From the Slush Pile to the Spotlight: Elba Luz on Publishing, Patience, and Build A Girlfriend

On this episode, debut author Elba Luz joins us to talk about her novel Build A Girlfriend, a queer rom-com inspired by a love of reading, K-pop, video games, and quiet resilience. We dive into her journey from working behind the scenes in publishing to launching her first book, the challenges of balancing a creative life with a full-time job in books, and what it means to keep going — even when the road to publication gets tough. Follow Elba on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elballuz/ & check out her debut novel BUILD A GIRLFRIEND! https://bookshop.org/p/books/build-a-girlfriend-elba-luz/21523087?aid=113809&ean=9781665942515&listref=books-by-our-guests-characters-like-us ⏳ TIMESTAMPS ⌛️ 00:00:00 - Introduction 00:00:28 - Guest Introduction: Elba Luz 00:01:14 - Opening Segment: Numbered Narratives 00:01:50 - The Hunger Games 00:05:00 - Elba's Writing Journey 00:09:21 - Influence of Video Games on Writing 00:11:19 - K-pop 00:13:15 - Inspiration Behind 'Build-A-Girlfriend' 00:15:34 - Incorporating Personal Experiences into Writing 00:17:12 - Influence of Family and Relationships in Writing 00:21:44 - Balancing Writing with a Full-Time Job in Publishing 00:27:03 - Advice for First-Time Authors 00:30:09 - Elba's Message to Readers This video comes with captions and a transcript. Characters Like Us is a podcast dedicated to exploring the craft of diverse and inclusive writing in the books that we read and write. 💫 Enjoyed this episode? 💫 Join our Patreon / https://patreon.com/CharactersLikeUs Buy Elba's book on our bookshop / https://bookshop.org/shop/clu ✨ Follow Anvita ✨: YouTube / @anvitascorner Instagram / http://instagram.com/anvitascorner 📚 Follow Characters Like Us 📚: Instagram / https://www.instagram.com/characterslikeuspod/ Business Email: [email protected] Music by Hafijur Rahman from Pixabay. Sound Effects from Pixabay.