Vida New Adult imprint launch [post-event]
Grateful for this stage of RomanceClass (and my career) because we get to have partnerships that take the books further than any of us authors have the time and energy to, and our books are introduced to new readers every time–which is great because the point of all of this is for our books to reach readers, anyone who wants this and maybe didn’t know yet that they wanted this.
As our actors (who do the live readings for us) pointed out at rehearsal…we have had a lot of events lately. Before 2023, we would contact them twice a year and that already felt like a lot of work. This year, it’s only August and it’s already the fourth event with live readings that we’ve done!
Last Saturday was one such event, the launch for the Vida New Adult imprint, which I had curated for Vibal Foundation. We had a quick panel, live readings, and book signing at Mento, the roof deck restaurant at Ramada Manila Central in Binondo.
[My photos + some photos from Vibal Foundation and Tara Frejas]
The imprint has released six books so far (linking to Vibal shop online): my books Interim Goddess of Love, Queen of the Clueless, Icon of the Indecisive, Carla de Guzman’s Blooming Love, Celestine Trinidad’s Ghost of a Feeling, and Katrina Ramos Atienza’s Well Played. These books will be joined soon by Six de los Reyes’s Project Saving Noah.
How were the titles for this imprint chosen? My main consideration was how each book had something that would bring a new reader to romance. Because all these books, previously self-published by the authors, are romance yes, but often the authors bring something to the work that can make someone connect to it not just because it’s a romance. Carla’s book is not just plants and magic, but also takes a very Filipino POV of just acknowledging that magic is all around us, and people know what to do with it. Celestine’s book has a romance that develops as a person believes she is talking to a ghost and…look you just need to go with it. It’ll make sense to you again as a Pinoy (and maybe if you’ve ever needed to be seen). Katrina’s book has the satisfying crackle of Darcy/Lizzy tension and also characters in college–which makes so much sense because it’s exactly when a young person’s world starts to grow (diversify in all the ways) and they do have to unpack that pride and prejudice they’ve been carrying around.
I’m happy these books got a celebration as they go off into the world to be discovered by new readers. Very excited.
Thank you to Jade Albert, Jef Flores, and Migs Almendras who were our live readers that day, bringing our main characters to life. Always the best way to introduce a book to a new reader!
Thank you to our family, friends, fellow authors, RomanceClass, RomanceClass2025 alumni (alumni?!), book community friends, media friends who attended. Thank you for spending time with us celebrating books! Sana kinilig kayo chz! (Except Maggie you’re too young pa.)
Thank you to the different teams at Vibal who worked on the editorial, design, marketing, publishing aspects, who’ve put in the work to get these books out. I appreciate you! I know the work I would have had to do to put all of this together, and it’s a lot, and I wouldn’t have done it haha. For a corporate publisher you might feel this is just what you do, all in a day’s work, but what you do is so needed and appreciated.
The next event for us is the Manila International Book Fair, September 10 to 14, at SMX! I will be at the fair all day on September 14, and I’ll post my signing schedules soon. My books will be at the Komiket and Vibal booths.
The post Vida New Adult imprint launch [post-event] first appeared on Mina V. Esguerra.
