About Mina

Mina V. Esguerra writes contemporary romance, young adult, and new adult novellas. Her young adult/fantasy trilogy Interim Goddess of Love is a college love story featuring gods from Philippine mythology. Her contemporary romance novella Fairy Tale Fail won the 2012 Filipino Readers' Choice award for Chick Lit. Through her blog Publishing in Pajamas (minavesguerra.com), she documents her experiments in e-publishing.

When not writing romance, she is president of communications firm Bronze Age Media, development communication consultant, indie publisher, professional editor, wife, and mother. She created the workshop series "Author at Once" for writers and publishers, and #romanceclass, a Contemporary Romance Novella writing class.


Contact her at minavesguerra [at] gmail [dot] com / @minavesguerra on Twitter. Visit her Amazon Author Page. Find her books here. Join the Mysterious Mailing List for exclusive updates.

Interviews

From Page One: Interview: Mina V. Esguerra

I’m on a laptop or netbook most hours of the day as it is, so working and writing me wouldn’t look any different to someone who happens to pass by. I do like to plot stuff in my head before I write it down though, and it usually happens when I’m sitting in moving vehicles.

Chachic's Book Nook: Interview with Mina V. Esguerra and Giveaway

At the same time I don’t want to go into that review and really discuss things point by point, because by then a person’s read and judged the work and that judgment belongs to them. I don’t want to be so involved and visible that a reviewer will feel awkward knowing that I’m just there hovering. 

Philippine Daily Inquirer: Pretty in Print by Ruel de Vera

While she’s read some foreign titles identified as chick lit – she’s read the Bridget Jones books, for example – that’s not where she’s coming from. “I’m basically writing from the Sweet Valley Twins perspective, but I try to make the characters older.” In effect, she has allowed her characters to grow up and face the contemporary world of  up-and-coming Filipino women.

Rocket Kapre: Interim Goddess of Love: Interview with Mina Esguerra

I am even more excited about publishing now – as a Filipino author, living in the Philippines, writing about Filipinos — than when I started. I appreciate the support coming from a publisher like Summit, and I can tell that many readers know of me because of my work with them. At the same time, it’s great that digital publishing has made it easier for me to reach a larger market, and that this market has taken an interest in familiar stories set in unfamiliar places.

Chachic's Book Nook: Snippets of an Interview with Mina V. Esguerra

Before, I was just hiding, just looking at [reviews] without commenting back or replying. After a while, I realized I should say something as it was nice of them to have bought the book, read it and shared it with their friends. 

GMA News Online: Mina V. Esguerra: Young publisher in pajamas by Meann Ortiz

Technology is changing the game, so it is now possible for authors like Esguerra to seriously consider independent publishing as a viable and legitimate way to market their work as an alternative to traditional publishing.

 ANC's Future Perfect with Karmina Constantino (video)

Charlene Sawit's Field Trips to the Real World: Postcards on Writing 1 - Self-publishing

I outline on Evernote, write the draft on either my laptop or iPad and sync it to Dropbox so I can add to it from any device I happen to be using. This has been helpful because I am juggling so many things right now and I write every free chance I get, and sometimes that’s fifteen minutes in a coffee shop or while in line for a taxi.

ANC Alerts with Lexi Schulze (video)

ANC's Shop Talk with Ria Tanjuatco-Trillo (video)

Reev Writes: 7 Questions with Author Mina V. Esguerra

Reev Robledo's video of the Filipino Readers' Choice Awards


Rappler: Self-publish in 3 easy steps by Ime Morales

Mina says that in the US, the authors who are really spending time on self-publishing (both the writing and marketing aspects of it) have been able to quit their jobs and do the work full-time.

“It’s a combination of writing a good book, writing a book in the right genre and actively engaging readers and other writers,” she reveals.

Book Adoration: Author Interview with Mina V. Esguerra

I used to be the kind of writer who waited for inspiration, but I decided a few years ago that I had to have structure, and a schedule, if I wanted to write more than one book in my lifetime.