Indie Spotlight is our monthly column on
self-publishing. This month Siobhan Daiko interviews Victor Cunrui Xiong,
Professor of History, with a special interest in Asian history,
at Western Michigan University, USA, and author of the historical novel Heavenly Khan.
Heavenly Khan is based on the story of Li Shimin
(also known as Tang Taizong), the second emperor of the Tang dynasty, and arguably
the greatest sovereign in Chinese history. He grew up in a
world of devastating upheaval that tore China apart, and he found himself thrust
into the role of a military commander in his father’s rebel army while
still a teenager. He proved himself to be a great military genius, vanquishing
all his enemies on the battlefield. As emperor,
ruling from 626 to 649 CE, he was open-minded. He encouraged critical
suggestions by his court officials, which he often adopted, and he lent
support to Buddhism, Daoism, and Christianity. The international prestige
he won for Tang China was so high that the states of Central and North
Asia honored him with the title of ‘Heavenly Khan.’
What inspired you to write a novel set at the
time of the Tang Dynasty?
I have always had a
wish to write novels since I was a teenager.
I did not have the time to write one until recently. As it happened, prior
to that I had used historical novels on ancient Rome by Robert Harris in one
of the classes I teach: World History to 1500. I wanted to use a novel on
premodern China for the same class. However, none seemed satisfactory. So I
wrote a novel myself.
Is Heavenly
Khan fact or fiction?
This is actually a 'faction' or a hybrid between a novel and a history. All the characters and places are real, so
are all the major events. It is about
the life of Tang Taizong, from his military career to his seizure of power and through
to his peaceful reign over the Tang empire. Arguably the greatest Chinese
sovereign who ever lived, Tang Taizong was also a great military commander in
the same class with Alexander the Great and Napoleon.
What can you tell us about your writing
process?
First, as a historian,
I spent more than 30 years studying Chinese history, especially the Sui-Tang
period. Familiarity with the subject made the writing much easier. Second, I
read great fiction and non-fiction as research for both writing and
revising the novel. The most influential authors for me include: Robert Harris,
Robert Graves, Sir Walter Scott, Henryk Sienkiewicz, Laura Hillenbrand, Albert
Camus, André Malraux, Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa, and Franz Kafka, among
others. I finished the first draft essentially during one summer vacation, but
spent a long time thereafter revising it multiple times.
What led you to
choose self-publishing, as opposed to taking the traditional publishing route?
To be published by a traditional publisher is a
time-consuming process. One has to find an agent first. That's difficult, since agents are now overwhelmed
with requests by authors to represent them. I wanted my students to start
reading the novel as soon as possible, and could not afford to wait. They have
been enthusiastic, I’m pleased to say.
Any advice you
can give to authors thinking about taking the indie route to publication?
Indie publishing is increasingly respectable.
One should stop regarding being self-published as a stigma. In fact there are no lack of success stories
in self-publishing. Well-known indie authors include Walt Whitman, DH
Laurence, Stephen Crane, Howard Fast, and more recently, EL James, author of Fifty Shades of Grey.
How do you reach
out and connect with your readership?
I have tried to reach out through book review agencies
and online groups. For example, sales improved greatly when information about the
novel was circulated among members of a group for academics, the Early Medieval China Group. Many
professors on the list adopted it for their courses on history or culture.
How would you
describe your target readership?
English-speaking readers in the West and elsewhere
interested in Chinese history and culture, especially college students.
Can you tell us
a little about your work-in-progress, if you have one?
I have been writing a novel on the life of Liu Bang, the founding father of the Han
dynasty and one of the greatest rulers in Chinese history. Because of his
earthiness and wit he is one of the best-loved characters in Chinese history.
What are your
plans for developing your career as an author?
Prior to turning to faction, I wrote two academic
monographs and an encyclopedia on medieval China. I will continue to publish academically. A new monograph will come
out later this year, and my encyclopedia is currently going through a major
revision. I am also editing the Routledge
Handbook of Imperial Chinese History. Lastly, my annotated translation of
the 8th century masterpiece Shitong will
be published perhaps in two or three years. Meanwhile I will continue to write
novels.
Details: For the
Heavenly Khan website click here. The book can be purchased here on Amazon.com.
