Categories for the
2026-2027 Reader Views Non-Fiction Awards
Browse the full list of eligible non-fiction categories for the 2026-2027 awards season.
Category names align with BISAC classifications; category descriptions are provided for guidance and judging clarity.
NOTE: Children’s nonfiction titles should be submitted through the Fiction Awards program under the appropriate age-based children’s category. Nonfiction entries will be evaluated using the nonfiction criteria. Visit our Fiction Awards categories page for details.
Nonfiction books centered on the creative arts, including visual art, music, theater, dance, film, photography, and performance. These works focus on the appreciation, history, cultural significance, or lived experience of the arts rather than technical instruction.
Typical characteristics:
Art, music, theater, dance, or film history
Artistic movements, trends, or criticism
Biographies of artists, musicians, or performers when the focus is on their creative work
Cultural or historical analysis related to the arts
Reflective or informational content rather than how-to or instructional guides
Humor – Non-Fiction
Nonfiction books written to entertain through humor, satire, or wit while drawing from real-life experiences, observations, or commentary. These works use comedy to reflect on personal stories, social norms, culture, or everyday situations, often blending insight with amusement rather than instruction.
Typical characteristics:
Personal essays, memoirs, or anecdotes with a humorous lens
Satire or observational commentary on society, culture, or daily life
Witty or comedic storytelling grounded in real events
Humor driven by voice, perspective, or lived experience
Nonfiction that prioritizes entertainment and insight over instruction or self-help
Nonfiction books examining popular culture and mass media and their influence on society. These works explore how entertainment, media, and celebrity shape cultural trends, public discourse, and shared experience.
Typical characteristics:
Popular culture commentary or criticism
Film, television, or entertainment industry analysis
Media studies, including digital media and social platforms
Celebrity culture, fandom, or audience behavior
Cultural impact of mass media rather than production or technical instruction
Nonfiction books that chronicle the life, experiences, or personal history of an individual. These works are grounded in real events and emphasize lived experience, personal perspective, or documented life stories rather than instructional guidance or analysis of broader social issues.
Typical characteristics:
Personal life stories or reflections based on real events
Memoirs focused on specific periods, themes, or experiences
Autobiographies recounting the author’s life
Biographies written about another individual
Narrative-driven nonfiction centered on personal experience
Nonfiction books focused on non-denominational spirituality, mindfulness, holistic wellness, and reflective practices centered on personal awareness and balance. These works explore spiritual or metaphysical concepts without adherence to formal religious doctrine.
Typical characteristics:
Mindfulness, meditation, or contemplative practices
Holistic or integrative approaches to well-being
Spiritual or metaphysical perspectives not tied to organized religion
Healing, self-awareness, or reflective content outside clinical or medical frameworks
Non-doctrinal content; faith-based works belong under Religion & Spirituality
Nonfiction books focused on parenting, family dynamics, and interpersonal relationships. These works address the roles, challenges, and connections within families and close relationships, emphasizing guidance, insight, or understanding rather than personal memoir or general self-help.
Typical characteristics:
Parenting guidance and family life topics
Marriage, partnership, or relationship dynamics
Child development within a family context
Communication and conflict within families or close relationships
Nonfiction centered on family or relational experiences rather than personal life stories
Nonfiction books addressing broad business and economic topics, including organizational strategy, leadership, management, economic trends, and workplace culture. These works take a big-picture or cross-disciplinary approach rather than focusing on a single functional area.
Typical characteristics:
General business strategy or management topics
Leadership and organizational development
Workplace culture and professional environments
Economic concepts, trends, or analysis
Business-focused content that does not fit more specific business subcategories
Nonfiction books focused on animals and animal-related topics for adult or younger audiences. These works may explore pet care, animal behavior, wildlife, conservation, or human–animal relationships, presented in an informative or educational manner.
Typical characteristics:
Pet care, training, or animal companionship
Animal behavior or communication
Wildlife, nature, or conservation topics
Human–animal relationships and interaction
Animal-focused nonfiction for adult or children’s audiences
Nonfiction books focused on starting, running, and growing small businesses or entrepreneurial ventures. These works address the practical realities of entrepreneurship, from idea development through long-term sustainability.
