Tag Archives: reading the past

Historical Fiction Preferences – Publishers vs Readers

03 Thursday Jan 2013

Posted by in Historical Fiction, Historical Fiction Survey, Industry News

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Last spring’s historical fiction survey asked readers to specify preferred time periods. The column below on the far right titled ‘Survey %’ shows how readers responded. You can see quite clearly that the 13th to 16th centuries were favoured by more than 50% of participants.

But what are publishers publishing?

Time Period Count Percent Survey %
Prehistory 0 0 4.1
3000 BC to 1000 AD 18 6.32 20.2
2nd to 5th Century 1 0.35 5.7
6th to 12th Century 17 5.96 31.6
13th to 16th Century 39 13.68 52.3
17th Century 11 3.86 22.4
18th Century 16 5.61 36.5
19th Century 63 22.11 45.5
20th Century 120 42.11 25.7

Sarah Johnson whose blog Reading the Past is a favourite of many historical fiction enthusiasts is also Book Review Editor for the Historical Novel Society. Recently she released a list of historical fiction to be published in 2013. In the table above, the percent column shows forthcoming books by time period in terms of percent while the count column is my exercise in counting the number of books by time period. (Note: I have tried to eliminate duplicates and attribute the correct time period in all cases, but I’m certain to have missed a few.)

Clearly publishers are choosing the 20th century. Forty-two percent of forthcoming novels are situated in the first half of the twentieth century and there’s a substantial gap between that and the 19th century which is the second most popular time period chosen by publishers. I should add that the HNS list does not include many novels that might be categorized as historical romance.

Because I’m writing about WWI and WWII, I have some further stats on 20th century fiction. Please note that some novels span more than one of these periods and I have excluded them from the percentages.

  • 12.5% are pre-WWI
  • 5% are WWI
  • 26.6% are in between the world wars
  • 34% are WWII
  • 9% are post WWII

I’m curious. Are these percentages significant or an anomaly? Will readers be disappointed or are they ready to embrace new time periods? What draws writers and publishers to the 20s, 30s and WWII?

Historical Fiction Author – Jenny Barden

01 Thursday Nov 2012

Posted by in Historical Fiction, Researching historical fiction, Writing Process

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I am delighted to welcome Jenny Barden to A Writer of History. Jenny’s debut novel Mistress of the Sea has received enthusiastic endorsement from readers and writers of historical fiction. It’s an ”epic, romantic swashbuckling Elizabethan adventure set at the time of Drake, pirates and privateers”. Who can resist that combination?

How did an artist turn lawyer and then writer?     I spent most of my early childhood in make-believe worlds on quests to defeat demon kings, vanquish monsters and find my way through secret passageways in gothic castles and across treacherous crevasses. So, in a way, I began inventing stories before anything else, but the stories were in my head and role-play, not written down. The first expression of my creativity that anyone acknowledged was my painting. I was blessed with a natural talent for drawing, which my artist-mother encouraged, and throughout my schooling my reputation was so tied up with this gift that it seemed only natural that ‘Jenny the artist’ would one day study Fine Art at university. What I hadn’t counted on was the swing to abstract and conceptual art that coincided with my arrival as an undergraduate keen to learn the techniques of masters like Caravaggio. I was also conscious that at some point I’d have to earn a living, and that would be difficult if my only skills were in being able to pontificate on the ‘numinous transcendence of the linear in space’. Better to switch to a career that would pay well and paint freely in my spare time.

So I switched to law, left university with an LLB and began training as a solicitor articled (by pure chance) to a cousin of WH Auden in my home town of Burton upon Trent. Then I transferred to a distinguished firm of corporate solicitors in Throgmorton Avenue in the City of London. I ended up being one of the first female solicitors they kept on to specialise in company commercial law, and I practiced in that field until the arrival of children (four in total) effectively put an end to my legal career. I then carried on with my art at home while raising my children, and for a while that absorbed me completely, until a chance encounter with the magnificent portrait of Carel Fabritius which hangs in the National Gallery caused me to be so entranced by this artist that I determined to find out more about him. That search for information led to my first hesitant efforts at writing in secret (because I didn’t think I could write a chapter, never mind a book) but in the end I produced a fictionalised account of the artist’s life, on the strength of which I secured an agent, and thus my career as a writer began. Writing, I now realise, has brought all the threads running through my life together – invention and escape, the love of art and attention to detail, a passion for history and adventure; I’ve been able to combine a lawyer’s rigour in research with an artist’s visualisation and imagination – and that leads me nicely to your next question.

