Growing your Research Library

 Erica here today, and I have a problem. 

I am a history junkie, and to feed the need, I buy history books. I claim it is for researching my novels, but in truth, I just love reading history books!

In my library!

I've learned over the years that assembling a useful research library is something that takes time and thought. It's easy to buy books willy-nilly on every topic that interests me, but that isn't necessarily the most prudent use of time and resources. I need to hone in on the books that will give me the information I need to write my stories, whether something specific to the story or a more general knowledge of the time period and setting. 

My desk in my library with my little mascot Jane Austen.

My American History Collection

Here are my tips for building a research library:

Before you buy any books:

1. Settle on a genre/era to write. If you are experimenting with medieval, Victorian, World War II, and Biblical Fiction, your research is going to be all over the map. Before you buy any books, determine your era. If you're dabbling in lots, use the internet and the library for information.

2. Plot your story, at least a rough outline, to determine the information you're going to need to gather. Get a rough idea of your research needs before you start buying books.

3. Ask someone who writes your genre what their three top 'go-to' research books are. 

4. Consider a budget. It's easy to start popping things into your online shopping cart and before you know it, your entire budget is gone, but you've still got research questions.

When buying books:

1. Be sure to get at least one book that gives a broad overview of the era you wish to research. A history of the American West will serve you better than a dissertation on qualities of blacksmithing iron on the Oregon Trail, for example.

2. Select books on a variety of topics in your era. A cookbook from the era will clue you in on a major facet of the history. A book on clothing and fashions of the time period helps with character descriptions. Architecture, politics, and major world events bear looking into for your selected era.

3. Consider books that specialize. If your hero is a doctor in the Regency, find a book that discusses medical practices of that time, or a biography of a Regency doctor. Writing about a cattle drive? The diary of Teddy Blue called "We Pointed Them North" will be invaluable. I have books as specific as South Yorkshire Mining Disasters and The London Pleasure Gardens of the Eighteenth Century. This is where plotting your story a bit in advance will help you, because often you don't know what you need until you need it.

Ways to build your library without breaking the bank:

1. Second-hand booksellers such as Thriftbooks, AbeBooks, Ebay, and others can be a great way to procure out of print history books. 

2. Ask your writer friends who write in your genre if they will let you borrow research materials. I do this with a couple of my writer buddies, and it is invaluable. Not only do we share resources, but if you have a research book you've borrowed from a friend, and you really love it, you can get your own copy knowing you will enjoy and use it beyond the book you're currently researching.

3. Keep your eyes open. I found a great book on Horses and Carriages during the Regency while visiting a used bookstore in Springfield, IL, that used to be the law offices of one Abraham Lincoln. I didn't go into the store looking for Regency history, but there it was. :) Library book sales are a fun place, too. Not only for yourself. If I come across a research book that I think one of my author friends could use, I snap a picture, message them, and see if they want it. My author friends do the same for me. 

4. Realize that sometimes, you will have to shell out for a book you really want. Budget for it. For myself, some books have to come from specialty publishers overseas...often in my case from Pen & Sword Publishers in the UK, which is a treasure trove of research books that can get quite specific as to topic. 

5. Google books online, historical blogs and magazines, and other online resources can help you fill the gaps in your research without spending a lot of money. 

6. Forums. There are lots of forums out there where historical writers gather. If you cannot find what you're looking for in research books, ask on the forums. There is always someone who will know the answer or be able to direct you to a source.

7. Your local library. If they don't have it, they can often do an inter-library loan and get it for you. You can try before you buy.

Places to find research books:

Some resources are listed above. Used book sellers, the obvious amazon.com, boutique publishers like Pen & Sword. But how can you even find the various books to consider buying?

1. Museum stores. Most museums have them, and most are online for you to browse. However, even tiny county museums have giftshops with books. You can call the gift shop, and in most cases, they would be willing to ship you the books you want to purchase.

2. Read the sources/bibliographies of online books and articles. This will often give you a springboard for searching for research books.

3. Check the suggestion banner on amazon. When you look at a research book on amazon, a banner is often present farther down the page that will make suggestions of books that are similar, or by the same author, or in the same historical period. Following that rabbit trail has led me to some really cool finds.

My Regency shelves...though they are fuller now than when this was taken. :)

As you can see, I really do have a problem with my history book collecting...but I don't really want to have the problem solved! :) 

Question for you: Do you like history? Do you like research books?

Jane Austen meets Sherlock Holmes in this new Regency mystery series

Newly returned from finishing school, Lady Juliette Thorndike is ready to debut in London society. Due to her years away, she hasn't spent much time with her parents, and sees them only as the flighty, dilettante couple the other nobles love. But when they disappear, she discovers she never really knew them at all. They've been living double lives as government spies--and they're only the latest in a long history of espionage that is the family's legacy.

Now Lady Juliette is determined to continue their work. Mentored by her uncle, she plunges into the dangerous world of spy craft. From the glittering ballrooms of London to the fox hunts, regattas, and soirees of country high society, she must chase down hidden clues, solve the mysterious code her parents left behind, and stay out of danger. All the while, she has to keep her endeavors a secret from her best friend and her suitors--not to mention nosy, irritatingly handsome Bow Street runner Daniel Swann, who suspects her of a daring theft.

Can Lady Juliette outwit her enemies and complete her parents' last mission? Or will it lead her to a terrible end?

Best-selling, award-winning author Erica Vetsch loves Jesus, history, romance, and sports. She’s a transplanted Kansan now living in Minnesota, and she is married to her total opposite and soul mate! When she’s not writing fiction, she’s planning her next trip to a history museum and cheering on her Kansas Jayhawks and New Zealand All Blacks. You can connect with her at her website, www.ericavetsch.com where you can read about her books and sign up for her newsletter, and you can find her online at https://www.facebook.com/EricaVetschAuthor/ where she spends way too much time!