Do you read WW2-set fiction?

[AmateisGal]

Hi all -

Question for you. I've been shopping my WW2-set novel around to agents and publishing houses and while I've had a few bites for "partials" (i.e. the first three chapters and a synopsis), I've only had one agent request the full. This is par for the writing course, I know.

But this is one thing I've consistently run into on my rejection letters:

"World War II is a hard sell."

???

This baffles me. There are lots of WW2 books released every year, fiction and nonfiction. I can't figure out why they're not selling like hot cakes. There's quite a variety, too - espionage (like Ken Follett) the battlefield (W.E.B. Griffin springs to mind, who also has the OSS books out), the homefront (Elizabeth Berg's new one), etc. I just finished reading The Wedding Officer - WW2 Naples. Great read.

Your thoughts? My novel is definitely women's fiction. I wonder if that has something to do with it???

Thanks in advance...

 

[Shearer]

I do! - or at least I try to.

I think I'm very picky about what I read in the WWII genre. I usually need to get word of mouth recommendations when I want to read something set in that era. I find when I do searches on Amazon.com it spits out a lot of WWII romance fiction or WWII stories with a Christianity angle. Not that there's anything wrong with either of those categories, but I tend to look for something a little 'grittier' when I read about the war. So I usually end up reading non-fiction like Stephen Ambrose, or soldier memoirs, or biographies. The last WWII book I read was by Irene Nemirovsky.

That being said, just from looking at places like Amazon or B&N, I wouldn't think that the genre would be a hard sell just from the sheer volume of works (especially in women's literature) I've seen, but that's just my 2 cents [huh]

 

[happyfilmluvguy]

With most new products, even books and movies and music, tables, chairs, etc, nowadays it is not how good something is but if it's marketable. Whether or not the publishing companies think your novel is sellable or not, their records and feelings say WWII stories aren't sellable. It can be true or false.

I don't read very often but good luck finding a publisher.

 

[Diamondback]

You might also try one of the print-on-demand publishing houses.

 

[Maj.Nick Danger]

I've read some science fiction that was WW 2 based. Some weird and edgy short stories in a volume called "Hitler Victorious", scary stories that made me think. It was pure fiction but believable fiction. But I think most people really go for the non-fiction stuff about the war. Eye witness accounts of events are fascinating to read.

 

[sweetfrancaise]

I'd be interested, certainly! I love historical fiction, but it's tough to find books that aren't overly romanticized or action-based. If they escape those two pifalls, they usually have less-than-stellar writing. I confess that I'm a picky reader. There are very few WWII-era books I've picked up and was pleased with, like Five Quarters of the Orange by Joanne Harris and Suite Francaise by Irene Nemirovsky, because the writing was subtle and intricate enough to wrap me into the story. A book like Resistance by Anita Shreve left me cold--I liked the story well enough, but her writing couldn't pull the characters off. [huh] .

It seems to me, working in a big-box book retailer in the middle of Suburbia, that what many, even most, of the customers want anything easily digestible, Oprah prescribed, or a "bestseller". It's a marketer's dream to have some award or label on a book--they sell better than anything. It's rare for me to run into a customer looking for something new to read that hasn't been reccommended by some entertainment conglomerate.

*sigh* Darn you retail gods...!

 

[AmateisGal]

Great points, all. Thanks for your input.

Since I used to work in the marketing dept of a POD (print on demand) publisher, I know that it is very, very difficult to get your work the attention it deserves. You are responsible for ALL of your marketing, which can be very time consuming and costly. But even if you go with the traditional publishers (i.e. New York City), you still have to do a lot of your marketing, but not nearly as much as with a POD book.

Plus, POD does not have the respect of the industry. There's arguments both ways, that this is an undeserved reputation, but like anything else, POD has great books, good books, and very, very BAD books.

If I just wanted to publish it more for myself than anything, it would be a viable alternative. At this point, though, I want to make a career out of my writing.

I'm still going to write what I love and hope that some publisher/agent/editor will eventually want to take me on. That's about all I can do!

 

[Maj.Nick Danger]

I'm still going to write what I love and hope that some publisher/agent/editor will eventually want to take me on. That's about all I can do!

:eusa_clap That's the spirit. Ya gotta be true to your own art and don't sell yourself short. Eventually you will succeed.

 

[AmateisGal]

:eusa_clap That's the spirit. Ya gotta be true to your own art and don't sell yourself short. Eventually you will succeed.

Thanks, Maj. Nick!

 

[Twitch]

Since I write WW II combat historical articles I can't stand fiction set in the era. There are too many untold TRUE stories of the war.

 

[AmateisGal]

I like to base my fiction around things that really happened - that's what my last novel was about. I used diaries, government documents, and letters to recreate my story. My next novel I will probably not be so fortunate to have so many primary documents, but I'm going to do as much research as possible.

 

[Weston]

I think Twitch hit on something here – there's so much known about the war, you could read true stories the rest of your life. Other wars have more luck with fiction since they are further away in memory. WWI would work great for fiction, since comparatively few are familiar with the events of that war, the Kaiser, pre-US environment. The revolutionary war even more so since we don't have too much from that time. Just my two cents.

 

[sweetfrancaise]

Well, that's true in certain aspects, especially if you're looking at the topic from a combat perspective. I want to read about those people left at home, and there isn't much fiction or non-fiction that covers the topic. We could go on talking about specifics during air raids, but what were the people thinking below as bombs rained down in their neighborhood while they waited in Anderson shelters? This is where fiction plays a huge role--we can take actual events and put voices to them, to recreate the emotions that are much harder to recall and map than battle specifics, which is what makes up much of what is available regarding WWII.

