ASK THE AGENT Michelle Brower & Jennifer Weltz
HNS: Can you write outside your race/sex/sexual orientation in hf? There were lots of allusions to a supposed ‘woke agenda’ in publishing – is this true? Is it sales driven? What are the chances for more traditional styles of historical fiction? MB: I think that finally, the world of historical fiction is open to stories that were less popular in previous years; if you weren’t writing about the white Tudors or the white Edwardians or the white Europeans of WWII, there was very little space for you in the marketplace. But everyone has a history, and now we are finally seeing those stories receive mainstream attention and marketing support. In my mind, it’s been a long time coming and is very welcome. JW: Your origins do play a part in what story you are telling. If you are trying to embody a character who is extremely different to you in background you better have a really really good reason why you should be telling that story with a tremendous amount of research to back it up.
HNS: Would you consider books from authors similar to those you already represent? Or do you prefer different? MB: I generally prefer different, especially if my current author is writing a book every year or two. It helps to have variety in my list. Michelle Brower
For this article we asked members to choose which agents to consult and which questions to ask. The preferred agents were Michelle Brower, Founding Partner of Trellis Literary Management, and Jennifer Weltz, President of JVNLA – two stellar names in the publishing industry with great historical fiction lists and strong links to the HNS. The decision was to ask the same questions of both, to see if and how responses differ. An additional point of interest is that we have previously carried online interviews with both agents (search "Ask the Agent" on our website). It is fascinating to see what fashions have changed and what endures. HNS: What is on trend in historical fiction? (Single plot or dual plot; preferred time periods – are any impossible?; male or female protagonists)
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JW: I prefer difference. I don’t necessarily want to go for the same kinds of material that I’ve already done. I’m looking for a new, original concept and perspective. Do your research when it comes to agents to know what they have on their list so that you don’t overlap.
HNS: What advice do you have for debut authors, or authors trying to break through? MB: The book, the book, the book. In the end, it all comes down to the book you’re writing. That’s what’s under your control, that’s what your introduction to readers will be. Don’t focus on the publishing to the detriment of the work. JW: Write the best book you can. Do your research not just for your book, but for agents. Be open to feedback, and be patient.
MB: Right now I’m seeing an emergence of supernatural or horror-tinged historical fiction, which I like because it’s different; I think WWII remains a crowded category that already has a large number of established authors. We’re also seeing a fair amount of mythological retellings. And I am always eager to see historical fiction from previously underrepresented voices.
HNS: How important is it for HF to be ‘relevant’ to today's issues or stories?
JW: What I’m hearing from editors is that the dual-timeline plot has been done a great deal. I would caution about pursuing that direction because it is very difficult to do it in an original way. Female protagonists are more likely to be interesting to the readership because the readership for these kinds of books tends to be majority women. I think the twentieth century has been very interesting for a while, and it continues to be on the historical side, but not necessarily WW2. The key is to make sure you are telling an original story. Do your research. Make sure there aren’t five other books out there.
JW: I think the wonderful historical fiction writers are able to make anything relevant because they’re able to relate enough to the characters that we as readers of today can understand their plight and perspective. So it’s up to the writers – whether its Pope Joan from the 8th century, or Jean Auel with The Clan of the Cave Bear – the onus is on the writer to make that happen.
COLUMNS | Issue 101, August 2022
MB: I think most historical fiction is “relevant,” because it looks at humanity in other times and shows us how others responded in circumstances very different from our own.
