines, dietary, and/or lifestyle needs. If you're writing a cookbook, you might consider pairing recipes with nutritional information, short autobiographical narratives, or even workouts. Jo Wicks's 30 Day Kickstart Plan and Less Fuss No Waste Kitchen by Lindsay Miles are excellent examples of modern cookbooks.

Art & Photography

This genre is home to a few different kinds of books, all united by their love of art. Your book could find its way into this vibrant and stylish genre if it discusses an artist's work or an artistic style in detail; if it teaches a specific art method; if it explores a facet of art history; or if it showcases your own art in that chic, coffee-table book way.

Self-help

Some of the bestselling books in nonfiction, self-help books encourage personal improvement and confidence. Whether the focus is on relationships, emotional well-being, or finances, if you're writing a book that aims to uplift and empower the reader, then you're probably writing self-help.

History

The books in this genre lay down the known facts about a historical era, event, or figure. And since this is nonfiction, all the facts have to be accurate (though that doesn't mean there's no room for inference or opinion). The goal of these books is to educate and inform the reader, so this genre does include all those textbooks you used in school. But many history books ditch the play-by-play format to chronicle the past in a way more akin to storytelling. One of our favorite history books is Sapiens: A Brief History of Mankind by Yuval Noah Harari.

Travel

Travel memoirs and travelogues, like Jonathan Glancey's The Journey Matters, take us all over the world, giving even the most devoted homebodies a tantalizing taste of adventure, wildlife, and the great outdoors. These pocket-sized books - featuring destination reviews, lists of where to eat and what to see, and tips for traveling on a budget - are without a doubt some of the most useful titles on the shelves.

True Crime

Crime-fiction writers have put some pretty twisted plots to paper, but if you prefer to chronicle real crimes in all their haunting and fascinating detail, then the true crime genre is where your book belongs. From infamous murders to domestic disappearances, works in this genre pen true stories, about all things fearful and forbidden, that read as smoothly as well-crafted fiction.

Humor

Laugh-out-loud memoirs by the funniest celebs, satirical essays from the likes of David Sedaris, or gag gifts like How to Adult - all the books in this rib-tickling genre are written with one thing in mind: making readers laugh! So if you've compiled a collection of all your favorite dad jokes or penned a cathartic brain-dump of your most cringe-worthy memories, then your book may also belong in the humor genre.

Essays

An essay may sound like a boring assignment from your school years, but the books in this genre are among some of the most moving and inspirational works of literature there are. Many powerful voices - like James Baldwin and Roxane Gay - have used these short works to reflect on their own personal experiences and views, combining them into a collection that serves as an eye-opening social commentary on a particular theme or subject.

Guide / How-to

Readers turn to this book genre to develop a skill, hobby, or craft. So if you're an expert in a particular field and you've written a book showing hobbyists how to achieve something specific (like "how to master chess openings" or "a guide to floristry"), then this is its home! Of course, one dead giveaway might be your book's title.

Religion & Spirituality

From histories of the Catholic Church to spiritual guidebooks and memoirs of the Eat, Pray, Love variety, this genre has a place for anything and everything related to the topics of religion and spirituality.

Humanities & Social Sciences

Got something wise to say? Then your book might just belong among the books of this eclectic genre - as long as it discusses a topic related to (deep breath): philosophy, history, literature, language, art, religion, music, or the human condition. This might seem like a pretty wide net to fall into, but keep in mind that books in this genre are typically quite academic; if you've written more of a free-flowing spiritual guide, it probably belongs in the previous genre.

Parenting & Families

Parents and families struggling with discipline, education, bonding, the care of a newborn baby, or a child with special needs, can turn to this well-stocked genre of books when they need to bring in the reinforcements. If you've written a memoir that'll have families whole-heartedly nodding in agreement, or a guide brimming with advice for frazzled parents, then you can find a place for your book in the parenting and families section.

Science & Technology

The job of science nonfiction is not to predict the future, but to make sense of the world we're currently living in - which, quite honestly, can feel like science fiction to some of us! Readers of this genre range from complete beginners trying to understand the things around them to technophiles whose brains are whirring to keep up with the pace of change, so there's bound to be a niche for your book, however advanced it is.

Children's

As much as kids love fairytales and talking animals, they're often just as happy to pick up a nonfiction book at storytime. Whether it's an activity book to keep them busy, a powerful true story like Malala's Magic Pencil, or a children's encyclopedia to feed their brains, children's nonfiction is all about making learning fun. And the wildly popular Horrible Histories series has proven that this genre can compete with wizards and superheroes at every age!

There you have it: 35 of the most popular genres of books. Hopefully, this list will help you get your foot in the right door. But if your book doesn't slot neatly into any of these categories (though there are quite some more types of nonfiction to consider), don't be afraid to declare it a hybrid, or to dig a little deeper into the subcategories that you'll find in the shade of these umbrella genres.

And no matter what kind of book you're writing, check out our book development template to get started.

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The Ultimate List of Book Genres: 35 Popular Genres

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Among these 35 popular book genres, there's bound to be one that fits your book like a glove - so let's find it!

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This book had two mysteries: what drove our main character Cole away from Wounded Sky, and what dark forces are causing mysterious problems in Wounded Sky. The first was great for character development, and the second was great for plot. It felt like the first half of the book was dedicated to what drove Cole away, and the second half focused on the more plot-driven elements. I would have loved for these two narratives to be integrated throughout a bit more.

