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elwinged · 2 months ago

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Publishing traditionally in Australia remains a deeply competitive and difficult venture, so it’s no surprise debut authors are turning to self-publishing instead. I had the privilege of interviewing the Sydney-based author Shaina Veronica, who self-published her debut novel All About You and is self-publishing her upcoming contemporary romance, If Only. This interview focuses on why and how she writes, as well as her journey with self-publishing and her thoughts on the Australian publishing industry. We also talked a bit about the inspiration behind her novels, her author inspirations, and her advice for aspiring writers.

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Hi Shaina! Could you tell me a little about yourself and your writing?

Hi! I'm Shaina Veronica, a Filipino who hails from Western Sydney. With a Bachelor's Degree in Arts: Screen Production, I use a lot of what I learnt during my time at film school toward my writing craft. I'm 24 years old, and published my debut, All About You at 23 years old, but have been dreaming of being an author since I was 5 years old. I've had an expansive imagination since I could remember, writing little diary entries of my days when I was little and putting little fantasy twists to them. As a huge fangirl of many, many books, films, tv shows and musicals, it's my goal to tell stories and touch people the way the stories that I'm a fangirl of, has touched me. My writing is grounded in the human experience and relationships, which is always at the core of any story I tell, be it a contemporary romance [or] fantasy. Outside of writing, I love to draw, play video games, sing musicals and spend time with my family (including my little Jack Russel terror, Castiel).

You mentioned your writing is grounded in the human experience and relationships, which is such a wonderful thing to base your books on! How do you narrow down (so to speak) what themes you explore in your writing? Is All About You- or your upcoming novel, If Only- inspired by a specific moment you've experienced or thought about?

Great question! Mostly, I love to write about love. I've always been a hopeless romantic, and I credit this to growing up with my parents and seeing their love everyday. Add onto that the endless amount of love stories I've consumed, and I am, well, hopeless! However, I love to focus moreso on 'first love' or 'first romance', and the human complexities around that. A lot of inspiration is drawn from my own experiences with crushes in the past, or from stories I've heard from others around me. All in all, I'm fascinated with love, whether it be romance or platonic or familial. I love the love humans have for each other, and always want to highlight that in my novels.

I'm really excited for the publication of If Only! Can you tell me a bit about the book, your characters, and what inspired you to write it? What do you hope readers will take from If Only?

Thank you so much!

If Only is a standalone YA contemporary romance that follows a dual-timeline narrative, jumping between high school and university, and follows university student Seth Moore, as he reconnects with the girl who had a crush on him for five years in high school. As they grow closer, through train rides, midnight calls and city dates, unresolved feelings from the past begin to surface, and Seth must confront his fear of love if he is to be with the girl he thought got away.

Writing this, I was inspired a lot by my own experiences with a high school crush, as well as c-dramas like When I Fly Towards You, A Love So Beautiful and Hidden Love.

Writing this, I explore themes of love as healing. I want readers to know that love in all its healthy forms will be able to lead you in the right direction. I also recognise hardships in high school briefly, particularly that to do with appearances and superficiality. I hope that readers who may have lacked confidence in high school, or high school readers recognise that they are beautiful regardless of what society or high school hierarchies lead us to believe. It’s a book that I wish younger me could’ve read.

You self-published All About You: what was your thought process behind choosing self publishing over traditional publishing?

What a great question! It's one I've asked myself a lot too. As I mentioned before, my dreams of being an author begun at 5 years old. Yet, the dream sprung from telling stories and making people happy - I didn't grasp whether I wanted it to be traditional or self published. When I was 11 years old, I wrote a Percy Jackson fanfiction that included my classmates as the main characters. I passed my notebook around the class for all my peers to write, and they would wait for updates everyday. When I was 13, I discovered Wattpad, and continued my love for sharing stories in a community. I hadn't realised that even back then, I was, in a way, self publishing. It was in 2024 that I decided to pursue writing more seriously. I thought, it's time to publish a damn book! I researched both avenues, and created pros and cons. But I feel like, in my heart and gut, I already knew I wanted my first book to be self published.

Why? Self publishing gives agency that traditional often doesn't, or might not. While this may not be the case for every traditional published book, and every experience is different, the consensus is that you relinquish a bit of creative control. For me, I wanted to be in control of all aspects of my story. The cover, the characters, the title, the marketing. I had a big vision and brand for All About You and I wanted to see if I could do it all myself. It came as a surprise to me, that I certainly did have the skills to be in charge of all aspects of the self publishing process. While there were a lot of obstacles, a lot of imposter syndrome and doubts that came with it, at the end of the day, I'm beyond happy that I self published All About You.

How does self publishing work?

As with any published book, the experience differs with every author, but I'll do my best to speak generally on how I self published. Ultimately, self publishing means that you are the sole creative driver. It's up to you if you want to hire a cover designer, an editor, a proof reader, a social media marketer. And it is also up to you if you choose not to, which is what I did. The most commonplace that indie authors turn to for self publishing is Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP.) It is the most accessible and easiest way to self publish, especially onto a wide platform. It offers your book on the Kindle app (ebook) and is also a print-on-demand service for anyone who wants a paperback of your novel.

But there's also a belief that, once you have written something and put it out there, you are a self published author. Be it Wattpad, on Archive of our Own (Ao3), substack, etc. You are a self published author, once you have decided to publish it publicly for other eyes to see.

If Only is also self published- did you find the process easier this time around? Are you able to push things through faster because you know what you're doing, or is that totally out of your control? (In regards to things like printing paperbacks etc.)

So good you asked this, because I was reflecting on it just recently! I indeed have found it much easier this time around, in terms of timeline and pacing myself. I understand now how to format, how to upload onto KDP, how to do all that nitty gritty.