Which profession has been your passion?    At various stages in my life I’ve been passionate about all three, but my passion now – my greatest passion – is writing

How long did it take for your first book, Mistress of the Sea, to be published?     About two years from first submission. The book was initially sent out by my agent in the summer of 2010. Within two weeks, Gillian Green, who is now my editor at Ebury Press, took the book to acquisition meeting, but it was turned down by sales and marketing. I then spent the best part of a year revising the book and building a better platform as a writer. The book was resubmitted in 2011 and then several editors took it to acquisition meeting, amongst them Gillian Green, this time successfully. I finally signed a contact for a two book deal with Ebury just before last Christmas and, after further revisions and editing, the book went to print and was released in hardback, trade paperback and ebook on 30 August this year.

Based on reader reaction to date, what is attracting readers to your novel?    It’s still early days; my book has only been out just over a month, so there’s not been much time as yet for reviews and comment, though the Mistress has already picked up excellent ratings. I’d say that readers are attracted to the book by two things: first, what they’ve heard about it, and second, the look of it. In the main what’s driving the former is word about the book online. I’ve picked up an awareness of that by looking at comments on blogs and forums and social networking sites. For example, after an article of mine was posted on Sarah Johnson’s Reading the Past blog there were comments such as: ‘Very interested in this’ and ‘I’m looking forward to reading [Mistress of the Sea] as I love tales set on the high seas.’ There was a lot of feedback in that vein in response to posts I made on quite a few high profile sites (and much discussion about where Americans could get hold of copies as the book is not yet generally available in the US – one answer is here for those who are interested.

As for the look of the book attracting readers, I could see that with my own eyes when I did my first Waterstones’ book signing in Plymouth. I had a fabulous time, and sales were so brisk that I moved up from instore bestseller rank #12 to #6 (and even overtook Philippa Gregory – at least for that day!).My strategy was to watch customers as they came in. If they drifted over to the bestseller chart (conveniently situated near the main entrance and my signing table) then I’d strike up a conversation. Naturally I’d say a little about Mistress of the Sea if I sensed any interest, but what I said depended on who I was talking to. For younger women I emphasised the romance in the adventure and the thriller element, for men I stressed the action, for nautical types (usually bearded!) I said the novel was about Drake’s first enterprise, for those who were obviously Plymouth locals I said the story began and ended in Plymouth. For older women I made much of the sweeping core love story, and for families with children I said the book was about pirates. Very few customers didn’t buy it! But what helped in all this was that the cover appealed to everyone in a positive and eye-catching way. The jacket has an overall gold tint which is instantly attractive. The cloaked and hooded lady in the foreground immediately engages the interest of women, yet the cover is not so feminine as to put the men off – there’s a ship at sea in the background which helps them, and the text on the back of the hardback jacket sums up the story and hooks interest very neatly. I watched customers very carefully while they were pondering – hands and eyes give away a lot! So I have a pretty good idea as to what works with the jacket for the Mistress and, all in all, I’d say Ebury have done an excellent job. In terms of reader feedback so far, the main attractions of the book seem to be its subject matter (Tudor era and an exotic Drake adventure), the accuracy of the research, the credibility of the characters, the drama of the love story and the pace which quickens as the story progresses.

Do you have a particular approach to research and writing?     Of the utmost importance to me is getting as close as possible on the ground in the present to the pivotal scenes in which my stories are set. Only by ‘being there’ is it possible to gain some real appreciation of climate, topography, the natural environment and the conditions in which people must have lived at that location in the past. For instance, there is practically nothing left of Nombre de Dios in Panama as it was in Drake’s time, nonetheless I journeyed there and saw the shanty-style settlement that exists now with that name, and walked over the levelled site of the place, as near as I could determine it, on which the city had once stood in the early 1570s when it was of key significance to the episodes described in Mistress of the Sea. It doesn’t always happen, but quite often I find that if I ‘walkabout’ the place where one of my scenes is set then I can hear the characters speaking and feel them walking close beside me.I’m also fanatical about rooting out all the primary sources that might be relevant to the events in history that underpin my fiction. There’s been so much written about Elizabeth I, Sir FrancisDrake and the age in which they lived that it’s easy to feel swamped by the sheer weight of information available, yet, get back to the primary sources and, mercifully, what really matters thins out. These contemporary accounts are the most valuable of all for me in providing the hard evidence for what actually happened, and giving a sense of language and the attitudes of those involved at the time. It never ceases to surprise me how often, by digging deep, the ‘facts’ to which historians are sometimes perceived as having exclusive access, in reality prove to be no more than conjecture and speculation. There’s not enough space here to do this fascinating subject justice, but I’d say that historians are often involved in as much invention as storytellers, and that storytellers can provide as much insight into the past as historians.As far as my own personal approach to this process goes, obviously I’ll try to be faithful to the records, such as they are, but I’ll always have the story at the back of my mind, and be considering what will have motivated people at the time both in their actions and their accounts. From this foundation I’ll weave a narrative which I hope is both convincing and compelling. As to the interface between research and writing as a matter of practice, I research extensively before I begin in order to construct an outline, and I research as I go along in order to fill in the detail.

