J.C. Janson

Category: Author Tips

  • Ready to Start Selling Your Ebooks?

    I stare at the dashboard. The progress bar for my ebook slides right. It’s quiet. The smell of cold coffee sits on my desk. Just the click of my mouse. Payhip is simple. On the free plan, they take a 5% cut. There are no monthly fees. If I sell a $15 ebook, I keep $14.25. Stripe and PayPal take their standard processing fees separately. When monthly sales pass $967, the Plus plan is better. It costs $29 monthly and drops the platform fee to 2%. The Pro plan is $99 a month with a 0% fee.

    My storefront looks like a custom site. I changed the headers and chose a sharp font. It reflects my brand. I sell ebooks, physical goods, and coaching sessions. The platform takes the same percentage cut regardless of what I sell. I can host video courses for an extra $9 a month. The platform manages EU VAT taxes automatically. This means I don’t have to study international tax law. I just upload my file and wait for the notification ping. It’s a small rush every time it happens. I think I’m addicted to that sound.

    I use the free version of Payhip because it fits my workflow without adding a monthly bill to my plate. They take a simple 5% cut of each sale, and that is the only platform fee I deal with. If I don’t sell an ebook one day, I don’t owe them a cent. It feels fair. I sell my books and coaching sessions there, but you can also list physical items or memberships. The storefront functions like a custom website where I chose my own fonts and layout to match my brand. It even handles the complicated EU VAT taxes automatically. I spent way too much time picking the exact shade for my buttons, but it was worth it. I love the sharp ping my phone makes when a sale goes through. It is a small rush that never gets old. You can start your own store and get your work out there using this link:

    Click Here!

    Seeing that first order pop up is a memory you will definitely want to keep.

  • Ready to Start Selling Your Ebooks?

    Ready to get your work out there? It’s time to stop overthinking and start selling. Payhip is the easiest way to get your ebooks into readers’ hands without the headache of massive platforms.

    Most sites take a giant bite out of your royalties, but Payhip keeps it simple. You upload your file—PDF, EPUB, whatever you’ve got—and you keep 95% of your sales on their free plan. There is no waiting for weeks for a “gatekeeper” to tell you your book is worthy. You decide when it is ready.

    I remember staring at my screen for hours, terrified to hit publish. My palms were sweaty and the room felt way too quiet. But once I did it, the world didn’t end. Instead, I finally had a link I could share with people. That rush of seeing your first sale notification is better than any caffeine kick.

    The setup takes minutes. You customize your store, link your PayPal or Stripe, and you are officially a professional author. No more “someday” talk.

    Go to Payhip today and create your account. Your stories don’t do anyone any good sitting in a hidden folder on your desktop. Get them out there and start building your own empire.

    GET PAYHIP NOW!
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  • Attention Review Crew! <3

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  • Let’s Make Your Manuscript Unputdownable: Editing Slots Now Open

    The difference between a “good” book and a “must-read” is often found in the edits.

    As indie authors, we wear a lot of hats. We are the writers, the marketers, the project managers, and the visionaries. But the one hat that is almost impossible to wear effectively for our own work is the Editor hat. We are simply too close to our own stories to see the plot holes or the subtle prose hitches that pull a reader out of the moment.

    That’s why I’m excited to officially remind you that I am opening my calendar for professional editing services!

    Whether you are writing a Psychological Thriller that needs more tension, or a Memoir that needs a clearer emotional arc, I’m here to help you bridge the gap between a finished draft and a polished masterpiece.

    How I Can Help You:

    • The Blueprint Critique: A “big picture” structural review of your plot and characters. Perfect for fixing the foundation before you build the house.
    • The 3-Chapter Kickstart: A deep-dive line edit of your first 10,000 words to ensure your Amazon “Look Inside” sample converts browsers into buyers.
    • Full Manuscript Editing: Comprehensive Line Editing and Proofreading to give your book that industry-standard shine.

    I only take on a limited number of clients each month to ensure every manuscript gets the meticulous attention it deserves.

    Ready to level up your prose?

