How can I get taken seriously in my research?

[Ox]

Hey everyone!

I've been writing historical fiction for several years now. As I get more serious about editing and potentially being represented by an agent or publisher, I am also more and more concerned with my research.

All books need accuracy and continuity of some degree, but historical fiction is one of the genres that can really shine or fall apart depending on research. I want all my manuscripts to be as accurate as I can make them, and really love the research process. When researching a project, I do as much as I can with nonfiction books, films, museums, hands-on research or travel, if applicable, then I always reach a point where I feel "stuck." That is--I know it is surely still not "perfect" but I no longer know where the errors are.

I've read the back blurbs for many published historical novels and many mention receiving the help of museum staff, professors, or other scholars in the field, who have read chapter of the MS, or the MS in full, and from there were able to identify 'problems' in the historical accuracy that the authour missed.

I've reached out to several local museums, for example, for help, and made it clear that I was willing to pay for this service, but often received no reply.

I do understand that these people and organisations have limited time and capabilities, and won't be able to help everyone, especially if they are not already being helped along the way by credentials, etc. I am just wondering if there is a way to better my chances or sound more professional?

Has anyone had a similar experience? Has anyone gotten success in their research?

To me it seems like you almost have to be a published authour to be taken seriously enough to have your work be publishable...
Is this perhaps something that an agent would coordinate after taking on a MS - meaning that they don't expect factual 'perfection' at that stage in the writing process?

I would really love to be able to work with people who are experts in the times and places I write about. Any ideas?

Thanks! :)
-Ania

[Keith]

Hey Anna,

I wrote a story that revolved around a dominatrix and struggled to find one to interview. Many where happy to do so, at their normal hourly rate, but I couldn't afford that. Eventually I found one who was willing to be interviewed for free.

Another story I wrote revolved around the US Civil War and I was lucky to find someone who practically drowned me in information. That being said, experts can have blind spots, as my Civil War researcher was convinced there was no such thing as a spy network for that era and was shocked when I sent her a dozen links after just a few minutes of searching. Don't assume any one of them is expert in everything.

So there may be an aspect of simple persistence and luck. In my years of contacting people asking for help, I've probably got about a 1 in 10 response. And it's normal I get no response at all. And not particularly rare that I might get an initial response and then nothing.

Having said all that, don't let being completely factual stand in the way of telling a good story. Story must be king (and queen) at all times, verisimilitude has to take a back seat. After all, your characters are fictional, are they not? So they exist in a world that isn't identical to ours simply because of their presence.

Look at biographies, how many of them are slavish to exactly what happened? Real life is boring most of the time and even lives 'filled with excitement' are going to have long stretches where no one is interested in hearing about. This is even before you look at a novelization of someone who is real, about events that happened. For simple expediency, characters are combined, time is shortened, evens rearranged. The first goal is always to tell a compelling story. Absolute factualism has to be sacrificed.

And this is before you slap the 'inspired by' tag to your work. If you're inspired by events, then you have no obligation at all to stick with any version of correct historical events (this assumes, of course, that you can ever actually know what the correct historical events actually are, but I won't open that can of worms here). My suggestion is you go ahead and query what you have and let the publishers and their editors decide what might not be factual enough for them. My guess is you'll be their resident expert and I'd put money down that you're already a de-facto expert in the time period you're interested in and there are probably less than a handful of people that can even speak with authority about any possible 'mistakes' you might have made.

[Dave]

Suit up and show up. Go to the museums and meet with whoever will speak with you. If it's the receptionist, fine. Eventually, you'll be talking with the curators.

[J.R.]

I read a lot of historical fiction, and I think you're absolutely right to be concerned with accuracy. You could tell the greatest story ever told but if you fudged with the known historical record or your work is riddled with inaccuracies, your more hardcore and loyal readers of the genre won't care; they'll have thrown your book across the room long ago because you had Stonewall Jackson present at Gettysburg or because Erwin Rommel was leading the Germans at the Battle of the Bulge.

