For many writers, marketing a book is the hardest part of the publishing process. It requires us to go out into the world and smile at people and make them like us — all the reasons we chose to become writers in the first place (not). And after a while, all the book tours and blog tours and readings and signings can start to feel like a hamstermill of why-am-I-doing-this-again?
But! As historical fiction writers, there are avenues open to us that go beyond the usual literary routes. With a little creativity, you can broaden your book’s audience, and maybe even have some fun along the way.
5 creative ways to build buzz for your book
Need a book marketing refresh? Here are a few fresh ideas on how to stir up some interest in your historical fiction novel.
1. Take your readers on historical walking tours
Readers love to see where stories really happened, or where they were inspired. If you’re including real historical figures in your novel, ask yourself: where did these people live? Where did they go for tea? Did they work at or visit a shop that’s still in business today? These are all amazing details that bring your book to life.
Some cities like to put up commemorative plaques for where notable figures lived or spent their time, which is a great starting point to help map out your story’s real-life setting. If you live in the city or town where your story is set, you could lead in-person guided tours (AirBnB offers an “experiences” option for small-scale events like this) or put together a live walking video for readers overseas. If this place is inaccessible to you, you could try assembling a tour brochure or guidebook featuring photos and bonus content that help readers visit your location in their hearts.
2. Reach out to museums and re-enactment societies
One of the wonderful things about being a historical fiction writer is that you become part of a worldwide community of people who love the past as much as you do. This means there are museums and event organisations all over the world who specialise in or feature your time period — and they offer a ton of sneaky marketing opportunities for your book.
Try reaching out to see if they’ll host a living history event focused on your work, or have you give a talk on your writing process as you explored this period of history and brought it to life.
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3. Partner with relevant charities
Cross-promotion is one of the great unsung heroes of book marketing, and charities in particular need all the help they can get. Consider forging an alliance with a charity that represents your book’s values. For instance: if your book is about the suffragette movement, consider a women’s charity like Equality Now. If your book is about an ambitious scribe in the 17th century, consider a charity that supports literacy.
Then, look for ways you and this charity can help each other out. Why not launch a prize giveaway of an autographed copy of your book and some bonus swag? The charity will then relay the opportunity to their audience, encouraging them to participate. Not only will you be supporting a just cause… but everyone who already supports or follows this charity will suddenly know who you are.
4. Contribute to further education
For many young readers, historical fiction is a way in to learning about aspects of history that might otherwise seem dry or dull. Since schools are always looking for ways to get their students more interested in learning, try getting in touch and seeing if they’re interested in inviting you to a classroom. You can give talks on history that make it seem thrilling and alive, or maybe hold writing workshops that get students thinking creatively.
This technique is ideal if you’re writing for a middle grade or young adult audience. However, books written for adults can still be appreciated by older high schoolers.
5. Broaden your story’s world
Historical fiction writers are notorious for doing more research than they really need. Through learning about history, we often come away with surprising new knowledge and skill sets that don’t make it into the final draft. But! That knowledge isn’t wasted; you can use it to make your story’s world seem even more real and immersive to your readers.
For example, you could create videos or photo albums showcasing some of the new skills you’ve learned along the way — whether this is a form of craftsmanship like bookbinding or glassblowing, or maybe trying out some authentic wartime recipes and sharing the results. You could also share some of your findings through entertaining articles or blog posts. As a bonus, this helps to bring a new audience to your work which they may not have found any other way.
Explore new ways of reaching readers who love history
There’s no denying that book marketing is a slog. As passionate, imaginative storytellers, pushing ourselves on other people for money can start to feel like a special circle of hell. But if you can manage to think of it less like a money grind and more like discovering new ways to bring history to life, you might find book marketing can be exciting and unexpectedly rewarding. After all, breathing new life into these unsung moments of history is what we’re all about!
Fija Callaghan is an author, poet, and community manager of The History Quill. Her work has been shortlisted and longlisted for a number of short story prizes, and you can find her writing in publications like Gingerbread House, Crow & Cross Keys, Corvid Queen, and Mythic Magazine. When not writing or helping other writers get the best out of their work, she can be found haunting her local bookshops or watching the tide come in.
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