AUTHORS PLEASE READ: Author Posting Rules

[Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd]

While authors are welcome in this group, it is a group for readers and lovers of history and/or historical fiction.
If you are that, despite being an author too, then welcome. :-)

However, if you do not adhere to and respect these Author Guidelines you will be removed from the group. No ifs or buts. Our status as a Reader oriented group must be respected.

*NO spam or unsolicited promotion will be tolerated.
- Exceptions; If you are a writer/author of historical fiction (HF with no paranormal, supernatural, sci fi themes) then you are welcome to mention your book in the appropriate era folder.
We will not regard it as spam if you do this. This does not mean a 'hard sell' promotion of your book, or posting your blog links or websites or to your book on Amazon etc.
It only means a 'soft sell'. Introducing us to your book. Tell us a bit about it. Do not continue trying to promote in that thread.
Please NB: some leniency to this rule is applied when the author is a regular and active 'reader' member of the group. Once you have proven that you are not here only as an author trying to sell us something.

*Please only link to your book on Goodreads when posting
Use the 'add book/author' feature to add a link to your book's profile page in Goodreads.
Posting about your book and then linking to it on Amazon or other bookstore is not accepted. That is direct marketing. Trying to get our members to check out your book at point of sale is not allowed.
The only lenience to this rule, as mentioned elsewhere in the rules, is if you are an active member of this group as a reader.

*NO Trolling, NO Sock Puppets, NO Bullying or Harassment.
Anyone who practises or condones these behaviours will be removed from the group

*NO using this group solely as a promotional tool.
It is a group for readers of hf and for people who enjoy history. If you are an author, your priority when posting should be to join in as a reader not as an author trying to promote.

*Always be honest in all your dealings with our members.

*NO using this group to find potential readers for your book with an eye only for positive reviews.

*NO inappropriate behaviour towards readers. Especially ones who are members of this group if they leave a negative review or mention something negative about your book.
Readers are entitled to their opinions of your book - negative or not.
As a side note: If you cause unprofessional trouble with reviewers outside of this group or in other groups on Goodreads, you may be removed from the group.

*We have an folder where you can mention your historical fiction giveaways and freebies. Please use it.
http://www.goodreads.com/topic/group_...
You may promote your giveaways or freebies in that folder as long as they are Historical Fiction (not historical fantasy, or fantasy style mythology or any other genre - we are strictly a historical fiction group)

Rules also apply to publishers and anyone who is an interested party of an author.

*Do not do your research here
No authors or writers, or associates of authors or writers, may post topics or post leading comments in this group requesting information that relates to their writing or publishing.

If you do, it will be deleted by the moderators and so might you be.


Don't be daunted by these guidelines. They come off as strong because we need to be clear and concise on what will and won't be tolerated.
We have a community of writers and authors that post in this group and enjoy mixing with readers of hf in peace.

If you have any questions or aren't sure, please contact me and ask.

Please respect these guidelines and enjoy the group.

[D.L.]

Terri wrote: "While authors are welcome in this group, it is a group for readers and lovers of history and/or historical fiction.
If you are that, despite being an author too, then welcome. :-)

No spam or uni..."

Hi Terri - I've spent the past 30 minutes trying to figure this out - Help! I just published FURIES, an historical thriller set in ancient Alexandria and I'm trying to find the authors folder and put a non-spammy mention in - no luck. Any guidance? Thanks in advance. DJ

[Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd]

Hi there D.L,
We have a folder where you can post about your book if it is a giveaway, on sale (if it is straight historical fiction with no supernatural fantasy elements).
This is the thread;
http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/8...

You may also mention your book in the appropriate era folder, but we do prefer that authors 'introduce' their book and we prefer that authors are active members of the group in some way.
Introducing your books would mean. Tell us something about it. Don't promote a website or blog. No hard sell. Things like that.
This would be the correct era thread for your book;
Classical Antiquity
http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/9...

[D.L.]

Awesome - thanks Terri. And Happy 2013

[Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd]

Same to you! :)

[Lester]

Terry:

I(n "Looking for a book>Egypt" I came across a question from a reader asking for a recommendation: "Looking for something with alot of action [kinda like Conn Iggulden's or Sam Barone's works], but with an Egyptian setting. Thanks :)"

My two novels would seem to fit the bill. Is it appropriate for me to mention that in that thread (WITHOUT a hard sell, of course)?

Thanks,

Les

[Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd]

Lester wrote: "Terry:

I(n "Looking for a book>Egypt" I came across a question from a reader asking for a recommendation: "Looking for something with alot of action [kinda like Conn Iggulden's or Sam Barone's wor..."

Hi Lester,

Yes, thankyou for double checking. You are welcome to let them know about your book, without, as you say, the hard sell.

(p.s Terri with and 'i' not Terry with a 'y'. lol)

[Lester]

Terri:

Thanks...

Sorry about the "y".

