If you are considering writing a nonfiction book, there are multiple approaches you can take. What you ultimately decide will depend on many factors, including the purpose and subject of your book.

The term nonfiction simply designates literature that deals with facts and reality. It’s such a broad term when it comes to describing reading material, and it doesn’t necessarily tell readers a lot about what they can expect. (Imagine the search results that would come up if you just typed nonfiction into Google!)

When writing your book, it is important to pinpoint what subject you’re writing about. For example, academia-oriented writing—such as history and philosophy—has very specific purposes for both the writer and the reader. Before you wade through the most popular nonfiction writing styles, it might be helpful to first consider the most popular types of nonfiction books that are on the market.

Nonfiction Books

Autobiography—A recording of a person’s life, written by that person. These are usually written by people who are famous or have contributed significantly to some important movement.

Biography—A recording of a person’s life, written by someone else. Just as with an autobiography, they are usually only written about people of note.

Creative nonfiction—A relatively new (and sometimes controversial) addition to the nonfiction umbrella, this is when an author uses traditionally fiction-oriented approaches to write about factually accurate events. This can include writing about an event that actually happened but using a fictional protagonist and conforming to the “exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution” format that is not typically seen in nonfiction.

Memoir—Just as with an autobiography, a memoir is when a person writes about his or her own life experiences. The two differ, however, in that memoirs usually home in on one specific and meaningful period of the author’s life instead of an overarching look at the whole thing.

Personal essay—A shorter piece of writing that usually describes an event from the author’s life that is both personally meaningful and contains significant lessons that can be applied to a wider audience.

Persuasive nonfiction—Any writing in which the author takes a stance on a subject and attempts to persuade readers to feel or think the same way by using facts to back up their points.

Travel writing—A genre in which the writer describes in great detail both the places that they have visited and the experiences they had while there. It often incorporates personal stories that may resonate with the readers.

Once you have pinpointed what you’re writing, it is time to decide how you should write it.

Writing Styles

Narrative style

There are some basic writing styles that can pretty much cover any type of nonfiction book. One is the narrative style, which is simply telling about a real event or person in a way that traces the emotional and physical journey of the characters. It aligns very closely to fiction writing, except that the conversations, events, people, dates, etc. are rooted in fact.

While this style naturally lends itself to nonfiction genres like creative nonfiction and memoirs, it can also be used in less obvious choices like how-to manuals and guidebooks. After all, a good personal anecdote or historical connection in an otherwise dry category can help readers become more engaged with the information that’s being provided.

Descriptive style

The descriptive style of writing is also largely associated with fiction writing but, used effectively, can greatly enhance nonfiction writing as well. This is pretty much exactly what it sounds like: using words to create powerful images in your readers’ minds to help them visualize the picture you’re verbally painting.

This means discussing what a particular character is tasting, smelling, hearing, seeing, and feeling (both physically and emotionally). This helps your audience get inside the mind of a character and makes them feel as if they are experiencing whatever you are describing. Travel writers, for example, often employ this type of writing, since there is no better way to explain a new destination than through tantalizing descriptions that use all the senses.

Expository style

What if you are writing a nonfiction book in which you simply want to reveal the results of some research—whether yours or someone else’s? In that case, consider the expository style, which is used to present data, evidence, and other research findings in a straightforward and factual way. It often involves the use of tables, charts, or technical illustrations to showcase or back up this information. This style does not try to convince readers to believe in anything one way or another—it’s simply used to demonstrate that you, the author, are an expert on a particular topic.

Persuasive style

Lastly, you will definitely want to use the persuasive style of writing if you are looking to convince readers of something. This is often used in things like self-help books, personal essays, and how-to guides to show readers your point of view and then back up that point of view with whatever evidence you have. This sometimes includes personal anecdotes and rhetorical questions that appeal not only to the reader’s logic but also to their emotions. You might compare one thing to another in a way that illuminates the point you’re trying to get across.

Andrea Moran lives outside of Nashville with her husband and two kids. She’s a professional copywriter and editor who loves all things books. Find her on LinkedIn.