Interview: Chrissie Peria (All's Fair in Blog and War)

Chrissie Peria was part of #romanceclass and Bronze Age Media's Author at Once. She wrote and published All's Fair in Blog and War this year and I got to ask her a few questions about it!

Cover art by Clarissa Ines

Is this your first published book ever? What took you so long?
Yes, All's Fair in Blog and War is my first book. And yes, it took a long time from conceptualization to actually being published because I was lazy! That, and I found the idea of writing a book daunting. While I've always wanted to do it, I didn't know where to begin. Add to that my doubts on whether I had the willpower to see it through to the end. But hey, look! It's here now. Yay! *waves imaginary pompoms*

What made you decide to finally write something and publish it?
The realization that if I don't get started, nothing's going to happen. A writer friend of mine suggested that I begin by making an outline for one of my story ideas. That was how All's Fair began. Then #romanceclass came along. It's the real catalyst in getting this book out, not just for providing lessons and insights, but mostly because it gave me a tangible goal to aim for.

Did/do you have any fears about going indie?
Oh plenty. I ask myself the same questions everyday, about whether this was the right thing to do. Is my book legit? Is it good enough to sit on a shelf beside conventionally published ones? Was it worth all the resources I poured into it? Will it sit there, forgotten and unread? But fortunately, a few happy words from people who tell me they enjoyed reading it makes the emo go away. Those are the times that I'm happy I went through with it.

What was the most surprisingly pleasant part of the process of writing and publishing your book?
Learning that it can be done. Realizing that I've done it. And telling myself that I will write and publish more books in the future.

What's the part that you'd prefer someone else do for you?
The nitty gritty bits: proofreading, composing press releases, formatting and reformatting the manuscript to fit different submission parameters for different retailers. It's not that I hate doing them, but they're time-consuming and free time is a luxury I can't afford.

What has been the most awesome response to your book (by a stranger) so far?
Aside from the complaints about triggering uncontrollable egg tart cravings? I'm happy to hear how people relate to the characters. I love hearing that they enjoyed reading it (complete with kilig-feels). And it puts a smile on my face when readers tell me they want to visit Macau after reading the book.

What's the next book going to be about?
The next book will be about books, boys who like books, and a girl who likes collecting them. Books I mean, not boys. But that might work, too.

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