Fiction refers to books and novels that are written based on imaginary stories. Mainly these stories are not pointing out any person or event, though they are influenced by real-world examples. There are many types of fiction book genres, including imaginary stories based on mysteries, science fiction, fantasy, crime thrillers, romance, and many others.

Fiction books have seen a declining trend in the past five years in the US. In 2008, 47% of the US population was reading fiction. But in 2019, it dropped to 41.8%. This makes up more than 270 million fictional books sold in 2019.

On the other hand, non-fiction is famously known as truth-telling. It means stories and books that are based on true events explained as they happened. Research shows, in the US, most love to read non-fiction books, including educational and topical subjects. In 2019, more than 405 Million non-fiction books were sold in the US.

Reading preferences vary with age. Children and young kids are drawn towards fictional books. People working in academic roles usually have a taste for educational, event-based, informative non-fiction works. Even within fiction and non-fiction, the spectrum of book genres further corresponds to the diverse tastes that people have. We have a large collection of book genres spreading over fiction and non-fiction books that you can check on our website. These are the books we have published since our inception. If you want to publish your book with us, you are just one click away from the online submission form. Learn more about submissions here.
 

What is Fiction and Non-fiction?

Although both of these are popular types of creative writing. There are stark contrasts between the two.

Fiction is something that comes purely from the writer’s imagination. It depends on the writer how he wants to take his writing forward. Fiction is an imaginative creation, something which does not exist in reality. Fiction is imaginative literature that follows characters, events, and descriptions. 

As fiction is unreal, the writer may come up with any thought engulfing his mind. Through this type of writing, the writer lets the reader take a sneak peek into their world of fantasy and imagination. The writer imagines the entire story, characters, events, and dialog. There is no right or wrong when writing fiction. 

Fiction writing is never based on reality. When we read fiction, we understand it will never take place in real life. We will never come across the characters in the story, even though the particular character may be inspired by a real-life person.

It is a form of art that we usually get to see in comic books, movies, tv shows, novella, and fairy tales. The plot may not be subjective to a single genre. But it deviates from action, mystery, and thriller to science fiction, fantasy, and romance. With all the twists and turns, and uncertain plot lines, fiction writing can engage you and mesmerize you with its unique storytelling. Believe it or not, fiction writing is what we call solid entertainment.

Now, coming to the part of non-fiction books. It is the type of literature that contains facts that may be related to education, journalism, or memoir. When non-fiction is composed, emphasis is laid on simplicity and clarity. You see, the purpose of writing non-fiction is to learn bout a specific subject or to increase knowledge. A non-fictional work comprises newspaper reports, cover letters, biographies and memoirs, and textbooks. If you believe you have got exceptional writing skills, you can check out our ‘how to become an author’ page to become an accomplished author.
 

What are the main differences between fiction and non-fiction?
 

1. Fiction books are subjective. Non-fiction books are objective.

Fiction books are purely based on the imagination and ideas of the author. An author may put into words anything which he seems appropriate. This style of writing relies heavily on themes of fantasy, thrill, and excitement. In fiction writing, there is a plot, a set of characters, and events that unfold as per the author.

Non-fiction books are objective, which means it relies on facts and figures. An author cannot include his viewpoints in a work of non-fiction. It is free from errors and factual mistakes.
 

2. Fiction books use imagination and creativity. Non-fiction books use real events and facts.

As far as fiction books are concerned, the author’s brainpower comes into play as the readers are hooked onto whatever story is presented to them. Through vivid imagination and storytelling, one advantage fiction books have over non-fiction books is the ability to grasp the reader's attention. We do not see that quite often with non-fiction.

Non-fiction books rely heavily on facts and figures to convey information in a written format, and it cannot deviate from that. It has to remain straight so that the readers can comprehend the information quickly.
 

3. Fiction books are written for entertainment. Non-fiction books are written to convey information.

Think about your favorite books that give you the perfect movie-night experience. Harry Potter? Charlie and the Chocolate Factory? The Hunger Games? Twilight? Ever wondered what do these popular books have in common? They are all types of fiction books. Indeed, fiction books can make you think about unbelievable scenarios. It can make you fall in love with book characters and whatnot! Fiction books are written to entertain the reader and give them a breather from the hectic daily routine. Interested to read some

Now, think about non-fiction as the textbooks that you have to read in high school. Or the biography of your favorite athlete. Such works are always straight to the point and fact-driven. They will only include information that is deemed as credible and note-worthy. The sole purpose of non-fiction books is to help the reader gain knowledge or information about a worldly event.
 

