We recently connected with Lilian Li and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Lilian thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

When I had the opportunity to pitch a book idea to a small publisher, I knew I wanted to write a story between a grandmother and a girl, split by generations and language barriers, that could help me deal with my homesickness and relationship with my family.

Before going abroad for college, I had many weekend sleepovers with my grandmother, and I wrote every detail of our time together into my diary, which later inspired my book, House of Koi. Through writing, I put my relationship with my grandmother and my mother tongue, Mandarin, as if under a microscope, looking at how my upbringing at an international school changed me into someone my grandmother might not have recognized. In my story, I poured details of our daily routine, such as haggling at the weekend market, helping her tend to her wild garden, and going on long walks around her neighborhood with bouts of me practicing my Mandarin and long, comfortable silences.

A few days before the book could be published, I received news that my grandmother had passed away. I felt devastated. She would never be able to read the words I couldn’t say to her, or know I dedicated the book to her. When I last saw her, she made me promise I would get my driver’s license, so I could drive her to the market, and I felt cheated that there was so much more of my life she’d never be there for. Fortunately, the publisher allowed me to put a picture of my grandmother and me inside the book, along with a dedication that still makes me cry every time I read it. Every time I flip through the beginning of the book, my heart catches at my dedication: “To Popo and our unfulfilled promises.”

But through poring over my diary entries and writing the book from a third-person perspective, I could finally see that love was always there, even in our silences, watching television, or plucking vegetables in her garden together. Even if I wasn’t fluent in Mandarin, even if there were so many things I couldn’t say to her, I would always have these memories gathered in my heart, and she would live forever through my story.

Because this novel started like a college thesis and because this book is so close to my heart, I became protective of it when the book became bigger than me and found its way to huge bookstores. So, unfortunately, I have unpublished House of Koi, wanting to rework it to make it something better. It started out as a homesick college girl’s passion project, but now that I know there is an audience out there, I hope to strengthen the story, so it doesn’t just read as a girl’s diary, haha.

Now, my second book is also inspired by my experience as a Malaysian synchronized swimmer, and I hope to continue writing stories to help others feel represented with a strong focus on all aspects of love from family to self-love.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

Well, hi there! I’m Lilian, and fun fact: I never planned to become a writer. Sure, I had a secret Wattpad writer account (who didn’t?), but the dream to be a published author was something like a retirement dream for me. I was completely focused on becoming a corporate girlie and on track to graduate majoring in Advertising with a double minor in English and Entrepreneurship.

Fate had different plans, however, when in my sophomore year, I was introduced to a college publishing program that helped students learn how to outline and self-publish a book, and that was how I accidentally became involved in the publishing industry. At the same time, COVID-19 came, and I was stuck at home, learning and falling in love more and more with the publishing and writing community.

Still, I pursued the corporate world and joined agencies and in-house agencies. I continued honing my copywriting skills and applied the knowledge to branding myself and marketing my book. I studied myself like a case, analyzing the insights and experimenting with different copy and hooks, and slowly built a social media following. I saw in real time how my time studying advertising could help me pursue my writing dreams, and soon, my book House of Koi hit national bestselling lists and sold out.

I think what set me and my book apart was that many young Malaysians like myself had never seen ourselves in the media, especially fiction. It was a niche story about a Malaysian’s struggle for her identity and family that I was surprised and grateful it reached people’s hearts. This was a book I wished I could’ve read as a child because I had never read about a Malaysian Chinese main character before, set in my small island hometown of Penang. I received many kind messages that my book was also the first Malaysian book they ever read and felt represented by, and how my book reminded them to say I love you to their grandparents and family, which is everything I hope my book can do and more.

For my second book, Duet Me Not, I decided to work harder, which is ironic because the book follows a perfectionist student athlete and a boy who teaches her love was not based on accomplishments. I spent nearly a decade as a synchronized swimmer and wanted the book to be a love letter to perfectionists and Malaysians who still didn’t see themselves represented. I self-published on my own, learning from the program I was in, and applied the advertising I’d learned that worked for me. Soon, my videos were hitting a million views, and my book sales ticked higher than ever. Because of the community I built online, I am so grateful that the book also hit multiple bestselling lists and later won third place at The Star Popular Reader’s Choice Awards.

Honestly, being proud of myself is something I’m still working on (again, ironic from someone who wrote an entire book about overcoming perfectionism), but I’d love for future readers or clients to know that I am passionate about media representation and leaving an impact to uplift others on social media. I began freelancing and offering copywriting and video marketing to other authors and publishing agencies. I think that’s what sets me apart: having a corporate advertising background and delving into marketing in publishing when it was still not a trend helped me learn how to stay ahead of the trends. Finally, I had found a way that combined all my passions into one, and if anyone might want to find their voices or start a following on social media, I would love to help!

How did you build your audience on social media?

In the beginning, I had a private Instagram account that I still used when my book came out, but since I was surrounded by creative people in a marketing agency, they encouraged me to create a new public account and helped brainstorm usernames. So, my advice would be to create a separate, public account right away, and don’t be afraid to reach out to other creators to support one another. For those terrified of mutuals finding your new account, my advice is something I’ve heard a few podcasts say: “The first 100 meters of Cringe Mountain is difficult, but later, it’s a breeze.” You only think it’s cringe because they aren’t doing it, and many cannot do what you are trying to do—building a social media presence and putting yourself out there—because it is difficult and takes a lot of courage. By creating your public account, you are already doing so much more than others. Also, don’t measure your worth by social media numbers. Have fun with postings and trends, and do your best to find and provide meaning with what you’d like to put out in this world.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?

I think non-creatives will struggle to understand how easily a creative can be burnt out when we put our heart and soul into making our passion a career and a good-paying one. And how much that can impact our self-esteem, causing us to withdraw from others. To non-creatives, if you have a creative friend who seems like they’re going through a bit of a slump or you haven’t heard from them in a while, I implore you to reach out, check in, and get them out of that dark cave. Entice them back to life with a cookie or two!

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lilianofli/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lilianlibooks
• Twitter: https://x.com/lilianofli
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@lilianofli
• Other: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lilianofli