A Goodreads user
asked
Elizabeth St. John:
Hi, Elizabeth! I am about to embark on a novel set in the Tudor/latter Plantagenet period, and I would be grateful if you could tell me a bit about what is is like to be an independently published historical fiction author. What is your research process like?
Elizabeth St. John
Hi Keshena
Congratulations! You are about to embark on the most challenging and exciting journey of your life! Firstly, I love the independence and creative freedom that indie-publishing brings to the process, and it absolutely works for me. That being said, I was also determined to publish the best possible book I could, and so I worked with a professional editor, beta readers and a cover designer to help me reach those standards. So if you are going to go indie, this kind of professional teamwork is really important if you want your book to succeed.
As far as the research; I am fortunate in that my family has a lot of material in our own archives, and in our historic home, Lydiard Park. I also made the decision that I would only use primary sources, rather than repeat work from published authorities (although some respected biographers were extremely helpful in providing opinions, and had great bibliographies).
I also worked to a very specific outline, to ensure that all my dates and places were accurate. For me, nothing spoils a good book than a silly mistake.
I hope this helps! Do keep in touch and let me know how you get on.
Congratulations! You are about to embark on the most challenging and exciting journey of your life! Firstly, I love the independence and creative freedom that indie-publishing brings to the process, and it absolutely works for me. That being said, I was also determined to publish the best possible book I could, and so I worked with a professional editor, beta readers and a cover designer to help me reach those standards. So if you are going to go indie, this kind of professional teamwork is really important if you want your book to succeed.
As far as the research; I am fortunate in that my family has a lot of material in our own archives, and in our historic home, Lydiard Park. I also made the decision that I would only use primary sources, rather than repeat work from published authorities (although some respected biographers were extremely helpful in providing opinions, and had great bibliographies).
I also worked to a very specific outline, to ensure that all my dates and places were accurate. For me, nothing spoils a good book than a silly mistake.
I hope this helps! Do keep in touch and let me know how you get on.
More Answered Questions
Davidfield426gmailcom
asked
Elizabeth St. John:
Although I have some 20 published historical novels to my credit, I still have an unpublished one based on the 'Memoirs' of Lucy Hutchinson (a member of the St John family through her mother Lucy Apsley) and the wonderful romance with husband John that it reveals. It has yet to be offered to a publisher, but would you be interesting in seeing it?
Goodreads
asked
Elizabeth St. John:
If you could travel to any fictional book world, where would you go and what would you do there?
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