Amaris Emersleben
an interview with the Shadows of Cerulean author
by Randy Radic
Fantasy writer, recording artist, and storyteller Amaris Emersleben recently released her fantasy novel, Shadows of Cerulean, via BellingsBooks Verlag, a tale of a thief who infiltrates a submerged city to save her dying home.
Emersleben explains, “This story began with a late-night drawing of a submerged city on my iPad, and from there evolved into this book. Shadows of Cerulean is about belonging, deception, and finding love where you’d least expect it. I hope that readers will fall in love with the oceans and appreciate their beauty and how they inspire us.”
Raised in Switzerland and later based in London, Emersleben creates narratives about underwater realms, tapping into a genuine lifelong fascination with the deep blue abyss.
Before turning to fiction, Amaris built a career in music as a recording artist, songwriter, and playlist manager for a major record label. She released six albums, amassing over 100,000 streams on Spotify with her latest record, Love and Oceans. Her work has been featured in many elite outlets.
Ink 19 caught up with Amaris Emersleben to discuss the Shadows of Cerulean author’s creative process and its relation to today’s publishing industry.
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Randy Radic: What three things can’t you live without?
Amaris Emersleben: The ocean, stories, and a good playlist.
One thing you’re good at that surprises people.
Jazz Dance. I trained in it at drama school, alongside ballet, modern, and other styles, and people are sometimes surprised that someone who writes ocean fantasy can do a jazz dance routine.
Your favorite novel?
It’s not exactly a novel, but I love the ancient Greek epics such as The Iliad and The Odyssey, and have always found them inspiring.
What inspired your novel, Shadows of Cerulean?
I’ve always been fascinated by the deep sea, by coral reefs, submerged worlds. We know so little about these depths, which is, I think, what makes them so inspiring. I hope for Shadows of Cerulean to have that same effect on readers: to immerse them in underwater worlds, with beautiful places and hidden dangers.
Do you think traditional author development is fading, with publishers more focused on instant sales than nurturing long-term careers?
Publishing has become faster and, with that, more data-driven, with more attention on early sales. But I believe that great stories always take patience, and that long-term development is still valuable.
Is it still possible for an author to develop naturally in today’s climate, or do social media trends and data-driven decisions force them into a specific mold too soon?
I think trends come and disappear, but the stories we connect with tend to last. While I was on tour last year, I read chapters from a fantasy series that will be an upcoming project and included snippets from Shadows of Cerulean. Much like musicians sometimes “test” new songs live, I used this to get audience responses to Shadows of Cerulean. The data from this didn’t influence the book too early,but it offered insights that helped shape the story. So I think this is a way authors can use trends and data as a tool, instead of being shaped by them.
What advice would you give to new authors deciding whether to sign with a major publisher or remain independent?
I don’t think there’s a right path anymore nowadays. It’s just about finding the right environment for you, as a creator, I think. For some writers, that’s a big publishing house, for others, it’s self-publishing. For me, one thing that mattered to me was that my publisher gave Shadows of Cerulean a “human-written” guarantee — something that might be harder to do when independent. But it really depends on what is best for your story!
How do you balance the commercial side of publishing with your passion for writing?
They are different skill sets: writing and then thinking about how a book can find its way to readers. I think it’s important to protect your creativity while also focusing on the business side.
Do you think there’s too much pressure on authors to be “content creators” in addition to writing?
I do think authors need to fill more roles than they used to. But social media can also be a way to connect directly with readers, just like reading live.
How do you maintain your artistic identity while keeping up with industry trends?
I try to stay aware of the industry without letting it influence the story I’m telling. When I began writing ocean-themed stories, the oceans definitely weren’t a “trend.” So I think staying authentic is more important than chasing trends.
How has your definition of success changed over the years?
I think for now, it’s about writing stories people connect with and creating worlds that readers want to escape to.
Is it still about sales and recognition, or have other factors become more important?
Sales and algorithms are things you can’t always control, but what you can influence is writing stories that will resonate with readers. Sales and recognition are great, but I think what is really rewarding is receiving those messages from readers who’ve enjoyed something I wrote.
The publishing industry is known for its fast pace. How do you deal with burnout, and what advice would you give to newer authors struggling with it?
For me, coming from the music industry always made the publishing industry seem slower in comparison. Maybe that helped! As a playlist curator for record labels earlier in my career, or as an independent musician, I was used to always having to adapt instantly to trends or listener statistics. So I’d say that newer writers should remind themselves that writing careers are marathons, not sprints, and that recharging is important.
What do you think will be the most significant shift in book consumption over the next decade?
Much like short-form video trends are changing film, I think we’ll see technology influence how people consume books. However, I think storytelling and escapism will always stay in demand. It’s only the format in which they are consumed that will change.
How do you feel about the emergence of virtual authors or AI-generated content? Could this disrupt the literary industry?
New technologies will always continue to change publishing. I think that AI will change processes of the industry, but ultimately, things like world-building and the emotional parts behind a story will remain a human thing.
What’s one hard truth about the publishing industry that newcomers often aren’t prepared for?
I think new writers often underestimate that books can take years to develop from an idea in your brain to publication. But patience can be rewarding, because stories tend to find their audience over time.
Featured photo is by Claudia Reinert.
