Why Literary Agents are not to keen on Historic Fiction

aruna

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I don't know if there's been a plethora of Medieval Indian books, but India has been pretty popular for a while, with periods spanning from Medieval (the Miniaturist, Basu) through to Colonial and present day India/Indians. I'm thinking Hari Kunzru, Kunal Basu, Manil Suri, Aravind Adiga.


Medieval India is what I'm doing right now. As I write, there's a first novel in a series of SEVEN in UK bookshops by what looks like a new author - Al.ex R.utherford* - in UK bookshops, a series about the Mughals. And the first book (I bought it!) is in hardback, of all things: EMPIRE OF THE MUGHALS
That gives me hope. If they can comision a series of seven by a new writer that shows faith. My novel, if it ever gets published, fits very neatly into that series so my hopes are up that it's a huge success.

*couldn't find any other books by him, that's why I assume he's new.
 
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Swordswoman

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Someone with form like yours, aruna, should have no difficulty in breaking back with any subject, let alone this one. But one thing puzzles me:

And the first book (I bought it!) is in hardback, of all things: EMPIRE OF THE MUGHALS

You sound surprised by the hardback, but why? We take historicals very seriously in the UK (and I think you're a Brit too). Even my humble debut is coming out in hardback first.

What's the practice in the US? Do historicals go straight to paperback?

Louise
 

aruna

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Hi Swordswoman, thanks for your vote of confidence! Actually, I've had a very hard time breaking back in, but then, my last three novels were in a very non-trendy area. I have better hopes for this one.

As for my surprise about hardbacks: I always thought that in the UK most serious books come out in trade paperback first, not hardback, and certainly not for a first-time author. However, it might be different for historicals.
My first two came out in trade paperback first, the third in hardback,. Now, that really surprised me, as previous sales had not indicated it. In their second year they all came out in mass market paperback. Anyway, I'm really rooting for this (A.lex R.uthorford's) book, as if it does well mine could be a shoo-in. It's such a very exciting period in Indian history and has not been covered at all, really, in fiction.
 
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Swordswoman

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I always thought that in the UK most serious books come out in trade paperback first, not hardback, and certainly not for a first-time author. However, it might be different for historicals.

Well, it's certainly nothing special about me! Seriously, there was a big flap on earlier this year with a lot of hardbacks being cancelled because of the parlous state of the market, but apparently the one area holding up in hardback, even in the supermarkets, is historical. Right now, this is the place to be.

I should stress, however, that this is for historicals skewed towards the male market, and there are big differences between US and UK in this respect. At the LBF this year Steve Bohme of BML and Kelly Gallagher of Pub Track/Bowker presented the results of their combined researches into the differences between the US and UK book trades, and the key two elements that affect us are:
1. American readers prefer romance, British readers are skewed towards literary fiction.
2. 'Men are less important to the book market in the US than in the UK - making 35% of book purchases by volume compared to 42%.'
(Both these items as reported in this month's 'The Author', the magazine for members of the SofA).

For those of us in historical - if you're writing female/romance skewed genre material, aim at the US agents and market. If you're writing male/action skewed material, come to the UK. If you're writing literary/mainstream historical (as I'd guess aruna is, being still one of the most talked-about names here in literary fiction) then again, come to the UK.

We have agents and publishers literally desperate to meet you...

Louise
 

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Interesting, if depressing reading, SW. *consigns poor old Kestrel to the trunk*.

I had a look on Amazon to see if any WW2 books (fiction-woman MC) were there. It seems like it's all...

Charl*tte B*ngham, over and over and over and over again.

I should probably finish the Russian WIP.
 

aruna

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(as I'd guess aruna is, being still one of the most talked-about names here in literary fiction) then again, come to the UK.

We have agents and publishers literally desperate to meet you...

Louise


Thank you for the vote of confidence, Swordswoman, but I really think you've got the wrong aruna here! I am definitely NOT one of the most talked about etc etc etc .... at least not in the UK! (That's where I live btw)
And no agent or publisher seems even interested in meeting me...:cry:

However, I am going to be introduced to my Most Desirable Agent tomorrow evening at a social event, the launch of a friend's book -- she is going to introduce me. I know better than to start talking about my mss with her, but at least she might be able to put a face to the stuff I send -- if I am not too forgettable!

As far as historical fiction is concerned I do recommend A. M. H.eath in general. They rep Hilary Man.sell as well as the Alex R.utherford mentioned above. (They are my ex-agents).

Bt I made a mistake... the series is for five, not seven books. Still a lot.
 
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Swordswoman

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Thank you for the vote of confidence, Swordswoman, but I really think you've got the wrong aruna here!

No I haven't. I won't put your name here because of search bots, but I rechecked the library, and O.M.A. is still very well known.:)
That respect in the literary field doesn't always equate to commercial success is probably true, but I think it still sucks.

As far as historical fiction is concerned I do recommend A. M. H.eath in general. They rep Hilary Man.sell as well as the Alex R.utherford mentioned above. (They are my ex-agents).

I recommend them too. They're my agents - and C.onn Ig.gul.den's.

