Categorising fiction may help to sell books, but it says little about how writers write or readers readIn her Reith lecture of 2017, recently published for the first time in a posthumous collection of nonfiction, A Memoir of My Former Self, Hilary Mantel recalled the beginnings of her career as a novelist. It was the 1970s. “In those days historical fiction wasn’t respectable or respected,” she recalled. “It meant historical romance. If you read a brilliant novel like I, Claudius, you didn’t taint it with the genre label, you just thought of it as literature. So, I was shy about naming what I was doing. All the same, I began. I wanted to find a novel I liked, about the French Revolution. I couldn’t, so I started making one.”She made A Place of Greater Safety, an exceptional ensemble portrayal of the revolutionaries Danton, Robespierre and Desmoulins, but although the novel was completed in 1979, it wasn’t published until 1992 – widely rejected, as she later explained, because although she thought the French Revolution was the most interesting thing in the world, the reading public didn’t agree, or publishers had concluded they didn’t. She decided to write a contemporary novel – Every Day Is Mother’s Day – purely to get published; A Place of Greater Safety emerged only when she contributed to a Guardian piece about writers’ unpublished first novels. Continue reading... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'
[ The Guardian | 2023-11-27 12:30:00 UTC ]
Rebecca Gablé, the bestselling author of historical fiction, returned to Germany’s fiction bestseller list in April at #1 with "The Foreign Queen," the second in her new Otto the Great Series. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2017-05-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Faber has three books shortlisted for the £25,000 Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2017-03-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The downloadable audio site for indie bookstores, Libro.fm, sets opening date; a new Georgia bookstore will sell books by the pound; a Nevada shop announces plans to close; and more. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2017-02-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Tinte & Feder is Amazon Publishing's second German-language imprint, and is to focus on contemporary and historical fiction. First titles out March 7. The post Amazon Publishing’s Newest Imprint Makes Its Debut in Germany appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2017-02-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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What's done to help sell standard books, but not to help sell books in translation? In a telling interview, Chad Post talks about differences in marketing. The post ‘Ghettoizing the Translations’: Chad Post on Marketing Books in Translation appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2017-02-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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A few months ago, after I picked up and devoured a beautifully written memoir by Elisa Hategan and was left with a serious Continue reading at HuffPost
[ HuffPost | 2017-01-03 15:48:11 UTC ]
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The organisers of the Walter Scott Prize for historical fiction has launched an academy to help find future winners. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2016-12-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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A Washington, D.C. store preps for a holiday expansion; a Texas bookstore owner makes a comeback; Canadian stores get the okay to sell books and booze; and more. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-11-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Love to read historical fiction? Take our quiz and find out how well you really know the genre. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor
[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2016-11-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Despite the fact that he says, 'I don't consider myself a historical novelist at all,' Simon Mawer wins the £30,000 pound Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction. The post With Its ‘Heart in Scotland,’ the Walter Scott Prize Honors Simon Mawer appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2016-06-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Thomas Mullen has been playing with genres for a long time. He has mixed historical fiction with magical realism, played with the spy novel, and is now mixing a police procedural with a fact-based piece of historical fiction. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-05-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Kelly Kerney, who spent a decade writing the historical novel "Hard Red Spring," talks about the impossible task of historical fiction. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-03-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Titles by William Boyd and Patrick Gale have been named on the 2016 Walter Scott Prize shortlist in an “exceptional year” for historical fiction. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2016-03-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Authors including Kate Atkinson, William Boyd and Robert Harris are battling it out to win the £25,000 Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2016-03-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Most publishers and authors used their booth presence at the North American International Toy Fair to sell books and sidelines, though a growing number were also on the hunt for new licensing deals. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-02-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Host of the Project says outrage at ‘neo-masculinist’ Daryush Valizadeh should be channelled into something positive, rather than fuelling his public profileWaleed Aly has called for a social media blackout on Daryush Valizadeh, the leader of “neo-masculinist” group Return of the Kings who... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2016-02-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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A Scottish startup using binaural recording, 3D audio software and immersive sound design to redefine the audiobook. A team of seasoned digital entrepreneurs from Cologne on a mission to revolutionise storytelling for mobile. A Manchester-based app employing behavioural science and gaming... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2015-10-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The book blurb is one of the longest-running conventions in publishing and is largely a favor passed among writers and friends. But do they sell books? The post Don’t Judge a Book By Its Cover, Judge it By Its Blurbs appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2015-10-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Antonia Hodgson and MJ Carter are among the authors shortlisted for The 2015 Historical Writers’ Association's (HWA) Debut Crown Award for historical fiction. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2015-08-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Johannesburg's Philani Dladli was homeless when he decided to sell books he found and read, offering them on a sliding price scale based on his own review. The post Homeless South African Sells Books and Reviews In Lieu of Begging appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2015-08-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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