    You can view my full list of services, transparent pricing, and booking details right here on the site:

    HERE

    Not sure where to start? I still offer a free 1,000-word sample edit for all new clients. It’s the best way to see if our styles align before you commit to a full project.

    Let’s get your book ready for the world.

    ← Back

    Thank you for your response. ✨

  • The Shadow Side of Publishing: I Need Your Help

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  • Amazon KDP vs. Payhip: How to Scale Your Indie Author Business

    Building a sustainable indie author career is about more than just hitting “publish.” In this video, we dive deep into the ultimate Indie Author Playbook, comparing two heavyweights: Amazon KDP and Payhip.

    I’ll show you why you don’t have to choose between a massive marketplace and your own store—and how to use them together to maximize your profits and own your audience.

    In this video, we cover:

    • Discovery vs. Profit: Why Amazon is for being found, and Payhip is for getting paid.
    • Setup Essentials: The “hidden” tax settings that could save you 30% of your earnings.
    • Physical Product Logic: How to stop losing money on shipping and unboxing experiences.
    • Keystone Pricing: The simple formula for professional-grade profits.
    • The 6-Month Launch Plan: How to turn buzz into confirmed sales.

    Whether you’re selling ebooks, signed paperbacks, or even your favorite author-branded candles, these strategies will help you move from “hobbyist” to “professional.”

  • “They Don’t Start With Accusations. They Start With Patterns.”

    She walked in without knocking.

    Tajia only does that when something feels wrong.

    “You didn’t answer me,” she said the second she stepped inside.

    “I had detectives here,” I told her.

    Her entire posture changed.
    “They came here?”

    Lucy glanced around the apartment — the untouched coffee, the scattered papers, the quiet TV screen still glowing in the corner.

    “What did they want?” she asked.

    “Questions about Michael,” I said. “Work. Travel. Clients.”

    Tajia watched me too carefully.
    “I don’t like this.”

    “You don’t like anything involving Michael.”

    “That’s not true,” she said quietly. “I pay attention.”

    Then she said something that stayed with me long after the conversation ended.

    “They don’t start investigations with accusations,” she said.
    “They start with patterns.”

    The word hung in the room.

    Michael always checked in.
    He always knew where I was.
    He always stayed calm — even when I handed him divorce papers.

    Tajia folded her arms, studying me.

    “If he calls tonight,” she said, “tell me.”

    “Why?”

    “Because something feels off… and I don’t want you handling it alone.”

    For the first time since the detectives left, a thought crept in that I didn’t want to consider.

    What if the person I trusted the most… was the one everyone else was starting to question?

    My Husband’s Secret is a psychological suspense story about trust, patterns, and the terrifying moment you realize you might not know someone as well as you thought.

    Available now on Amazon.

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  • A Day in the Life of an Indie Author (It’s Not as Glamorous as You Think)

    If you’ve ever imagined an indie author’s life as sitting in a sunlit café with a perfectly aesthetic latte, typing out bestselling novels while soft piano music plays in the background…

    I hate to be the one to break it to you.

    It’s not quite like that.

    Okay — sometimes there is coffee.
    But it’s usually reheated.

    Being an indie author means wearing about fourteen different hats in a single day. One minute you’re deep in an emotional scene, crying over fictional characters like they’re real people. The next minute you’re trying to figure out why your website layout suddenly looks like it was designed by a raccoon.

    There are days when the words flow effortlessly and you feel unstoppable — like maybe this is finally the book that changes everything. And then there are days when you stare at the same sentence for two hours and somehow make it worse.

    You celebrate small victories that most people wouldn’t understand.

    A new subscriber.
    A kind comment.
    One unexpected book sale.
    A review that makes you sit there smiling at your screen like an absolute weirdo.

    But here’s the truth no one really talks about:

    Being an indie author isn’t just about writing.
    It’s about believing in something you created when no one else can see the vision yet.

    It’s late nights.
    Learning marketing.
    Rewriting chapters.
    Posting content.
    Doubting yourself.
    Trying again anyway.

    And somehow… still loving it.

    Because every story written is a small act of courage.

