It's not surprising that even some seasoned authors are unsure of the definitions of "fiction" and "non-fiction." After all, the lines are beginning to blur, with more and more literary non-fiction reaching the market and the bestseller lists. Most of the time, this is a wonderful trend, but we've also endured the unfortunate spectacle of authors and publishers passing fiction off as non-fiction. So what's the difference?

When we speak of non-fiction, we are really talking about factual works. They may report on current issues or recount history, explore the latest avenues of scientific research or provide an in-depth examination of people, places, or events, or simply provide a great deal of useful information. But in every case, non-fiction works talk about what is, was, or may become real. Every "character" who may appear in such a book will be a real person, identified by a real name. If dialogue figures in the work, the "speakers" will actually have uttered the quotations.

Of course, facts don't have to be boring, and some of today's best non-fiction writing incorporates intensity and first-rate characterizations of actual people. Notable works like Anthony Shadid's House of Stone, Stefan Fatsis's Word Freak, and Brian Murphy’s 81 Days Below Zero on the Agency's own list are examples: scrupulously accurate narratives, one deeply serious, the other darkly comic, that are written with such style and accomplishment that they might have been novels. It's probably safe to say that the best literary non-fiction is written by those who are not only experts but also passionate about their work: able to make both qualities shine through without alienating their readers.

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