Typical characteristics:
Entrepreneurship and startup guidance
Small business ownership and operations
Business planning and venture development
Scaling, sustainability, or growth challenges
Real-world insights into building and managing independent businesses
Nonfiction books focused on religious belief systems, faith traditions, theology, and spiritual practices rooted in organized religion. These works explore doctrine, scripture, religious history, or faith-based perspectives and teachings.
Typical characteristics:
Faith-based teachings or religious instruction
Theology, doctrine, or scriptural study
Religious history or traditions
Spiritual guidance grounded in a specific faith
Works aligned with organized religion rather than non-denominational spirituality
Nonfiction books focused on generating revenue, building audiences, and expanding organizations through sales strategy, marketing efforts, and business growth initiatives. These works address how products, services, and brands reach and retain customers.
Typical characteristics:
Sales strategy and customer acquisition
Marketing, branding, and audience development
Digital marketing, content strategy, or advertising
Growth strategy and market expansion
Business-focused approaches to increasing visibility and revenue
Nonfiction books focused on scientific topics, research, and discovery across the natural and applied sciences. These works explain scientific concepts, explore research findings, or examine the impact of science on the world through an educational or analytical lens.
Typical characteristics:
General science topics or overviews
Scientific research, discoveries, or innovations
Natural or physical sciences, including biology, physics, or chemistry
Science explained for general or specialized audiences
Evidence-based exploration of scientific ideas and their implications
Nonfiction books focused on career growth, workplace success, and professional development within a business or organizational context. These works address skills, coaching, and guidance aimed at advancing or navigating professional paths rather than personal self-help or spirituality.
Typical characteristics:
Career development and workplace advancement
Professional coaching or mentoring
Leadership and management skills
Workplace performance, productivity, or communication
These books focus on professional growth and career advancement within a business or organizational context, rather than personal self-help or inspirational guidance.
Nonfiction books focused on personal development, motivation, mindset, and life improvement. These works aim to encourage positive change through guidance, reflection, or practical strategies, without being tied to business performance, clinical health, or religious doctrine.
Typical characteristics:
Personal growth, mindset, or habit-building
Motivation and inspirational guidance
Life skills and self-improvement strategies
Confidence, resilience, or goal-setting
General self-help content rather than professional, spiritual, or medical frameworks
Nonfiction books focused on financial concepts, money management, investing, and economic decision-making in personal or business contexts. These works address how individuals and organizations manage, analyze, and grow financial resources.
Typical characteristics:
Personal finance and money management
Investing, wealth building, and portfolio strategies
Business finance, accounting, or financial strategy
Economic principles related to markets and finance
Practical financial guidance rather than motivational or inspirational content
Nonfiction books focused on contemporary social, political, and environmental issues affecting communities and societies. These works examine systems, policies, movements, and collective challenges through analysis, commentary, or research rather than personal narrative.
Typical characteristics:
Political systems, public policy, or civic issues
Social justice, equity, or human rights topics
Environmental issues, sustainability, or climate-related concerns
Social movements or societal change
Analytical or issue-driven nonfiction rather than memoir or self-help
Nonfiction books focused on hands-on activities, practical skills, and instructional guidance intended to teach readers how to make, build, create, or do something. These works are skill-based and task-oriented rather than reflective, narrative, or analytical.
Typical characteristics:
Crafts, DIY, and maker-based projects
Hobbies and leisure activities
Step-by-step instructional or how-to guides
Cooking, baking, and food preparation guides
Practical skills taught through demonstration or instruction
Nonfiction books focused on sports, athletic activity, and recreational pursuits. These works address participation, training, history, coaching, or enjoyment of sports and recreational activities rather than health-focused fitness or exercise for general wellness.
Typical characteristics:
Organized sports or athletic activities
Coaching, training, or performance-related topics
Recreational activities and outdoor sports
Sports history or athlete-focused nonfiction
Participation- or sport-centered content rather than general fitness guidance
Nonfiction books focused on teaching, learning, and educational systems across all levels. These works address instructional methods, curriculum development, learning theory, educational policy, or the experiences of educators and learners.
