Interview with Robert Niemi

Author of 100 Great War Movies

 

Where are you from originally and where do you reside now?

I’m originally from Fitchburg, Massachusetts but I’ve lived in Vermont the last 30 years. I reside in Essex Junction, VT (just west of Burlington).

If you currently reside somewhere besides where you were born, what’s the story that lead from there to here?

I came to Vermont in 1990 to take a job as a professor of English at St. Michael’s College, a small residential liberal arts college in the northeastern part of the state.

What made you decide to write and publish your first book?

Frankly, I needed to publish in order to get tenured but I wanted to write and publish anyway. It’s a fascinating challenge.

How would you describe your books to first time readers?

The seven nonfiction books I’ve published thus far basically engage three topic areas: literature, film, and popular culture.

Who do you feel is most likely to connect with the topics you write about?

Readers particularly interested in the relationship between film and history might enjoy my work (several of my books have focused on this topic).

What unexpected or surprising thing did you learn during the process of writing and publishing?

In researching and writing a book, I’m always amazed at the sheer volume of detailed information that is now readily accessible online.

If you could, what advice would you give to your past self before embarking on this journey?

I’d advise my younger self to start earlier in my career and write more books. Life is short.

How many people would you ideally like to reach with your books?

I’d like to reach as many people as possible but I’m realistic; I know my audience is going to be limited mostly to libraries. I’m a lit. and film critic/historian, not a writer of blockbuster genre fiction.

What has been the biggest challenge and frustration during the process to date?

I’m an English professor. My primary job is teaching and it’s a very labor-intensive and time-consuming job. My biggest challenge is finding time to put into the equally labor-intensive business of researching and writing books and essays.

What’s your biggest strengths when it comes to book a) writing, b) publishing and c) marketing?

I’m a thorough and dogged researcher and a good writer (I really strive for clarity, accuracy, and succinctness in my writing). I’ve been lucky in securing publishers for my work – that’s been the easiest part of the process for me. I think it’s good to nail down a book contract early in the writing process; it creates incentive and a timetable: a sense of structure and purpose that keeps things going.

What’s your biggest weakness when it comes to book a) writing, b) publishing and c) marketing?

My biggest weakness in writing is perfectionism, which slows me down. I can’t think of a weakness concerning publishing but I have to admit I’m lousy at self-promotion and marketing – I just don’t have an instinctual grasp of those areas.

When do you think you will write your next book?

I’m working on a new one now (another film book), which I started in earnest about four months ago.

Are you self published or did you use a hybrid publisher, or a traditional publisher?

I’ve used traditional publishers (my recent books have been published in both printed and electronic versions).