Historical Fiction Market

angeliz2k · Sep 2, 2014

I feel like I started a similar thread to this ages ago. Oh, well. Time has passed, and I was hoping to get people's knowledge/views/feedback on how the market is right now for historical fiction.

To me, it seems very rocky. Aside from the glut of royal novels (some of better quality than others . . . ), there doesn't seem to be a whole heck of a lot being published right now. I'm writing about Antebellum America, and the only recent book I can think of about the era is The Last Runaway by Tracy Chevalier. But she's so well-established that it doesn't say much about the situation of an unpublished writer like me.

My querying seems to bear this out: I have gotten two full requests out of nearly fifty queries. The query has been through the ringer and I've tried many different versions. I'm fairly confident that my query, while it has flaws, should have attracted more feedback. As far as queries go, it's no worse than my query for Grove of Venus, but that got FAR more response. I think it's simple: Grove of Venus is about the Affair of the Diamond Necklace: pre-revolutionary France! Paris! Marie-Antoinette! Diamonds! Scandal! Meanwhile, Channing is about the Old South, which apparently just is not something agents are interested in. [I honestly believe readers would be; there's a ton of Civil War interest, especially with it now being the 150th; and four words: Twelve Years a Slave.]

In any case, are other people finding similar things? Are certain times and places just dead in the water right now?

ETA: And this is my 2000th post!

mayqueen · Sep 2, 2014

I'm glad you started this thread! It's something I've been pondering myself. It sounds like you and I are finding similar levels of reception out there. I'm now querying my third historical novel. I've been doing a ton of research on the HNS website, too, about who is representing and publishing what.

I feel like the market for HF centers around genre HF (romance, thriller, mystery, fantasy) with big royal names (Borgia, Plantagenet, Tudor). That's not a dig at genre, by any means! I think it's just that straight HF isn't very commercial right now. The best response I got to any of my MSs was a historical thriller and I'm currently revising my second MS to be a mystery (on the advice of an agent).

Some of the query rejections I've gotten for my current MS cite my setting and the difficulty of selling non royal HF. That's been my experiences with US agents, though. I'm starting to turn my attention to UK agents and small presses.

I've love to know how others are doing and what others think.

Ian Nathaniel Cohen · Sep 3, 2014

I've been worrying about this too. My one-and-only completed manuscript is historical adventure fiction about pirates and grand conspiracies, and I'm not seeing a market for it (especially since it's a stand-alone work and not part of a series - although I have an idea for a sequel). A majority of the agents I see that represent historical fiction don't seem to be interested in adventure fiction, and the few I've found that are likely matches aren't interested.

Jamesaritchie · Sep 3, 2014

My experience is that if the problem is the state of the market for a particular type novels, agents and editors will mention this in any rejection. Not every agent, certainly, but most.

gothicangel · Sep 3, 2014

mayqueen said:
Some of the query rejections I've gotten for my current MS cite my setting and the difficulty of selling non royal HF. That's been my experiences with US agents, though. I'm starting to turn my attention to UK agents and small presses.

A few months ago I read an interview by Christian Cameron who said the market for HF in the US was very tough, and that Europe and the UK was much more vibrant.

I'm just starting submitting, but I am willing to self-publish (but not through KDP.) I will let you know what kind of responses I get.

mayqueen · Sep 3, 2014

Good luck! And do let us know how it goes.

ElaineA · Sep 3, 2014

I happen to be familiar with a

HF author whose agent subbed her Egypt-set book here in the US and received a thanks-no-thanks, and what I considered odd feedback related to the time period and storyline. (Biblical period without being Biblical was a no-go.

) Even though mine's romance, I've gotten feedback that Pompeii is "too far back in time."

Really, it just aligns with what you all are saying: in the US, HF is a tough sell unless it hits the so-called sweet-spots: Famous kings/queens, famous families or plaid kilts.

I totally want to read all the stories mentioned here so far. Fingers crossed for you all.

Evangeline · Sep 3, 2014

In women's historical fiction, the trend is:

1) dual timeline (modern woman/historical woman)
2) biographical fiction (I think the "Famous Guy's Wife" trend is dying down, but two historical women [think Jennifer Chiaverini's Mrs. Lincoln’s Dressmaker] or a fictional historical woman+real historical woman is a burgeoning trend)
3) the topic du jour (e.g. English manor house, WWI, the ever popular WWII, etc)

But it's tough in general for debut authors to break into hisfic because the readership can be small and set in their ways (favorite settings/historical figures) compared to contemporary settings and SF/F. Even historical romance is struggling. YA historicals without fantasy have long been a very tough sell.