Overall, I enjoyed this quite a bit! - Emily

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This book is the first in a series - the school has access to it, if you'd like to keep reading when you're finished!

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Book by Rebecca Roanhorse

A god will return When the earth and sky converge Under the black sun In the holy city of Tova the winter solstice is usually a time for celebration and renewal, but this year it coincides with a solar eclipse, a rare celestial event proscribed... Google Books

Originally published : October 13, 2020

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Black Sun Rebecca Roanhorse - Google Search

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Please click here if you are not redirected within a few seconds. Book by Rebecca Roanhorse A god will return When the earth and sky converge Under the black sun In the holy city of Tova the winter solstice is usually a time for celebration and renewal, but this year it coincides with a solar eclipse, a rare celestial event proscribed...

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Overachievement isn’t a bad word—for Berlin, it’s the goal. She’s securing excellent grades, planning her future, and working a part-time job at Pink Mountain Pizza, a legendary local business. Who says she needs a best friend by her side?

Dropping out of high school wasn’t smart—but it was necessary for Cameron. Since his cousin Kiki’s disappearance, it’s hard enough to find the funny side of life, especially when the whole town has forgotten Kiki. To them, she’s just another missing Native girl.

People at school label Jessie a tease, a rich girl—and honestly, she’s both. But Jessie knows she contains multitudes. Maybe her new job crafting pizzas will give her the high-energy outlet she desperately wants.

When the weekend at Pink Mountain Pizza takes several unexpected turns, all three teens will have to acknowledge the various ways they’ve been hurt—and how much they need each other to hold it all together.

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Genre: Realistic / Contemporary Fiction, Mystery

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Genre: Realistic / Contemporary Fiction, Mystery

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Authors need to have a firm grasp on all the different genres of books in order to find the perfect home for their own. The tropes and expectations of a book's genre will inform its content and style during the writing process, as well as fundamentals such as word count. But it's also central to the marketing of a book, determining its target audience, and those all-important Amazon categories. Get your genre wrong, and you could be waving goodbye to book sales and hello to unsatisfied reader reviews!

How many book genres are there?

Though we're only covering 35 of the most popular in this post, there are around 50 genres in total - the exact number depends on who you ask. If you take subgenres into account, over on Reedsy Discovery we have 107 different categories, while Amazon has over 16,000!

That can be a lot to take in. So if you'd like some personalized guidance, we recommend taking this 1-minute quiz that will point you towards your genre (and subgenre).

🖊️

For an overview of all of the genres, that's what the rest of this post is for. There's bound to be a genre that's the perfect fit for your book - all you have to do is find it!

Fiction genres

"Writing fiction is the act of weaving a series of lies to arrive at a greater truth." - Khaled Hosseini

Fantasy

This book genre is characterized by elements of magic or the supernatural and is often inspired by mythology or folklore. In high fantasy - one that's set in an entirely fictional world - these magical elements are at the forefront of the plot, as in Trudi Canavan's Black Magician trilogy. In low fantasy or magical realism, however, magic is subtly woven into an otherwise familiar, real-world setting. You can delve into fantasy's manysubgenres to get to know your Arcanepunk from your Flintlock, and find your book's home!

Pro tip for writing fantasy: To make your world feel real and functional, make sure it's grounded in rules - an internal rationale, so to speak, encompassing everything from the workings of your society to your magic system.

Science Fiction

Though science fiction and fantasy are often considered two sides of the same (speculative fiction) coin, sci-fi is distinguished by its preoccupation with real or real-feeling science. Lots of sci-fi is set in the distant future, which makes it a seedbed for stories about time travel and space exploration. But your science fiction novel doesn't need to be inspired by "hard" science like physics and astronomy. Some of the books in this genre reflect on "soft" sciences, such as sociology and anthropology, to predict the future of the human race - more on that next!

Dystopian

A popular genre of science fiction, dystopian novels offer a bleak and frightening vision of the future. Authors writing dystopias imagine a grim society, often in the aftermath of a disaster, facing things like oppressive governments, Black Mirror-esque technology, and environmental ruin. From widely popular series like The Hunger Games to critically-acclaimed classics like Nineteen Eighty-four, the enduring appeal of dystopian fiction lies in our burning desire to know where mankind is headed - and our perverse enjoyment of dark stories, so long as they aren't actually happening to us.

If you struggle to write consistently, sign up for our How to Write a Novel course to finish a novel in just 3 months.

Action & Adventure

If you're writing adventure, then chances are your book follows the structure of the Hero's Journey. Your protagonist has a very important goal to achieve, but they're really going to have to go through the wringer first! You throw up obstacle after obstacle, putting your hero in downright dangerous situations but eventually, they triumph and return home transformed. The action and adventure genre also complements a huge range of others, which means it has its fingers in everything from fantasy novels like The Hobbit to classic romance like J ane Eyre.

Mystery

Also called detective fiction, this book genre is characterized by a gripping plot that revolves around a mystery - but hopefully, you've cracked that clue! The setting, characters, and tone of your book will determine precisely which category it falls under: cozy mystery, hardboiled, or something in between. But at the core of any mystery is a crime that must be solved by the protagonist. To get a sense of the clever trail of clues that's so vital to this genre, check out Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie - the grande dame of mystery fiction.

Pro tip for writing a mystery: When planning your novel, consult the Fichtean curve, a narrative structure that emphasizes mini-crises, ratcheting up the tension to keep readers anxious to reach the climax.