Louise
 

aruna

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No I haven't. I won't put your name here because of search bots, but I rechecked the library, and O.M.A. is still very well known.:)
That respect in the literary field doesn't always equate to commercial success is probably true, but I think it still sucks.



I recommend them too. They're my agents - and C.onn Ig.gul.den's.

Louise


Oh... well done you! They are still my agents in a way because I am still getting small amounts of royalties and it comes through them... but I lost them years ago when I went renegade.
I was with them when they were still in St Martin's Lane. I never went to their new HQ.
 

Libbie

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Medieval India is what I'm doing right now. As I write, there's a first novel in a series of SEVEN in UK bookshops by what looks like a new author - Al.ex R.utherford* - in UK bookshops, a series about the Mughals. And the first book (I bought it!) is in hardback, of all things: EMPIRE OF THE MUGHALS
That gives me hope. If they can comision a series of seven by a new writer that shows faith. My novel, if it ever gets published, fits very neatly into that series so my hopes are up that it's a huge success.

*couldn't find any other books by him, that's why I assume he's new.

I love medieval India! I recently read two great books by Indu Sundaresan about the Mughals: The Twentieth Wife and The Feast of Roses. Fascinating point in history.

I'll check out A. R.'s work, too. And your Indian book, too, when it's published!
 
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Libbie

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Interesting, if depressing reading, SW. *consigns poor old Kestrel to the trunk*.

Don't do that! Don't get all discouraged just because of what some folks on a message board are saying. If you believe in Kestrel, keep shopping for the right agent or editor who will see what you see in it. As I think was already mentioned, you might have a lot of luck in the romance genre. Romance doesn't have to have sex in it. It truly is just about the relationship between two MCs. And romance in the US market, like historicals in the UK market, is the only genre that continues to grow every year, including during the recession. Plus, romance publishers are generally more welcoming of new novelists than other genres' pubishers.

If your book will fit in there, don't rule it out. Historical romances are always well received. And although romance as a genre has a reputation for being poorly written, there's a lot of really fantastic writing in the genre and many, many readers who are quite discriminating in what they'll read.

With how I go on, you'd think I was a big reader of romance (or a writer.) I'm not, but I have a lot of friends who are successful at writing romance, and they love working in that field.
 
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firedrake

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Don't do that! Don't get all discouraged just because of what some folks on a message board are saying. If you believe in Kestrel, keep shopping for the right agent or editor who will see what you see in it.

Don't worry, I'll keep plugging away. :D
 

aruna

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Thanks for the tip! At the moment I'm collecting everything I can abojt the period, and intend visitng India for research later this year. Applied for a research grant!

The period is a gold mine of drama, intrigue, and just plain fascinating stuff.

I love medieval India! I recently read two great books by Indu Sundaresan about the Mughals: The Twentieth Wife and The Feast of Roses. Fascinating point in history.

I'll check out A. R.'s work, too. And your Indian book, too, when it's published!
 

aruna

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OK< here's what happened:

yesterday I went to the launch party of this book, whose author is a friend of mine. In the course of the evening I was talking with a bunch of people and I asked about reviews, and one lady in the group mentioned a list of papers and magazines, including Caribbean Beat, the inflight magazine of Caribbean Airlines. So my friend pointed to me and said, She wrote that review! Which I did.

Well that lady was most appreciative and she seemd to know a little so I asked her if she was the publicist, and she said yes. So I popped the question: How is Historical Fiction doing? And she said as great as ever.

After which she asked me about my own writing and I found myself telling her about my WIP... she said it sounded like a wonderful idea, and had I met the editor yet? ANd did I have a publisher? (This is Simon and Schuster, by the way) I said no to both, after which she led me over and introduced me to the editor, with whom I had had an email exchange previously - I had sent her a copy of the review, and she had thanked me.

So now she remembered me, and we got talking about my friend's book, and I told her how much I loved it and how much I hope it does well; and she said she too. And I said it's such a shame that more books from this part of the world aren't being published, (hint hint!) and she said yes, what a shame, she loves reading about books from unusual places.

It so happens that one of my unpublished mss (not the WIP) is very similar to my friend's book in several aspects -- it's the book I would use to compare mine to, but has been constantly rejected on account of the background. They are both really recent historical fiction set in Caribbean countries; both are about the struggle for independence, with a family story woven into it.

Would you believe it, I just could not bring myself to tell this wonderful editor anything at all about either of these two novels. I know that it is just not done to discuss your own books with industry profssionals at social events and so I just kept biting my tongue... it's so sore now!

I also met my friends agent, a Highly Desirable one, who remembered me from a previous submission; she even remembered the name of the book, but has never actually rejected it (this is yet ANOTHER ms). I don't even know if she has even read the partial I sent; she didn't say, I didn't ask, and she wasn't particularly encouraging. I think she was scared I'd start pushing my stuff on her. So I held back. But I told her she'd be hearing from me again, and she will. She said that's OK.

So as far as networking is concerned a very positive evening, but I do wish I had said more to the editor. We had a really, really good conversation and she is just the kind I could work with.

And yes, historical fiction IS required.