I have heard that historical mysteries are on an upswing, so topical setting+hooky concept+mystery (cozy, hard-boiled, thriller, et al) could get your foot in the door.http://www.pinterest.com/pin/create/extension/

mayqueen · Sep 3, 2014

Evangeline said:
I have heard that historical mysteries are on an upswing, so topical setting+hooky concept+mystery (cozy, hard-boiled, thriller, et al) could get your foot in the door.

This is sort of what I'm thinking is the path forward for me. My first MS was a historical thriller and it got the best response rate.

gothicangel · Sep 4, 2014

ElaineA said:
I happen to be familiar with a HF author whose agent subbed her Egypt-set book here in the US and received a thanks-no-thanks, and what I considered odd feedback related to the time period and storyline. (Biblical period without being Biblical was a no-go. ) Even though mine's romance, I've gotten feedback that Pompeii is "too far back in time."

Then someone ought to tell Ben Kane (writes Roman Republic HF), Simon Scarrow (Claudius), Robert Fabbri (Tiberius - Claudius, with Vespasian as MC) and Manda Scott (last series ran from Nero to Vespasian.)

This is the UK of course, don't know about their presence in US. I do know Scarrow and Scott are published in the US. Which confirms that the UK has a more vibrant market.

But, I hope that agent is a one-off. I have a future WIP set in the aftermath of Pompeii, with Pliny as my MC. Can't see how Pompeii can be viewed as too far back in time when Hollywood just spent $100 million financing a film, even though it flopped £108 million of cinema tickets were sold (that's a big potential market for book in my mind.)

gothicangel · Sep 4, 2014

mayqueen said:
This is sort of what I'm thinking is the path forward for me. My first MS was a historical thriller and it got the best response rate.

Same here, mine is a Roman Spy Thriller (more George Smiley than James Bond though.)

angeliz2k · Sep 4, 2014

Looking at the agent #MSWL on Twitter last night, I found some leads but was struck by something that kind of backs up what's said up-thread by mayqueen and evangeline: agents seemed to be looking for historical fiction AND. They want historical thrillers or historical mysteries or historical romance or YA historical. Very few seemed to be looking for straight-up historical novels.

I am thinking that if this current ms doesn't work out for me, I'm going to whip a few projects into shape (a prequel to the ms I'm querying, one completed novella, one novella just begun) and then move on to something more contemporary. I have at least one good idea for that, so . . .

mayqueen · Sep 4, 2014

gothicangel said:
Can't see how Pompeii can be viewed as too far back in time when Hollywood just spent $100 million financing a film, even though it flopped £108 million of cinema tickets were sold (that's a big potential market for book in my mind.)

Exactly.

Your comments about the UK market give me hope. I just hope that a UK agent will be interested in repping a US author.

angeliz2k said:
I am thinking that if this current ms doesn't work out for me, I'm going to whip a few projects into shape (a prequel to the ms I'm querying, one completed novella, one novella just begun) and then move on to something more contemporary. I have at least one good idea for that, so . . .

It's tough out there. I hope something works out for you!

One other random thought: I think that straight HF from debut authors is selling if it's twentieth century. But I'm not sure.

Flicka · Sep 4, 2014

So if I have a 17th century political thriller/mystery featuring a queen in a supporting role and I'm targeting the UK market, I'm not screwed by design? If I throw in a female kinda-Sherlock-Holmes, good or bad?

I always feel it'd be better to have a male MC because it has wider readership appeal (as in women being fine reading books with male MCs but not vice versa) but it doesn't work for me - the male MC always turns into a secondary character and a female secondary character always turns into the MC. This happened to my current WIP too, but I rather like it this way.

mayqueen · Sep 4, 2014

I think that would be very marketable in the UK or in the US. Also I would read the hell out of that.

Versailles · Sep 5, 2014

When my agent signed me in January, he said the market for historical fiction was a little softer than a few years ago, but still strong.

On submission, a general trend of feedback was "hist fic market really crowded / tough, book has to be superb to stand out"; one editor specifically said one of her current books about adjacent time period (and by Sandra Gulland no less) was not selling as well as hoped, and another said they had too many established hist fic writers with second and third books coming out to want to take a chance on a debut.