Have other writers of historical fiction influenced you and, if so, how have they influenced you?     Most certainly. Other writers have been a huge influence both in firing my imagination as a child and enriching my life as an adult. I’m an eclectic reader, but the fiction I enjoy most tends to be at the more literary end of commercial (though I really can’t stand literary fiction that’s up its proverbial!). I’m loth to pick out individual great authors because so many have made a profound impression on me, but I will say that recently I’ve found the work of Hilary Mantel extraordinarily fresh and energising. I believe she’s pioneered a new approach to historical fiction, bringing the past to life in a way that’s truly original, by getting right inside the head of a character (such as Thomas Cromwell), and showing not only what he might have perceived and felt, but his awareness as a stream of thought with all the fluidity of shifts in time and significance that this entails. I’ll confess to being in awe of her ability, though I would not dream of trying to emulate her or any other author, just as I won’t read fiction that’s at all close to my own when I’m writing because of the risk of inadvertently distorting my own voice. When I’m writing creatively my staple diet is non-fiction.

What ingredients do you think make for a top historical fiction author? Did you deliberately plan for these ingredients in your writing?     An understanding of human nature and the craft of good storytelling, rigorous research in the broadest sense and respect for the known history are all qualities that can be found in a top historical fiction author, but as to what ‘makes’ for one, that requires a special magic tied up with market trends and public awareness, and if I really knew the answer I probably wouldn’t tell you! Have I planned for any of these ingredients in my writing? No – I’ve been too busy trying to get my stories down and knocked into shape fit for publication!

Why did you select this story about Drake?     It’s such a fantastic little-known episode in Drake’s early career – a tale of endurance, courage and triumph against the odds, and it’s right at the crux of the emergence of England as a significant power and the dawn of the Elizabethan Golden Age. It was England’s mastery of the sea, which began with the opportunism of Drake and others like him, that led eventually to the defeat of the Spanish Armada, the development of the British navy and ultimately to the growth of the British empire. There are also so many inspiring facets to this true story that make it of special significance today: the fact that so few people could achieve so much, that Drake only succeeded with the help of Huguenot freebooters and escaped African slaves, that Drake stared defeat in the face not once but several times and never gave up, that he suffered terrible personal tragedy – the loss of many of his crew and two younger brothers – but still carried on. It really is a fabulously uplifting story in its conclusion, and with the love interest I’ve woven into it I think it’s a story that will hook anyone.

You already have a follow on story planned, what advantages do you think that presents? Any disadvantages?     Being able to talk about the second book is a boon while I’m promoting the first. It gives readers the reassurance that there is more to come. Mistress of the Sea will not be a shooting star but the beginning of something larger. ‘What next?’ is such an obvious question that I’m very pleased to be able to answer it from a position of strength – there will be another book that my publishers have already commissioned. Of course the disadvantage is that I now have a deadline which already feels very close and the pressure of producing another novel while I’m still busy promoting the first.

What techniques do you employ to write productively?    The best technique for me is to begin early and distance myself from interference. So I don’t write at or near my computer during the first draft stage, but rather scribble down my thoughts longhand – I find that enormously liberating. The biggest distractions for me are emails, twitter and facebook - though they’re also some of the most useful tools for promotion, so I wouldn’t cut myself off from them altogether. I just try to keep well away from my computer until I’ve made progress in achieving my daily word-count target. Mind you, my output is hugely variable, so the target is not something I get too worked up about! It’s simply useful in keeping me focused and giving me a sense of progress when I’m in writing mode – and there’s another rub – I can’t always flip on the writing switch when I want to. When I’m preoccupied with ‘other stuff’, whether it’s co-ordinating the HNS London Conference as I have been recently, or travelling to some event to promote my first book, or simply dealing with the demands of family life, then I can’t write at the same time. I try not to fret about that, but tackle issues early before they become worries and get down to my writing in a relaxed state of mind. Cycling or walking with the dog helps a lot! There’s nothing like fresh air and a change of view to help free the imagination!