Les

[Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd]

Ah that's okay. I usually don't correct people, but it is happening a lot lately, so I decided I would. :)
Terry is the male version of the name. Terri is the female. I am most definitely a female.

[Eileen]

Terri wrote: "While authors are welcome in this group, it is a group for readers and lovers of history and/or historical fiction.
If you are that, despite being an author too, then welcome. :-)

However, if yo..."

Excuse my ignorance, but what constitutes "trolling" or "sock puppets"?

[Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd]

Hi Eileen.
This is a troll.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Troll_%2...

This is a sock puppet.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sockpupp...

[Eileen]

Terri wrote: "Hi Eileen.
This is a troll.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Troll_%2...

This is a sock puppet.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sockpupp..."

Thanks! I've seen the behaviors but not realized they had names.

[Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd]

now you are all up on the lingo. :)

[Andrew]

My apologies. I would like to post brief details of my book, but I can't find the
'add book/author' icon...

I think the book meets your criteria - straight fiction, set in Ancient Persia, big battles etc.

Yours sincerely

Andrew

[Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd]

Hi Andrew,
That does sound like it meets the criteria.
Here is the thread that instructs in how to find and use the add book/author feature.
http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/8...

If you are still confused let me know and I will explain some more. :-)
Cheers,
Terri

[Nick]

Hi This is my first post and I'm sorry if I have got the etiquette wrong. I'm the author of Luck bringer and love ancient history and related fiction. I wonder why there is so much fiction based on ancient Rome but so little on Classical Athens and Greece.I was wondereing if anyone else thought the same. Nick

[Dawn]

Welcome Nick

You can say HI in the Meet & Greet thread http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/6...

And you can introduce your book one time in the appropriate thread, you can pick one of them from this folder http://www.goodreads.com/topic/group_...

We ask that this is the only self promotion you do unless asked questions about your book by other members.

Please feel free to comment about history, books and life in general, throughout the rest of the group. If you have any further questions or need help with the site just ask and we'll be happy to help out.

Oh, and I should mention that we request all members link to any book they mention for ease of finding it for the rest of the members. You can learn how here: http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/8...

Thanks :)

[Nick]

Thanks for the welcome Dawn, I've not joined to push my books but because it is quite rare to find people who like to discuss books on Ancient History. My background is Archaeology and archaeologists are pretty thin on the ground where I live.

[Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd]

I've had to delete the off topic posts on Ancient History. (Sorry Eileen).

This is a thread set up only for outlining the Author Posting Rules and for authors to ask questions about the rules.

Hi Nick,
Please use the rest of the forum for discussing history.

Regards,
Terri

[Eileen]

Terri wrote: "I've had to delete the off topic posts on Ancient History. (Sorry Eileen).

This is a thread set up only for outlining the Author Posting Rules and for authors to ask questions about the rules.

Hi..."

No apologies necessary. I'll try and pay more attention to the actual topic.

[Mark]

What is your definition of historical fantasy? If a book is set in a historical medieval setting, but includes hidden fantastical elements - i.e. magic works - but otherwise the setting is historically accurate - is that OK? I have some books that fall into that category as well as some that are strictly realistic historical fiction.

[Darcy]

For the purposes of this group, any books that include magic works would be considered fantasy unless it is something that can be rationally explained.

[Mark]

OK thanks for letting me know - if I do mention any of my own titles I'll stick to the realistic ones!

[Hock]

I have been a member of this group for a while and find it a fun group to visit.

First post.

[Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd]

Hi Hock,
That is lovely of you to take the time and let us know you enjoy visiting.
Have a great day,
Terri :)

[Jesse]

Terri wrote: "Hi Eileen.
This is a troll.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Troll_%2...

This is a sock puppet.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sockpupp..."

And here I thought you were just really against dressing your hands in footwear. Maybe you have an unusual fear of the child-like past-time of sock puppets. :)

[Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd]

haha. Possibly. ;)

[Sumedha]

Hi Terri,
I have just had a book of historical fiction set in Ancient India in the 4th century BCE ( at the time of Alexander's death)called 'Urnabhih' published in India. Will it be in order for me to introduce it here?

[Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd]

You can introduce it, Sumedha. Just remember to add a link to the book on Goodreads and that the book can't be a historical fantasy.
Any fantasy themes must be themes that can be rationally explained.

Just look through the sections and look for an Era of history that matches the era setting of your book.
For example, I think your book would go in the Classical Antiquity thread as there isn't a thread for India in that folder.
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Thankyou for checking first, Sumedha. :)

[Jane]

Eileen wrote: "Terri wrote: "Hi Eileen.
This is a troll.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Troll_%2...

This is a sock puppet.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sockpupp..."

Thanks! I've seen the b..."

Thanks for explaining; I never understood the terms and never knew the bad behavior had names.

[Louise]

Hi, Terri - I've added a link to Amazon on the New Releases thread because my story's available as a free download - is that okay?