Cover creation will always be tricky, especially if there is a specific and certain tone I want to capture. And I’m a perfectionist, so I will go through drafts and drafts of covers until I’m satisfied (I think the current cover is the 6 or 7th draft).

In terms of printing paperbacks, I can thank Amazon for their print on demand service, but I would like to delve into Ingram Spark Publishing for wider distribution (it’s a platform that booksellers turn to for wholesale).

On a whole, If Only felt less daunting than All About You, but still stressful in its own way. But it’s a stress I embrace, that I love, and it’s totally worth it.

Earlier, you briefly mentioned fanfiction and its internet spaces such as Wattpad and Archive of Our Own: what are your thoughts on fanfictions that have been edited and published as novels? Does 'filing off the serial numbers' make an instant bestseller; or does it diminish its value? I'd love to hear your thoughts.

I believe that recognising the very real and talented works on the Internet, and especially in a space that is usually (and still is) demeaned, is very much needed. I've never published a fanfiction online, and don't read as many fanfictions as I should, but from the few I have read, I'm always blown away at how creative they get with the boundaries they start with.

As a relatively new author, have you interacted with/do you have any thoughts on the Australian publishing industry?

It's a growing and evolving process, and I'm definitely still so new in the industry. I sadly haven't had the opportunity, yet, to interact with many in the Australian industry, or directly. I have a close friend, Jacquie Pham, who is traditionally published, and I had the privilege and honour to lead her book launch panel, where I met a representative from her publishing house. However, through FB groups and Threads, I have seen a discussion around the need to improve the Australian publishing industry, and make it more accessible. Australia has so many talented authors, but there is a struggle to make it [a] living and make it feasible. I am confident and hopeful that with the steady rise and popularity of books, that there will be more of a focus on uplifting Aussie voices here.

Although some authors can land extremely profitable book deals, you've mentioned- and I agree- that it's a struggle to make writing a living. Would you be open to discussing how you balance writing, work, and a social life in this economy (in regards to your living situation and your work status)?

Of course! Realistically, I've had to acknowledge and accept that writing isn't my full time job, and it may never be it. I think that's the first step on figuring out if writing is truly for you - because you have to really love it to keep going. It's not always profitable and royalties aren't guaranteed to pay your rent. For me, I've always written as a hobby. Even now, I still try to see it as my hobby, as my fun place. I work full-time, a 9-5 job, and when I clock off, that's when I can divulge in my little stories. It's a good separation too, because sometimes I can get too caught up in writing that I need a break. So having a day job alongside writing, I think, is very healthy.

As for balancing with other aspects of my life - unconventionally, I have a very inconsistent writing schedule. I'm a mood writer, which means if inspiration hits me, I have to sit down and jot it before it goes away. Even when I'm not writing, however, I'm thinking about my works. It's how I balance life, I guess, because I could be out with friends and having a great time, then on the way home I'm thinking of what to add to a project.

What are your thoughts on publishing any of your books traditionally?

While I felt strongly on self publishing my works, I am also very open to see my books traditionally published. I dream of seeing my books on shelves, to walk into a Dymocks or a Big W and see my books front and centre. It's a dream I'll constantly work towards. There are many case studies that saw self published authors picked up by a publisher, and that is another dream of mine. I hope, one day, that I'll be able to see my books on retailer shelves.

Do you have any authors who are major inspirations for you? (Be that in terms of the books they've published or their writing journey?)

Definitely! I have a multitude of authors who inspire me, and I discover more and more each day! Right now, my inspiration, based on their catalogue of books are Stephen King, Ann Liang, Jane Austen, Bram Stoker, Kristen Cicarelli and Rebecca Ross. I love their writing so much.

As for career, I really admire R.F Kuang, Chloe Gong and Ali Hazelwood. R.F Kuang, for constantly breaking the mould on the genres that she explores. Her catalogue of works are so diverse (E.G Poppy War being a historical war fantasy and Yellowface being a literary psychological fiction, and she has built herself up enough within the industry to take this risk. As someone who loves a range of genres, this is very inspiring to me. Chloe Gong is someone I'd been following on social media since 2020, and while I have yet to read her works (I know, I know! I have her books, but can never seem to find the mood to read them!) I love her presence, her charisma, and her catalogue is also very inspiring. As someone who is just a few years younger than her, she is definitely someone I aspire to be at such an age. Lastly, Ali Hazelhood is someone who I've admired as well, in how they have built their presence as well as uplift author voices. While some of her books aren't for me (but still, a catalogue I consider reading in the future), I deeply admire her for constantly shaking the romance genre and reaching new heights.

Do you have any words of advice for people looking to pursue writing more seriously? How did you 'lock in' and get a book written?

Oh how I wish I could even follow my own advice! Honestly, my greatest advice, is probably one so many have heard, but to just be true to yourself. Write the story you want to read, seriously. All About You was born from the desire to read a rom-com like To All The Boys I've Loved Before, but with a Filipino main lead, so I could relate to it. Similarly, If Only was born from experiencing high school crushes, and a desire to read something that highlights the innocence, but also very real angst, of teenage feelings.

Write what you want to read, what you've always wanted to read as a kid. If you ever watch something, or read something that makes you think 'man, I wish I could read something like this, but with this', then don't think and just do! As for the writing itself, while it's easier said than done, practice truly makes perfect. Write something everyday, and even if you think it's horrible, you're actively improving your craft. Read other works in your genres, and also those not in your genres. Read fanfictions, read classic literature, read the latest booktok craze. Look at it from an outsider lens and see what works, what draws you in and what doesn't.

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Thank you so much Shaina for sitting down to answer all these questions!

If Only by Shaina Veronica is set to be released on July 10, 2025 and will be available on Amazon and Kindle Unlimited.

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