Horror

What unites the books in this genre is not theme, plot, or setting, but the feeling they inspire in the reader: your pulse quickens, and your skin prickles as you turn the page with bated breath. Of course, this feeling of dread only comes about if the author creates the right atmosphere - an essential feature dependent on the subgenre. Gothic horror, for example, sends a shiver down your spine with spooky settings and paranormal elements, while gross-out horror shocks the reader with hacked-up flesh and buckets of blood. The master of horror fiction in all its guises? Stephen King, of course.

Pro tip for writing horror: Make the stakes plain and straightforward - survival, the death of a loved one, etc. - and clearly establish them for the reader, so they are in no doubt about the character's motivation.

Thriller & Suspense

A horror story can also be called a thriller, if it employs psychological fear to build suspense. But not all thrillers are horror stories. So what are they? While this book genre encompasses many of the same elements as mystery, in a thriller the protagonist is usually acting to save their own life, rather than to solve the crime. Thrillers typically include cliffhangers, deception, high emotional stakes, and plenty of action - keeping the reader on the edge of their seat until the book's climax. Gillian Flynn's Gone Girl is a masterclass in the dark, mysterious thriller.

Pro tip for writing a thriller: Avoid anything that bogs down the pacing. If you notice that a scene is getting tied up in everyday details, or doesn't add enough excitement to the plot, rewrite it or cut it altogether!

Historical Fiction

This book genre encompasses fictional stories in a historical setting, carefully balancing creativity and facts. In most cases, the characters and events are imagined by the author and enriched with historically accurate details from a specific time period. Take The Help by Kathryn Stockett, for example - a fictional story set in Mississippi during the Civil Rights Movement. But occasionally, as is the case with Hilary Mantel's Cromwell trilogy, the author builds the main story around real historical figures and events.

Like almost all of these genres, it's crucial that historical fiction works in exposition and historical detail subtly. Want to learn more about how to do this? Check out our free course on the golden writing rule, Show, Don't Tell.

Romance

Romance is so frequently used as a subplot that it can sometimes be tricky to know whether or not you're writing in this genre. The key thing to remember is that the romantic relationship must be the center point of the plot. (Other giveaways include a "happily ever after" ending and the warm fuzzies.) If your novel has a romantic relationship at its heart and is perfectly at home in another genre, it probably falls into one of romance's many subgenres, including but not limited to: young adult romance, paranormal romance, and historical romance.

Women's Fiction

Women's fiction is an umbrella term for books written to target a female audience, generally reflecting on the shared experience of being a woman or the growth of a female protagonist. Because of this rather broad definition, authors will quite often write a romance novel or mystery, for example, that could also be labeled women's fiction. Despite the connotations of one alternative name for this genre ("chick-lit"), many critically acclaimed bestsellers, including Jaqueline Woodson's Red at The Bone, fall under its purview.

LGBTQ+

Any fiction with authentic LGBTQ+ representation falls into this book genre. It's important to note that while your book's queer characters should feature in the main plot, the centerpiece of your plot doesn't have to be a romance. In fact, there doesn't need to be any romance at all! This means that your fantasy, thriller, or historical novel could fall under the LGBTQ+ umbrella.

Contemporary Fiction

This book genre is occasionally lumped in with others to indicate that the book takes place in the present day. But in its simplest form, contemporary fiction is better understood as the absence of a genre. Your book doesn't need tropes and trappings, monsters and mysteries, when its tension, drama, and conflict lies in the quirks and quandaries of your protagonist's everyday life: work, politics, relationships, and the struggles of the modern era.

Literary Fiction

Like contemporary fiction, books considered literary fiction can't be neatly filed under any other genre. What distinguishes this genre from contemporary fiction is that works of literary fiction are thought to have considerable artistic value. If your prose is meant to engage the reader in thought, if your narrative is character-driven and introspective, and if you provide personal or social commentary on a "serious" theme, then chances are you're writing lit-fic. Modern classics by the likes of Virginia Woolf or Ali Smith would be labeled literary fiction.

Like we mentioned, lit-fic is heavy on character, and lighter on plot. If you're interested in writing a character-driven story, try out our profile template for developing well-rounded, fully realized ones.

Magical Realism

You may remember us mentioning magical realism under the umbrella of fantasy - but considering its highbrow style and literary prestige, magical realism is often considered a genre in its own right. Its hallmarks include a real-world setting, a cast of run-of-the-mill characters (no vampires, fairies, or sorcerers), a fluid and non-linear timeline, and supernatural happenings - a baby born with feathered wings, or an egg hatching a ruby - left unexplained. Authors like Isabel Allende and Toni Morrison have used this literary style to grapple with serious social ills, from colonialism to fascism and slavery.

Graphic Novel

Some book genres aren't defined by their content at all, but by their form. Graphic novels are presented to the reader through narrative art (illustrations and typography) either in the traditional panel layout you'll be familiar with from comic books, or in the artist's own style. Once considered cheap entertainment for children, graphic novels are increasingly read and respected these days for their rich blend of visuals and writing. This powerful method of storytelling now portrays everything from memoirs, to manga, to adaptations of classic literature.

