The primary purpose of a piece of nonfiction,
magazine article, book, newspaper column, or blog,
is to inform the reader if certain facts.
Technical manuals and scholarly works are examples of
pure nonfiction—they include
facts and only facts. In the case of scholarly works,
the facts are supported by authoritative sources and
more facts. And in the usual sense of the term, pure
nonfiction is dull and pedantic. But it serves a vital
purpose.
The requirement for pure facts and references
are relaxed for the popular nonfiction genre. This genre
is intended for the general public and lesser academic
types. Virtually all well-prepared nonfiction books,
articles, and blogs are examples of popular nonfiction,
and the market for freelance authors is huge and
insatiable. However, this is not to suggest the
lack of standards for ethics and quality that is found
in the shallow, emotion-driven, drivel that pervades the
web today.
