May 20, 2025 at 9:00 AM

Yellow and gold background with two book covers and a photo of author Jean Oram

Celebrating Jean Oram

From schoolhouse libraries to fairy godmothers, bestselling indie author Jean Oram has turned a lifelong love of books into a vibrant writing career filled with heart, humor, and, now, a touch of magic.

In this special guest post, Jean reflects on the journey to her 40th book, Fairy Godmothers Aren’t Cheap, shares the challenges of switching genres, and offers insight into how B&N Press has helped her reach new readers and new heights…

Manifesting My Happily Ever Author

A Guest Post by Jean Oram

Once upon a time there was a romance author from Canada who believed in manifestation and dreams coming true. After all, she had transformed herself from a reader into a high school librarian where her job was purchasing books with other people’s money (true magic), and then, after that, into an author who published her own stories.

But this isn’t a fairytale…

Fairy Godmothers Aren't Cheap: A Sweet Romantic Comedy Romantasy

eBook $4.99

Add to Bag

See All Formats & Editions ›

Hi! I’m Jean Oram, and I published my 40th book this month (Fairy Godmothers Aren’t Cheap) after declaring as a child that I would NEVER write a book because they looked like way too much work. (Which is saying a lot since I was a farm girl at the time, and farmers know hard work!)

I suppose the moral of the story is to never say never.

Also? My younger self was correct. Books are a lot of work.

But it’s fun work, and it can be so incredibly rewarding. Plus, you get to meet some really kind and amazing bookish people along the way. What could be better than that for a book nerd such as myself? (I grew up in an old schoolhouse, and my mom loved books to the point that when people saw her bookshelves they’d say “Oh, this must have been the school’s library.” Nope! Those were just my mom’s books.)

From Wishes to Word Counts

Even though there are some amazing moments with being a writer, sometimes you can feel really alone when you’re struggling with a new book, a new series, or a new subgenre such as I did with Fairy Godmothers Aren’t Cheap. This novel, which is a light, sweet romantasy, is a slight veering from my usual contemporary small town romances. This book also took me about five times longer than my other stories. Partly because I threw away at least a half million words to land on the final 96,000. Not efficient at all! Cue the headaches and self-doubt.

You could say it serves me right for pulling a trunked novel out of the pile from before I started publishing, and trying to quickly slap it into shape since nothing else was inspiring me at the time. However, even when it became clear this was going to be a really big project, I couldn’t let go of the story’s premise. It was way too fun to dream up a world where a young woman wished for a better life, and then found herself in massive fairy godmother debt. (Because, as it turns out, fairy godmothers exist and they aren’t free—nor cheap.) It felt like the time was finally right for this story, and the spark of inspiration was steadfastly sitting with it instead of with the pre-planned island series.

Maybe because romantasy is the new urban fantasy and this book is both? Maybe because I’ve reached a stage in my life where I’m trying to be my own fairy godmother, and making my own wishes come true instead of just waiting for them to land in my lap by some crazy twist of fate? Or maybe, again, it’s just where my inspiration wanted to stay and play.

Magic & Manuscripts

Back to the business of writing and publishing… Sometimes it can be contradictory as it is both a solitary profession, but also, in some ways, a group effort. For example, I spend hours in the house alone at my computer making things up. But then I depend on my beta readers, my editor, my error team and many more people to help me shape, release, and sell that book. I also depend on retailers such as Barnes and Noble, and their easy-to-use B&N Press tools.

When I first moved direct to B&N Press, I was able to create coupons for my newsletter subscribers to help reinvigorate my sales on Barnes & Noble. Wow. The first month of being direct was amazing. It instantly improved my sales, and it has been one of the smartest indie moves I’ve made. I also love participating in various promotions, saying hi to B&N reps at conferences, and of course, being able to easily offer my readers coupons and BOGOs whenever I want.

It’s a win-win for both readers and authors.

Thank you, B&N Press! You’re like my own indie publishing fairy godmother. (Only without the debt!)

Recent & Upcoming Books By Jean Oram

5/8/25: Fairy Godmothers Aren’t Cheap

9/11/25: Run, Run Rudolph

About Jean Oram

JEAN ORAM grew up in an old schoolhouse in a Canadian town, population 100 (cats and dogs not included). She is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling romance author of feel-good, tingle-inducing, heartwarming romances. Jean lives in Canada with her husband, two kids, cat, dog, and the wild neighbourhood rabbits who help themselves to her garden. She can often be found outdoors or reading a book. (And of course at her laptop writing your next irresistible read!) Follow Jean on social media or subscribe to her newsletter: www.JeanOram.com/FREEBOOK.