He had nothing to do, he entered Wattpad and now he triumphs: 90 million readings

This title tells the story of Emily Malware, daughter of Mishnock’s most famous perfumers. Despite leading a quiet life among flowers and friends, she will soon become the center of attention of the town and the enemy, Well, Prince Stefan manages to completely change his destiny.

On this occasion, We talked with the author about her beginnings in literature and how her career has allowed her to address multiple issues of utmost importance for young people in her work.

—How does a psychologist decide to enter the world of youth literature?

Reading. She was on a university strike with nothing to do but wait to get back to class. When I was bored at home, I said to myself ‘what do I do now?’ and, at that moment, I came across books. To be exact, I delved into Victoria Aveyard’s Red Queen trilogy and as soon as I read it, my head exploded. I had read books before, but they were always children’s stories. That was the first time I read something clearly youthful, full of fantasy, and that was what opened a new door for me. Thanks to these books, I found a new universe that I didn’t know I needed to know and that’s how I was inspired to create the Perfume of the King trilogy.

—Before that university strike, did you at any point think that you would end up being a writer?

Not really. When I was a child I did read a lot, but mostly children’s stories, because my mother was always quite a “first-time mother”, so she filled me with books, even when I didn’t even know how to read. However, I never thought she would turn me into a writer. However, since I knew I wanted to write this book, I was aware that it had to be a trilogy. The name even immediately came to mind. From the first moment, I knew everything I wanted to happen, as if it were a movie, and I knew that it would take more than one book to tell the full story.

—When you started writing, what was it like taking that step to publish on Wattpad for the first time? What encouraged you to do it?

Although Wattpad is a platform that became trendy almost ten years ago, the truth is that I did not know about it. Just in 2019, a friend told me that she read a lot there and she was the one who recommended it to me. When I came in, it was mainly to read, but then I realized that you could write and publish. At that time, I already had the first installment of The Perfume of the King a little advanced, like a draft in a notebook, and that was when I decided to take the step and continue it.

—As a writer who started on this platform, what do you consider to be the biggest challenge that a writer has to go through to go from Wattpad to the physical publication of a title?

I feel that Wattpad is like an ocean where there are many fish, which would become the stories. The challenge is to become that story that the public chooses among all. The offer is so wide that no one can know if it will be positioned or not. Therefore, the real challenge is to make them discover your story among so many and for the reader to give you a chance. To achieve this, a lot of perseverance is needed, especially in advertising, because readers do not come only if you are new. When you have positioned yourself, formed a community and reached your audience, only then can we start talking about editorials.

—When starting the editing work with a publisher, how do you consider this first experience publishing on paper? What advice would you give to a first-time writer?

Regarding editing, you are always striving to send a perfect manuscript, but you should know that it will never be completely perfect. Don’t suffer for that. It is normal that there are notes, as it is a learning process. Furthermore, I would recommend that you read a lot and even more so if it has to do with the genre that you write. When reading other authors, one discovers different ways of telling the characters’ stories. If you are lost in some areas or find yourself in a creative block, there are multiple writers from other genres who can guide you. The most important thing is to always seek more knowledge and accept changes as constant learning. As writers, we cannot close ourselves off by believing that we know everything.

—In youth literature there are multiple themes, even some that are a little repetitive, since the range is very wide, as you mentioned before. At the end of this book, what do you think is unique about “The Perfume of the King”?

I think it has something very peculiar, because, by presenting a completely new world, it opens the door to dealing with current problems, both personal and social, that are experienced today or that occurred in older times. Through its characters, we can identify how a person goes through different grieving processes, which can be related to multiple problems, such as abuse, ideal immigration, politics and machismo. Thanks to this new and unique universe, we can address these topics in a single timeline. Likewise, the characters allow us to discuss topics such as homosexuality. In this way, the reader can delve into the identity struggle of the characters and learn about them. We young people are always faced with multiple problems that come at us, which is why we find ourselves in a constant movement of roles. With this, I wanted to help readers take a voice in combating whatever they are facing.

—To address the topics you have listed in the correct way, what has been your preparation?

I am a psychologist and I consider that my career helped me a lot. It allowed me to handle certain topics better. During the race, one is constantly preparing to be able to treat these topics with the seriousness that is needed. That’s why I said “if I studied psychology and I can use it, then I will use it.” When preparing, I was very motivated by the idea of ​​giving a positive message to my readers. Therefore, if we consume youth literature, it is important that, apart from entertaining us, it leaves us with a lesson, something to think about.

—For your readers and those who are not yet readers, what do you think will be positive for them to delve into literature?

Books open the door to other worlds without the need to move. They make you fly, open your imagination and provide you with incredible learning. They are an immense door, not only at a creative level, but at the level of vocabulary and knowledge, like historical books. Reading is a magical tool and it is entertaining, you just have to find the right book.