Book Genres: Complete List With BISAC Codes (2026)

Quick answer: A book genre is the kind of story or subject a book belongs to, such as fantasy, romance, memoir or self-help. The book trade files every title under a standard list called BISAC, which has 54 major headings and many sub-headings, and online retailers use it to shelve and recommend your book. This guide lists the main genres and sub-genres of fiction and nonfiction, with the real BISAC code for each fiction genre and for memoir, and explains how to pick the one that fits.

Disclosure: Harmony Publishing is a self-publishing company and links to its own pages where they match a genre. The codes below come from the Book Industry Study Group (BISG), which publishes the BISAC list, and each section links to the official page. The 2025 edition was the latest when we checked in October 2026; BISG revises the list every year.

Genre, category and BISAC code: what is the difference?

People use "genre" loosely. For publishing, three ideas matter:

• Genre is how readers talk about a book: "a cozy mystery", "a memoir", "epic fantasy".
• Category is a shelf or browse page on a store's website.
• BISAC subject heading is the standard code a publisher sends with the book's details so that stores and libraries file it consistently. BISG says retailers use the headings to shelve books with similar topics, as online search terms, and for browse pages and bestseller lists. It also says Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Bookscan and most major publishers use them (BISAC FAQ).

A BISAC code is nine characters: three letters, then six digits, for example FIC009000. BISG's FAQ says the letters are usually a memory aid for the section (FIC for fiction) and the digits are only an identifier. The heading itself reads like a path, for example "FICTION / Fantasy / General".

The 54 major BISAC headings

BISG lists 54 major sections (full list). Nonfiction is split across most of them, which is why a book on one subject can fit several headings:

• Story and imaginative writing: Fiction; Juvenile Fiction; Young Adult Fiction; Comics & Graphic Novels; Drama; Poetry; Literary Collections.
• Life and people: Biography & Autobiography; True Crime; History; Family & Relationships.
• Faith and mind: Religion; Bibles; Mind, Body, Spirit; Philosophy; Psychology; Self-Help.
• Work and money: Business & Economics; Law; Computers; Technology & Engineering; Education; Study Aids.
• Home and hobbies: Cooking; Gardening; House & Home; Crafts & Hobbies; Pets; Games & Activities; Antiques & Collectibles; Sports & Recreation; Travel; Transportation.
• Arts: Art; Architecture; Design; Music; Performing Arts; Photography; Humor.
• Science and society: Science; Mathematics; Medical; Nature; Health & Fitness; Political Science; Social Science.
• Language and reference: Language Arts & Disciplines; Language Study; Literary Criticism; Reference.
• Juvenile and young adult nonfiction: Juvenile Nonfiction; Young Adult Nonfiction.
• Non-Classifiable (code NON000000) is for items with no subject, such as a blank journal.

Fiction genres and sub-genres, with BISAC codes

These codes are copied from BISG's Fiction page (2025 edition). Each row is the "General" code for that genre; the sub-genres listed are examples of the more specific headings beneath it.

Genre	BISAC code	Examples of sub-genres
Fantasy	FIC009000	Epic (FIC009020), Dark Fantasy (FIC009070), Urban (FIC009060), Historical (FIC009030), Cozy (FIC009160)
Romance	FIC027000	Contemporary (FIC027020), Historical (FIC027050), Paranormal (FIC027120), Romantic Comedy (FIC027250), Suspense (FIC027110)
Mystery & Detective	FIC022000	Traditional (FIC022030), Cozy (FIC022070), Hard-Boiled (FIC022010), Police Procedural (FIC022020), Amateur Sleuth (FIC022100)
Thrillers	FIC031000	Suspense (FIC030000), Crime (FIC031010), Legal (FIC031030), Medical (FIC031040), Psychological (FIC031080)
Science Fiction	FIC028000	Space Opera (FIC028030), Hard Science Fiction (FIC028020), Cyberpunk (FIC028100), Apocalyptic & Post-Apocalyptic (FIC028070)
Horror	FIC015000	Psychological (FIC015050), Occult & Supernatural (FIC015040), Monsters & Creatures (FIC015030)
Historical	FIC014000	Medieval (FIC014020), 19th Century (FIC014100), World War II & Holocaust (FIC014050)
Literary	FIC019000	Classics (FIC004000) and Literary (FIC019000) are used at the classifier's discretion
Christian	FIC042000	Contemporary (FIC042100), Historical (FIC042030), Romance (FIC042040), Suspense (FIC042060), Biblical (FIC042090)
Humorous	FIC016000	Dark Humor (FIC060000)

