“I have read your query for Leaving Wishville and would love to see more.”
Sixteen-year-old Mel Torrefranca was visiting family in the Philippines when she checked her email—a literary agent had requested her full manuscript. She’d received partial requests before, but never interest like this.
Mel rushed to her laptop and sent the file, but five days later, the agent passed.
As she continued seeking representation, pitch after pitch, a question formed: What if I put this time into something else?
Mel began to obsess over learning how to professionally self-publish.
The start of an idea.
After leaving the traditional path, Mel published her debut novel, Leaving Wishville. At the time, Lost Island Press was nothing more than a publishing name for her own projects, but the idea of turning it into a real company intrigued her.
Our first contest. No agents involved.
In late 2020, Mel opened submissions for the first time, promising that one writer would land a book deal. Despite Lost Island Press being a new company with no track record, over a dozen writers entered with full manuscripts.
Fellow teen reader Katie Flanagan volunteered to help Mel review submissions, and together they selected Shira Behore as the winner. (Fun fact: Katie remains a trusted contest judge today.)
Our first outside author.
My Brother’s Spare by Shira Behore officially hit shelves as the first Lost Island book written by an outside author. Well, that was awesome, Mel thought. Let’s do it again.
Here we go again!
Our second Lost Island Writing Contest in late 2021 closed with a big milestone. Instead of one winner, there were two.
Amanda Michelle Brown signed on with her standalone novel, The Memory Jumper. Julia Rosemary Turk signed on with Lone Player, the start of our first series at Lost Island Press.
A short film.
Filmmaker Sebastian Delgado brought Mel’s debut novel, Leaving Wishville, to life in a proof-of-concept short film. This marked our first page-to-screen adaptation. (Fun fact: Mel and Sebastian got married about four years later.)
The Memory Jumper arrives.
Lost Island Press published The Memory Jumper on October 8, 2022. Amanda Michelle Brown became the second outside author to join the Lost Island lineup.
The series begins.
On July 8, 2023, Lost Island Press published Lone Player, the first book in the Lone Player trilogy. Julia Rosemary Turk became the third outside author to join the Lost Island lineup.
Our first order on our own store.
Most publishers don’t operate their own stores, but after a few years of running Lost Island Press, Mel insisted on launching one. By cutting out the middlemen, our authors could earn more per sale at no extra cost to the reader.
It took months of web development, but finally, Lost Island Press launched its own shop. We received our first direct customer order on June 6, 2024.
Lost Island Press, repped in person!
In May 2025, Julia Rosemary Turk flew to Phoenix, Arizona to attend a book convention. Together, Julia and Mel promoted their book series: Lone Player and Belladonna.
A new generation arrives.
In late 2025, we hosted our third contest at Lost Island Press—our biggest one yet. 60 writers submitted full manuscripts, leading to our most time-consuming selection process to date. The previous contest winners joined in as judges.
Our first repeat author.
On April 1, 2026, Julia Rosemary Turk officially signed a brand-new series with Lost Island Press, becoming the first author in company history to publish multiple series with us.
Our authors earn more
when you buy from our store.
And you get a few perks too!