Alan Royle

An extract from the authors interview with BooksGoSocial.com

Tell us something unexpected about yourself!

I left school at 15 in 1962 and did not see the inside of a classroom again until I enrolled at university for a history degree in 2001. Three years later I was tutoring English and history at university and with Open University of Australia, winning a National Tutoring Award in 2007.

What kind of books do you write?

I mostly write books on movie trivia and movie history, although I am currently writing one about rock and roll/pop music trivia and history. I focus on items and details that I find unusual or titillating from the days of the studio system in Hollywood. There seems to be no end to it.

What inspired you to write?

I have read non-fiction all my life (never fiction), and I never ceased to be amazed at the amount of interesting data I come across, especially in biographies and auto-biographies. My readers tend to appreciate the tidbits I find in my exhaustive research.

What makes your writing stand out from the crowd?

I believe historians have an obligation to not only relate facts, but to offer their interpretation and opinions on those facts. I also enjoy inserting tongue in cheek comments on issues I believe are socially important. Anyone can simply reel off facts, but it is our interpretation of those facts that make us unique and, hopefully, interesting to our readers.

What is the hardest part of writing – for you?

To be perfectly candid, I thoroughly enjoy writing and look forward to both researching and putting my discoveries and opinions on paper. My only concern is the correct use of punctuation and whether or not to use English or American spelling. Most of my readers are American but, being Australian, I am used to using English English.

Where do you like to write – what is your routine?

I rise very early in the morning (between 5 and 6am) and I write and research at my computer (mostly), in two hour bursts, usually until around 1am. I might doze in the afternoon for an hour or so, but I generally do not need much sleep. Once I have completed a satisfactory quota I might put on a Blu-Ray or DVD, (more research, but fun), or watch some sport.

What do you do when you are not writing – do you have a day job?

I retired from university in 2013. When I am not writing I watch movies, play golf twice a week, and follow my Australian Rules Football team, the West Coast Eagles in the wintertime. In summer I watch cricket or golf on Foxtel when I am taking a break from writing and researching.

Do you work with an outline or just write?

Because I write short pieces on many subjects, I seldom use outlines. I have always felt very comfortable putting my thoughts and views on paper, particularly on topics I am extremely familiar with, such as movies and pop music. I also have a short book on Kindle about the British Army in the 19th Century, and that did require an outline to complete.

What advice would you have for other writers?

I found it supremely important as a university student to ‘stay ahead of the workload’. I always told my students to avoid leaving their writing requirements until the last minute. There is nothing tougher than having to write something to a deadline when you are physically ill or over-tired. It is far better to keep ahead of the game. I do that with my blog and with my books. If I have a quota to meet I meet it days ahead of schedule. It keeps the pressure off.

How important is marketing and social media for you?

I make a practice of writing at least 1,000 words in my blog every second day. It is crucially important that I build a following there. With thousands of new books being published every week, it is essential that I build up numbers in my blog, so that word of mouth generates sales. Kindle Unlimited readership is also vitally important. I talk movies once a month on radio in Perth, Western Australia, and this has helped the sales of my books as well.

What’s your next step?

I shall be publishing my second volume of ‘Hollywood Warts ‘N’ All’ in February 2016, although on Kindle only. After that I shall work on completing my first volume of ‘Rock & Roll/Pop Music Warts ‘N’ All’, which should be ready for Kindle publication in a few months.