Short Story

Though they can belong to any of the other book genres on this list, short stories are frequently grouped together in their own genre because they're, well, so much shorter than novels. Often the author will compile a collection linked together by a narrative thread or, more commonly, a shared theme. The stories in A Manual for Cleaning Women by Lucia Berlin, for example, follow a series of women in different occupations - from cleaning women to ER nurses - all struggling to survive.

Young Adult

Young adult fiction, or YA, targets readers aged 12-18 and reflects its readership by following teenage characters as they grapple with the unique challenges of adolescence. Most works of YA fiction can be labeled " coming-of-age novels", in which the characters exit childhood and enter adulthood - a transition that results in a loss of innocence and a shifting sense of identity. Some of the biggest bestsellers in recent years have belonged to this genre, including The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas and anything by John Green.

Pro tip for writing young adult fiction: Though your teen character's voice should be true to her life experience, you should never "dumb down" the language, story, or style choices in a YA novel.

New Adult

The shiny new penny on this book genres list, new adult is like young adult aged-up: coming-of-age stories after the messiness of adolescence. Its college-age protagonists are walked through the gauntlet of becoming fully-fledged grownups, ditching the stress of the SATs and senior prom for college exams, career transitions, and more mature first times. Big names in New Adult, like Cora Carmack, tend to write steamy romances set in dorm rooms. But this genre isn't all about collegiate love stories - your gritty urban fantasy or immersive historical fiction could find its home here, too.

Children's

Books in this genre are written with readers under the age of twelve in mind. Of course, kids will do a lot of growing between the ages of zero and twelve, which is why children's books range from baby board books all the way up to middle grade 'epics' of 50,000 words. Hopefully, if you're writing children's literature, you already know you are. But it's crucial that you also know which age group you're trying to target, as this will impact the themes, characters, and complexity of your book.

Nonfiction genres

This is a broad category encompassing a number of nonfiction subgenres. From memoirs and biographies to books to self-help and true crime books, there's a type of nonfiction for every kind of reader.

Memoir & Autobiography

Both memoirs and autobiographies provide a true account of the author's life. They differ in that an autobiography provides a chronological account of your life's events and accomplishments, whereas a memoir puts the emphasis on only the most defining, emotional moments. Generally, these moments are drawn together by a single theme - or a significant time, place, or relationship - to communicate a message you wish to share with readers. The Argonauts by Maggie Nelson is a popular example of a memoir.

Pro tip for writing a memoir: Treat yourself as an interview subject and ask yourself questions that will trigger those life-defining stories - the ups and downs, the events that shaped you, what you sacrificed, what you learned.

Biography

Like autobiographies, biographies provide readers with a person's life story; but they're written in the third person by someone other than the subject. Generally, the subject of a biography is (or was) well-known - somebody whose life can teach readers an interesting lesson worth learning. Biographies, memoirs, and autobiographies differ from the rest of the nonfiction on this list, in that they weave a narrative in almost the same way a novel does. A great biography, like Ron Chernow's Alexander Hamilton, isn't a laundry list of events, but a life-giving tribute.

Food & Drink

Food and drink is one of nonfiction's hottest book genres, making it a crowded and highly competitive market. As a result, today's cookbooks tend to cater to specific cuisines, dietary, and/or lifestyle needs. If you're writing a cookbook, you might consider pairing recipes with nutritional information, short autobiographical narratives, or even workouts. Jo Wicks's 30 Day Kickstart Plan and Less Fuss No Waste Kitchen by Lindsay Miles are excellent examples of modern cookbooks.

Art & Photography

This genre is home to a few different kinds of books, all united by their love of art. Your book could find its way into this vibrant and stylish genre if it discusses an artist's work or an artistic style in detail; if it teaches a specific art method; if it explores a facet of art history; or if it showcases your own art in that chic, coffee-table book way.

Self-help

Some of the bestselling books in nonfiction, self-help books encourage personal improvement and confidence. Whether the focus is on relationships, emotional well-being, or finances, if you're writing a book that aims to uplift and empower the reader, then you're probably writing self-help.

History

The books in this genre lay down the known facts about a historical era, event, or figure. And since this is nonfiction, all the facts have to be accurate (though that doesn't mean there's no room for inference or opinion). The goal of these books is to educate and inform the reader, so this genre does include all those textbooks you used in school. But many history books ditch the play-by-play format to chronicle the past in a way more akin to storytelling. One of our favorite history books is Sapiens: A Brief History of Mankind by Yuval Noah Harari.

Travel

Travel memoirs and travelogues, like Jonathan Glancey's The Journey Matters, take us all over the world, giving even the most devoted homebodies a tantalizing taste of adventure, wildlife, and the great outdoors. These pocket-sized books - featuring destination reviews, lists of where to eat and what to see, and tips for traveling on a budget - are without a doubt some of the most useful titles on the shelves.

True Crime

Crime-fiction writers have put some pretty twisted plots to paper, but if you prefer to chronicle real crimes in all their haunting and fascinating detail, then the true crime genre is where your book belongs. From infamous murders to domestic disappearances, works in this genre pen true stories, about all things fearful and forbidden, that read as smoothly as well-crafted fiction.

Humor

Laugh-out-loud memoirs by the funniest celebs, satirical essays from the likes of David Sedaris, or gag gifts like How to Adult - all the books in this rib-tickling genre are written with one thing in mind: making readers laugh! So if you've compiled a collection of all your favorite dad jokes or penned a cathartic brain-dump of your most cringe-worthy memories, then your book may also belong in the humor genre.