A couple suggestions.

1) Volunteer at your local historical society/museum/site. Even if it's not your time period/area of research. You'll get to know the staff, and they may be able to introduce you to someone who can help with your research. An introduction tends to go a long, long way.

2) Seek out message boards for your period of interest. Lurk for a bit to get the feel for that community before asking questions. These communities are often a mix of professional historians, non-fiction authors, and just people enthusiastic about that time period.

3) If you're researching a war period or anything involving "the common soldier," reenactors can be invaluable. They are often eager to talk to the public, and they often have a lot of practical knowledge on things like weaponry or gear.

4) Look around for other opportunities in the community. For example, a lot of middle and high schools compete in National History Day, or their state's history day. Mentoring a student can sometimes give you a way "in" with a specialist in the field.

5) Consider auditing a class if you have a college or university nearby.

And yes, be mindful that everyone is busy and that an expert is making time to help you. It sounds like you've done your homework and a ton of research already, so try limiting your questions to places where you either couldn't find an answer, or you're unclear.

And in the end, just know, no one knows everything. Do the best you can with what resources you have. Although accuracy is important this IS, in the end, fiction.

[Khalima]

All the suggestions mentioned above are definitely helpful. Also, if an option, consider volunteering/lecturing/teaching at a university. University staff have access to university libraries and routinely request help from library staff. As a professor I know they are eager to help me (which is slightly due to being a faculty member) but I have been helped from the time I was an undergraduate student on up. So if volunteering at a museum or library isn’t possible trying going a slightly indirect route by working/volunteering at a nearby university so you can access the library staff there. Sometimes just having .edu in your email address is enough to have them at least answer your requests.

[Ox]

Dave wrote: "Suit up and show up. Go to the museums and meet with whoever will speak with you. If it's the receptionist, fine. Eventually, you'll be talking with the curators."

Hi, thanks for your reply
Yes, I have done that. I've been to many museums in person, and while the staff there have been very pleasant, have gotten no luck when it comes to actually having chapters or portions of my manuscript looked at by a staff member.

[Ox]

Khalima wrote: "All the suggestions mentioned above are definitely helpful. Also, if an option, consider volunteering/lecturing/teaching at a university. University staff have access to university libraries and ro..."

Hello Khalima,
thanks for your ideas. Yes, I felt it was helpful when I was a student with access to my school's library (and also being able to say I was a student also made me probably look more serious). At my university I was able to get some help with minor questions, but since I've been out of school and not able to literally stand outside my professors' offices to wait for a spare moment, most of my emails have gone unanswered. Volunteering is a good idea, though. Thanks

[Ox]

J.R. wrote: "I read a lot of historical fiction, and I think you're absolutely right to be concerned with accuracy. You could tell the greatest story ever told but if you fudged with the known historical record..."

Hello J.R. Thanks for your message. You have some good ideas. I have been meaning to try and get in touch with some reenactors for a little while now, so thanks for putting this back in my mind.

[Ox]

Keith wrote: "Hey Anna,

I wrote a story that revolved around a dominatrix and struggled to find one to interview. Many where happy to do so, at their normal hourly rate, but I couldn't afford that. Eventually I..."

Hi Keith,
thanks for your comment.
I am working on a manuscript that is a fictional account of some events in the life of a real person, which is why I think in order to be respectful to this person's life, even if they died almost a hundred years ago, it's important to be as accurate as possible.

Yes, I agree with you that the story comes first. But in this case, I already know where to go and how to ask for help when dealing with literary matters. This goodreads group and forum is full of people to discuss plot, setting, and characterization with, not to mention all the other writing resources out there. Story is the most important, but putting that aside, it's not 100% of the process.
Thanks for your ideas, it's helpful to hear that you've been able to persevere and get at least some of the help you were looking for. And of course, you're right in that you can sometimes come across the wrong information by mistake.
Cheers