Meet Camille Elliot

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Camille Elliot a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Camille, so excited to talk about all sorts of important topics with you today. The first one we want to jump into is about being the only one in the room – for some that’s being the only person of color or the only non-native English speaker or the only non-MBA, etc Can you talk to us about how you have managed to be successful even when you were the only one in the room that looked like you?

When I first conceived of the idea for my series Lady Wynwood’s Spies, I knew I was doing something bold. I had come from a background of traditional publishing and I was embarking on a series that a trad publisher wouldn’t touch because it was essentially a long serial novel in parts.

This type of series is very common in fantasy and science fiction, where the overarching story isn’t resolved until the last book. But this was almost unheard of in historical romance. In fact, I had to describe the series as a “serial novel” to help readers understand how my historical series was different.

I wasn’t certain how it would be received, but I wanted to create a series and a series world that readers wouldn’t have to leave anytime soon. It was the reason I loved long series in fantasy and science fiction, and the reason why I felt so sad when a good book ended—I wanted to continue in that fictional world. I wanted to create a world for readers who loved lingering in fictional worlds as long as possible, just like me.

I was committed to finishing the series no matter how many sales I had, and I knew I was taking a risk, but the story was burning inside me, and I was confident enough in my writing skill to know that I could pull this off with high quality books. So I followed my gut. I was willing to face the consequences no matter what.

Fortunately, my readers loved the new series, and I attracted new readers along the way. Even better is the fact that I absolutely love this series and story world and I’m having a blast writing. I think that comes out in my writing and storytelling.

My series doesn’t appeal to everyone, and I’m perfectly fine with that. I’m finding my readers and connecting with them through this series.

I think ultimately I was willing to take a gamble on writing a serial novel in a genre where serial novels were uncommon and that I was fully prepared for whatever sales happened (or didn’t happen). That mindset helped me feel at peace with my decision and joyful in my writing.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

I write Christian Regency romantic suspense as USA Today bestselling author Camille Elliot, and I also write Christian contemporary romantic suspense as USA Today bestselling author Camy Tang.

When I was younger (and maybe even still), I was clumsy and awkward, the oddball, the misfit. Novels helped me escape, and my books became my best friends.

When a great series ended, I was both euphoric and grieving that it concluded and I had to leave a gripping story world.

Now, I write book best friends for readers just like me.

My books are long, multi-volume series that you don’t have to leave anytime soon, always with romance, humor, and suspense, and my latest series has a supernatural twist.

In all my books, I want to tell my reader that they are not alone. God is with you no matter where you are and what you’ve done.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

I like being as prepared as possible when I’m tackling something important, so when I first started seriously pursuing writing as a career, I read tons of writing books and took lots of classes. I got feedback from people I trusted and respected and worked hard to improve my writing. I think the fact that I focused on the quality of my craft is why I got early positive feedback from editors and agents.

But I also quickly realized that the competition was fierce and I needed to find a way to stand out from the crowd. I had read several books on author voice, but at the time there weren’t many of them, and the concept of “voice” was a bit ephemeral. However, I kept working on my “voice” so that what I wrote reflected my deepest emotions and my own quirky way of thinking. I wrote stories in different genres and read widely across genres, and finally settled into a style of writing that resonated with me. I wrote in a style that was entirely, unashamedly my own, following my instincts and feelings.

Only after I’d worked on my writing craft and writing voice did I look at the publishing market. I knew from my research into publishing that it was best to focus on only one genre at a time, and to try to find a main genre that could appeal to a larger audience. I chose one of my favorite genres, Christian romance, and studied the books on the market. I did my own unique spin on it, writing Asian American characters when there weren’t any books with Asian characters in the Christian romance genre at the time. Only later did I branch out to Christian romantic suspense and eventually Christian Regency romance (another favorite genre).

My advice isn’t very sexy, but it’s what worked for me—studying writing craft, writing lots of stories to find my author voice, and then researching the publishing market to choose a genre and figure out my own spin on it.

If you knew you only had a decade of life left, how would you spend that decade?

I’m realizing more and more how much stress negatively impacts my writing and my health. The majority of my stress has to do with marketing, since it’s so difficult for me.

So lately I’ve been trying to simplify my marketing efforts and reduce my stress. I quietly stepped back from social media because of the trolls, the time it would take, and the way it seemed to increase my anxiety and decrease my self-confidence. I’m focusing on my Patreon and forming deeper connections with my readers, to find out what they like and to help them know me better. Rather than spend tons of money on ads, I am more judicious with my ad spend and instead rely more on group promos to get the word out about my books to other authors’ audiences.

I hope to continue to simplify and make my marketing sustainable for years to come rather than draining me of energy.

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