When I first started out in this business I couldn't ever imagine being in a position where I could afford, or need, a personal assistant. Well, that time came and I was lucky enough to find the lovely, Allison Potter. She's a dream to work with. Always onto it. Always does what I ask without complaint. She's reliable, helpful and I adore her.
So - I thought I'd dedicate a post to introducing you to my amazing PA. This is a chance for her to tell you a little about herself and also introduce you to a new initiative she's started.
Thank you so much Melissa for having me on your blog today! It means a lot to me that you like my idea and for you to share it with the world.
So - I thought I'd dedicate a post to introducing you to my amazing PA. This is a chance for her to tell you a little about herself and also introduce you to a new initiative she's started.
Thank you so much Melissa for having me on your blog today! It means a lot to me that you like my idea and for you to share it with the world.
Two of my authors that I PA for, Julia Crane, and Melissa Pearl
(well you) are in a group called “Indie Inked”. “Indie Inked” is a collective
of top selling Indie authors bringing the best in today's fiction and trends. I
have gotten to see the ladies talk back and forth in a Facebook group, and the
way they support each other is amazing, and inspiring.
Personal Assistants to authors were not a very well-known thing
when I started doing it in 2009. Lately, I have been seeing tons of bloggers
helping out authors and becoming their Personal Assistants. I have also had numerous people message or email me asking some advice, which
I happily give.
So, with Indie Inked as inspiration, I decided to make a secret group called “Perfect Personal Assistants” on Facebook. I asked people online that I knew if they would like
to join, and some of them asked some of their friends. Right now we are a group
of 19 and we get along just great.
The founding members
are myself (PA for Julia Crane and Melissa Pearl), Anna Coy (Nicole Stayton),
Christina Silcox (R.K. Ryals). Heather Heslip Alexander (PA to D. Love), Kim
Walker and Jaime Radalyac (L.P. Dover), Melissa Stickney (Jessica Gibson),
Barbars Gordon (Sophie Davis), Autumn Wrought (Tiffani Clark Kemp), Amy Chris
(A.J. Bennett), Kimberly Schaaf (Airicka Phoenix), Jessica Molina Ramirez (MiaFox), Julia Hendrix and Len Phelps (Doug Dillion, and Julia Gilbert).
The secret group turned into a live Facebook Fan-page, Twitter, and a blog! I wanted to be able to help out
personal assistants, and learn new things from them as well. Things have been
going amazing; I couldn't be happier with all of the wonderful women in this
group!
What types of services
do you provide for your authors?
I have a tab on the page where authors can
fill out PA requests. We have all kinds of PAs, some who do part time, some who
aren’t accepting people right now (most of us are). Mainly, it depends on what
you are looking for, and we will offer up a couple of choices for you!
What's your favorite
aspect of the job?
Getting to help the girls, and learning things
from them. It has been great with cross promotion for our authors as well!
Do you have any good
marketing tips for authors trying to get their work noticed? Which marketing
strategies work best?
Honestly, social media is key. And we can help
you with that!
You are getting into
editing as well…what do you love about editing?
I took a year long course to get an official
certification in copy editing. I was beta reading, and proof reading for some
authors, and one suggested that I have a great eye for errors and should think
about copy editing. I am so glad I did. I love it, and can’t wait to get my
name out there more so I can do more edits! I have done 5 so far and am working
on another. Editing calms me; I love everything about it!
Do you feel as though
authors need less editing the more they write?
It depends. Sometimes the authors just type
without thinking of grammar just to let the creative process flow, and I think
that’s great, but a bit more challenging to clean up. I have had some authors
where editing is a piece of cake and I find myself so caught up in the book,
that I have to go back and edit!
What are some of the
most common mistakes you find in manuscripts?
Commas after quotes, a lot of sentences that
start with “but” or “and” I have come to find a lot.
My website for copy editing is Potter’s Copy Editing Services if
you want to check it out!
Some favorites:
1. Ice cream flavor =
Chocolate! Or Cake Batter!
2. Movie = Die Hard
and Harry Potter (don’t judge me lol)
3. TV Show = Revenge
4. Author = My authors
Julia and Melissa of course…but JK ROWLING has my heart.
5. Thing to do when
you're feeling silly = I am a classically trained ballerina so I dance around my
house a lot. My dog, Romeo, thinks I’m nuts.
6. Subject in high
school = English
7. Musical show = Not a
musical kind of gal!
8. Pair of shoes = TOMS
9. Nail polish color =
I like weird colors that are unusual. Also, I never only have one color on my
hands. Two colors is a must!
Before I go, I have to thank Melissa again! Please check out our awesome Perfect Personal Assistants giveaway with TONS of prizes from our awesome authors! Check it out HERE!
