dianafox: I spent all day answering email, and now

Diana Fox (

dianafox) wrote,
@ 2008-05-03 21:32:00

I spent all day answering email, and now have less than a hundred queries left in my inbox. To celebrate, I thought I would pick out a new (already published, not by one of my clients) book to read for pleasure, and as usual thinking about what I was in the mood for got me thinking about what I represent.

My current authors write in genres ranging from science fiction to fantasy (urban and historical), YA fantasy (literary & commercial), other YA (contemporary), literary fiction, romantic suspense, thrillers, romance/erotica (contemporary & paranormal)... and then it occurred to me, you know what’s missing from this list? Historical romance! Historical fiction, period. I have very few historical fiction writers right now, and NO writers of historical romance. I worked with an amazing agent who represented lots of it, I’m an avid reader of the genre, and somehow I have no clients who write historical romance of the kind I love to read... yet.

It probably doesn’t help that I’m extremely selective about what I like in historical romance--more so even than is normal for me--but I grew up devouring the work of Laura Kinsale (my all time favorite romance novelist), Jo Beverley, Mary Jo Putney, Loretta Chase, Judith Ivory, Anita Mills, Mary Balogh, Anne Stuart, Susan Johnson, Madeline Hunter, Julia Ross, Gayle Feyrer, Tracy Grant, Carla Kelly, and many other authors I still read to this day, although some of them are no longer publishing or have stopped writing straight historicals.

(If anyone is interested, I also cut my teeth on Julie Garwood, Judith McNaught, Jude Deveraux, Catherine Coulter, Johanna Lindsey, Meagan McKinney, Bertrice Small, Virginia Henley, Brenda Joyce, Marsha Canham, Rebecca Brandewyne, Iris Johansen, Jayne Anne Krentz, Gayle Wilson, Christina Skye, Marjorie Farrell, and again, a host of others I can’t think of off the top of my head right now. I am leaving out authors like Georgette Heyer, Dorothy Dunnett, and Jane Austen as well, because I feel they are in a separate class as inventors of their own subgenres.)

As far as what I’m looking for now--to read and represent--recently published books by new authors which I’ve adored include The Duke of Shadows by Meredith Duran, Private Arrangements by Sherry Thomas, The Spymaster’s Lady by Joanna Bourne, and pretty much everything Lydia Joyce has ever written. So, if any of you can think of other historical romances I might like, I’d love suggestions in the comments. (And if you write books like this and are looking for an agent, please query me!)

Finally, would it be good if I posted more lists along these lines? Or other types of lists? I can’t promise I’ll do so, but I enjoy list-making and find it a relaxing and useful means of procrastination.

(Post a new comment)

	b_sheridan 2008-05-04 02:44 am UTC (link)
	Susan Johnson's Braddock-Black series are the books that made me say I want to do THAT!...and I did. points to avatar ^__^ (Reply to this)(Thread)

	dianafox 2008-05-05 04:51 pm UTC (link)
	I loved those books! Especially Forbidden, because of the heroine--how often do you see a romance open with a 19th-century Native American lawyer arguing before the Supreme Court? (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

b_sheridan
2008-05-05 05:04 pm UTC (link)

Oh I loved that one, too. I think Silver Flame is my second favorite. I recently came across an installment in the series I'd not heard of--Force of Nature.

I haven't read it yet but it features Hazard's illegitimate daughter--Jo Attenborough--who falls for reclusive cattle baron, half-Irish, half Japanese Flynn Ito.

I'm going to love him. ^__^

The downside is there are not footnotes. Being a history geek I miss Susan's footnotes.

(Reply to this)(Parent)

kimnext
2008-05-04 03:18 am UTC (link)

Hey there! I hope I'm not being super annoying, but I was wondering if you could take part in a survey I'm conducting for a class. It's about sustainability and New York City. I would really appreciate it if you could take part and help me out. It's only 15 questions long, so it's not long.

Thanks!!

http://kimnext.livejournal.com/408673.html

Oh, also, I don't know if this is totally inappropriate, but I'm currently working on a YA fiction book. What kind of representation does your company offer?

