General:
* Volume: This is a formal term often used in academic contexts or for multi-part works.
* Tome: This implies a large, weighty book, often with a serious or scholarly subject.
* Manuscript: This term refers to a handwritten or typed document before it is published.
* Text: This is a general term for any written material, including books.
* Work: A more abstract term, referring to the author's creative output.
Fiction:
* Story: This is a general term for a narrative.
* Tale: This implies a fictional story, often with a fantastical or mythical element.
* Narrative: This emphasizes the story's structure and the way events unfold.
* Fiction: This is the broadest term for any invented story.
* Novella: A shorter work of fiction than a novel but longer than a short story.
Nonfiction:
* Treatise: A serious and detailed study of a particular subject.
* Monograph: A scholarly work focusing on a specific topic.
* Guide: A book designed to provide information or instructions.
* Manual: A book containing detailed instructions on how to do something.
* Report: A document presenting findings or observations on a specific topic.
Other:
* Paperback: A book printed on paper with a flexible cover.
* Hardback: A book with a rigid cover made of thick cardboard.
* E-book: A book in digital format that can be read on a computer or e-reader.
* Folio: A book printed on large sheets of paper, folded in half.
* Quarto: A book printed on sheets of paper folded twice, creating four pages.
The best alternative term for a book or novel depends on the specific context and the type of book you're talking about.