Book Genres and Styles | Know the Right Genre for Your Book

Types of Book Genres

Common book genres include romance, mystery, sci-fi, literary fiction, non-fiction, action/adventure, thriller, young adult, and children’s books. In fact, book stores often arrange their shelves of books by book genre to make it easier for people to find the types of books they’re interested in.

Learning more about specific book genres will help you make smart decisions when printing your book. For example, knowing when to choose between a hardcover book or a paperback, what colors and styles to use for your cover design, and even roughly how many pages your book should be.

How to choose your genre and style when printing your book

To maximize your book sales, ask yourself a few questions about your book. These questions will help you determine the genre of your book. Once you decide on a genre, you can use that information to decide what style your book will take, what printing options will be suitable, and where and how to market your book.

Is your book fiction or nonfiction?

In other words, does it tell a story you created, or is it factual information?

What is the goal of your book?

If your goal is to promote your business, your brand, or your reputation, it’s likely a business book. If the goal is to share recipes and techniques for food, it’s a cookbook. If it’s to tell a family story, it’s a family history. If it’s to help others improve their lives, it’s a self-help book. And if it’s to share a message about God, it’s a religious or spiritual book.

Who is your book intended for?

The style of your book should take into account the message of your book and its intended audience. Customizing your book to your intended audience will not only help you get your message across, but it will help potential readers identify your book as something they’re looking for. You can go further with the cover design and formatting of your book to give your book a look and feel that will resonate with your intended audience.

Find your perfect fit within our selection

No matter what style of book you’re creating, 48 Hour Books can help. Our printing capabilities allow you to create the perfect printed book with a professional finish. From our assortment of binding styles to our variety of cover options, you’ll find the right combination for your chosen genre. We even provide custom hardcover book printing. Plus, we offer high-end touches like Diamond 3D Foil that make your book look like one of the best-sellers.

Check out our free book templates, which automate some of the set-up and formatting tasks you may need to start the process of creating your book. And there’s always our custom book formatting service, which can provide you with a formatted book for an added price.

See what real customers are saying about 48 Hour Books!

"Customer service and the quality of the books has honestly been 10/10. As a self-publishing author, 48 Hour Books and those I worked with take so much of the stress out of printing. I love that I can call and talk to a human about my order, and everyone was so helpful. Thank you, 48 Hour books for being so great!"

- Jenna, New Jersey

Book Genres & Styles

Understand the difference between different book genres and pick the right style for your printed book.

Types of Book Genres

Many self-published books and personalized books that we help authors produce fall into the following book genres:

Business books

Religious books

Self-help books

Cookbooks

Family history books