Essays

An essay may sound like a boring assignment from your school years, but the books in this genre are among some of the most moving and inspirational works of literature there are. Many powerful voices - like James Baldwin and Roxane Gay - have used these short works to reflect on their own personal experiences and views, combining them into a collection that serves as an eye-opening social commentary on a particular theme or subject.

Guide / How-to

Readers turn to this book genre to develop a skill, hobby, or craft. So if you're an expert in a particular field and you've written a book showing hobbyists how to achieve something specific (like "how to master chess openings" or "a guide to floristry"), then this is its home! Of course, one dead giveaway might be your book's title.

Religion & Spirituality

From histories of the Catholic Church to spiritual guidebooks and memoirs of the Eat, Pray, Love variety, this genre has a place for anything and everything related to the topics of religion and spirituality.

Humanities & Social Sciences

Got something wise to say? Then your book might just belong among the books of this eclectic genre - as long as it discusses a topic related to (deep breath): philosophy, history, literature, language, art, religion, music, or the human condition. This might seem like a pretty wide net to fall into, but keep in mind that books in this genre are typically quite academic; if you've written more of a free-flowing spiritual guide, it probably belongs in the previous genre.

Parenting & Families

Parents and families struggling with discipline, education, bonding, the care of a newborn baby, or a child with special needs, can turn to this well-stocked genre of books when they need to bring in the reinforcements. If you've written a memoir that'll have families whole-heartedly nodding in agreement, or a guide brimming with advice for frazzled parents, then you can find a place for your book in the parenting and families section.

Science & Technology

The job of science nonfiction is not to predict the future, but to make sense of the world we're currently living in - which, quite honestly, can feel like science fiction to some of us! Readers of this genre range from complete beginners trying to understand the things around them to technophiles whose brains are whirring to keep up with the pace of change, so there's bound to be a niche for your book, however advanced it is.

Children's

As much as kids love fairytales and talking animals, they're often just as happy to pick up a nonfiction book at storytime. Whether it's an activity book to keep them busy, a powerful true story like Malala's Magic Pencil, or a children's encyclopedia to feed their brains, children's nonfiction is all about making learning fun. And the wildly popular Horrible Histories series has proven that this genre can compete with wizards and superheroes at every age!

There you have it: 35 of the most popular genres of books. Hopefully, this list will help you get your foot in the right door. But if your book doesn't slot neatly into any of these categories (though there are quite some more types of nonfiction to consider), don't be afraid to declare it a hybrid, or to dig a little deeper into the subcategories that you'll find in the shade of these umbrella genres.

And no matter what kind of book you're writing, check out our book development template to get started.

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The Ultimate List of Book Genres: 35 Popular Genres

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Among these 35 popular book genres, there's bound to be one that fits your book like a glove - so let's find it!

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What a beautiful read this was. It was really insightful into the other side of what teenage lives can be like, especially for minority groups. I’m Latina, but I grew up in a really diverse city, so even though I was ostracized sometimes, which unfortunately seems to be inevitable, it was never to the extent that these teens faced. The diversity and representation and inner thoughts of these minorities represented was outstanding, and the truth of it all rather sad.

This YA book isn’t the drama of Euphoria or other teenage representations we see all the time; it really was just a day (well multiple) in the life of these minority teens who work at the same pizza shop, and have to deal with members of their family going missing and the police and media not really caring enough to continue looking for them. They’re deemed not important enough, and the reality of that is really sad, as it’s not fictitious; it happens all the time.

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Nanabush. A name that has a certain weight on the tongue—a taste. Like lit sage in a windowless room or aluminum foil on a metal filling.

Trickster. Storyteller. Shape-shifter. An ancient troublemaker with the power to do great things, only he doesn’t want to put in the work.

Since coming home to Spirit Bear Point First Nation, Hazel Ellis has been dreaming of an old crow. He tells her he’s here to help her, save her. From what, exactly? Sure, her dad’s been dead for almost two years and she hasn’t quite reconciled that grief, but is that worth the time of an Algonquin demigod?

Soon Hazel learns that there’s more at play than just her own sadness and doubt. The quarry that’s been lying unsullied for over a century on her father’s property is stirring the old magic that crosses the boundaries between this world and the next. With the aid of Nanabush, Hazel must unravel a web of deceit that, if left untouched, could destroy her family and her home on both sides of the Medicine Wheel.

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Genre: Magical Realism (Real World, but with some magical / fantasy elements sprinkled in)

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Genre: Magical Realism (Real World, but with some magical / fantasy elements sprinkled in)

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Authors need to have a firm grasp on all the different genres of books in order to find the perfect home for their own. The tropes and expectations of a book's genre will inform its content and style during the writing process, as well as fundamentals such as word count. But it's also central to the marketing of a book, determining its target audience, and those all-important Amazon categories. Get your genre wrong, and you could be waving goodbye to book sales and hello to unsatisfied reader reviews!

How many book genres are there?

Though we're only covering 35 of the most popular in this post, there are around 50 genres in total - the exact number depends on who you ask. If you take subgenres into account, over on Reedsy Discovery we have 107 different categories, while Amazon has over 16,000!

That can be a lot to take in. So if you'd like some personalized guidance, we recommend taking this 1-minute quiz that will point you towards your genre (and subgenre).

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For an overview of all of the genres, that's what the rest of this post is for. There's bound to be a genre that's the perfect fit for your book - all you have to do is find it!