(Reply to this)

	gwyndolin 2008-05-04 03:34 am UTC (link)
	I love lists of books. They're great for those days I want to go to Borders but don't have anything in mind yet to buy. (Reply to this)

	archangelbeth 2008-05-04 03:36 am UTC (link)
	Lists to match oneself up against sound like useful things to me, at least. Even if it's not a genre I know, it's still useful to know which names are Of Interest. ...I hope I was coherent there. It's late and I don't edit my posts too hard, usually. (Reply to this)

	jryson 2008-05-04 04:38 pm UTC (link)
	I just wish other agents did. They'd get fewer queries of works they don't represent. (Reply to this)

	cecewriter 2008-05-04 06:49 pm UTC (link)
	I love making lists. The hard part is keeping track of them!!! I think posting what you like is a great idea. Oohhhhhhh and BSG...did it rock or what? (Reply to this)

	Submitting monicaspence 2008-05-05 04:41 pm UTC (link)
	Hi Diana, Do you prefer email or snail mail submissions? I checked your webpage, but there are no specifics. Thanks Monica (Reply to this)(Thread)

	Re: Submitting dianafox 2008-05-05 04:48 pm UTC (link)
	I prefer email, but will accept both email and snailmail. My website is just a placeholder for now, but my submissions guidelines can be found on AgentQuery or Publishers Marketplace. (There are links to my pages on those sites in my userinfo here.) (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	Re: Submitting monicaspence 2008-05-05 07:51 pm UTC (link)
	Thanks. Best Regards, Monica Spence (Reply to this)(Parent)

	lavenderjessica 2008-05-05 07:43 pm UTC (link)
	I think it's very helpful to post a list of specifics that you are looking for. And it just so happens that I have a historical novel that is looking for a home. I've sent it your way! (Reply to this)

snow_white904
2008-05-05 07:47 pm UTC (link)

Lists are great! Especially lists of your favorites in the genres you read and represent. I read all the agent/editor/author blogs I can find (and I check them every day!) and there is always something valuable I find in each one.

I do have a question I hope you might be able to answer. What is your opinion on writers who write different genres? I write young adult, but I have two very different series. One is a dark urban fantasy (which you have my full of the first book) and the other is a teen equestrian series (if Gossip Girls and the Saddle Club had a fabulous, edgy child, this would be it). Since they are such vastly different sub-genres, do you think it is wise to try and publish them both? Thanks so much for your time =)

Courtney

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dianafox
2008-05-15 05:49 pm UTC (link)

I think it's fine for writers to write different genres, although you don't want to be too all over the place. But more authors than ever are writing both YA and adult these days, and even within the same reader age range I can think of quite a few examples of the same author writing successfully in very different genres.

As far as your projects, I wouldn't personally query with both of them at the same time, but if someone rejected one I definitely would query that agent again with the other because it is so different.

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	snow_white904 2008-05-15 06:16 pm UTC (link)
	Ok, thank you very much! That really clears it up. Courtney (Reply to this)(Parent)

lankywriter
2008-05-06 02:52 am UTC (link)

A few readers in my paranormal mystery yahoogroup like to post lists to the loop. We frequently discuss the different paranormal genres and subgenres because some members prefer different types. We share what we've read and classify the genres, and rate them. It's surprising how many of my members get upset when there's too much romance in an urban fantasy they've read. Therefore everyone counts heavily on series recommendations based on how much romance it has. No one seems to mind a little, but guys get rabid about the mushy stuff, lol! 8^)

Karen Duvall

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rhienelleth
2008-05-13 11:19 pm UTC (link)

Oooh, I recently discovered Loretta Chase, and I love her books! (Well, the two I've read - Not Quite a Lady and Lord of Scoundrels.) I also enjoy Julia Quinn (the only name I could think of on my "keeper" bookshelf not already on your list.) Particularly her Bridgerton books.

Hmm, I must have been lax in reading my f-list lately, as I've missed your last three posts somehow.

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	dianafox 2008-05-15 05:40 pm UTC (link)
	Other people have said some of my posts didn't show up for them either... I wonder why? Perhaps livejournal hates me. I think Julia Quinn is great, but my favorite novel of hers is When He Was Wicked, which is probably the most "serious" of her books. Not that I don't like light and funny sometimes too, but I kind of love tortured heroes and heroines a lot. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

rhienelleth
2008-05-15 05:51 pm UTC (link)

I kind of love tortured heroes and heroines a lot.

Indeed! *cough* I'm so sadly addicted to dark and tortured characters, my friends rec me things based entirely on this proclivity. The most recent being the BBC's newest season of Spooks, in which Richard Armitage *points to icon* will apparently be playing a British spy having spent the past eight years in a Russian prison. And there's something about an estranged ex-wife, but really, the whole Russian prison thing was all it took.

Which, er, is entirely off topic. But yes, give me tortured and dark heroes/heroines, and I'm there!

(Reply to this)(Parent)

	lindashen 2008-05-15 12:10 am UTC (link)
	Oh my God, that's a laundry list of books which have occupied my time (and limited dignity) during morning commutes. (Reply to this)(Thread)

	dianafox 2008-05-15 05:42 pm UTC (link)
	You have a livejournal now, cool! I'm glad you're liking the Mary Balogh, and if you like those you might also enjoy Jo Beverley's Malloren books, which have some similarities to the Bedwyn series but are Georgian instead of Regency era. (Reply to this)(Parent)

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