Being an
author’s assistant is a job like no other: Exciting, fulfilling, and, at times,
crazy! We work for an Indie author, Victoria Danann, which adds another level
of challenge to the mix. Without a big publisher behind us, we work on her behalf
to get the word out about her amazing books.
Here’s our
first confession: Neither of us has worked as an author’s assistant before! We
were both fans first, as well as being members of her street team. She
mentioned one day that she was looking for a new assistant, and both of us
replied. Being a smart woman, Victoria realized how amazing we both are. So,
instead of choosing one, she hired us both! Now the three of us are blazing our
own trail in the wild world of Indie publishing.
Our most
important functions are managing Victoria’s social media and the street team,
which is a group of some of the most devoted Victoria fans around. The street
team is one of our most important keys to getting the word out about the Black
Swan serial saga. We also work with Bloggers and Facebookers to feature or
promote Victoria’s books, keep track of her calendar, and organize events such
as giveaways. There are a lot of moving parts that require a tremendous amount
of organization and detail supervision. Through a semi-complicated structure of
file sharing and online chat, the three of us are able to work as a team so
that each of us always knows what the other is doing.
Once people
find out about and read Victoria’s first book, My Familiar Stranger, which is free everywhere, they usually join
the rest of us in being fans of her work. We really love that her books are a
mix of paranormal romance and fantasy, genres that we both really enjoy reading.
It’s so fun working for someone you admire - Any task that helps her out is
something we’re glad to do.
We’re
commonly asked the following questions:
How’d you get the job?
Sarah: I had been on her Street Team for about a
month when the opportunity came up that she needed an assistant. I sent her an
email about all the things I had done in the past, reasons why I would be a
great assistant. I was SO nervous waiting for the response! But, as you can
see, I am here!
Judy: One day, on the street team page, Victoria
mentioned that she needed an assistant. I contacted her to offer to help her
out in the meantime, but it turns out I was in the right place at the right
time, and started working for her! The learning curve has been pretty steep –
there is so much about the author world that is so very different from the
experience of a reader. I love this job! I get to utilize every skill I’ve
learned over the years and apply them in unique and creative ways.
Sarah: You're right, it is crazy
different as far as how it measures up to any other job I have, but I would
never trade it!
Judy: I’m constantly amazed that I get to do what I
do. I learn so much every day. I didn’t realize how bored I was before.
Seriously.
How did you know that
the street team idea would even work?
Judy: The idea of a street team
isn’t really new. It started in the music industry with a literal street team
handing out fliers about a new music group. The concept has evolved now into
street teams for all kinds of things. Feedback I get from members of Victoria’s
street team is that this is one of the most active groups for an author. Our
team has regular blogs that they work with to help spread the word. Having a
hangout on Facebook with a private page for our group has been really great for
building our team identity.
Sarah: Victoria had the Street Team before I became
her assistant. I think it's a great idea for many different reasons. Her
biggest fans get time to chat with her whenever they like, they know her better
than her other readers do. They also get the opportunity to get her new books
about 2 weeks before everyone else. This helps both them and Victoria as she
gets feedback before the release date. It is also a great advertising tool as
we have wonderful Street Team members that will help get the word out about
anything!
What is the most
rewarding aspect of being an author’s assistant?
Sarah: This one is hard to explain. Being Victoria's
assistant is a reward in itself. I get to talk to her daily, manage a fantastic
Street Team, and meet some really incredible people. All the while knowing that
I am helping a writing genius get the time to do what she does best!
Judy: The most rewarding thing about
this job is that I get to help an author I truly admire. It just feels so good
knowing that my work in the background enables her to have time to write her
amazing books.
Sarah; She's right; I know Victoria
is writing fantastic things and that makes me extremely happy!
Judy: I love it every time Sarah
says, “She’s right,” when she’s talking about me! It happens a lot.
How many hours a week/day
do you spend on this job?
Sarah: A lot. But in no way can I complain. Most of
the Street Team says they see me online, all the time, no matter what time it
is. Well, I LOVE what I do. And a lot of my part of the job includes Facebook,
so I'm on there for my stuff and book stuff all the time. Plus keeping track of
what 50 people do takes up some time!!
Judy: It’s really impossible to
calculate. I know I work the equivalent of office hours daily, and then check
in again at night. I try to avoid working on the weekends, but when stuff is
happening, I’m on whenever I need to be. This job for me is a blend of fan/
employee - it’s definitely more a labor of love….but it is nice to get paid!
Sarah: Wait... You get paid??
Judy: Oops.
So, what’s the dirt? Any
scoops you can share?
Judy: Wow! Way to put us on the
spot. Part of being an assistant is protecting the person you work for. My boss
probably won’t fire me for saying that she put a photo of herself on Facebook
once – she was swimming – I noticed no clothing in the picture, and asked her
about if – to which she replied, “haha”. Yep. That’s the kind of crazy I’m lucky
enough to work with every day. I love her.
Sarah: She's
got a wicked crazy sense of humor....and she and I get one another's jokes,
while Judy is often left scratching her head!
Judy: Hey! I get some of the
jokes….sometimes.
Blazing a
new trail in the world of Indy book publishing is exciting and fun. There is
some seriously hard work involved, but it’s hard to really take note of that
when we’re having such a good time! Being coworkers that truly enjoy and
admire, not only our boss, but one another, makes every workday fun and
entertaining. We both like meeting new people, learning new things, and we’re
pretty good at sharing the load. We don’t know how Victoria got along without
us!
Victoria is releasing a Box Set of her series, The Order of the Black Swan. The details are below. She's also sponsoring a giveaway of an autographed book, plus a keychain, for a lucky Books and Pals reader. A Rafflecopter to enter the giveaway follows the book release details.
Black Swan
Collected Tales (Volume 1, Books
1-6)
The
Order of the Black Swan is
a serial saga including My Familiar Stranger, The Witch’s Dream, A
Summoner’s Tale, Moonlight, Gathering Storm, and NEVER BEFORE
RELEASED Book 6, A Tale of Two Kingdoms.
Once upon a time a girl lost everything
familiar. She escaped death by being forced into an experiment that left her in
another world where modern day knights, elves, vampires, werewolves, witches,
demons and fae became her allies, friends and family. She discovered a place
where adventure intersects fairytales, where honor is more than an ideal, and
she learned that love can find you in the strangest places, when you're least
expecting it, even when you're far, far from home. This is the story of Elora
Laiken's strange and wonderful journey. It is also the story
of those whose lives she touches along the way.
If you love romance, paranormal, science
fiction, fantasy, urban fantasy, contemporary, this series is right for you.
17+
ISBN: 978-1-933320-94-6, 523,000 words
The entire box set, which will retail after December 15th
for $18.99, will be available during release week for $0.99 and can be
preordered at that price from either Smashwords or Kobo. Buy links to Amazon, B&N, and Apple
(iBooks, iTunes) will be available release week. Subscribe to the mail list for
a reminder.
Appropriate
for 17+
2 comments:
Awesome! Thanks so much for hosting the giveaway.
Great blog post! It looks like you both get along well and it comes across here in the post. Good job.
Here is the Amazon buy link for the book set. :)
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00H5QW83O/ref=cm_cd_asin_lnk
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