Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Along with my wife, Kate Haywood, I’ve written three quiz books so far. We both really enjoy taking part in and also writing quizzes on all sorts of topics. I’ve also recently written a guide to British crime fiction novels.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The Ultimate Film Quiz Book. We really like watching films, so this seemed like a natural next book to write.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
We brainstorm what quizzes we want in a quiz book, and plan out who is going to write what. We then separately go away and write the quizzes, then at the end of the day test each other on what we’ve come up with.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
Lots of authors! I love learning new things, so read a lot of non-fiction books including history, travel, popular science and lots more.
What are you working on now?
We’ve nearly finished a quiz book all about books and reading which is a subject really close to my heart. If you enjoy books and reading, then this is the book for you! After that we’re doing a ‘Who, What, Where?’ quiz book, as this has been a really popular question type in our quiz books so far and there have been requests for more of these quizzes.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
So far, our Facebook group is the best promotion we’ve done. If we do a free Kindle book promotion, it doesn’t get us as many downloads as some other outlets, but we get more people actually reading and enjoying our books.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
You’ve got to keep working at it. If at first you don’t succeed, keep at it and don’t give up.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Know why you want to write and what you want to achieve. If you are going to get to your destination, you’ve got to know where you want to go!
What are you reading now?
I’m reading a Adventure of English by Melvyn Bragg. It’s a fascinating book about the English language, which allows me to geek out on words and history – two of my favourite topics!
What’s next for you as a writer?
Writing more quiz books – we’ve got a list of 10 we want to get done in 2022, so it is going to be a busy year. I’m also working on a Crime Fiction Guide to Europe, a follow up to my Crime Fiction Tour of Britain.
If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
An encyclopedia, a history of the world, and a really long fiction book – maybe one of those historical epics by Ken Follett or James Michener.
Author Websites and Profiles
Steve Haywood Website
Steve Haywood’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account