Having said all that, we did manage to sell the book, as the first in a trilogy. But interestingly, the purchasing Editor loved the book partially because she felt it would appeal not only to hist fic fans but to contemporary / modern fans as well.

Versailles · Sep 5, 2014

Flicka: My agent said the UK market was toughest, "the Brits have really high standards for their hist fic", which is interesting but also a little bizarre / insulting to us North Americans! I'm British born, which he felt would help with my credibility in that market, another interesting / bizarre observation.

But love your concept and I second mayqueen!

Flicka · Sep 5, 2014

Well, I'm not at all adverse to trying to US market as well - when it's done, which is still a long way off at the moment.

History_Chick · Sep 5, 2014

angeliz2k said:
Looking at the agent #MSWL on Twitter last night, I found some leads but was struck by something that kind of backs up what's said up-thread by mayqueen and evangeline: agents seemed to be looking for historical fiction AND. They want historical thrillers or historical mysteries or historical romance or YA historical. Very few seemed to be looking for straight-up historical novels.

Oh? Who wants YA historicals cause when I go to my local book shops I cannot fine ONE HF book in the YA section, and that's what I'm writing.

I think you see more royal stuff than US stuff, but books are being published. I dont like the queens and the Tudors. I mean how many different versions of Elizabeth I can I read? My God I swear next will be the privy cleaner's version(did they have those? Anyway, you get my point).

I think a big name author needs to pave the way and then you will see more American HF stories. I know that Michelle Moran wrote a book set in Egypt during the Tudor craze and it led to other Egyptian stuff that wasn't seen as hot, but it now gets published.

I dunno if any of you follow Sarah's blog Reading the Past, but she has a lot of books, all kinds of time periods. So it can be done.

http://readingthepast.blogspot.com/

Personally, all I write is Victorian era stuff, so imagine how I feel??? Its really hard to find books to read during this period that aren't a mystery or Gothic thriller.

Evangeline · Sep 5, 2014

US-set historicals are pretty much alive only in the inspirational historical market (and even that genre is branching into other settings).

The Reading the Past blog has been a staple on my RSS feed for years. The breadth and depth of settings on Sarah's blog says to me that the market isn't sluggish, but that publishers don't know how to sell what or who isn't already selling. Readers who would latch onto all sorts of books can't find them or don't know they exist, ergo "sales are down" and publishers stick to Tudors or whomever. This post from this past April about Downton Abbey-esque books, corroborated my hunch (see my comments) that the wax and wane of HF is less about the "market" and more about the marketing.

thothguard51 · Sep 5, 2014

As a reader, I really can't get into too many historical novels set in the United States. I mean we are a young nation compared to the rest of the world and we learned a lot about our history in school compared to the rest of the world...

I have been reading lots of historical fiction though over the past two years, mostly about the English and French, some Italian renaissance stuff and of course, about Norsemen/Vikings. I find these histories to be much more interesting, but that is just my taste...

Lil · Sep 5, 2014

Every trend starts with a really good book that surprises everyone (put out by a publisher who was willing to take a chance on it).

Write the book you really want to write. Better to start the trend than trail behind the trend that died.

gothicangel · Sep 6, 2014

thothguard51 said:
As a reader, I really can't get into too many historical novels set in the United States. I mean we are a young nation compared to the rest of the world and we learned a lot about our history in school compared to the rest of the world...

Same here. I have Gone With The Wind and The Great Gatesby on my to read pile. Can't name the last US based HF novel I read (could be The Color Purple.)

gothicangel · Sep 6, 2014

History_Chick said:
Oh? Who wants YA historicals cause when I go to my local book shops I cannot fine ONE HF book in the YA section, and that's what I'm writing.

Both Philippa Gregory and Simon Scarrow are writing YA historical fiction series (alongside adult HF.) When I go into any Waterstone's I can easily find Rosemary Sutcliff on the teenage shelves. Again this is the UK.

gothicangel · Sep 6, 2014

thothguard51 said:
I have been reading lots of historical fiction though over the past two years, mostly about the English and French, some Italian renaissance stuff and of course, about Norsemen/Vikings. I find these histories to be much more interesting, but that is just my taste...

Have you come across this yet (just been translated into English, he's been called the Dumas of the 21st century)

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Brethren-Fortunes-France-Royal-Paperback/dp/1782270442/ref=tmm_pap_title_0

Here's the article that I read:

http://www.theguardian.com/books/2014/aug/16/historical-epic-by-frances-hilary-mantel-crosses-the-channel-robert-merle

Historical Fiction Market

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