Are you trying to create a brand? If so, how would you describe it and how do you plan to reinforce it?     The brand is Jenny Barden! I think all authors aspire to creating a brand unique to their genre, subject areas and voice. At the risk of over-simplifying, I’d say my genre is historical fiction, and my subject areas (so far!) are Elizabethan epic adventures away from the royal court. My principal protagonists are a fictional ‘Everywoman’ as well as an ‘Everyman’, and my voice is lyrical but accessible. But please read Mistress of the Sea and judge for yourself. That’s my brand. I’ll reinforce it with the next book, The Lost Duchess, which will be another Elizabethan romantic adventure based on the first attempt to found a permanent English settlement in Virginia.

What do you do (or plan to do) to connect with readers?    I hope to reach out to readers by engaging in interviews like this, making myself visible, approachable and always responding to interest. I have a fairly strong following on Twitter (@jennywilldoit) (over 2,200 followers) Facebook and Goodreads – so these are prime platforms for connecting with readers. I also have my website and I blog with English Historical Fiction Authors provide occasional features for the Historical Novel Society, and I contribute to other sites on an ad hoc basis. On top of this online activity, I make myself available for booksignings at stores and give talks in libraries, museums and other places (eg at the Golden Hinde near London Bridge on 2nd November. I also speak at literary festivals (eg the Bristol Festival of Literature and conferences (eg HNSLondon12). I’m looking forward to giving talks to book and reader groups as well.

What do you know about your readers?     I believe the bulk of my readers so far have been intelligent well-educated women in the 20-60 age-group. I say that only based on personal observation.

What data do you plan to collect about your readers?     I hope my publishers will enlighten me more! – But I’ll also gain in understanding of my core readership as I continue with my promotion.

What strategies have guided your writing career?     Grim determination!

What would you do differently if you were starting again?     I wouldn’t be nearly so precious about my writing as I was initially.

Do you have any advice for writers of historical fiction?     Keep reading HF and join the HNS!

Jenny – many thanks for participating. I know readers will find your background and insights of great interest. I particularly like your answer ‘grim determination’ concerning the strategies that have guided your career. It’s clear that this has paid off! I’m also interested in your perspective that historians employ conjecture and speculation just as writers do. An intriguing thought to keep in mind. I wish you loads and loads of success with Mistress of the Sea and your next book.

Top Historical Fiction sites – Reading the Past

11 Monday Jun 2012

Posted by in Historical Fiction, Historical Fiction Survey, Top Historical Fiction Sites

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I am so very pleased to announce that Sarah Johnson of Reading the Past is the first historical fiction blogger to be interviewed. Reading the Past was listed as the number one site in my recent historical fiction survey.

I ‘met’ Sarah online some time ago and we have had several interactions in the ensuing months. I am very grateful that Sarah posted a link to the historical fiction survey on the day it went live.

Sarah has graciously offered to respond to feedback. Please use the comments feature (on the bottom left)  to post your questions.

Why did you start blogging?  Back in early 2006, some of the most in-depth conversations about the genre were happening on blogs, and I wanted to join in with my own thoughts.  Reading the Past didn’t start out as a book review blog; I was already writing many reviews for the Historical Novels Review and hadn’t been looking for a new place to post reviews.  The reviews I did for the site back then were of older, out of print titles, but publishers and authors found me, and many of the novels they offered me were hard to resist.  This is one reason my TBR and house are so overcrowded at the moment.

Why do you review historical fiction?  The majority of my reading material is historical fiction, and I enjoy sharing my thoughts about what I’ve read and recommending worthwhile novels to others.  I don’t have any real preferences in terms of subgenre, time period, or setting, and I especially like informing readers about novels they may not have heard about anywhere else.  It can occasionally be challenging to find something unique to say about each book; in the course of editing the HNR and writing my two historical fiction guides, I’ve written a large number of historical fiction reviews and edited even more, and I don’t care for repeating myself (or anyone else, for that matter).  Coming up with original phrasing to describe an author’s strengths or writing style can sometimes be difficult for that reason, but I take it as a challenge.

