The Call for Proposals

is now open!

Building on the successes of previous conferences, we will offer our most popular types of programming (some with new tweaks) and we’ll also debut a few new formats and events. We want to attract a variety of attendees and presenters who share our mutual passion for historical fiction. Proposals will be accepted from July 15, 2016 thru September 15, 2016. At the bottom of this Call for Proposals is a link to the proposal submission form that must be used for every proposal you submit. No proposals will be accepted via personal email. For each proposal submitted, you will receive a separate email notification no later than October 30, 2016, as to whether or not it was accepted for the Conference program.

As you develop your proposals, bear in mind that Conference attendees will be comprised of: hundreds of authors representing every stage of the journey from novice novelists to multi-published authors; readers; bloggers; educators; librarians; and others with an interest in historical fiction.

At our 7^th North American Conference we hope to showcase diversity both within the historical fiction genre and among its authors and fans. Proposals on a variety of topics are welcome, including: subgenres such as historical mystery, historical romance, historical crime/thriller, young adult historical fiction; race and diversity in historical fiction; and double narratives across time periods.

With these topics to whet your imagination, please bear in mind that for 2017 we would like to encourage the participation of fresh faces and new voices among the familiar ones on our panels and in our workshops. If you are a veteran HNS presenter, please consider inviting an author who may be newer to the genre (or a veteran author new to the conference) to round out your proposal. Additionally, panels that reflect a cross-section of traditional and indie authors are encouraged.

Presenters are invited to consider the following general programming tracks:

Trends and forecasts: What’s true and what’s new in publishing and marketing of historical fiction
Diversity in historical fiction: gender fluidity, unusual protagonists, non-European settings
The Writer’s Process: Summoning the Muse (i.e., using software and other technical aids as well as historical nonfiction for your research)
Craft: Writing dialogue for different periods
Readers’ Festival (i.e., authors talking to readers–see below for more detail)

We are seeking proposals in a variety of formats, as described below.

Panel. One of our most popular formats, the panel, should consist of no more than four participants and a moderator. Of course, one of the panelists may also serve as moderator. Panels are an especially valuable way to discuss a variety of perspectives on a particular topic or theme. Please note: In order for a panel proposal to be considered complete, all panelists must be listed on the submission form.
Presentation. Presentations are typically offered by a single individual with expertise on a particular topic, e.g., how to market your novel or methods for ensuring dialogue fits your time period.
Workshop. Workshops are interactive and allow participants to engage with a topic or skill, e.g., using Scrivener™ to write your novel.
Koffee Klatch.Hour-long Koffee Klatches are small-group discussions (18 participants or fewer) and can take one of two forms. In the traditional free-form KK, a single author discusses anything and everything the author and attendees wish to discuss. In the themed Koffee Klatch one or two authors renowned for their novels on a particular theme or historical era offer an open discussion on a specific subject. The themed Koffee Klatches can also focus on crossover subgenres like historical mystery, crime, romance, etc. The title of your Koffee Klatch should specify whether it will be free-form (e.g., “A discussion with author Jane Jones”) or themed (e.g., on a specific historical time period or focus, like “Exploring Ancient Rome” or “Corsets and Weaponry: Getting it Right”).

We are also delighted to announce another new feature for HNS2017 in Portland! The Saturday Afternoon Readers’ Festival will be a separate ticketed event open to the Portland community. (Of course, regular registrants are also welcome to attend.) If you are interested in presenting a panel, Koffee Klatch, or other type of presentation that would have specific appeal to the community of readers, check the appropriate box on the program submission form.

Presenters agree that if their proposal is accepted they will register for the conference by December 7th, inform Program Chair Leslie Carroll of any changes in their program prior to or during the conference, and present their program at the assigned program time. Each presenter, regardless of the number of programs on which he/she appears, will receive a $50 honorarium at the conference. Any presenters/panelists who have not registered by the registration deadline (May 18) may be removed from the program.

For HNS2017, proposals will be submitted directly to the Conference website. Please note that each proposal requires a separate form. Additionally, submissions for “panels” require that all panelists be listed on the form, with the co-panelists’ bios and subject matter qualifications. The program committee does not find co-panelists for authors who submit proposals for a “panel” on their own; a “panel” submission by a solo author will be considered incomplete and will not be considered.

Click below to access our proposal submission form.