[Darcy]

Louise, I've moved your post to the Freebie-Giveaway for ebooks and audio books

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

[Louise]

Darcy wrote: "Louise, I've moved your post to the Freebie-Giveaway for ebooks and audio books

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/..."

Thanks for that, Darcy - much appreciated!!

[Sherry]

Terri, is it okay to mention that my indie-published novel, ROMA AMOR, just received a very good review from Kirkus? Is it permissible to include an excerpt from (or a link to) the review?

Thanks -- Sherry

[Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd]

No Sherry. If your book is not romance and not fantasy. Then you can find the correct era thread and post a link to your book on Goodreads and say a little about it. No links out to reviews or out to other websites or to yourself.

If people are interested in your book they will go to the book and see the Goodreads reviews of them on their own.

All the best,
Terri

[Tim]

Hello. My publisher is running a promotion for two of my books in Australia and New Zealand, so people there can get them cheaper during October. It this the sort of thing it's ok to mention (in the relevant era thread)?

[A.P.]

Terri:

Hi there! I am new to your forum and indeed to Goodreads as a whole, and want, above else, to honor your words to "always be honest in all your dealings with our members." This closely mirrors my own beliefs in dealing with human beings generally.

I have a kind of awkward situation. I am an author who has recently taken down his one "published" book (online on Amazon) while it is being edited, converted and then finally published in a vastly changed and (hopefully) improved version sometime within the next six months to a year.

When I contacted Goodreads they said they never take down works, including ones presently withdrawn by the author.

What I DON'T want is for someone to see that I am an author, and think I have a book online for purchase when in fact I do NOT.

I also cannot change my status from an author contributor to a non-authorial contributor until the updated version is published.

So, basically I am writing to say "Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain!"

That said, given your other statements under the rules, I feel Prometheus-bound to say a couple things: like life in general, there are significant tracts in my work which are "romantic" in nature, as the (central) historical figure on which it is based had such experiences in her life; also, while the brunt of the work concerns early medieval and even earlier history, one of the two major narratives of the work concerns the Nazi Holocaust.

Again, being truthful in all dealings...

My work, while clearly historical fiction (and rigorously researched for years at that), deals more with the meta-status, if you will, of history as a cultural concept, and not merely a particular period of that history from fore to aft, and cannot be reduced to a subset of particular parameters that will faithfully comport with a particular style and trim of vessel.

I don't say this to be confrontational at all, merely to state the facts concerning the kind of historical fiction I have written, and to best honor your words herein.

I hope this will be sufficient enough, at least in conveying the sincerity and passion of my task, to meet these guidelines, but if not, I completely understand, based on the rules I see before me.

Finally: I posted my first book review, of Yourcenar's Memoirs of Hadrian, thinking it would be posted within your club, but evidently it was not--or at least does not appear to be. It is posted on Goodreads, but perhaps generically? Not sure what I did wrong there...but I would also ask you might give it a gander to see if I have violated your "spoiler" tenets. I don't believe I did, but it would be good for me to have a fleshed-out understanding of your reading of that term beyond something blatant such as "it was so depressing at the end when she was abducted by the Martians and transported to Mars forever."

Phew! I feel like I must apologize for the length, but the rules here and about posts invited much concern on my own part. I thank you for your patience in sticking with this. If you enjoyed it half as much as I did then I enjoyed it twice as much as you.

I look forward to reading your responses.

Thank you!

[A.P.]

Terri: Did my first post come through, did you receive it? Eight days ago I posted on here, and also asked a few questions related to your rules--regarding not only my novel itself, but a review I posted, which did not seem to post to the group specifically and which I also had questions about re: spoilers; then there is the fact that my novel is currently taken down on Amazon. I would have thought each merited some sort of response, along with just a general "welcome" and it seems like you mostly responded to authors within a day of their first post, but perhaps you are on vacation or there is another issue I'm not aware of. Thank you.

[Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd]

Busy time of year, A.P. I have not been on social media through December.
I'll reply properly after Christmas.

Welcome.

[S.L.]

Quasimodo: A Prequel

It’s 1456, Paris, France. A young girl's life is hurled into despair by the dark and evil Archdeacon Claude Frollo. Her only hope is the help of a midwife, and a witch or two. This historic Gothic fiction tale tells the untold beginning, before Victor's Hugo's, Hunchback of Notre Dame. This is the tragic story of how Quasimodo came to be.

[Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd]

Hi S.L, please feel free to find the era thread that best fits your 1456 story and post all those details there. Authors are more than welcome to do that.

Introducing your novel like you have done here is not against the rules. It's hard selling that's against the rules ie trying to promote forcefully (like an advertiser, not like a fellow group member) and linking out to sites where the book can be bought ie Amazon or a personal website.

[S.L.]

Terri wrote: "Hi S.L, please feel free to find the era thread that best fits your 1456 story and post all those details there. Authors are more than welcome to do that.

Introducing your novel like you have don..."

ok - thank you