Making It in Historical Fiction

by Libbie Hawker

The bestselling author of Take Off Your Pants!, the popular outlining guide for writers, is back with another how-to manual for those seeking to start a career in historical fiction. There’s no doubt that historical fiction is popular with readers. In fact, the genre is expanding all the time, gaining market share and influencing other media at a rapid pace. But the HF market has some peculiar quirks that can challenge any writer. In Making It in Historical Fiction, Libbie Hawker shares her knowledge and experience in the world of commercial HF. Hawker’s strategy for success begins long before you write your book. You’ll learn how to spot key opportunities in the modern publishing market, how to create an advance plan for your books that will maximize reader loyalty and build excitement, how to make the genre’s tropes work for you, and more. From understanding the average HF reader to branding your books; from choosing subjects with commercial appeal to fine-tuning dialogue and narrative voice, this book contains everything modern historical novelists need to tap into the commercial potential of the genre.

Genres: Writing, Nonfiction, Research

172 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 27, 2015

About the author

Libbie was born in Rexburg, Idaho and divided her childhood between Eastern Idaho's rural environs and the greater Seattle area. She presently lives in Seattle, but has also been a resident of Salt Lake City, Utah; Bellingham, Washington; and Tacoma, Washington. She loves to write about character and place, and is inspired by the bleak natural beauty of the Rocky Mountain region and by the fascinating history of the Puget Sound.

After three years of trying to break into the publishing industry with her various books under two different pen names, Libbie finally turned her back on the mainstream publishing industry and embraced independent publishing. She now writes her self-published fiction full-time, and enjoys the fact that the writing career she always dreamed of having is fully under her own control.

Libbie's writerly influences are varied, and include Vladimir Nabokov, Hilary Mantel, Annie Dillard, George R. R. Martin, songwriter Neko Case, and mixed-media storyteller Chris Onstad, to name but a few.

She previously wrote under the pen name L.M. Ironside (historical fiction).

Reviews

[Laurel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent info and advise for authors

Consise and informative, this guide answered many questions and inspired me to seek more sources. I will also check out additional titles by this author.

[Christina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm a fan of this author's other books, both fiction and non-fiction, so it's pretty unsurprising that I liked this one as well. (Also, she loves Wolf Hall, so she clearly has great literary tastes.) This is a systematic, practical approach to building a career as a historical novelist, starting with choosing your time period and taking you all the way through packaging and marketing the finished product. I especially enjoyed the chapters on research and how best to incorporate it in your story. Hawker's humorous, upbeat delivery makes this an all-around enjoyable and informative experience.

[Michelle Cornish · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent resource for authors of historical fiction!

This is a super helpful book. I can't wait to put Libbie's suggestions to use. While this is geared toward historical fiction authors, there are many tips I think all authors will find useful, especially Libbie's five simple steps for great cover copy!

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great, inspiring read. A book on writing actually worth spending money on. Thank you Libbie Hawker.

[Cliff Lovette · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a debut historical fiction author launching in March 2026, I found Libbie Hawker's "Making It In Historical Fiction" invaluable. This isn't just about craft—it's a complete business guide for writers serious about reaching readers.
Hawker's "three-horse hitch" metaphor (Series, Appeal, Packaging) gave me a strategic framework I was missing. Her discussion of historical fiction tropes—particularly around accuracy, cultural details, and language—helped me think more intentionally about reader expectations. The section on branding resonated deeply: I write satirical fiction with a narrator who breaks the fourth wall, and her advice on making your voice distinctive validated that approach.
What surprised me most was the business side. Her arguments about self-publishing versus traditional publishing, plus practical advice on building reader communities through blogs and short stories, shifted my thinking entirely. These insights directly inspired me to create a companion website for my novel where readers can engage with the historical research behind the story.
The book presents complex information in manageable chunks without overwhelming you. Clear examples throughout. After reading it, I feel genuinely equipped to not just write my novel, but launch and promote it strategically.
Highly recommended for any historical fiction writer—debut or established—who wants to reach readers effectively.

[Heather Sinclair · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great read for anyone interested in publishing historical fiction. Yes, it is slanted toward the author's experiences. But she is very up-front about it, and has plenty of suggestions for where to find other authors for additional points of view.