In addition, one of the rewards I’ve found in reviewing historical fiction I’ve been assigned, rather than titles I’ve bought and chosen myself, is that I’ve been introduced to many wonderful novels I may not otherwise have read.  Elliot Perlman’s The Street Sweeper is one of these; this assignment made me nervous not only because it was an enormous literary novel that came with pages upon pages of glowing praise, but also because I knew it would take me places I was very hesitant to visit (the Holocaust death camps).  But although it had some scenes I found incredibly difficult to read, I loved the book and am so glad that I was asked to read it.  I also review many “orphan” titles for the HNR, ones that for some reason or other (unpopular setting or theme, typically) don’t get chosen by reviewers.  These often turn out to be excellent reads.  This has taught me to read widely and not limit myself to novels set in certain eras or by favorite authors. In addition, I’m always looking to stretch my writing skills, and I find that there’s little new to learn if I only reviewed novels I would have read anyway.

What trends have you seen in HF novels in the past?  What new trends are emerging?   The famous-women-in-history theme has prevailed for the last decade but may have had its day; I’m still seeing new novels about royalty, but not nearly as many as before.   If readers were to pick up one of these books at this point, they’re going to want to see a unique interpretation, such as can be found in the Tudor fiction of Hilary Mantel or Margaret George.  Austen retellings were popular for ages, but I don’t see as many of these any longer.  Trends come and go depending on the year; for 2012, it’s Titanic fiction, with novels like Katherine Howe’s The House of Velvet and Glass and Kate Alcott’s The Dressmaker.  World War II settings are the latest thing, too, which I find interesting because just ten years ago, there was debate over whether WWII could be considered “historical” at all.   It sat within the living memory of many readers.  Now, many up-and-coming novelists (Kristina McMorris with her Bridge of Scarlet Leaves, for instance) are looking back to their grandparents’ lives and discovering sterling material for fiction.  Multi-time novels are popular, as these books appeal to readers of both contemporary and historical fiction.  Strong female leads are perennial hits – most fiction readers are women – but the field seems to be slightly more open to lesser-known figures or fictional characters.  This will vary depending on the publisher or agent you ask, though!

Is historical fiction growing in popularity? If so, why?   I feel historical fiction is holding steady.  The big renaissance started in the mid-1990s and hasn’t slowed down yet.  There are many readers who are being introduced to historical fiction for the first time – many of them are starting up new blogs, too – and this helps keep the market healthy.

Who are your readers? What do you know about them? Do you collect specific data about them?    My blog stats program (Sitemeter) isn’t very sophisticated; it tells me that about 40% of my readership is American, while the remainder come from Canada, the UK, and various other countries around the world.  I don’t keep data otherwise, although anecdotally I believe it has a strong readership among librarians and library patrons (my blog is linked from a number of library sites).  One thing I’ve discovered is that it’s impossible to gauge readership by blog comments.  Most readers don’t comment (I wish more did!) but I did a mini-survey along with my 6th anniversary giveaway contest, and many readers stopped by to tell me their thoughts about the blog.  The majority were complimentary!

What features does your blog include? Are you planning to ann any features?  I do visual previews of forthcoming books for each season; these have been among the most highly-trafficked posts.  Another favorite feature covered examples of tacky vintage cover art from my personal collection, and I’ve also enjoyed reviewing obscure, out of print historical novels because they don’t get much press anywhere else.  Sitemeter tells me that there are many people out there seeking details on these hits from yesteryear; there are at least a few people each week who find my site by googling for Diana Norman’s Fitzempress’ Law.  I have no plans to implement new features, I have a hard enough time keeping up as it is, but this year I’m participating in the Chunkster Challenge.  It pleases me that I’ve already reached Plump Primer level with eight chunksters (450pp and up) already read during 2012.  Although this may explain why I’m so pressed for time now…

Do you think of yourself as having a brand? If so, what is it?   This isn’t something I’ve thought about, other than in terms of my blog’s tagline: News, Views, and Reviews of Historical Fiction. That about says it as far as a brand goes.  Or it could be restated as: All historical fiction, all the time.