Typical characteristics:
Teaching methods and instructional practices
Curriculum design or learning theory
Educational systems, policy, or reform
Classroom experiences or educator perspectives
Academic or professional approaches to education
Nonfiction books focused on technology, innovation, and the impact of technological developments on individuals, organizations, and society. These works explore how technology is created, applied, or shapes modern life rather than providing step-by-step technical manuals.
Typical characteristics:
Emerging technologies or innovation trends
Computing, digital tools, or internet-related topics
Technology’s impact on business, culture, or daily life
Ethical, social, or practical implications of technology
Nonfiction technology analysis rather than hands-on programming guides
Nonfiction books focused on physical health, fitness, nutrition, and overall well-being. These works address maintaining or improving health through exercise, diet, lifestyle choices, or evidence-based wellness practices.
Typical characteristics:
Fitness, exercise, or movement programs
Nutrition, diet, or healthy eating guidance
Lifestyle approaches to physical well-being
Health education or prevention-focused topics
Nonfiction health content that is not primarily spiritual or motivational
Nonfiction books focused on travel, destinations, and the natural world. These works may explore places, landscapes, wildlife, or environmental settings through narrative, observation, or practical guidance, including travel and nature-focused guidebooks.
Typical characteristics:
Travel writing or destination-based nonfiction
Travel guides and trip-planning resources
Nature writing or environmental observation
Place-based narratives centered on landscapes or ecosystems
Wildlife, natural history, or outdoor exploration
Nonfiction books focused on past events, people, movements, or periods, presented through research, analysis, or narrative documentation. These works examine historical context and significance rather than personal memoir or fictionalized accounts.
Typical characteristics:
Historical events, eras, or timelines
Political, social, or cultural history
Biographies grounded in historical context
Regional, national, or global history
Research-based or narrative historical nonfiction
Nonfiction books focused on real criminal cases, investigations, and criminal behavior. These works examine crimes, offenders, victims, and the justice system through reporting, research, or narrative reconstruction based on factual events.
Typical characteristics:
Accounts of real crimes and criminal cases
Investigative journalism or case analysis
Law enforcement, legal proceedings, or forensic examination
Criminal psychology or behavior grounded in real events
Narrative nonfiction based on documented crimes
Nonfiction books focused on social, cultural, and human experiences across identity, life stages, and communities. These works examine how individuals and groups navigate society, culture, and change, emphasizing shared human themes rather than personal memoir or political advocacy.
Typical characteristics:
Men’s or women’s issues examined through social or cultural lenses
Multicultural, cross-cultural, or identity-based topics
Aging, retirement, senior life, or later-life perspectives
Social roles, relationships, and community experiences
Analytical or observational nonfiction rather than memoir or self-help
Nonfiction books focused on the craft of writing and the publishing industry. These works address writing skills, storytelling techniques, publishing pathways, and the business or process of bringing written work to readers.
Typical characteristics:
Writing craft, technique, or storytelling guidance
Publishing industry insights or processes
Traditional, independent, or hybrid publishing models
Editing, querying, or submission guidance
Nonfiction focused on writing or publishing rather than creative works themselves
REGIONAL AND GLOBAL CATEGORIES: Entries include Regional (for U.S. authors) and Global (for all authors) category consideration. These designations may refer to either the book’s subject matter or the author’s residence.
Regional and Global categories are complimentary with the submission of at least one standard category.
REGIONAL CATEGORIES (NORTH AMERICA ONLY):
Canada East (ON, QB, NF, NB, NS, PE, NT)
Canada West (BC, AB, SK, MB, NWT, YK)
Great Lakes (OH, MI, IN, IL, WI)
Mexico
Mid-Atlantic (PA, WV, VA, DE, MD, DC, NJ)
Midwest (MN, IA, MO, OK, KS, NE, SD, ND)
North East (ME, VT, NH, MA, RI, CT, NY)
South (MS, LA, AR, TX, TN)
South East (KY, NC, SC, GA, FL, AL)
Western Mountain (MT, WY, ID, UT, CO, NM)
Western Pacific (CA, OR, WA, HI, AK)
GLOBAL CATEGORIES:
Asia
Africa
Antarctica
Australia/New Zealand/Australasia
Europe
North America
South America