There was a LOT of practical information, and some actionable suggestions. This is not a book that vaguely describes "do marketing" or "get an agent" but describes exactly how to go about that along with the pros and cons. Lots of industry insights.

That being said, it is a bit dated, so be sure to grab some updated info about cover art, mailing lists, etc. Again, the author is very up-front about this potential pitfall and cautions you to do some research yourself.

All in all, a practical guide for would-be authors and it had lots of encouragement and advice I'm going to follow through on. Recommended for aspiring historical fiction authors, especially those in the early stages of writing/publishing.

[Janet Morrison · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved how the author explained how the publishing business has changed and why she now recommends a debut historical fiction author self-publish. She makes a convincing argument and has changed my mind about the path to take. I've longed for the stamp of approval my novel would get if published by a big-name publisher, but Ms. Hawker helped me realize that the process that almost always takes is a years-long process. At my age, I can't wait that long to get my novel in print!

Ms. Hawkers writes from years of experience as a self- and traditionally-published author. Her writing style in this book is conversational and easy to digest.

She also points out the ways in which historical fiction publishing differs from other novel publishing. This was new to me.

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is a lot of good advice in this little book. While it is aimed at historical fiction authors, and has a lot of great demographic information about the typical reader thereof, the advice can be applied across the board.

The author examines not only the story/plot process, but also the importance of packaging (cover, title, promotion, and more). Trends in historical fiction covers, for example, are reviewed in detail. Now, this book was published in 2015, so some things have changed while others have not.

The area with the greatest takeaways for me was in writing solid cover copy. I found the "five items" method to be of interest and will be employing it for future works.

[Angel Leya · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this up because I love Libby Hawker's nonfiction stuff, and I've been thinking of doing some historical fantasy. I felt the topics covered were thorough, and she had a lot of great advice. Some of it is timeless, and some of it is a little less so, though she made sure to note that in her writing. I appreciated her take on the topic selection and marketing, but I found the advice on researching to be a little light. Still, a great book for anyone interested in diving into the historical fiction book market.

[Katrina Nowak · Rating 4 out of 5]

This guide from Libby Hawker has many useful tips for anyone interested in writing historical fiction. Chapters are relevant whether you are a hobbyist, looking to publish independently, or using an agent and traditional publisher. It is a niche book helpful to an audience of historical fiction writers.

[Peter Ferry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Essential reading for all writers

I don’t know about you, but I’m one of the those writers who on the one hand thinks he knows everything and yet on the other is incredibly insecure. Libbie Hawker’s book helped me realise that I’m more prepared than I thought while also offering so many key tips that I would never have thought of. Highly recommended.

[Wendy Stanley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Should be read by ever writer who wants to be successful reading historical fiction. Would have like some illustrations on plot arc included.

[Vesna · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was nice. A little too broad for what I expected, but still useable. I especially appreciate the parts of reader psychology regardin series, that bit was new to me.

[Jessica Gallant · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very thorough!

[Sandy Frykholm · Rating 4 out of 5]

Many practical suggestions, written in clear and clean language.

[David Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

It had a lot of useful tips on writing historical fiction. I'm really happy I bought it. I thought it could have done with more information on social media strategy.

[Rei A · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's rare to find a book about writing and the publishing industry that's focused on the very wide genre of historical fiction, which happens to be my favorite genre to read and the one I've ended up writing. This book had a lot of good insight and practical advice packed into it and I'll definitely be making use of some of it going forward in the future of my writing career. But there were things I didn't agree with simply because it doesn't mesh with the way I write. As specific as it was at times, I felt like I was reading a manifesto of indie authordom at times; which is fine, but I maybe would've liked a tad more on genre specifics. Still, valuable info in here.

[Jerry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great info on a subject that doesn't get the attention it deserves. This is not a "how to write book" and does not advertise itself as such. It's a book that provides lots to think about and a helps you build a game plan for writing in the historical fiction field. I really liked it and highly recommend it to anyone looking to start or improve their career in historical fiction.

[Joanne Reid · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book. Detailed information and sensible advice. It really gives you an idea of how to deal with historical fiction and it remains nearby because I find it comforting to pick it up and revisit it from time to time.

[TM · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick read, helpful, informative. Much of this advice would also apply to other genre of writing.

[AndPeggy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good advice. Quick read.

[Erik Hanberg]

Don't read too much into this. ;)