Other stand-alone fiction headings that authors often need include Coming of Age (FIC043000), Dystopian (FIC055000), Crime (FIC050000), Family Life (FIC045000), Fairy Tales, Folk Tales, Legends & Mythology (FIC010000), Short Stories (single author) (FIC029000), Westerns (FIC033000), War & Military (FIC032000), Magical Realism (FIC061000), Satire (FIC052000), Sagas (FIC008000), Women (FIC044000) and Sports (FIC038000).

BISG notes that "Fiction / Own Voices" and "Fiction / Women" have specific meanings, and that headings under "World Literature" describe the author's country or region, not the setting or language. Read the usage notes on the Fiction page before you use them.

Nonfiction genres, with the code for memoir

Nonfiction genres follow the major headings above. The ones most self-published authors choose are:

• Memoir: BIO026000 "Biography & Autobiography / Memoirs" (BISG Biography page). A memoir covers part of your life around a theme; a full autobiography uses the general or a more specific biography heading. Other biography headings include Business (BIO003000), Religious (BIO018000), Sports (BIO016000), Military (BIO008000), Medical (BIO017000) and Women (BIO022000). See our guide to publishing a memoir.
• Self-help and personal growth: the Self-Help section. See the BISG Self-Help page for its sub-headings.
• Religion and spirituality: the Religion, Bibles and Mind, Body, Spirit sections. See Christian book publishing for faith books.
• Business and money: the Business & Economics section.
• History and true crime: the History and True Crime sections.
• Cooking: the Cooking section. See how to publish a cookbook.
• Poetry: the Poetry section. See how to publish a poetry book.

Children's and young adult genres

BISG says the juvenile headings are for books aimed at ages 0 to 11 (preschool to grade 6) and the young adult headings for ages 12 to 18 (grades 7 to 12) (BISAC FAQ). It also says juvenile and young adult headings should not be combined with each other or with adult headings. Picture books, early readers and chapter books sit under Juvenile Fiction or Juvenile Nonfiction. See children's book publishing and how to publish a picture book.

How to choose your genre and BISAC codes

1. Pick the major heading that best describes the book's content, then the most specific heading beneath it. BISG's example for a police procedural is FIC022020, "Fiction / Mystery & Detective / Police Procedural" (BISAC FAQ).
2. Use up to three codes. BISG's best practice is no more than three, with the main subject first, and fewer when they describe the book fully.
3. Avoid the "General" code when a specific one exists. BISG discourages sending both a specific and a general heading for the same book.
4. Do not mix fiction with nonfiction, or juvenile with adult headings, on one title.
5. Look at comparable books. Find three books like yours and see which categories they sit in on retailer pages.
6. Use the same codes for every format of the book (paperback, hardcover, ebook), as BISG recommends.

Whoever supplies your book's details to the retailers sends the codes with the ISBN record. Every book with an ISBN should have a BISAC code (BISAC FAQ). See our page on ISBNs for books.

From genre to published book

Your genre shapes the next decisions: how the book is edited, what the cover should signal, and how it is listed. Harmony Publishing offers book editing, cover design and self-publishing packages, and explains publishing a book on Amazon.

Frequently asked questions

How many book genres are there?

There is no single count. The trade list, BISAC, has 54 major headings and many sub-headings under them (BISG). Readers and stores also use informal genre names that are not on the list, such as romantasy, which BISG's Fiction page cross-refers to Fantasy / Romance.

What are the main genres of fiction?

The most common are fantasy, romance, mystery and detective, thrillers, science fiction, horror, historical fiction and literary fiction, with a large Christian fiction section. The table above gives each one's BISAC code.

What is the difference between a genre and a BISAC code?

A genre is a reader-facing label. A BISAC code is the standard code that tells stores and libraries where to file the book.

What BISAC code is a memoir?

BIO026000, "Biography & Autobiography / Memoirs".

Can a book have more than one genre?

Yes. BISG recommends up to three codes, with the main subject first, as long as they do not conflict.

Do I have to print the BISAC code on my book?

No. BISG says the code is for electronic data exchange and recommends printing the heading in words, if at all, rather than the nine-character code. It suggests the lower left of the back cover as the most useful position.