When I look for something to read to recall the days of WWII, I find too much that only concentrate on what we find to be concrete details. It'd be lovely to have more, pieces of fiction that create possible stories for those who lived through the war. The first hand accounts that are available are great, only there is a distance to the period that place a barrier between the reader and the events--this is where a fiction writer finds his/her place, to recreate a first-hand account to the point where the reader feels the pain and joy of that time. I have yet to read a non-fiction account that can accomplish this, but I'm open to suggestions!

 

[nubsnubs]

Master Sniper

I am currently reading 'Master Sniper' by Stephen Hunter. I am a huge Hunter fan and this is yet another great one. It takes place near the end of WWII and involves, as the title would suggest, a snipers plot to assasinate a very powerful individual, which I do not yet know the identity of. I love suspense.

 

[AmateisGal]

Well, that's true in certain aspects, especially if you're looking at the topic from a combat perspective. I want to read about those people left at home, and there isn't much fiction or non-fiction that covers the topic. We could go on talking about specifics during air raids, but what were the people thinking below as bombs rained down in their neighborhood while they waited in Anderson shelters? This is where fiction plays a huge role--we can take actual events and put voices to them, to recreate the emotions that are much harder to recall and map than battle specifics, which is what makes up much of what is available regarding WWII.

When I look for something to read to recall the days of WWII, I find too much that only concentrate on what we find to be concrete details. It'd be lovely to have more, pieces of fiction that create possible stories for those who lived through the war. The first hand accounts that are available are great, only there is a distance to the period that place a barrier between the reader and the events--this is where a fiction writer finds his/her place, to recreate a first-hand account to the point where the reader feels the pain and joy of that time. I have yet to read a non-fiction account that can accomplish this, but I'm open to suggestions!

Excellent points, SweetFrancaise. I think fiction can bring about an emotional impact that sometimes nonfiction cannot. I say 'sometimes' because I've read plenty of nonfiction that left a huge emotional impact on me.

This quote in particular resonated with me: "...there is a distance to the period that place a barrier between the reader and the events--this is where a fiction writer finds his/her place, to recreate a first-hand account to the point where the reader feels the pain and joy of that time."

I agree!

 

[AmateisGal]

I am currently reading 'Master Sniper' by Stephen Hunter. I am a huge Hunter fan and this is yet another great one. It takes place near the end of WWII and involves, as the title would suggest, a snipers plot to assasinate a very powerful individual, which I do not yet know the identity of. I love suspense.

I heard of this book and I want to read it, as well, and I LOVE suspense. Not sure how well I can write it, but I'm going to try.

 

[vintage68]

I for one would NOT use a publish on demand service (also known as "vanity houses" for catering to wannabe egos). They don't have the respect of the industry ( I worked in publishing myself for a few years) and it would hurt your reputation if you did.

Regardless of how "marketable" your fiction is, there's the assumption that most quality writers DO get published and those that can't probably shouldn't. Tough, but true.

My recommendation: The First Five Pages: A Writer's Guide to Staying Out of the Rejection Pile by Noah Lukeman.

 

[AmateisGal]

I for one would NOT use a publish on demand service (also known as "vanity houses" for catering to wannabe egos). They don't have the respect of the industry ( I worked in publishing myself for a few years) and it would hurt your reputation if you did.

Regardless of how "marketable" your fiction is, there's the assumption that most quality writers DO get published and those that can't probably shouldn't. Tough, but true.

My recommendation: The First Five Pages: A Writer's Guide to Staying Out of the Rejection Pile by Noah Lukeman.

Nope - I'm not even going the POD route. It may be fine for some, but not how I want to build my career. Since I worked for a POD, I know all too well what the pitfalls are. And there are MANY, unfortunately. For those that want to publish their memoir or just want to publish a book for themselves, a POD publisher is great. It's also wonderful for back-in-print programs.

I have Lukeman's book - EXCELLENT. I also like Donald Masse's, Writing the Breakout Novel.

 

[The Wingnut]

Coming in late on this, W.E.B. Griffin held my interest for a long time with his material, and not just the WWII stuff, his Philadelphia cop series was excellent...were it not for mention of the occasional modern vehicle, the series could have been set in just about any period between now and the late '50s.

Twitch makes an excellent point: there are stories left and right untold about WWII that would make the best fiction writers feel like hacks...I just read an account the other night of an unofficial mission by two A-20 Havocs in the Pacific in which one hit the peak of a mountain and wiped out its #1 engine, and still made it home! This was right after sinking a small freighter in an inlet that is now one of the best diving spots in the world.

 

[AmateisGal]

I think the key for me when I read nonfiction is the writing style - if it's dry and boring, even if the event is exciting, it's hard for me to read. I guess I read enough academic history books in grad school for my MA in history that it really frustrated me. But there is a definite difference between academic history and "popular" history. For example, James Bradley's Flags of Our Fathers was an amazing read - very personal and read almost like a novel. One of the best books on the war that I've read, yet it would not be considered "academic" history.

There's a big difference between the two, which actually saddens me a great deal. For that very reason, I did not pursue my PhD - I did not want to write history books that would be read by other historians but no one else. Yet if you wrote popular history books, your credibility (and possibly tenure at a university) might be affected.

Anyway...a bit off topic. But I did want to say that I love reading personal accounts of the war. And as a fiction writer, I like to take those personal accounts and expand on them.