Fiction genres

"Writing fiction is the act of weaving a series of lies to arrive at a greater truth." - Khaled Hosseini

Fantasy

This book genre is characterized by elements of magic or the supernatural and is often inspired by mythology or folklore. In high fantasy - one that's set in an entirely fictional world - these magical elements are at the forefront of the plot, as in Trudi Canavan's Black Magician trilogy. In low fantasy or magical realism, however, magic is subtly woven into an otherwise familiar, real-world setting. You can delve into fantasy's manysubgenres to get to know your Arcanepunk from your Flintlock, and find your book's home!

Pro tip for writing fantasy: To make your world feel real and functional, make sure it's grounded in rules - an internal rationale, so to speak, encompassing everything from the workings of your society to your magic system.

Science Fiction

Though science fiction and fantasy are often considered two sides of the same (speculative fiction) coin, sci-fi is distinguished by its preoccupation with real or real-feeling science. Lots of sci-fi is set in the distant future, which makes it a seedbed for stories about time travel and space exploration. But your science fiction novel doesn't need to be inspired by "hard" science like physics and astronomy. Some of the books in this genre reflect on "soft" sciences, such as sociology and anthropology, to predict the future of the human race - more on that next!

Dystopian

A popular genre of science fiction, dystopian novels offer a bleak and frightening vision of the future. Authors writing dystopias imagine a grim society, often in the aftermath of a disaster, facing things like oppressive governments, Black Mirror-esque technology, and environmental ruin. From widely popular series like The Hunger Games to critically-acclaimed classics like Nineteen Eighty-four, the enduring appeal of dystopian fiction lies in our burning desire to know where mankind is headed - and our perverse enjoyment of dark stories, so long as they aren't actually happening to us.

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Action & Adventure

If you're writing adventure, then chances are your book follows the structure of the Hero's Journey. Your protagonist has a very important goal to achieve, but they're really going to have to go through the wringer first! You throw up obstacle after obstacle, putting your hero in downright dangerous situations but eventually, they triumph and return home transformed. The action and adventure genre also complements a huge range of others, which means it has its fingers in everything from fantasy novels like The Hobbit to classic romance like J ane Eyre.

Mystery

Also called detective fiction, this book genre is characterized by a gripping plot that revolves around a mystery - but hopefully, you've cracked that clue! The setting, characters, and tone of your book will determine precisely which category it falls under: cozy mystery, hardboiled, or something in between. But at the core of any mystery is a crime that must be solved by the protagonist. To get a sense of the clever trail of clues that's so vital to this genre, check out Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie - the grande dame of mystery fiction.

Pro tip for writing a mystery: When planning your novel, consult the Fichtean curve, a narrative structure that emphasizes mini-crises, ratcheting up the tension to keep readers anxious to reach the climax.

Horror

What unites the books in this genre is not theme, plot, or setting, but the feeling they inspire in the reader: your pulse quickens, and your skin prickles as you turn the page with bated breath. Of course, this feeling of dread only comes about if the author creates the right atmosphere - an essential feature dependent on the subgenre. Gothic horror, for example, sends a shiver down your spine with spooky settings and paranormal elements, while gross-out horror shocks the reader with hacked-up flesh and buckets of blood. The master of horror fiction in all its guises? Stephen King, of course.

Pro tip for writing horror: Make the stakes plain and straightforward - survival, the death of a loved one, etc. - and clearly establish them for the reader, so they are in no doubt about the character's motivation.

Thriller & Suspense

A horror story can also be called a thriller, if it employs psychological fear to build suspense. But not all thrillers are horror stories. So what are they? While this book genre encompasses many of the same elements as mystery, in a thriller the protagonist is usually acting to save their own life, rather than to solve the crime. Thrillers typically include cliffhangers, deception, high emotional stakes, and plenty of action - keeping the reader on the edge of their seat until the book's climax. Gillian Flynn's Gone Girl is a masterclass in the dark, mysterious thriller.

Pro tip for writing a thriller: Avoid anything that bogs down the pacing. If you notice that a scene is getting tied up in everyday details, or doesn't add enough excitement to the plot, rewrite it or cut it altogether!

Historical Fiction

This book genre encompasses fictional stories in a historical setting, carefully balancing creativity and facts. In most cases, the characters and events are imagined by the author and enriched with historically accurate details from a specific time period. Take The Help by Kathryn Stockett, for example - a fictional story set in Mississippi during the Civil Rights Movement. But occasionally, as is the case with Hilary Mantel's Cromwell trilogy, the author builds the main story around real historical figures and events.

Like almost all of these genres, it's crucial that historical fiction works in exposition and historical detail subtly. Want to learn more about how to do this? Check out our free course on the golden writing rule, Show, Don't Tell.

Romance

Romance is so frequently used as a subplot that it can sometimes be tricky to know whether or not you're writing in this genre. The key thing to remember is that the romantic relationship must be the center point of the plot. (Other giveaways include a "happily ever after" ending and the warm fuzzies.) If your novel has a romantic relationship at its heart and is perfectly at home in another genre, it probably falls into one of romance's many subgenres, including but not limited to: young adult romance, paranormal romance, and historical romance.

Women's Fiction

Women's fiction is an umbrella term for books written to target a female audience, generally reflecting on the shared experience of being a woman or the growth of a female protagonist. Because of this rather broad definition, authors will quite often write a romance novel or mystery, for example, that could also be labeled women's fiction. Despite the connotations of one alternative name for this genre ("chick-lit"), many critically acclaimed bestsellers, including Jaqueline Woodson's Red at The Bone, fall under its purview.

