Historical Novel Society

What Historical Novel Society does

The Historical Novel Society (HNS) is a volunteer-run, non-profit international literary society founded in 1997 and headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is dedicated to the promotion and advocacy of historical fiction as a genre, serving authors (established and debut), readers, librarians, editors, and publishing industry professionals worldwide. The society operates a portfolio of core products including the quarterly members-only print magazine Historical Novels Review (64 pages, delivered in February, May, August, and November), an online database of tens of thousands of historical fiction book reviews browsable by author, genre, period, and century, and a series of international conferences held across the US, UK, and Australia. Member-exclusive services include manuscript critique groups, a member directory, local and virtual chapter meet-ups, sponsored author interviews, and subject guides for historical research.

HNS also administers a portfolio of literary awards and competitions, most notably the ARA Historical Fiction Prize (described as one of the most generous literary prizes, for Australasian historical fiction) and the First Chapters Competition (an annual writing competition with ten category divisions and a £1,000 overall prize). Past awards include the HNS New Novel Award, HNS Short Story Award, HNS Indies Award, and the Saudi Historical Short Story and Novel Awards (run in partnership with DARAH in 2021 but subsequently discontinued in favor of a grant scheme). The society's awards have been credited with helping launch the careers of named authors including Michel Faber, Ruth Downie, Nikki Marmery, Hilary Green, and Elizabeth Macneal.

HNS generates revenue primarily through membership subscriptions, which grant access to the print magazine, member directory, critique groups, event discounts, and award eligibility. Conference ticket sales, competition entry fees, and award sponsorship constitute supplementary revenue streams. The organization is privately held, has no external institutional investment, and operates with 11-50 employees. Its marketing and distribution channels include the website (historicalnovelsociety.org), X/Twitter and Facebook social media accounts, an e-newsletter distributed via a third-party provider with open and click tracking, the print magazine, and in-person events.

Name

Historical Novel Society

Legal name

Historical Novel Society

Website

https://historicalnovelsociety.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Historical Novel Society is a volunteer-run non-profit international literary society founded in 1997 that promotes historical fiction through a quarterly print magazine, a database of tens of thousands of book reviews, conferences across three continents, and awards programs serving authors, readers, librarians, and publishing professionals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Literary Society and Publishing Services

NAICS

Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Periodical Publishers (51312)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)

akta.pro primary industry

Literary Arts & Writing Organizations (BPAGAHAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Genre & Category Publishing (Romance, Mystery/Thriller, Sci‑Fi/Fantasy, etc.) (MPAJAAAB)

Keywords

• Historical fiction community
• Literary society membership
• Book review publication
• Literary awards program
• Writing conferences

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Subscriptions: The society generates revenue through membership subscriptions. Members receive a quarterly print magazine (Historical Novels Review), access to member benefits, event discounts, and eligibility for awards and competitions.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Historical Novel Society is a volunteer-run, international non-profit literary society that delivers its historical fiction community through a members-only quarterly print magazine (Historical Novels Review) reviewing hundreds of books each issue, an online archive of tens of thousands of historical fiction book reviews, regional conferences in the US, UK, and Australia, literary awards (including the ARA Historical Fiction Prize and First Chapters Competition), and member services such as critique groups, a member directory, and local and virtual chapters.

Product overview

The Historical Novel Society is an international literary society founded in 1997 that operates a portfolio of products and services for the historical fiction community. The core offerings include the quarterly Historical Novels Review print magazine, an online book reviews database, annual HNS Conferences held across three continents (US, UK, Australia), and the HNS Awards program featuring the ARA Historical Fiction Prize. The society also provides member-exclusive services such as critique groups, a member directory, local chapters, and author interview features. Additional resources include subject guides for research, a New Voices section for debut authors, and a First Chapters Competition for aspiring writers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Historical Novels Review (Quarterly Print Magazine) Members-only quarterly print magazine featuring reviews of hundreds of historical fiction books per issue, plus author interviews, features, columns, and market news; delivered to members by post four times per year.
• Online Book Reviews Database Online database of tens of thousands of historical fiction book reviews, browsable by author, genre, period, century, and magazine issue; available to readers seeking book discovery and to authors seeking review placement.
• HNS Conferences International in-person conferences held annually in the US, UK, and Australia that bring together historical fiction authors, readers, and industry professionals, with member discounts on registration.
• HNS Awards Program Literary awards program administered by the society, encompassing the ARA Historical Fiction Prize (described as one of the most generous literary prizes, for Australasian historical fiction), past awards (New Novel Award, Short Story Award, Indies Award), and annual recognition competitions.
• First Chapters Competition Annual writing competition recognizing excellence in historical fiction storytelling across ten category divisions; the overall winner receives £1,000 and a trophy, with category winners receiving £500 and conference tickets.
• Member Directory and Local Chapters Member-exclusive networking offerings including an online member directory and local chapter meet-ups across multiple regions, enabling connections among historical fiction enthusiasts worldwide.
• Manuscript Critique Groups Member-exclusive critique groups that provide peer manuscript feedback to author members at various stages of their writing career.

Quantifiable outcome

• Hundreds of historical fiction books reviewed per quarter in the Historical Novels Review magazine
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• King Abdulaziz Foundation for Research and Archives (DARAH)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerA partnership between HNS and DARAH served one of HNS's founding principles to promote historical fiction and DARAH's principle to serve Saudi Arabian history and heritage by supporting research, access to scholarship, and publication. The partnership resulted in the Saudi Historical Short Story Award and Saudi Historical Novel Award, though both awards ran for only one year. The partnership has since been withdrawn in favor of a grant scheme.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Mystery Writers of America: Mystery Writers of America is a US-based genre-specific literary society for mystery and crime writers, running the prestigious Edgar Awards and a members-only publication (Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine). Closely comparable to HNS in operating model: membership subscriptions, awards, conferences, and genre-specific reviews and resources.
• Romance Writers of America: Romance Writers of America is the leading genre-specific organization for romance fiction, operating an annual conference, awards program (RITA Awards), member critique groups, and chapter network. Highly comparable to HNS in structure: subscription membership, regional chapters, awards, and author services focused on a single fiction genre.
• Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association: SFWA is a genre-specific professional organization for science fiction and fantasy writers, running the Nebula Awards, member directories, and networking events. Comparable to HNS in its dedication to a single fiction genre with member subscriptions, annual awards, and community-building activities.
• International Thriller Writers: International Thriller Writers is a genre-specific literary organization for thriller authors, running the ThrillerFest conference and the Thriller Awards. Operates a similar model to HNS with membership tiers, awards, conferences, and author-discovery programs focused on a single fiction genre.
• Crime Writers' Association: The Crime Writers' Association is a UK-based genre-specific organization for crime fiction writers, running the Dagger Awards. As a fellow UK-headquartered genre literary society with awards and member services, it is a close geographic and operational peer to HNS.
• Sisters in Crime: Sisters in Crime is a genre-specific organization supporting crime fiction writers and readers, with chapter-based networking and awards programs. Comparable to HNS in operating a chapter network, member services, and genre-specific community programming.

Emerging players

• Western Writers of America: Western Writers of America is a smaller genre-specific literary society for Western fiction, running the Spur Awards. Operates a similar member-and-awards model to HNS but with a narrower niche and US-focused footprint.

Others

• Historical Association: The Historical Association is a UK-based membership organization for history enthusiasts and educators, publishing a members' magazine (The Historian) and running events. Related to HNS through shared focus on history but oriented toward academic history rather than historical fiction.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/histnovsoc
• Facebookfacebook.com/historicalnovelsociety

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Historical Novel Society