A Virtual Author’s Assistant is an administrative assistant who works virtually with authors in the writing, publishing, and marketing of their books. Authors work really hard on their writing and have spent a great deal of time and energy on their manuscripts. A Virtual Author’s Assistant can help with the details of turning your manuscript into a finished product that you can be proud of. I am a certified Virtual Author’s Assistant.
FAQs for Authors
What exactly is a Virtual Author’s Assistant?
What types of people will benefit most from working with you?
If you’re a first-time author who is unsure of the process of getting a book published or if you’ve already written a book and realize how much work is involved in getting your book published, you may benefit substantially from working with me. In addition to the writing, you’ll need to find a good editor, cover designer, indexer, and printer. You’ll need the facts checked in your book and to make sure you obtain the required permissions. You’ll need the ISBN, the LCCN, the bar code, and the copyright registration for your book. If you want to self-publish, you’ll need to set up your own publishing company. If you want to publish through a traditional publisher, proposal letters need to be written and followed up on. You’ll need testimonials and reviews for your book. You’ll need help making sure the printer’s proof is free of errors and laid out the way you want it. You’ll need to put the book information on your website as well as on Amazon. You’ll need to put a media kit together in preparation for media appearances. And what about virtual book tours and live events? Not to mention research and legwork to enter your book in book awards competitions.
The process can be absolutely overwhelming if you’re trying to do it all on your own. I can help you with all of those activities so that your book gets into the hands of people who need to read it and all the effort you put into writing pays off.
I have an idea for a book. If I work with you, how will you help me get the idea out of my head and into a finished product?
I would encourage you to start writing your ideas down and, of course, I would follow up with you to find out how it is going. Once those ideas are written down, they need to be organized in a way that makes sense so that someone would want to pick it up and read it. Then as things are coming together, you can continue to work with me through the process of writing, publishing, and marketing your book.
How long will it take me to finish my book?
Some of this depends on how long it takes you to get your ideas down and get them into somewhat of an organized fashion for your book. Then it also depends on if you want to self-publish or go through a traditional publisher. Typically, it takes about 2-5 months to take a finished manuscript through the self-publishing process to create a printed book. It is much longer through a traditional publisher.
How often will I communicate with you and what things will we work on together?
I am all about communication and what you are comfortable with. I can contact you daily, weekly, when a question that needs to be answered comes up or whenever a particular task has been completed. Once you write the manuscript, the process is not over. You are excited about seeing your hard work get into print and I will keep you informed of the status of this project.
Are there any services that you don’t perform related to the book publishing process?
It takes a team to create a successful book. I find the people you need to help you in this process like the cover designer, an editor, a photographer, a printer, an indexer, and any others that you might need to complete your book. I also have other certified Virtual Author’s Assistants that can help you with the marketing aspect of your book once it has been printed.
Is it expensive to hire a Virtual Author’s Assistant?
No, a typical Virtual Author’s Assistant charges an hourly rate, usually from $40 to $55/hour. If you use a Virtual Author’s Assistant through the entire publishing process, it can cost you from $2,000 to $5,000 for the coordination of this process. When you calculate the hours it would take you to figure out the steps of each process and carry them out in addition to your other day-to-day responsibilities, most would consider this a wise investment that frees you up to focus on your areas of expertise while I offer mine to your project.
I’m ready to get serious about publishing my book. How do I get started with you?
We will schedule a virtual consultation so that you have an opportunity to tell me what it is that you are looking for in a Virtual Author’s Assistant and what kind of help you need. If this is something that we come to a mutual agreement on in working together, we’ll formalize our partnership and begin.