LGBTQ+

Any fiction with authentic LGBTQ+ representation falls into this book genre. It's important to note that while your book's queer characters should feature in the main plot, the centerpiece of your plot doesn't have to be a romance. In fact, there doesn't need to be any romance at all! This means that your fantasy, thriller, or historical novel could fall under the LGBTQ+ umbrella.

Contemporary Fiction

This book genre is occasionally lumped in with others to indicate that the book takes place in the present day. But in its simplest form, contemporary fiction is better understood as the absence of a genre. Your book doesn't need tropes and trappings, monsters and mysteries, when its tension, drama, and conflict lies in the quirks and quandaries of your protagonist's everyday life: work, politics, relationships, and the struggles of the modern era.

Literary Fiction

Like contemporary fiction, books considered literary fiction can't be neatly filed under any other genre. What distinguishes this genre from contemporary fiction is that works of literary fiction are thought to have considerable artistic value. If your prose is meant to engage the reader in thought, if your narrative is character-driven and introspective, and if you provide personal or social commentary on a "serious" theme, then chances are you're writing lit-fic. Modern classics by the likes of Virginia Woolf or Ali Smith would be labeled literary fiction.

Like we mentioned, lit-fic is heavy on character, and lighter on plot. If you're interested in writing a character-driven story, try out our profile template for developing well-rounded, fully realized ones.

Magical Realism

You may remember us mentioning magical realism under the umbrella of fantasy - but considering its highbrow style and literary prestige, magical realism is often considered a genre in its own right. Its hallmarks include a real-world setting, a cast of run-of-the-mill characters (no vampires, fairies, or sorcerers), a fluid and non-linear timeline, and supernatural happenings - a baby born with feathered wings, or an egg hatching a ruby - left unexplained. Authors like Isabel Allende and Toni Morrison have used this literary style to grapple with serious social ills, from colonialism to fascism and slavery.

Graphic Novel

Some book genres aren't defined by their content at all, but by their form. Graphic novels are presented to the reader through narrative art (illustrations and typography) either in the traditional panel layout you'll be familiar with from comic books, or in the artist's own style. Once considered cheap entertainment for children, graphic novels are increasingly read and respected these days for their rich blend of visuals and writing. This powerful method of storytelling now portrays everything from memoirs, to manga, to adaptations of classic literature.

Short Story

Though they can belong to any of the other book genres on this list, short stories are frequently grouped together in their own genre because they're, well, so much shorter than novels. Often the author will compile a collection linked together by a narrative thread or, more commonly, a shared theme. The stories in A Manual for Cleaning Women by Lucia Berlin, for example, follow a series of women in different occupations - from cleaning women to ER nurses - all struggling to survive.

Young Adult

Young adult fiction, or YA, targets readers aged 12-18 and reflects its readership by following teenage characters as they grapple with the unique challenges of adolescence. Most works of YA fiction can be labeled " coming-of-age novels", in which the characters exit childhood and enter adulthood - a transition that results in a loss of innocence and a shifting sense of identity. Some of the biggest bestsellers in recent years have belonged to this genre, including The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas and anything by John Green.

Pro tip for writing young adult fiction: Though your teen character's voice should be true to her life experience, you should never "dumb down" the language, story, or style choices in a YA novel.

New Adult

The shiny new penny on this book genres list, new adult is like young adult aged-up: coming-of-age stories after the messiness of adolescence. Its college-age protagonists are walked through the gauntlet of becoming fully-fledged grownups, ditching the stress of the SATs and senior prom for college exams, career transitions, and more mature first times. Big names in New Adult, like Cora Carmack, tend to write steamy romances set in dorm rooms. But this genre isn't all about collegiate love stories - your gritty urban fantasy or immersive historical fiction could find its home here, too.

Children's

Books in this genre are written with readers under the age of twelve in mind. Of course, kids will do a lot of growing between the ages of zero and twelve, which is why children's books range from baby board books all the way up to middle grade 'epics' of 50,000 words. Hopefully, if you're writing children's literature, you already know you are. But it's crucial that you also know which age group you're trying to target, as this will impact the themes, characters, and complexity of your book.

Nonfiction genres

This is a broad category encompassing a number of nonfiction subgenres. From memoirs and biographies to books to self-help and true crime books, there's a type of nonfiction for every kind of reader.

Memoir & Autobiography

Both memoirs and autobiographies provide a true account of the author's life. They differ in that an autobiography provides a chronological account of your life's events and accomplishments, whereas a memoir puts the emphasis on only the most defining, emotional moments. Generally, these moments are drawn together by a single theme - or a significant time, place, or relationship - to communicate a message you wish to share with readers. The Argonauts by Maggie Nelson is a popular example of a memoir.

Pro tip for writing a memoir: Treat yourself as an interview subject and ask yourself questions that will trigger those life-defining stories - the ups and downs, the events that shaped you, what you sacrificed, what you learned.

Biography

Like autobiographies, biographies provide readers with a person's life story; but they're written in the third person by someone other than the subject. Generally, the subject of a biography is (or was) well-known - somebody whose life can teach readers an interesting lesson worth learning. Biographies, memoirs, and autobiographies differ from the rest of the nonfiction on this list, in that they weave a narrative in almost the same way a novel does. A great biography, like Ron Chernow's Alexander Hamilton, isn't a laundry list of events, but a life-giving tribute.

