In Conversation with Cameron Capello
Content creator and debut author Cameron Capello – known by most as @chamberofsecretbooks on Instagram and TikTok – is known for her witty personality, outrageous sense of humour and commitment to a good romance trope. Her debut novel, I’ll Look For You, Everywhere has been heralded on BookTok as the romance of the season. We chatted to her about her love for sharing her deepest thoughts on the internet, her favourite romance tropes, and how social media helped her pursue writing as a career.
- Firstly, congratulations on publishing your first book! Book publishing is known to be a slow process, what was the most exciting part of writing I’ll Look for You, Everywhere?
As cliché as it sounds, the most exciting part for me was writing the last word of the book. I wrote I’ll Look for You, Everywhere chronologically, so it was very fulfilling to type out those last six words and know I had completed my first book. I have been a hobby-hopper my whole life and wanted to prove to myself and my family that I could actually go through with one of my hobbies instead of quitting when I’m not immediately perfect at it (I’m looking at you, crocheting…) I remember texting my sister, ‘I finished my first book,’ before sending the first draft to my editor and feeling so proud of myself, no matter what happens in the future.
- As an English Literature graduate and Wattpad alumna, did you always have plans to pursue writing as a career/getting published?
The short answer is no! I’ll Look for You, Everywhere and all my underground Wattpad fanfiction lived in a locked drawer that I was convinced no one but myself would ever see. I was very lost in college with my English literature degree (told multiple times by multiple people it was a worthless thing) - I knew writing made me happy, but I never imagined I could make a career out of it, ready to pursue my master’s to hopefully become a teacher or professor one day. I feel very grateful to social media for opening a door to the publishing world and letting me turn my daydreams into a legitimate career.
- Writing a book while working full time and creating content on TikTok is no easy feat. How did you juggle your time and commit to each of your pursuits?
- You’ve built your platform of sharing your thoughts and daydreams with your audience, which can be a vulnerable experience, much like sharing first drafts and ideas for your own book. How would you describe your experience navigating the experience of moving between creator and author?
The scariest yet most thrilling TikTok I ever posted was when I shared the first draft of I’ll Look for You, Everywhere online. It’s one thing to make a fool of myself and retell ridiculous daydreams so that my audience can have a laugh. It was an entirely different experience to show something that I didn’t want anyone to laugh at. I was certain that if they did laugh, I would throw my phone in a river and never try to write anything again. Luckily, the community I have is nothing but supportive and kind, and I quickly learned that they will laugh and cry alongside me. It was their overwhelming support that helped me finish I’ll Look for You, Everywhere. Throughout the journey, I was given feedback, suggestions, and recommendations that shaped my book into what it is today.
- The nature of TikTok puts you in an in-between space of creator and audience member. You’ve read multiple excerpts from your book on TikTok and engaged with your followers quite regularly, gushing about the books and authors you love. Did having such a proximity to your audience have any impact on any narrative choices you made during the writing process?
- Similarly, TikTok allows global users to connect and share with other authors and readers alike easily. As a creator, reader and author, how does it feel to be able to call authors that you love your peers?
Besides connecting with my audience, having authors who I’ve looked up to become mutual followers or just mention my existence is by far the greatest thing to come out of TikTok. When Ali Hazelwood calls you funny, you have to slap yourself, right? It is both inspiring and humbling to connect with authors I genuinely consider geniuses. Victoria Aveyard also gets writers block and doom scrolls for hours? Then maybe I’m not a lost cause after all! Getting an inside look into the life of a writer has helped me see that my struggles and doubts are not only valid, but normal for even the greatest writers.
- The South African BookTok community has been growing steadily with a lot of creators also working and committing themselves to multiple passions, including content creation. Do you have any words of wisdom for South African Booktokers?
- As a romance lover and fan of fake dating and forced proximity tropes, I’ll Look for You, Everywhere is a forbidden romance featuring childhood friends, and the right person at the wrong time. Are there any tropes you feel could get a little bit more love in the world of romance?
- Lastly, readers differ, as you know, and sharing the way you read, think and engage with books on your platforms has resonated really well with your audience. Has anything changed about the way you read now that you have a published work?