Alternative history

[Andromeda_Organa]

I was wondering if there are any agents that market alternative history novels. I'm writing a novel where Cleopatra and Antony win instead of lose the Battle of Actium, and it will be the start of a series where the whole history of the world changes. Should I self-pub or look for an agent?

[SarahWoodbury]

Well that's what I'm writing at the moment too, though in a very different time and era!

It depends on if you see it as a character driven historical fantasy, in which case the field is more wide open, or a series along the lines of 1632, which was published by Baen Books. The benefit of that house is that they accept unsolicited manuscripts, even if it takes them a year to read it.

The self-pub verses formal-published is an ongoing topic, obviously. I can only say that the books I hawked around that didn't find an agent were not as good as the one I've written that has an agent. I thought they were good, as did my family, but in looking back at them, they were definitely not where they needed to be and without the submission process, I wouldn't necessarilly have known that. This says nothing about all the problems in the publishing world these days, of which there are many.

I have had publishers read my book now, and like it and the writing, so even if nobody accepts it in the end, I would feel more confident in self-publishing it at this stage, compared to where it was before I started the agent quest.

Just my 2 cents.

[Andromeda_Organa]

What was 1632 about?

[SarahWoodbury]

1632 is one of my favorite books! It's by Eric Flint. It spawned a whole series in that alternate universe. You can read the whole book online here, at Baen books:
http://www.baen.com/library/0671319728/0671319728.htm

I downloaded a free copy for my Kindle, although I read it first years ago. The premise is that a sci-fi natural disaster transplants a 6 mile in circumference circle of modern-day West Virginia to 1632 Germany (in an alternate universe, no less). Fun stuff.