RR Haywood | International Bestselling Author

RR Haywood is one of the world’s bestselling fiction authors, known globally for his zombie and science-fiction series of books. His work, much of which was self-published, has sold millions of copies around the world, making him one of Britain’s most successful ever self-published novelists in these genres. As an Amazon “All-Star” author, RR Haywood’s books have consistently featured in the retailer’s top 100 sales chart since 2017. He has had 30 Kindle Bestsellers and is a Washington Post, Wall St Journal, Amazon & Audible bestselling author. His books Fiction Land and DELIO were nominated for the best audio book at The British Book Awards and won the Discover Sci-Fi Best New Book 2023 respectively.

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* Media Comment, Expert Opinion & Interviews

RR Haywood brings a unique perspective to the table, making him an ideal go-to expert and thought leader for the media seeking insights into literature, publishing, and self-publishing. RR Haywood is a self-taught, working-class writer who has achieved remarkable success through self-publishing—an unconventional path that resonates with many aspiring authors. What sets RR Haywood apart is his firsthand experience navigating the challenges of breaking into the literary world as a self-taught writer from a working-class background. Areas of Expertise for Media Interviews: Self-Publishing Revolution: RR Haywood is a pioneer in the self-publishing industry, having leveraged platforms like TikTok to share guidance and advice based on his own experiences. He can speak eloquently on the democratization of publishing and how aspiring writers can carve their paths through self-publishing. Working-Class Challenges in Literature: RR Haywood is passionate about shedding light on the unique obstacles faced by working-class writers in an industry dominated by middle-class graduates. He can discuss the barriers to entry, the importance of representation, and strategies for overcoming societal biases. Genre Writing and Successful Series: With a string of bestselling series under his belt, RR Haywood is well-versed in the nuances of genre writing and building successful book series. He can provide insights into crafting compelling narratives, developing characters, and engaging readers across multiple books. Insights on Uniform Policing: Beyond the realm of literature, RR Haywood has a background in uniform policing. This additional expertise adds a layer of depth to his commentary and makes him a versatile guest for media discussions on crime fiction and real-life policing experiences.

About

Richard Haywood, who writes under the pen name RR Haywood, is one of the UK’s bestselling self-published authors. Most known for the Undead series of post-apocalyptic zombie novels, Haywood has published more than 40 books and is a Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Amazon, and Audible multiple bestselling author with 30 Kindle and Audible bestsellers and nearly four million copies sold worldwide. His writing spans multiple genres including horror (The Undead), science fiction (the Extracted Trilogy, the DELIO trilogy), thrillers (A Town Called Discovery), and satirical action-adventure (Fiction Land). Haywood’s style is marked by a focus on characterisation and gritty realism.

Growing up in Birmingham, England, Haywood was a voracious reader from a young age, finding solace in books during what he describes as a “disjointed childhood”. He moved with his family to the Isle of Wight aged eight, where he still resides. His favourite authors growing up included J. R. R. Tolkien, Isaac Asimov, and Arthur C. Clarke.

Prior to becoming a full-time author, Haywood was a policeman, joining Hampshire Police in 1998 and being posted to the Isle of Wight, where he was the island’s highest arresting officer with an average of 150 arrests per year. Thanks to the success of his writing career, he was able to retire from policing in 2017 after 19 years’ service.

His first book, the novella The Undead Day One, was self-published in 2012. He was inspired to release it after reading the self-released novel Three Feet of Sky by Stephen Ayres. His original intention with his first few books, comprising The Undead Day One to The Undead Day Seven, was to teach himself to write, with each new entry to the series introducing another core element of writing, such as multiple character points of view and scene building. Haywood has readily admitted that these first few releases “were awful” on account of “being full of typos and other elementary errors which have, thankfully, since been corrected”.

In 2014, he signed with British literary agency Hardman & Swainson after visiting several agencies around London with a mobile billboard advertising van promoting his books. The increasing popularity of the Undead series secured Haywood a three-book deal with 47North, the publishing imprint of Amazon Publishing. Through 47North, he released time-travel series the Extracted trilogy, which became a Washington Post and Wall Street Journal bestseller, as well as a number one bestseller on Amazon US and Amazon UK.

As of 2023, he has written 25 books in the Undead series. His other works include science-fiction trilogies DELIO (with the first book in the series, DELIO. Phase One, winning the Discover Sci-Fi 2023 Readers’ Choice Award) and The Code, the latter being one of the first Audible Original science-fiction series with Audible UK, narrated by actor Colin Morgan. His latest novel, Fiction Land, was released in November 2023 and has also proven a bestseller, with the audiobook version, narrated by former Game of Thrones star Gethin Anthony, topping the Audible pre-order charts in the weeks prior to release.

Haywood continues to self-publish certain books, such as the Undead series, under the 1899 Inc imprint, saying that he likes the “creative freedom it provides, as well as the immediacy it brings, connecting me with readers in a way that’s much more difficult when an author is 100 per cent traditionally published”. He is a vocal critic of creative writing courses, which he says “kill creativity”. He states that the only rule aspiring authors should follow is to read widely, suggesting they read 1,000 books before writing their first book.

Rich is planning to release eight new episodes of The Undead this year, while his upcoming psychological thriller, Gaslit, is slated for release this summer. He is also developing a new steampunk-themed series set within the universe of his previous hit, A Town Called Discovery, further details about which will be released soon. His popular TikTok channel, meanwhile, provides tried and tested tips and practical tutorials about how to get started in fiction writing.

Further Information:

RR Haywood – Facebook

RR Haywood – TikTok

RR Haywood – YouTube

Personal website – www.rrhaywood.com