Not sure what book to write? Answer five quick questions about your reader, your goal, and your time, and get a clear recommendation: a novel, a nonfiction book, a children's book, a memoir, or a short story collection. Then start it in one click. Free, instant, no account.
Which book type to write, by who it is for and how long it runs
Book type
Best for
Typical length
A novel
Writers who love immersive fiction and want a full-length story.
50,000 to 90,000 words
A nonfiction book
Experts and problem-solvers who want to teach and publish to earn.
15,000 to 40,000 words
A children's book
First-time authors writing something short and joyful for a child.
300 to 800 words
A memoir
Anyone with a life story to preserve for family and readers who know them.
30,000 to 70,000 words
A short story collection
Writers who prefer quick reads and want to build a catalog fast.
5,000 to 20,000 words
There is no single right answer to what book you should write. Match the book to your reader, your goal, and the time you have. Once you know the type, BookFoundry writes the whole book with you and exports DOCX, EPUB, and print-ready PDF for Amazon KDP.
Start with three questions, not with the blank page. Who is the reader? A novel and a children's book are worlds apart, and the reader decides almost everything else. What is the goal, to entertain, to teach, to preserve a life, or to publish and earn on Amazon KDP? And how much time do you actually have, because a full novel is a different commitment from a short story collection or a picture book. When you answer those honestly, the right format usually names itself. The quiz above does exactly this in five quick taps, then hands you a starting point instead of more questions.
The five book types, and who each is for
A novel is for writers drawn to invented worlds and characters who have the time for a long story, usually 50,000 to 90,000 words. A nonfiction book is for experts and problem-solvers who want to teach and often to earn on Amazon KDP, typically 15,000 to 40,000 words. A children's book is the fastest route to a finished result, often 300 to 800 words carried by illustrations, and a favorite of first-time authors. A memoir is for anyone whose best material is their own life, usually 30,000 to 70,000 words. A short story collection suits writers who like quick, themed pieces and want to publish fast, often 5,000 to 20,000 words in total.
What if more than one type fits?
That is common, and it is good news, not a problem. If a novel and a memoir both call to you, start with the one that needs less time so you finish something, then write the other next. The quiz breaks ties by weighing your reader and your goal more heavily than a single answer, so the recommendation is a confident starting point rather than a rule. You can retake it any time, change one answer, and watch the result move. The only wrong choice is the book you never begin, so pick the type that gets you writing today and let BookFoundry carry the draft with you.
Frequently asked questions
Match the book to your reader, your goal, and the time you have. The quiz on this page asks five quick questions and recommends one of five book types, a novel, nonfiction, a children's book, a memoir, or short stories, with a plain reason why.
Yes. The quiz and the recommendation are free with no account. If you want to write the book, a free BookFoundry account lets you start it and preview it before anything is charged.
A novel, a nonfiction book, a children's book, a memoir, and a short story collection. Each has a typical length and a reader it fits best, and each has a ready create flow in BookFoundry.
Retake the quiz and change an answer, since the recommendation shifts with your reader, goal, and time. It is a confident starting point, not a rule, and you are free to pick a different type.
Yes. Whatever type you choose, BookFoundry exports DOCX, EPUB, and print-ready PDF formatted for Amazon KDP, so you can publish once the book is written.
