Today we’d like to introduce you to Melissa Lam.
Hi Melissa, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Ten years ago, I read a best-selling book that made me feel like I could do it too. So I began drafting my first romance novel based off the premise of “some dude with powers who’s on a mission to find out how this one girl without powers is immune to his.” From there, I created the characters, the world, and a storyline that would make readers feel emotionally wrecked.
Since it took me over ten years from the day I started writing to the day my first book was published, you can bet there were long nights spent stabbing my keyboard and many days where I almost gave up. However, I pushed through the doubts, educated myself on the publishing world as much as I could to quell the fears, then I went for it!
Now I have three books published and my fourth novel is releasing in early 2026. I wish I could take all the credit, but without my publishing team (Enchanted Ink Publishing), my cover artist (IG: coversbychristian), my marketing team (Secret Keepers), my video designer (IG: @poisoned.spines), my assistant (Sara B.), and my husband (Joe) here to support me, I could not be where I am today. They say it takes a village, and with me, that’s very true!
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
My biggest struggle was the fear of the unknown. When you decide to write and publish a book, there’s nobody there to teach you the “right” way to do things or walk you through the little details like how to go about finding the perfect editor or what your book cover needs to be marketable. These were all things I had to research and find out for myself. Yes, mistakes were made, and they are STILL being made. However, I’m confident that as long as I keep working hard and don’t give up, everything will fall into place.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work and what you’re most proud of?
What does it say about me if the thing I’m most proud of in my author journey so far is how many readers slide into my Instagram DMs with pictures of their real tears rolling down their faces? My favorite books I’ve ever read have been the ones that make me FEEL something, so it gives me a ton of pride and joy to know that my books make my readers FEEL so much that they cry and need to tell me about it. And if they aren’t crying, they’re messaging me to ask me when my next book is coming out because they absolutely cannot wait to find out what happens next!
What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
What I think sets successful people apart from the ones who fail (in any field) is their ability to not care what others think and to just do what’s true to them. My books are not meant for everybody. Readers looking for a cozy feel-good romance novel are NOT going to enjoy my books. Readers looking for the kind of writing with long descriptions and overly complicated magic systems are NOT going to enjoy my books. And you know what? I didn’t write for those people. I wrote for the readers who want an angsty plot with a sprinkle of spice and chaos. I wrote for the readers who want to get their hearts ripped out and eventually put back together. And I wrote what I did because it’s true to me, my writing style, and the type of books that I personally enjoy. If I had deviated from what was true to me because I cared about everybody else’s opinions, then I may have driven myself insane and never published at all.
Pricing:
- 19.99 (for signed paperbacks on my direct website – AuthorMelissaLam.com)
- 14.99 (for unsigned copies on Amazon and Barnes and Noble)
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.authormelissalam.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authormelissalam/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authormelissalam
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@AuthorMelissaLam
- Other: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/222425421-ordinary-secrets