What are your marketing strategies for the blog?   I wish I could say I actively came up with one.  I haven’t gone out of my way to publicize the site, but since it’s been around for quite a while and has many reviews linked from my review/interview index, it tends to come up highly in search results (It’s #2 in Google searches for “historical fiction blog” after Arleigh Johnson’s Historical-Fiction.com).  I have a twitter account and cross-post reviews on Facebook and Goodreads, which adds some additional traffic.

How do your reviews for publications like The Globe & Mail enhance your blog presence? Or vice versa?  Probably mostly in terms of adding variety and additional content.  The novels I’ve reviewed for the Globe have predominantly been popular bestsellers, and if I repost them on the blog after publication (which I’m permitted to do) they draw a larger-than-usual audience to the site.  For Booklist, I’m assigned a wide range of historicals, from epic bestsellers to small-press literary fiction and everything in between.  Each place has different requirements in terms of style and word count, but I aim to keep to the same approach to reviewing regardless of the venue, whether it be a newspaper essay or a blog posting.  I also tend to be offered different review copies for the blog than for professional assignments… for example, publishers and authors of literary historical novels don’t seem to have historical fiction blogs on their radar.  (Hilary Mantel’s novels are the exception.)  Some of the most impressive novels I’ve read over the last 12 months have fit that description, though, so I think some publishers are missing out on an opportunity!

How do you manage to review so many books, work full time and actively participate in HNS?   I’m not sure myself.  The pace has been pretty relentless; the other day I looked at my Goodreads account and noted that I’d written reviews for the last 15 books I’d read.  That’s a lot.  My reading schedule is planned out a while in advance, but I also have to make room for new assignments as they arrive.  After I get home from the library, I spend a good part of each evening reading or answering email. I don’t have much of a life!  One of these days/months/years I hope to read more books I’ve had on the TBR for a while.  I have some conferences coming up that will let me get out of town, but of course they’re all book-related!

Why do you think so many people blog about historical fiction or participate in blogs about historical fiction? What are the implications for writers, agents and publishers?   I imagine it’s because the genre has many enthusiasts and passionate readers, and people want to spread the word about good reads.  That’s why I do it.  If a novel is flawed, I’ll let readers know that too.  Authors are under a lot of pressure nowadays (from their agents or publishers) to get reviewed by bloggers and get their novels mentioned on blogs, and from that standpoint, it’s good that so many historical fiction blogs have popped up in the last few years.  On the other hand, bloggers have a limited amount of reading time, and I know I’m not the only one who’s been inundated with requests for reviews, interviews, guest blog spots, etc.  It can be easy for bloggers to become overwhelmed; the key is to aim for a balance and realize that it’s your blog and you have the right to accept and review only what you want to review.

What do you see writers doing differently to market their books and build their platforms? What about publishers?   Social networking of all types is the big thing, of course – tweeting, Facebook, blogging.  But since everyone’s doing it, or strongly encouraged to do it, it can be hard for an author to stand out from the pack.  I’m also not sure how effective it is at increasing book sales. I have author friends with websites but who don’t blog or tweet because it takes away from their concentration and writing time. As for publishers – it’s rare for readers to choose novels to read according to publisher, but I see them getting their ARCs online with sites like NetGalley in order to reach more potential reviewers.  Sites like this give bloggers the freedom to choose their own review copies, too, rather than waiting for pitches to arrive in their inbox from publishers.  Bloggers can always make requests directly to publicists via email, but it’s often hard to find exactly who to contact.  The trend towards sending extra loot or holding contests just for bloggers seems to be a fading trend, which is fine with me.  I never cared for these since I don’t feel right about accepting remuneration of this type from writers or publishers.  Just the review copy is sufficient.

What advice do you have for writers?   If you plan to request blog reviews, start as early as possible!  Not long ago I was asked about reviewing a historical novel set to come out in winter 2013.  This is so, so helpful.  It was a sign that the writer was prepared, and it gives me nine months to look forward to the book.  Oftentimes writers or their publishers don’t contact bloggers until after the book’s publication date, not realizing, perhaps, that many bloggers have very full schedules and might not be able to find time until 3-4 months later.  Other than that:  get to know the blogosphere and which blogs fit your novel’s topic the best.  Start establishing relationships with the blogs you enjoy early on, and by the time your novel is published, you’ll have a built-in audience who knows about your book and will be willing to consider reading it or interviewing you.  Personalize your requests; proofread your emails (and make sure you have the blogger’s name correct!). Keep it professional, and don’t take it personally if a blogger doesn’t have time to review your book or if it doesn’t fit her interests.  Other than that, just write the best book you can, and if you’re going the self-publishing route, have your manuscript professionally edited before putting it up on Amazon or wherever.  There will always be an audience for well-written historical fiction, and I look forward to reading more of it.

