Interview + Giveaway: The YA Chronicles

Hello friends. Today I have something very special on the blog!

Y’all would have seen book subscription boxes popping up everywhere and the awesome that comes inside. Well today on the blog I have our very own team behind The YA Chronicles answering a few questions. For those of you who don’t know, TYAC is an Aussie YA book subscription box. Each month, the themed box includes a book (Aussie edition of course!), a YA Chronicles bookmark for that month, and 2-5 bookish items.

 

March box: Australia Made

So let's get to know Rebecca and Alison!

Jaz: You guys are the first YA subscription box in Australia and I’m so grateful that you guys took the initiative to do this while we all watched in envy of the bookish boxes internationally.

About the Box

Q1. Can you tell me about what it was like starting up TYAC? Did you have a business model in mind, planning revenue streams, breakeven point (all that business-y stuff) or were you guys like, ok let’s just do it!

Rebecca: To be perfectly honest, I still have no clue what a planning revenue stream is haha.

Alison: So, basically, no, we just kind of went, “let’s do it!” That said, dealing with the business side of everything is very important and we both hate it.

Rebecca: It’s been a learning curve that’s for sure, but we had no other choice than to figure it all out.

Alison: Our business model: send people books.

Q2. How do you pick your theme and book for each month? You mention in your FAQ, reading review copies, but is there an ultimate decider if you love all the books?

Rebecca: It’s the Hunger Games. We throw our favourite picks into the pit and make them fight to the death.

Alison: …or we discuss them thoroughly and figure out which one would make the strongest box theme-wise, and the best book, and go from there. Themes always come from the core features of the book we pick.

Q3. And where do you look to source the extra goodies you include?

Rebecca: The majority of what we find comes from Etsy, there are so many great products out there.  Also from people who email us about their bookish Aussie businesses.

Alison: That said, we love supporting small Aussie businesses! So if you have a bookish business and think you’d make a good fit for a TYAC box, email us at info@theyachronicles.com.au or message us on any of our social media platforms to let us know!

Rebecca: While we do prefer working with Australian businesses, we are definitely open to working to businesses from other countries so don’t be afraid to hit us up.

Q4. So you’ve picked the theme and book, decided on which goodies you want to include – what’s the rest of the process like? How long does it take to put it all together and get that box out there? I know you guys pack each box by hand at Ali’s house! 

Rebecca: A lot of stressing about items actually arriving on time for us to pack and get the boxes sent by our deadline.

Alison: On top of stressing, I emboss all of the books with the “TYAC Approved” embosser and then go through all of the invoices and organise them, make sure everything is in order and attach extra bookmarks. Then we bribe whichever friends are available to come keep us company and help us pack by offering to get their boxes earlier than everyone else (:

Q5. What’s your favourite part of The YA Chronicles?

Rebecca: I love how it’s actually a thing ahaha. How despite all the headaches it gave us to get it off the ground, and the headaches we still get, we’ve built this business that so many people seem to really enjoy.

Alison: Seeing everyone unbox their packages and seeing how happy it makes them. Makes my month every month!

About the Creators

Currently reading?
Rebecca: The Crown’s Game by Evelyn Skye.

Alison: My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows.

Favourite book this year?
Rebecca: Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, ok so out of the books we’ve used my favourite book was Rebel of the Sands. Of the books I’ve read that haven’t been for TYAC, Night Study by Maria V. Snyder…and wait also Far From You by Tess Sharpe. I CAN’T CHOOSE ONE JAZ.

Alison: A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J Maas was PERFECTION. But then A Gathering of Shadows by V. E. Schwab and Kings Rising by C. S. Pacat also came out this year and they’re both close seconds. I mean I also read Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo, but how many favourites can you really have?

Rebecca: A lot.

OTP?
Rebecca: I honestly don’t know if I have any book OTPs. I mean Yelena x Valek of course.

Alison: Aelin x the Throne.

Book you’re most looking forward to this year?
Rebecca: THE MIDNIGHT STAR BY MARIE LU OMG ADELINA MY LOVE I MUST KNOW. Also, Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor, Gemina by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff, and Nevernight by Jay Kristoff.

Alison: It’s a tie between Empire of Storms by Sarah J Maas, Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo, and Gemina by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff…I think she meant bookS.

Rebecca: Yeah that was definitely a typo.

*Jaz regrets not threatening them with Gong of Choice*

What you do when you’ve not got your head stuck in a book or putting together TYAC boxes?
Rebecca: Crying over TV shows. Reading too much fanfiction.

Alison: Working, uni stuff, replying to emails or TYAC social medias haha.


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Thank you so much to Bec and Ali for their time! I hope you enjoyed that little sneak peek into TYAC and the creative minds behind it.

You can find them at the follow places:
Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram

Now I have MORE special for you - GIVEAWAY TIME.

Aussies and New Zealanders (sorry international peeps, the shipping on this one is too stronk) this is your chance to see what The YA Chronicles box is like.
So yes I am giving away a ONE month subscription to TYAC - the winner will be receiving the July box which has the freaking awesome theme of Ladies Who Slay. You're welcome I know I'm so generous and fab.

Terms and Conditions:

• The prize is for the July box only 
• No giveaway or spam account - these entries will instantly be removed
• Entrants must be AUSTRALIA or NEW ZEALAND only (like I said, shipping costs yo)
• Winner must provide mailing address within 48h of being notified otherwise a new winner will be selected
• Winner must be old enough to provide a mailing address
• Winner MUST and I stress MUST provide a street address for mailing purposes (no PO Boxes as per TYAC T&Cs)

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