You Can't Make This Stuff Up: The Complete Guide to Writing Creative Nonfiction—from Memoir to Literary Journalism and Everything in Between

Name: You Can't Make This Stuff Up: The Complete Guide to Writing Creative Nonfiction—from Memoir to Literary Journalism and Everything in Between
Price: 2.99 USD
Availability: InStock
Rating: 4.4 (425 reviews)
Author: Lee Gutkind

by Lee Gutkind

Nonfiction Self Help

4.4 (425)

4.4 stars from 425 reviews

Published by Hachette BooksPublished 2012-01-01

$2.99Deal75% off peak

Last checked: Jun 29, 2026

Price history: $1.99 – $11.99

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Price range: $1.99 – $11.99

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Perfect for you if...

You're writing a memoir or personal essay and want to understand what separates a compelling narrative from a mere retelling of events.
You're a journalist or feature writer interested in elevating your craft with literary techniques that deepen reader connection.
You've finished a first draft of something true and realise the hard part isn't the story—it's making people actually care about it.

Maybe not for you if...

You're looking for a quick formula or a paint-by-numbers approach. Gutkind expects you to think critically about your own work.
You want a book focused entirely on memoir. This covers the full spectrum of creative nonfiction, from essays to literary journalism.
You prefer learning through inspiration alone rather than practical exercises and real examples dissected on the page.

About this book

You Can't Make This Stuff Up is a guide to writing creative nonfiction across genres including memoir and literary journalism. Lee Gutkind covers the full scope of the form, from developing a concept and establishing a writing process through to completing a finished piece. The book includes tools and exercises that illustrate key steps in the craft. Gutkind provides analysis of examples from published creative nonfiction to demonstrate how effective writing in the genre works. The guide combines practical instruction with personal anecdotes and offers new perspectives on understanding and approaching creative nonfiction writing.

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Kindle price over time. Green zones = periods when the book was free.

$1.99 – $11.99

Currently on sale at $2.99 — 75% off peak. Price has dropped 22 times over the last 6 years. Goes on sale roughly every 89 days. Typically stays discounted for 22 days.

Sales Rank

Amazon sales rank: lower number = better selling book. #1 is the bestseller.

Currently around #48K in the Kindle store — a steady mid-list seller. Sales have softened 102% recently.

Rating & Reviews

Purple line = star rating over time. Blue area = total review count growth.

Currently 4.4★ from 425 reviews

Gaining approximately 2 new reviews per month. Rating has remained stable at 4.4 over the tracking period.

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This book is currently discounted at $2.99. It typically returns to around $11.99.

Prices shown in USD from Amazon US. We continuously pull new data to improve tracking. If dates look old, it usually means there has been no significant change since the last data point.