Thank you, Sarah. I’m sure both readers and writers will be fascinated to hear your thoughts.

Top Author and Top Blogger Series

04 Monday Jun 2012

Posted by in Historical Fiction, Historical Fiction Survey

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I’m pleased to announce a series of interviews with top historical fiction authors and top historical fiction bloggers.

After musing on the historical fiction survey, I thought that a series of interviews with top historical fiction authors and top bloggers would provide interesting insights. I have developed a set of questions and secured the agreement of all four top bloggers as well as seven authors in the top 20 group. Responses will be posted beginning this week.

Questions for top authors include:

  • Do you have a particular approach to research and writing?
  • What ingredients do you think make for a top historical fiction author? Do you deliberately plan for these ingredients in your writing?
  • What brand are you trying to create for yourself?
  • What do you do to connect with readers?
  • What strategies have guided your writing career?
  • What would you do differently if you were starting again?
  • and several more…

Questions for top bloggers include:

  • What new trends are emerging in historical fiction?
  • Is historical fiction growing in popularity. If so, why?
  • What are your marketing strategies for your blog?
  • Why do you think so many people blog about historical fiction or participate in blogs about historical fiction?
  • What advice do you have for writers?
  • and several more…

Top authors who have agreed to participate are: Elizabeth Chadwick (3), CW Gortner (8), Margaret George (10), Michelle Moran (11), Susan Higginbotham (15), Deanna Raybourn ( 17) and Helen Hollick (19). I’ve listed them along with their top 20 position taking into account authors with the same popularity ranking.

The top HF bloggers are: Reading the Past, Passages to the Past, Historical Novel Society and Historical Tapestry.

It will be exciting to hear their responses and see if some patterns emerge. Stay tuned.

 

Historical Fiction – four top book blogs

07 Monday May 2012

Posted by in Connecting Readers & Writers, Historical Fiction, Historical Fiction Survey

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Always the analyst looking for an angle, I decided to examine the top blogs participants submitted in my recent survey. Of course, I first had to crawl through the recommendations again, create a spreadsheet and count them. My numbers might be off by one or two, however, the main players are clear.

The top two – Reading the Past and Passages to the Past – are neck and neck at 58 and 56 mentions. The next two – Historical Novel Society and Historical Tapestry – earned 30 and 24 respectively. CONGRATULATIONS TO THE TOP FOUR !!

From there, the numbers drop to 12 or fewer mentions which I think is interesting in and of itself. And beyond that we have scads of small book review sites, some with a historical fiction orientation, some more eclectic, some focused on particular time periods, some concentrating of topics like historical naval fiction or historical romance.

Other than a focus on history, do the top four have attributes in common? I found points of overlap and points of differentiation.

  • generally uncluttered look and feel
  • current post is at the top, ready to read
  • photos of book covers to catch the eye
  • a phrase calling attention to purpose: “the home of historical fiction online” comes from HNS, “the place to be for everything historical fiction” is the byline for Passages to the Past, “news, views and reviews of historical fiction” is the focus of Reading the Past
  • subscribe button readily visible
  • regular book reviews
  • guest posts and author interviews
  • contests and giveaways
  • some sort of index to past reviews
  • links to historical fiction blogs and author blogs
  • opportunity for reader comments, although HNS seems to be an exception

But, there are differences.

HNS – Historical Novel Society – stands out for its awards, conferences, magazines and membership concept. In addition to book reviews, HNS offers feature articles and an online membership directory. You can also subscribe to a daily newsletter that summarizes all sorts of news in the domain of historical fiction. Members have access to market news, information about publishers and agents, a critique service and other possibilities.

Historical Tapestry is written by several self-proclaimed historical fiction fans who have come together to review books. In addition to reviews, each year they focus on an author offering insights and opinions on that author’s body of work. This year Daphne du Maurier is being featured. The site also offers a reading challenge for reader participation.

Passages to the Past offers Live Chat Nights with authors and virtual books tours. On the right sidebar, the blog lists upcoming releases while on the left, the blogger shows the book she is currently reading. The blogger, Amy, offers a comprehensive look at Jean Plaidy novels and a complete list of the Morland series by Cynthia Harrod-Eagles.

