Well, if it isn't the consequences of my own actions...
Melissa Perri Smith is my (legal) name, and writing an abundance of different genres and styles is my game. My dream genre? Speculative fiction. Preferably published through one of the big five and launching my successful fiction career next to some of the greats. David Mitchell. Haruki Murakami. Ruth Ozeki. Tons of others.
And, you know, I like to believe I'm getting there. My debut fiction novella was just released through a small press, and even if I'll only shift a hundred or so copies, that's a hundred people reading my book.
But a hundred copies isn't going to let me live without a job.
So the genre I'm writing in right now? Contemporary romance (under a pen name heh).
Why? Romance is literally a billion-dollar industry. And as someone who just quit her job on a whim because she was seriously so depressed and couldn't handle the thought of existing in that sphere anymore, it sounded pretty lucrative.
Unfortunately, I'm just starting out. And, while I like to believe I'm a good writer, I'm still learning the ups and downs of the romance industry. Which is why I'm here.
I published my first romance novel earlier this year, and I made maybe $18 off of it. Not great hah. Considering that I spent a lot of money marketing it and saw no profit, it was a pretty hard blow. And I'm still working on its sequel months later.
So, I thought by starting a Buy Me A Coffee, I could provide sneak peeks here and there and just generally garner support through probably one of the most challenging times of my life.
I'm happy to see you here. I hope you're happy to see me :)
Chat soon!