Why Bestselling Author Jason June Shares Every Book Advance He's Ever Gotten

New York Times bestselling author Jason June (Out of the Blue, Jay's Gay Agenda) returns to Writers With Wrinkles for a wide-ranging conversation covering his growing acting career, the current state of the publishing industry, and his upcoming adult rom-com Santa and Krampus' Cozy Killer Christmas, out fall 2027. Jason is refreshingly candid — about book advances, about the anxiety running through publishing right now, and about finding joy in the work when the business side gets hard. GuestJason June — NYT bestselling author, actor, screenwriter, and self-described "Laura Dern stan" based in Dallas, TX. Known for YA rom-coms Out of the Blue and Jay's Gay Agenda, and publisher of The Ventorship, a newsletter on author finances and transparency. Highlights•     Auditioning post-COVID: why self-tapes democratize acting, and what's lost without an in-person redirect from a casting director•     How years of writing fiction sharpened Jason's instincts for character and story on set•     The "greater sense of unease" in publishing right now — AI concerns, slow timelines, and authors questioning why traditional publishing can't move faster•     Self-publishing's rising role, the discovery gap it still faces, and why hybrid careers are becoming more common•     The Dungeon Crawler Carl story as a case study in trusting your own artistic vision•     Why Jason publicly shares his advances and royalties through The Ventorship — and the argument that most of that "secrecy" is self-imposed•     Publishing as a side hustle: debut culture, shrinking advances, and the myth of the "cushy" author life•     The MER Principle (Beth's term): find the niche community obsessed with your book's specific hook, not a general audience•     The premise behind Santa and Krampus' Cozy Killer Christmas — a "dark cozy" where Krampus only kills the people who'd otherwise doom humanity•     Jason's advice to aspiring authors: chase the joy, and aim to be "prolific, not perfect" Key TakeawayWhether you're navigating traditional publishing, weighing a hybrid career, or just trying to market your next book, the throughline is the same: get specific. Specific about your niche audience, specific about your finances, and specific about what actually brings you joy in the work.Have a marketing tip that's worked for you? Beth and Lisa want to hear it.•     Beth: [email protected]•     Lisa: [email protected]•     Join The Waiting Room, our Facebook community for writers•     Website: writerswithwrinkles.netSend us Fan Mail Support the showVisit the WebsiteFind Full Episodes on YouTube!Writers with Wrinkles Link Tree for socials and more!