Is it possible for a book to be two genres at once? In my case, I think the book I'm working on may be a mix of prescriptive nonfiction and expository nonfiction. If I had to choose one, I think I'd go with prescriptive, but then I'd include a lot of what you have called "foundational concepts." The bulk of the book may be about these foundational concepts, which feels more "expository."
Hey Dan, this is a great question! I've got two thoughts about this.
First - Usually, when a book bridges multiple genres, if one of those genres is prescriptive nonfiction, then that should take precedence over whatever other genre it's being paired with. That's because readers will find the most value in the book when it prioritizes their transformation - they know what's in it for them. (I talked more about this principle in this post: https://arielcurry.substack.com/p/exploring-a-popular-genre-mashup)
Second - "Prescriptive nonfiction" is a VERY broad category and encompasses a range of narrative elements, voice/tone, and different levels of "prescription." A how-to book or a workbook is going to be exceedingly explicit and practical in its prescription, whereas a thought leadership book might teach more by example and exposition (like you've described) and let the reader draw their own conclusions about how to apply the ideas to their lives. And then there's everything in between! Either way, though, the goal of the book is still to transform what the reader knows/understands/does in their lives, and would still qualify as prescriptive nonfiction. So from what you've described, I think you're seeing that range of narrative elements/voice/tone/outright prescription at play in your book. If it prioritizes the reader's transformation, it's still prescriptive nonfiction.
Is it possible for a book to be two genres at once? In my case, I think the book I'm working on may be a mix of prescriptive nonfiction and expository nonfiction. If I had to choose one, I think I'd go with prescriptive, but then I'd include a lot of what you have called "foundational concepts." The bulk of the book may be about these foundational concepts, which feels more "expository."
Curious to hear your thoughts. Thanks!
Hey Dan, this is a great question! I've got two thoughts about this.
First - Usually, when a book bridges multiple genres, if one of those genres is prescriptive nonfiction, then that should take precedence over whatever other genre it's being paired with. That's because readers will find the most value in the book when it prioritizes their transformation - they know what's in it for them. (I talked more about this principle in this post: https://arielcurry.substack.com/p/exploring-a-popular-genre-mashup)
Second - "Prescriptive nonfiction" is a VERY broad category and encompasses a range of narrative elements, voice/tone, and different levels of "prescription." A how-to book or a workbook is going to be exceedingly explicit and practical in its prescription, whereas a thought leadership book might teach more by example and exposition (like you've described) and let the reader draw their own conclusions about how to apply the ideas to their lives. And then there's everything in between! Either way, though, the goal of the book is still to transform what the reader knows/understands/does in their lives, and would still qualify as prescriptive nonfiction. So from what you've described, I think you're seeing that range of narrative elements/voice/tone/outright prescription at play in your book. If it prioritizes the reader's transformation, it's still prescriptive nonfiction.
I hope that makes sense and helps!
Super helpful. Thanks so much!!
Excited for this! I love the Good Inside book and am looking forward to learning more about book mapping through this example!
Yay, thanks!!
I love Dr. Becky’s work and so glad it met you at just the right time! I also love how you took us through the mapping process with her book.
Thank you!! Much more to come next week, too! :)