Reading the Past seems to be the most straightforward of the sites which may be what attracts so many readers. Sarah Johnson offers an index to interviews as well as an index to books reviewed and her two historical fiction guides are displayed. It is interesting to note that Ms. Johnson writes every review herself in order to ensure consistency.

Interestingly, these sites were almost never mentioned by UK readers and unfortunately, I have insufficient UK replies to this particular question to say much about that country’s preferences.

Beyond these top four were many other blogs and one or two reader forums. By my count, 142 blogs were mentioned as favourites by only one person. That’s an incredible number of people blogging about books.

Top Historical Fiction Authors – Further News

27 Friday Apr 2012

Posted by in Historical Fiction Survey

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Did your mother ever tell you that haste makes waste?

Yesterday, after posting the top historical fiction authors, I checked the comments at Reading the Past where Sarah Johnson had also mentioned the top 20, and found a query about Tracy Chevalier. Interesting point, I thought. I certainly loved the two of her books that I read. Perhaps she missed the cutoff point. I decided to check.

I am embarrassed to say that the methodology I used for counting was not sufficiently thorough. As a result, I have now completely redone the count with the assistance of my Excel savvy, and very patient, husband.

Tracy Chevalier along with Sarah Dunant, Lisa See and Edward Rutherfurd should have been included.

Revised Top Authors Lists

Forty names in total. All but Alan Furst, Kate Quinn and Julia Quinn remain on the list in roughly the same order. Congratulations to those who have been added.

  • a few author counts have gone up or down
  • readers chose 29 female authors and 11 male authors
  • as an update to what I reported yesterday, 14 of 58 Cornwell mentions are men; 8 of 37 Follett mentions are men
  • overall, men offered fewer favourites than women (which made counting their entries easier)

Every author mentioned by every survey participant is now accurately reflected in a comprehensive Excel spreadsheet. That’s 2366 names that I can sort and count for future purposes.

I apologize for any inconvenience I may have caused to Sarah Johnson who graciously hosted yesterday’s list.

From the World of Historical Fiction – Readers Share Their Perspectives

11 Wednesday Apr 2012

Posted by in Historical Fiction

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From March 14th to April 3, 2012, I conducted a survey of historical fiction readers. In total, 805 individuals responded. The data sheds light on preferences and habits of historical fiction readers and offers interesting insights to writers and others in the publishing world.

From the World of Historical Fiction – Readers Share Their Perspectives is the first summary of survey results. Over the next few weeks, I will dig deeper to provide further analysis and cross-tabbing of results.

I look forward to hearing your feedback.

Many thanks to Sarah Johnson at Reading The Past who posted a survey link on her popular blog.

Historical Fiction Survey – who responded?

31 Saturday Mar 2012

Posted by in Historical Fiction, Researching historical fiction

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Not in my wildest dreams did I imagine receiving almost 800 responses to a survey I launched seventeen days ago. One hundred maybe or, if luck intervened, perhaps two hundred but certainly not the 795 as reported an hour ago.

Before launching, I had the good fortune to have Sarah Johnson of Reading The Past agree to write about it on her blog. I also knew of groups on LinkedIn, Facebook and Goodreads where I could post a link and I planned to connect with friends via email and post on my blogs and Twitter (@histfiction). But even with these various avenues, I knew that surveys typically have very low response rates.

The survey is designed to discover more about those who read historical fiction and those who do not – demographics, story preferences, favourite time periods, reasons for reading or not reading this genre, sources of recommendations and so on. Since I write historical fiction, I thought the information might be helpful to authors like me as well as others in the publishing industry. I imagined a few follow on blog posts and a tidbit or two of insight into those who love historical fiction. Instead, I have reams of data to sift and sort and formulate into conclusions; a degree in statistical analysis might be helpful!

Sarah’s endorsement on her blog and on Facebook created threads into other blogs. Twitter – both mine and Sarah’s – led to retweets. Friends passed the survey on to other friends. Carol K posted it on her blog, EdiFanoB posted it to folks in Europe, a friend of my husband gave it to his librarian wife who wanted to send it around to other librarians and so it went reaching folks in India, New Zealand, Australia, South America, Asia and elsewhere. Absolutely fascinating.

More to follow.

Note: this post also appears in One Writer’s Voice.