I’ll Take Care of That for You: Working with a Virtual Assistant

As authors take on more tasks from the business side of publishing, many are discovering the need for help with everything from database management to marketing and beyond. The virtual/personal assistant (V/PA) service industry is rapidly evolving, yet many authors hesitate to take advantage of these services. The reasons vary but include concerns about affordability and confidentiality, accessibility, and skepticism about how useful a part-time personal assistant can be.

 

Author Heather Ashby and Maria Connor of My Author Concierge have worked together for more than two years. Today we have them on the blog to tell us how they built a working relationship as author and assistant.

 

 

                  

Question: Heather, what made you decide to look for a personal assistant in the first place and how did you end up working with Maria Connor?

 

HA: When I sold my series, I suddenly needed a website and Facebook page and all this technical stuff I didn’t have a clue about. I was constantly asking my RWA chapter-mate, Maria Connor, for help. I felt bad that I kept bothering her with questions about technology and promotions, but she always had the answers. Then I got a brilliant idea and asked her if I could hire her to help me.

 

Question: So it just kind of evolved organically Maria, how did you come to launch My Author Concierge?

 

MC: I never had any intention of starting my own business, but after Heather landed her four-book series with Henery Press, she discovered she needed support and I discovered I had the skill set to provide that support. Eventually I realized there were many other authors in need of such services. Given my background as a writer, it made sense to cater to authors, but in the past nine months I’ve also gained a few non-author clients. I’ve learned there is a tremendous market among small business owners (which includes authors) for the types of services I offer.

 

Question: What services does a personal assistant offer?

 

HA: Based on what other authors have told me, personal assistants do everything from scheduling and office-type work to accompanying authors to conferences and book signings. Some coordinate promotional events, manage social media, and serve as a point of contact for authors. “My” personal assistant designed and maintained my website, helps me keep my social media channels active and up to date, helps with scheduling, intercedes with my marketing director, and serves as an all-around resource when I’m faced with the next, newest situation as a published author. When I get overloaded, she’s also been known to talk me down off the ledge, usually by speaking the magic words, “I’ll take care of that for you.”

 

MC: There are a variety of virtual and personal assistants available for authors and each seems to offer their own catalog of services. My background includes decades as an administrative assistant, several years as a professional freelance writer and journalist, and a mishmash of self-taught skills such as basic web design. This diversity of experience allows me to offer perhaps a wider range of services than other assistants (a full listing is available at http://www.myauthorconcierge.com/Serv...). The important thing for authors to keep in mind is verifying the credibility of the skills and abilities personal assistants claim to possess. I’ve found some individuals marketing their editing and proofreading services based on years of being a romance writer. That’s a red flag to me. They may be qualified as beta readers but not as editors.

 

Question: Heather, as an author, what is the biggest advantage of having a personal assistant?

 

HA: I can’t speak for other authors but just knowing I have someone to help when things get crazy-busy is a huge relief. It’s nice to know whatever needs doing, Maria will smile and get it done. One of my favorite times was when Kristan Higgins invited me to appear on her blog on the same day I’d promised to help organize my church rummage sale. Maria took my place and priced white elephant items all day for me so I could reply to blog comments. (I think the old ladies at church liked her more than they like me!)

 

Question: Talk about personalized service! Maria, what is your biggest challenge as an author assistant?

 

MC: Heather was my first client and one of the challenges we both faced was learning how to work together. We get along fabulously, but what we had to identify and negotiate were professional boundaries, turnaround times, accessibility and accountability. There were times Heather would email numerous requests and I was stopping and starting other work throughout the day to complete these tasks. Eventually we developed a schedule. She now sends me a weekly To Do list on Thursdays and I work on them through the next Monday. I often get new clients who want help managing their writing business but haven’t quite figured out what that means. Part of my job is helping them decided what can be handed off to me and what their relationship style is—do they want to be copied on emails or do they just want me to get it done?

 

Question: What advice would you offer to authors considering hiring a virtual/personal assistant?

 

HA: One of the unique things about my working relationship with Maria is that we’ve both “grown” into our current partnership. At times we each encountered awkward learning curves, but we were committed to honest communication, mutual respect and high-quality work ethics. I think any personal assistant worth her salary will offer these qualities.

 

MC: Here are my five top tips for finding a reliable personal assistant: 1) Ask for re from other authors; 2) Ask potential V/PAs for recommendations from current clients; 3) Be specific about what you need assistance with; 4) Consider hiring someone for a single project or on a trial basis; and 5) Realize there is some degree of “chemistry” required for a positive working relationship—make sure you are compatible with your V/PA.

 

Well, thank you so much for stopping by, ladies.  I’m sure our readers got a lot of insight into what an author’s personal assistant does J . For more insight into virtual assistants, stop by their workshop at RWA Nationals. You can also post comments and questions below.

Blogger Bios:

 

Heather Ashby is the author of Love in the Fleet, a four-book series from Henery Press. The series currently released titles include Forgive & Forget and Forget Me Not, with two more slated for release in 2014 and 2015. An award-winning author of romantic fiction, Heather is a member of RWA, and also belongs to regional/specialty chapters, including The Golden Network and First Coast Romance Writers. Additionally, she holds memberships in RomVets and the Military Writers Society of America. For more information, visit www.heatherashby.com. 

 

Maria Connor has worked as a freelance writer, journalist and author in print and digital media for more than 10 years. As the owner and founder of My Author Concierge, her professional experience also encompasses marketing, book promotion and social media management. She is a member of Romance Writers of America and holds memberships in numerous specialty and regional chapters, including The Golden Network, Kiss of Death, RWA-San Diego, Outreach International Romance Writers, First Coast Romance Writers, Contemporary Romance Writers and Passionate Ink. She has been active in the romance fiction community for more than 15 years, volunteering at both the national and local level. Additional information about Maria can be found at www.sexysassyromance.com and www.myauthorconcierge.com.