Tuesday, May 02, 2006

Historical Market

It's been discussed on one of my Yahoo groups about the market of historical fiction and what's the next hot thing.
For the nine years I've been writing I've heard that the market for historical fiction is dead or in a slump so many times it's become a chant, or perhaps a wail, like that of a Banshee.

Seriously, historical fiction will always be around. It may not be the "in thing" sometimes, but it's always there, ready to comfort like a favourite pillow, always loyal like an old dog.

Historical fiction readers are a tough band of faithful followers, ready to sieze the next release and hold it tight to their chest in welcome. We've taken the knocks when reading historical fiction wasn't cool. We've riden the slumps when some publishers thought, in their wisdom, that we suddenly wanted all historicals to be riddled with lust-driven virgins possesing names from the 70s like Kylie or Sharon and who sleep with men on first acquaintence before returning to their father, who happens to be a peer of the realm. :o)

None of this should distract from the obvious. Well written historical novels of any era have entertained us for centuries and will continue to entertain us for more centuries because of one thing. Humans are curious.
We didn't live in those times and we want to get as close as we can to what it was like for our ancestors - reading historical novels will allow us that insight, will take us on a journey and, once biten by the historical fiction bug, you'll never be free of the fever. The only cure is to read as much historical fiction you can in your life time.

So when you hear the market for historical fiction is dead or in a slump just laugh and buy a HF book. I do.

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Best Seller!

  So happy to see The Winter Widow a best seller in Amazon Australia Kindle!