Help! I need someone!

Hiring a Personal Assistant, or a Beatle 🎵

I recently hired a PA, but I'm still struggling to cut the umbilical cord to all the organs of my business. I'm so used to managing my entire business. It's so hard letting go. But, hey, at least I managed to snip-snip with my children. I wonder if that's why my daughter went to undergrad in Rome and my son spent a year in Ghana, West Africa?

I'm going to give you some tips to hiring a PA yourself, but take them with a grain of salt as I'm still figuring it out!

Right now, I'm having my PA help me with a big launch I'm preparing for this year. So I have her researching social media influencers, author romantasy authors I can do newsletter swaps with, and preparing graphics.

Here's a guide on when to consider hiring a PA, what tasks they can handle for you, and how to make the decision that best supports your career goals.

When to Consider Hiring a Personal Assistant

1. Time Management Challenges: If you find that administrative tasks are consuming a significant portion of your day, leaving less time for writing, it might be time to consider a PA. These tasks might include managing emails, scheduling appointments, or handling social media.

My very first PA was a social media PA. I like making graphics. Posting said graphics? Not so much. So I added my PA to Meta Planner (we've discussed this before in a post about Social Media buckets). In Meta Planner they could schedule all my posts for me and even interact with readers, which sometimes stresses me out because I have so many character voices talking in my head.

2. Increasing Business Needs: As your career grows, so do the demands on your time. If activities like responding to fan mail, coordinating with publishers, and updating your website are becoming overwhelming, a PA can help manage these increasing demands.

My website is something that always falls by the way side. This would be the next thing I'd hire out. When it comes to fan mail, that I can manage. If it comes via email. But when readers say "hey" on Instagram or Tiktok, it stresses me out! I hate typing on my phone!

3. Financial Viability: Before hiring a PA, ensure that the financial cost is justifiable. A good rule of thumb is to hire help when the cost of the assistant is less than or equal to the revenue you could generate by dedicating that time to your writing instead. If hiring a PA allows you to produce more work and potentially increase your income, it's likely a sound investment.

I made a task list for my upcoming launch. It was long. I knew I couldn't do it all myself. Time is the most valuable commodity to me, so I decided to pay someone so that I could reclaim more of my time.

Tasks to Delegate to a Personal Assistant

1. Administrative Duties: This includes managing your calendar, scheduling appointments, booking travel arrangements, sorting emails, and perhaps handling phone calls. These are time-consuming tasks that can easily be managed by a PA.

2. Social Media and Marketing: Keeping up with social media posts, interacting with fans, and executing marketing strategies are crucial but can detract from writing time. A PA skilled in these areas can take over daily postings, monitor interactions, and even run ad campaigns.

3. Event Planning: If you attend or speak at conferences, book signings, or literary events, your PA can handle the logistics, from registrations to accommodations and itinerary planning.

4. Research: For authors who require extensive research for their books, a PA can gather materials, fact-check, and organize information to streamline the writing process.

5. Project Management: Managing the many aspects of book publication, from timelines with publishers to coordinating with cover designers and editors, can be overseen by your PA.

Additional Considerations

When hiring a personal assistant, it’s important to find someone who not only has the right skills but is also a good personal fit. You need a PA you can trust, someone who communicates well and understands your genre and audience. The right assistant will make your life easier, not add more stress.

Think about how much help you truly need. If you're just starting out, a part-time assistant may be the best option. Many authors find that even a few hours of support each week—handling emails, managing social media, or organizing marketing efforts—can make a huge difference. As your business grows, you can always expand their role.

Ultimately, hiring a PA should free up your most valuable resource—time. The goal is to shift your focus back to writing and other creative pursuits rather than getting bogged down with administrative tasks. Regularly evaluate whether your assistant’s work is giving you that freedom. If you find yourself just as overwhelmed, it may be time to refine their responsibilities or reassess your needs.

Bringing on a PA can be a game-changer, marking a turning point in your author career. It’s not just about outsourcing tasks; it’s about creating a sustainable workflow that allows you to thrive as a writer. Choose wisely, invest in the right support, and watch how much more you can accomplish when you have the right person by your side.

Want to watch me plot and write a book in real time? Follow me on socials!

I’m writing a new romantasy novel and I’m chronicling it from plot to finish on all my socials. You can follow along on your platform of choice!