4. A fiction writer holds no responsibility for being credible, while a fiction writer does.

For fiction writers, everything they write in their book may or may not be factually correct. After all, fiction is sure to have surreal and imaginary scenarios to make their work more appealing and eye-catching. Even if a fiction writer talks about serial killers, which is not a myth. But they may be presented in a way that swerves away from reality. 

A non-fiction writer holds responsible for being credible with their work. It’s because non-fiction books are bound to have information that is held accurately by everyone. There can be no viewpoints and opinions of anyone whatsoever. Therefore, if you ever read memoirs and autobiographies, you will see a linear pattern and everything factually coming to terms.

For now, here are some delightful fiction and non-fiction books from Austin Macauley Publishers to read for a fulfilling reading experience.

Best Fiction Books

Below are some of our amazing fiction books to read.
 

Book: Billy’s Adventurous Summer Holiday

Author: Millette I. Vickerman

Billy Robins is an eight-year-old boy who is adventurous like many kids of his age. He loves to spend time with his grandparents, who live at a farm near upstate New York. Each summer, he goes to his grandparent’s farm with his parents. This summer is different because his grandparents gift him a horse! He spends the whole summer riding the horse and helping his grandparents. This adventure genre title is a must in your TBR list.

Buy Billy's Adventurous Summer Holiday here.

Book: The Coffee Connection

Author: Paulanne Simmons

The crime genre makes for the best fiction books for most people. There is a break-in at The Coffee Connection, a café at Brooklyn Heights. With the police starting an investigation to find out whether it was a random crime or planned crime, there are many suspects in the eyes of the police. Will they find out who did this, and is it related to the coffee?

Buy The Coffee Connection here.

Book: When Do I Have a Say?

Author: Kizito Chukwunonso Anyanwu

For all those who do not know, historical fiction is also a very intriguing book genre. Historical fiction set in times gone by and are not actual incidents of the past form part of this book genre. It's a story of a girl who survived two civil wars in her lifetime and experienced many challenges throughout her lifespan. This girl perfectly expresses being a girl kid, and also a woman in the middle of a war that is happening around her. Want to read more?

Buy When Do I Have a Say? here.

Best Non-Fiction Books

Below are some of our incredible non-fiction books to read.
 

Book: Russia in History; A Concise Survey of Policies

Author: Sidney Ploss

A non-fiction title will range from autobiographies and biographies to commentaries on history and policies. This book is a perfect example. Russia stands as an important country on the map of the world. This book focuses on the complete history of Russia and how the Russian empire was built. What was the political development that helped Russians to stand against other nations? It also explains the foreign policy of Russia that made it easy for the country to make allies. Needless to say, for all readers who take a keen interest in the study of history, this book constitutes the best non-fiction book.

Buy Russia in History here.

Book: Nowhere to Call Home

Author: Leah Denbok with Tim Denbok

This book is an account of an actual problem of homelessness as experienced by people in Canada. Since it is about a social and political issue of inequality, it makes for a thought-provoking non-fictional read. Many people in urban and rural areas of Canada are living on the streets homeless. While on the other hand, the prosperous communities aren’t focusing on providing them with a better place to stay. This book covers the experiences and problems those families are facing while living on the streets. This book is uniquely enlightening for people in other countries observing a similar issue and makes for an essential book to read.

Buy Nowhere to Call Home here.

Book: Sydney Noir and New Age

Author: Hae-Lyun Kang

This book falls under the ‘biography’ book genre. Since a biography is about a real-life person and their life documented by another person (the author) who has closely lived or observed the former, it falls under non-fiction. Here is one of the best non-fiction books written as a biography by Hae-Lyun Kang. This journal revolves around previous existences, rebirthing, crystal gazing, numerology, encountering God, and visiting South Korea and Japan. 

Buy Sydney Noir and New Age here.

We hope our books will help you get a better understanding of how fiction is different from non-fiction. Visit our website for some best fiction and non-fiction books.
 

All our fiction and non-fiction books are currently available at 30% off!

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