Food & Drink

Food and drink is one of nonfiction's hottest book genres, making it a crowded and highly competitive market. As a result, today's cookbooks tend to cater to specific cuisines, dietary, and/or lifestyle needs. If you're writing a cookbook, you might consider pairing recipes with nutritional information, short autobiographical narratives, or even workouts. Jo Wicks's 30 Day Kickstart Plan and Less Fuss No Waste Kitchen by Lindsay Miles are excellent examples of modern cookbooks.

Art & Photography

This genre is home to a few different kinds of books, all united by their love of art. Your book could find its way into this vibrant and stylish genre if it discusses an artist's work or an artistic style in detail; if it teaches a specific art method; if it explores a facet of art history; or if it showcases your own art in that chic, coffee-table book way.

Self-help

Some of the bestselling books in nonfiction, self-help books encourage personal improvement and confidence. Whether the focus is on relationships, emotional well-being, or finances, if you're writing a book that aims to uplift and empower the reader, then you're probably writing self-help.

History

The books in this genre lay down the known facts about a historical era, event, or figure. And since this is nonfiction, all the facts have to be accurate (though that doesn't mean there's no room for inference or opinion). The goal of these books is to educate and inform the reader, so this genre does include all those textbooks you used in school. But many history books ditch the play-by-play format to chronicle the past in a way more akin to storytelling. One of our favorite history books is Sapiens: A Brief History of Mankind by Yuval Noah Harari.

Travel

Travel memoirs and travelogues, like Jonathan Glancey's The Journey Matters, take us all over the world, giving even the most devoted homebodies a tantalizing taste of adventure, wildlife, and the great outdoors. These pocket-sized books - featuring destination reviews, lists of where to eat and what to see, and tips for traveling on a budget - are without a doubt some of the most useful titles on the shelves.

True Crime

Crime-fiction writers have put some pretty twisted plots to paper, but if you prefer to chronicle real crimes in all their haunting and fascinating detail, then the true crime genre is where your book belongs. From infamous murders to domestic disappearances, works in this genre pen true stories, about all things fearful and forbidden, that read as smoothly as well-crafted fiction.

Humor

Laugh-out-loud memoirs by the funniest celebs, satirical essays from the likes of David Sedaris, or gag gifts like How to Adult - all the books in this rib-tickling genre are written with one thing in mind: making readers laugh! So if you've compiled a collection of all your favorite dad jokes or penned a cathartic brain-dump of your most cringe-worthy memories, then your book may also belong in the humor genre.

Essays

An essay may sound like a boring assignment from your school years, but the books in this genre are among some of the most moving and inspirational works of literature there are. Many powerful voices - like James Baldwin and Roxane Gay - have used these short works to reflect on their own personal experiences and views, combining them into a collection that serves as an eye-opening social commentary on a particular theme or subject.

Guide / How-to

Readers turn to this book genre to develop a skill, hobby, or craft. So if you're an expert in a particular field and you've written a book showing hobbyists how to achieve something specific (like "how to master chess openings" or "a guide to floristry"), then this is its home! Of course, one dead giveaway might be your book's title.

Religion & Spirituality

From histories of the Catholic Church to spiritual guidebooks and memoirs of the Eat, Pray, Love variety, this genre has a place for anything and everything related to the topics of religion and spirituality.

Humanities & Social Sciences

Got something wise to say? Then your book might just belong among the books of this eclectic genre - as long as it discusses a topic related to (deep breath): philosophy, history, literature, language, art, religion, music, or the human condition. This might seem like a pretty wide net to fall into, but keep in mind that books in this genre are typically quite academic; if you've written more of a free-flowing spiritual guide, it probably belongs in the previous genre.

Parenting & Families

Parents and families struggling with discipline, education, bonding, the care of a newborn baby, or a child with special needs, can turn to this well-stocked genre of books when they need to bring in the reinforcements. If you've written a memoir that'll have families whole-heartedly nodding in agreement, or a guide brimming with advice for frazzled parents, then you can find a place for your book in the parenting and families section.

Science & Technology

The job of science nonfiction is not to predict the future, but to make sense of the world we're currently living in - which, quite honestly, can feel like science fiction to some of us! Readers of this genre range from complete beginners trying to understand the things around them to technophiles whose brains are whirring to keep up with the pace of change, so there's bound to be a niche for your book, however advanced it is.

Children's

As much as kids love fairytales and talking animals, they're often just as happy to pick up a nonfiction book at storytime. Whether it's an activity book to keep them busy, a powerful true story like Malala's Magic Pencil, or a children's encyclopedia to feed their brains, children's nonfiction is all about making learning fun. And the wildly popular Horrible Histories series has proven that this genre can compete with wizards and superheroes at every age!

There you have it: 35 of the most popular genres of books. Hopefully, this list will help you get your foot in the right door. But if your book doesn't slot neatly into any of these categories (though there are quite some more types of nonfiction to consider), don't be afraid to declare it a hybrid, or to dig a little deeper into the subcategories that you'll find in the shade of these umbrella genres.

And no matter what kind of book you're writing, check out our book development template to get started.

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The Ultimate List of Book Genres: 35 Popular Genres

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Among these 35 popular book genres, there's bound to be one that fits your book like a glove - so let's find it!