How to do Book Research
It's not as scary as you think
Friends!!
Today we have a chat with Jo Piazza, the best-selling author of 10 books, including her latest, The Parisian Heist, which is about both a modern day art heist and Jo Van Gogh's struggle to make the world see the brilliance of her brother, Vincent, after his death. I got my entire group chat to read her previous book, Everyone Is Lying To You, which is a better tradwife book than the other one you've heard of. (Working on them with the new one, too, Jo.) She also hosts the podcast Under the Influence, which is a must-listen about social media, influencer culture, and the mess behind the curtain, and a newsletter, too! Jo's writing makes you feel like you have two feet on the ground in the world of her books, whether that's in the Italian countryside at the turn of the century, a fancy influencer ranch in Wyoming, or sitting next to Van Gogh's sister. We're talking to Jo today about how she attacks book research.
Kate: Where do you start your research?
Jo: So I always start where most of of us…on Google. And then I peel off and wander into the real world because that’s where the good info lives. I find everything I can at my library (Philly Free Library) and then order the books I can’t get and hole up in my room and read them all. Then I start the interviews. I cold email experts and ask to chat. A surprising majority say, absolutely! You would be surprised at how much people want you to bear witness to their expertise and share their passions. For The Parisian Heist, I interviewed an incredible museum security expert, Anthony Amore from the Gardner Museum, as well as many, many art historians, art crime experts, Van Gogh experts, and even forgery experts. I love primary sources so I read all of the available diaries of Jo Van Gogh and every letter I could get my hands on between Jo and Theo and Vincent and absolutely anyone!
K: How do you know you've got a live one–an area where there's enough dig through but still the potential to find something new?
Jo: I think it’s a gut thing. I get a lot of ideas, maybe too many, and I start doing bits of research on a lot of them, but my gut always guides me to the right one and is like THIS THIS THIS story needs to be told and you are the person to do it right now.
K: Does that research topic become your whole personality? Is your family sick of Van Gogh?
J: It became my whole family’s personality. We have Van Gogh books and prints all over our house. I’ve dragged them to so many museums. I’ve even read a ton of Van Gogh graphic novels with the kids and we’ve done all the Van Gogh painting LEGO sets. So the answer is yes.
K: What is your advice to non-academic writers who might be intimidated by research-heavy subjects?
J: I totally get it! But I don’t look at any of this like an academic exercise. I was a reporter for a long time and I approach my book research like I did my journalism. I’m looking for the things that will keep a reader's attention. And remember research isn’t all books. It’s going out in the world and exploring and talking to people. A lot of my research truly was wandering around Paris, Amsterdam, and Auvers and just soaking in the places.
K: How do you know when to stop researching and get to writing?
J: I do them at the same time. I start a book and I research simultaneously!
Thank you, Jo! I've been working on two projects with a research component and the thing I've loved doing is reading old magazines about my subject–the Barbizon Hotel. Of course, there aren't a lot of glossy magazine articles about Jo Van Gogh, so your mileage may vary. You can buy a lot of them on eBay, but also, your local library may have TONS of old periodicals. My other one takes place on the Moon, so brb I'm going to call NASA and see if I can hop on the next Artemis mission.
Please check out Jo's books for your next read. They are so well-researched, tightly plotted, and wholly engrossing. You won't regret it.
Before I leave you, don't forget! You could come here with me and the good people at Kevin Anderson Associates for a non-fiction masterclass writing retreat in September in Tuscany. I think that counts as "research," no?
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OXOXOXOX,
Kate
Who am I and what is this? This is Agents & Books, a twice-weekly newsletter about writing, publishing, and the creative life. I've been an agent for 20 years, most of it at the Howard Morhaim Literary Agency, and I'm the author of two books: Write Through It: An Insider's Guide to Publishing and the Creative Life (Simon Element, 2025) and a picture book called Pay Attention to Me!, with illustrations by Rob Justus (Sourcebooks, 2026). If you haven't already, become a subscriber today. $5 a month or $50 a year. Same price since 2019! Need to cancel? Look here.
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