Posts
Thanks for your interest in my review policy and in possibly submitting a historical novel for review. Due to a backlog of titles, Reading the Past is currently (still!) closed to new review and interview queries. Along with these earlier submissions, most of what I plan to cover in the immediate future will be historical novels from my personal collection. I'll also request the occasional review copy from publishers myself.
If you work for a publisher, please don't hesitate to email me with links to catalogs or lists of available review copies, so that I might select the books that interest me the most. I love going through catalogs! Also, feel free to drop me a line so I'll know who to contact if any titles from your press/imprint sound intriguing. I look forward to hearing from you.
Guest posts:
I'm open to the possibility of guest essays from historical novelists (or others in the field) about the writing or research process, a novel's historical backdrop, or other topics of interest to historical fiction readers and writers. Some guidelines: Posts should be original (I don't post material that can be found elsewhere on the web) and should present more than a book synopsis. Readers will get the most out of a guest post if it offers them something new and isn't strictly promotional. Email me with potential ideas. Guest authors retain the copyright to their contributions. See examples of previously published guest posts.
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More about my interests:
Reading the Past covers historical fiction exclusively. This includes commercial and literary novels, sagas, mysteries, epics, and fantasy novels with historical settings. My reading tastes are wide-ranging and tend not to follow trends. Please browse through my site to get a better idea of my preferences.
Favorite topics and subgenres:
- Sagas
- Early American settings
- Medieval England and Europe
- Historical mysteries
- Novels with strong female characters
- Less familiar historical settings or subjects
- International titles
- Novels in translation
I do not accept for review:
- E-books
- Military or "big battle" fiction. Although I know they're popular, I don't typically review male adventure novels, either.
- Alternate history
- Historical romances (which I read, but there are many other venues for these reviews)
- Contemporary novels about the past
- Historical nonfiction, historical films, or audiobooks
Sample reviews for books I especially enjoyed:
Sally Gunning, The Rebellion of Jane Clarke
Jude Morgan, The Taste of Sorrow
Diana Norman, Fitzempress' Law
Contact me
I can be reached at sarah (at) readingthepast (dot) com. Please feel free to contact me with any questions or comments.
My mailing address: Sarah Johnson, Booth Library, Eastern Illinois University, 600 Lincoln Ave., Charleston, IL, 61920, USA.
Copyright
Copyright © 2006-13 by Sarah L. Johnson. Please do not copy reviews, posts, or other material from this site without my express permission. Authors contributing guest posts retain copyright to their contributions.
