Five book marketing mistakes to avoid
Marketing is not a dirty word. It is simply introducing people to your book. Nor does it require a six-figure budget and a legion of Mad Men type executives. Anything you do to tell people about your book is marketing. However, whoever said “There’s no...
What’s in a name? Character names and why they matter
Choosing the right names for your characters is crucial, not least when writing historical fiction. A character’s name, whether it be short and simple, or flamboyantly hyphenated, can convey a surprisingly large amount of information, and requires as much careful...
Top tips for writing a dual or multiple timeline novel
What are dual or multiple timeline novels? Essentially, these are novels which contain two or more separate storylines that alternate, eventually converging in some way by the end. In dual timeline historical novels, past events are woven with contemporary events,...
From Saturnalia to Santa Claus: Christmases past to present
Christmas in your story is a great way of marking time, bringing people together, and giving readers something to enjoy. But although Christmas seems unchanging, beware of assuming your characters will do the same as we do now. Christmas is a rich confection, added to...
Writing from multiple points of view
One of the joys of historical fiction is to provide insight into the motives and emotions of characters living through historical events. Story writers plunge into characters’ minds, exploring their thoughts, in a way that is impossible for historians. Many novels are...
Top tips for writing gothic historical fiction
Gothic writing has chilled and inspired countless authors, and there is no reason why you can’t add a touch of the dark and brooding to your own historical fiction. However, writing gothic historical fiction is more than just slamming a big button saying ‘Tim Burton’...
Is your story idea viable? 7 tips to help you decide
Inspiration for a novel can come from anywhere, and it’s always exciting when an idea strikes. But how do you know if an idea is viable? What does viable even mean? Essentially, an idea is viable if it’s strong enough to carry a whole novel, from the first page to the...
16 top historical fiction publishers
If you’ve toiled over a manuscript, polished it and made it the best it can be, you might be on the search for a suitable home for your precious words. You might be daunted by this prospect – so many publishers, where to begin? Finding a publisher for your manuscript...
Picturing the past: how art can inspire and inform your writing
Art is a rich resource for historical fiction writers. It tells us what things looked like – and what people thought. Want to know what fashions were worn in your period? Easy, look at portrait paintings. Every story about the Tudors conjures Holbein’s iconic portrait...