Most indie authors don't decide to hire help. They hit a wall.
The newsletter goes out late again. ARC readers are waiting on files you forgot to send. There's a promo spreadsheet somewhere, but you're not sure which version is the real one. And the book you're supposed to be writing hasn't been opened in nine days.
That's usually the moment someone says "you should get a PA," and the next question is fair: what would they actually do?
What an author assistant is (and isn't)
An author assistant, often called a PA (personal assistant), takes the repeatable business tasks off your plate so you can spend your best hours writing.
A PA is not a ghostwriter, an editor, or a magic marketing button. They won't write your books, and they can't guarantee a launch hits the top 100. What they can do is make sure the hundred small things around your books actually happen, on time, without living in your head.
Think of it this way: you're the creative director of your author business. A PA is the person who keeps the business side running while you direct.
What a PA handles day to day
Every author's list is different, but most PA work falls into a few groups.
Admin and organization
- Keeping your inbox under control and flagging what needs you
- Tracking release dates, promo dates and deadlines in one calendar
- Updating your book links, back matter and series reading order
- Keeping a master file of blurbs, taglines, covers and metadata
Reader and team management
- Coordinating ARC readers: sending copies, tracking who reviewed, following up
- Running your street team: sharing graphics, posting prompts, keeping things friendly
- Answering reader messages that don't need you personally
Newsletters
- Drafting and designing your regular newsletter from your notes
- Scheduling sends and newsletter swaps
- Cleaning your list so you're not paying for inactive subscribers
Launch support
- Building the launch checklist and working through it
- Booking promos and newsletter features
- Making sure every link, preorder and price change is right on release day
Research
- Comparing promo sites, tools and services before you spend money
- Pulling together what comparable authors in your subgenre are doing
- Finding podcasts, events or collaborations worth your time
The common thread: these are tasks that matter, that someone has to do, and that don't need your brain specifically.
Signs you're ready to hire
You don't need to be a bestseller to benefit from a PA. You need to have more business than time. A few signs:
- Your writing time keeps losing to admin. If you sit down to write and end up answering emails for two hours, that's the clearest sign.
- Things are slipping. Missed newsletter weeks, late ARC copies, a promo you paid for but forgot to share.
- You avoid certain tasks entirely. If you've been "meaning to" set up a street team for a year, it probably won't happen without help.
- You have a release coming. Launches multiply the to-do list. Getting help in place a couple of months before release is far easier than bringing someone in the week of.
- You keep explaining the same thing to yourself. If a task is repeatable enough that you could write instructions for it, someone else can do it.
If two or three of those sound familiar, it's worth a conversation.
When it's not the right time yet
Being honest here saves you money. A PA probably isn't your next step if:
- You haven't published yet and your main job right now is finishing the book
- You don't know what you want done, only that you feel overwhelmed (start with a list first, more on that below)
- You can't yet commit to a budget for a few months in a row
In those cases, a one-off service, like a launch plan or a newsletter setup, is often a better fit than ongoing support.
How to get the most from your hours
Most PA support is sold in blocks of hours. Ours, for example, starts at $500 a month for 12 hours, with extra hours at $35 an hour. However you hire, the way you use those hours makes a big difference.
Make a "brain dump" list before you hire
Spend a week writing down every business task you do or avoid. Next to each one, note how often it happens and whether it needs you personally. This list becomes the starting point for your PA, and it often shows you're doing far more than you realized.
Write down how you like things done
You don't need a 40-page manual. A short document with your brand colors, your tone, your links, and a few "always" and "never" rules saves hours of back and forth.
Give access properly
Where you can, add your PA as a team member or admin on your accounts instead of sharing your password. It's safer, and you can remove access any time. For anything that needs a password, use a password manager.
Batch your requests
Ten small requests sent at random times cost more hours than the same ten sent once a week. A shared task list or a weekly check-in keeps things focused.
Start with a few tasks, then add more
Hand over two or three things in the first month. Once those are running smoothly, add the next ones. It's how good working relationships are built.
Questions to ask before you hire anyone
- What do you need from me to get started?
- How do you report what you've done each week?
- How do you handle passwords and account access?
- What happens if I need more hours one month?
- Who owns the work you create for me? (The answer should be: you do.)
- Do you use any AI tools, and will you ask me first?
A good PA will be happy to answer all of these.
What a good PA relationship feels like
After a couple of months with the right support, authors usually describe the same thing: they stop carrying the business around in their heads. The newsletter goes out. ARC readers get their files. Release day doesn't feel like a fire drill. And the writing time stays protected.
That's the real value. Not one big task, but a hundred small ones that quietly get done.
Thinking about getting help?
If you're feeling stretched and wondering whether a PA would help, take a look at our author PA retainer. You choose your monthly hours and mix and match tasks month to month. Or tell us what you're juggling and we'll help you work out what to hand off first.