Marketing Historical Fiction

Course summary: Learn to present a historical novel truthfully, research its readers, and choose practical ways to reach them. Build an author brand, promotional copy, partner pitches, a budget, and a measurement plan, then revise a complete six-week marketing proposal.

Course overview: Historical detail can attract a reader, but a list of facts rarely sells a story. This course helps you connect a novel’s setting, conflict, and emotional promise with readers who may value them. You will plan digital and traditional promotion without treating attention as proof of sales. Activities produce drafts and simulations; no purchases, public posts, live advertisements, or outreach are required.

Intended students and prerequisites: For historical novelists, independent publishers, and writers preparing a launch or renewed promotion. Bring a novel in progress or use an invented book. You need a 150-word premise, a likely age category, and basic word-processing skills. A finished manuscript, mailing list, website, paid software, and marketing experience are not required. Label invented project details and practice data. Never invent audience interviews or source evidence.

Overall outcomes: Identify a book’s genre promise; separate historical evidence from invention; evaluate audience and comparable-book evidence; draft consistent branding and promotional assets; select channels and partners; calculate costs and conversion rates; and revise a feasible marketing plan using a stated decision rule.

Workload and portfolio: Allow 35–45 hours across 10 modules and 40 lessons. Save each lab as a dated portfolio entry with its starting draft and revision. Work on the same book when possible. Each lesson also supplies enough context to work independently. Short exercises are building blocks, not 40 separate campaigns.

Final work and completion: Complete all 40 labs and the capstone in Lesson 10.4. Submit a 2,700–3,300-word marketing plan; five promotional assets totaling 500–650 words; a six-week calendar, itemized budget, and measurement sheet; and a separate 300-word process reflection, with a tolerance of 30 words. The plan excludes these supporting materials. Include at least two substantial before-and-after revisions. Earn at least 75/100 on the final rubric and supply every required component. You may revise and resubmit after addressing the rubric feedback.

AI collaboration: AI use is optional. You may ask it to question a claim, compare copy, or find a missing step. Supply only material you have permission to share. Do not ask it to fabricate research, reviews, historical testimony, or personal credentials. Verify facts against sources, keep human control of final language, and identify any substantial AI assistance in the reflection. A manual comparison, checklist, or peer review is always an equivalent route.