    So if you’re a writer too — or dreaming of becoming one — just know you’re not alone in the messy, beautiful chaos of it all.

    What does your creative routine look like? Are you a morning writer or a midnight chaos goblin like me?

    Jenn
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  • Our New Books Clubs!

    We Started Something New for Writers (And You’re Invited)

    Okay… so we did a thing. 👀

    After a lot of thinking (and probably too much coffee), we decided to create two new spaces for writers — because honestly, writing can feel a little lonely sometimes and we wanted a place where authors can connect, learn, and just exist with other creative people.

    So we’re excited to officially introduce:

    ✨ The Indie Author Hub – our brand new Facebook page
    📚 The Cozy Writer’s Club – our Facebook group for writers

    The Indie Author Hub

    This page is where we’ll be sharing things like:

    • Writing tips and encouragement
    • Self-publishing advice
    • Updates about our books and projects
    • Helpful resources for indie authors
    • Behind-the-scenes moments from our writing journey

    If you’re interested in writing, publishing, or just love seeing how books come together, this page is for you.

    👉 Follow the page here:

    The Indie Author Hub

    The Cozy Writer’s Club

    Now this one we’re especially excited about.

    The Cozy Writer’s Club is our little corner of the internet for writers to gather, share ideas, ask questions, celebrate wins, and support each other through the writing process.

    No pressure. No perfection. Just writers being writers.

    Inside the group you can:

    ✏️ Share what you’re currently writing
    📖 Talk about books and storytelling
    💡 Ask questions about publishing
    🎉 Celebrate writing milestones
    ☕ Hang out with other cozy creative humans

    Whether you’re writing your first book, your tenth book, or just thinking about starting one… you’re welcome here.

    👉 Join the group here:

    The Cozy Writers Club

    Come Say Hello

    We’d absolutely love your support as we get these spaces up and running. If you’re a writer (or want to be one someday), come hang out with us.

    Follow the page.
    Join the group.
    Introduce yourself.

    Let’s build something really fun for writers. 💛

    “You should write because you love the shape of stories and sentences and the creation of different words on a page. Writing comes from reading, and reading is the finest teacher of how to write.” ― Annie Proulx

  • Our New Tarot Page is LIVE!

    We’re excited to share something new with you…

    Our Tarot page is officially live!

    Over the past few weeks, we’ve been quietly building a dedicated space for tarot lovers, curious beginners, and anyone interested in exploring the deeper meaning behind the cards.

    Tarot has always been more than just fortune-telling. It’s a tool for self-reflection, intuition, and understanding the patterns in our lives. Our new page was created with that spirit in mind.

    What You’ll Find on the Tarot Page

    On this new page, you’ll find a growing collection of tarot resources designed to help you deepen your practice and connect with your intuition.

    Some of the things we’re adding include:

    ✨ Tarot workbooks and guided journals
    ✨ Reflection prompts and spreads
    ✨ Tarot learning resources
    ✨ Digital downloads to support your practice

    One of the first resources available is our new workbook:

    “The Elements of Tarot: A Guided Workbook for Fire, Water, Air & Earth.”

    This printable workbook explores the elemental language of tarot and includes reflection prompts, tarot spreads, journaling space, and small rituals to help you connect with each element.

    Whether you’re just starting your tarot journey or have been reading cards for years, the goal is simple: create tools that help you understand both the cards and yourself a little better.

    Why We Created This Page

    We love creating resources that encourage curiosity, creativity, and self-discovery.

    Tarot fits perfectly into that mission.

    This new page gives us a place to share tarot-inspired projects, workbooks, and ideas that help people slow down, reflect, and explore their intuition in a thoughtful way.

    And this is just the beginning.

    We have more tarot resources, downloads, and projects coming soon.

    Come Take a Look

    If you’re interested in tarot or simply curious, we’d love for you to explore the new page.

    🔮 Visit the Tarot Page Here:

    TAROT

    Thank you for being part of this journey and supporting the work we create.

    More magic coming soon. ✨

    Jenn
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    “Tarot doesn’t predict the future. Tarot facilitates it.”
    ― Philippe St Genoux

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