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In our private Facebook group for virtual assistants, it’s rare for a week to go by when someone doesn’t ask for feedback on their soon to be launched website.
No matter how you slice it, launching version 1.0 of your website can be nerve-wracking and time-consuming — especially if you’re new to WordPress.
The temptation to find an “easier” platform can be great but as a general rule, your hard work will be rewarded.
We know that making your website live is an exciting step in the process of launching your new VA biz. It’s that point in time when your business transitions from being just an idea to something much more real — you’re actually putting yourself and your service out there in front of potential clients.
And this can be a scary thought because with that, comes the realization that potential clients will begin assessing whether or not they should consider hiring you based on your online presence. If they like what they see, there’s a chance that they’ll reach out and establish contact with you.
Where Web Design Usually Goes Wrong
Before we begin discussing the essential elements of a website that attracts new clients, let’s start by quickly taking a look at where things often go wrong:
Your overarching goal for your website is to attract new clients.
That’s it.
Each page on your website will also have its own sub-objective that ties into your big picture goal.
What this means for you, as a business owner, is that when designing your site, you should ask yourself:
“What action do I want my potential clients to take on this page and how can I make it as clear and simple as possible for them to accomplish that action?”
Where many VAs (and other business owners) go wrong with the design process is that they put too much emphasis on their personal opinions. They create layouts, add images and design logos that appeal to them based on how they feel without thinking about what might appeal to a potential client.
I’m not suggesting that your website should have no personal flair attached to it — that’s unavoidable and even necessary in order to stand out. Nor am I suggesting that your website needs to take a data-driven approach.
What I’m saying is that you need to keep your big picture objective in mind, follow some basic design principles and create something that:
Is visually appealing and contains a degree of uniqueness.
Represents current design trends.
Is simple to navigate.
Helps you grow your business.
We all have personal interests, styles and beliefs that impact our design preferences. But just because I love goldfish (ok, I made that up), does not mean I should have pictures of my goldfish and I splattered all over my website. The same applies to my kids — I love mine but having pictures of them on my website might not be a good fit or do anything to help me attract my ideal clients.
Remember, your business website is for your clients, not you. It’s great that your website helps people understand who you are and what you’re about but know where to draw the line. Too much personal information is rarely a good thing.
9 Essential Elements of a Website that Attracts Clients
Before we get started, remember, there is no such thing as a perfect website.
In fact, here at Horkey Handbook, we’re huge proponents of designing and launching a website that is less than perfect and then improving it over time.
By following most of the “rules” below, you’ll be able to launch a site that is good enough to land clients and provides a great platform for continual improvement.
1. Start with a Strong Foundation
We believe strongly in using WordPress as platform for your business website. Truth be told, if you’re new to the online space and arguing that another platform might be a better choice, you probably need to do some more research.
There are many reasons that we recommend WordPress including:
It’s free — yep the world’s #1 content management system is 100% free.
Although there is a learning curve, it’s easy to use.
There is a good chance your clients will expect you to have at least a working knowledge of WordPress.
It’s highly extensible so it can grow with your business.
You can add almost unlimited functionality via plugins.
There are thousands of theme designs and templates available.
If you’re overwhelmed by the thought of technology, we’ve created an easy to follow and free tutorial that you can find right here. I won’t lie to you and say it’ll be a walk in the park, but the word impossible doesn’t apply here.
If the very thought of technology causes you anxiety, there are easier to use platforms available. For example, Wix has plenty of pre-built templates that you can check out here.
Although we’d encourage you to use WordPress as a first choice, you could always use a website builder like WIX, get some clients under your belt and then reassess how to move forward.
Long term though, we feel strongly that WordPress is the best choice for your business.
If you’ve settled on using the WordPress platform for your business, your next step will be to set up your hosting account.
After trying many different hosting companies over the years, we settled on recommending SiteGround.
For a typical small business, SiteGround provides close to the ideal balance — low cost, ease of use, website speed and great customer service.
3. Choose the Right WordPress Theme for Your Business
When deciding on a WordPress theme you’ll find that there are thousands to pick from — some “free” and some paid.
I put “free” in quotes because in reality, nothing is ever free. It may cost zero in monetary terms but require hours of your time when compared to a more feature rich, paid theme. Things like ease of use, support and aesthetics really do matter.
It’s increasingly important to make sure your business stands out from the competition — at each step in your clients’ journey.
One of the easiest way to do that, at least when attempting to create a first impression it to choose a theme that makes it easy to implement current design trends and with a reasonable degree of customization.
We recommend two sources for WordPress themes:
Divi from Elegant Themesoffers a visual page builder that makes designing a great looking website relatively easy. This is also the theme we use in our tutorial which will make it even easier to follow along with the site building process.,
StudioPress Themesoffers a wide variety of business-related themes that are easy to use and come with solid documentation. They don’t have the same number of features that Divi offers and as a result, customization can be a little more challenging. They’re are still an excellent choice either way. In fact, we use the Infinity Theme from StudioPress for Horkey HandBook.
4. Find an Attractive Color Palette
Before you even start the design process, I’d recommend that you decide on a color palette. To make the process as simple as possible, I’d recommend a two-step process:
Spend a few minutes looking at ideas for potential color schemes that appeal to you. Although there are plenty of places to find great website color combinations, here are two great places to start:
AWWWARDS – Lets you search for website by color and a variety of other criteria
Dribbble – Has tons of great inspirational design ideas
Once you have a general idea for a color scheme in mind, head over to Adobe Colour and find a palette that is suitable. Write down or grab a screen capture of the hex codes (see the picture below) so you can use throughout your website.
A few valuable things to keep in mind when it comes to color:
A Simple background makes text easier to read.
Choose one primary or dominant color and 1-3 secondary colors.
Choose 1 stand-out color for all you calls-to-action.
Use color to draw attention and highlight elements but don’t go overboard.
5. When it Comes to Logos, Simple is Better.
Before you get to work creating your masterpiece there are a few important things to keep in mind when creating or designing your logo:
Simple is always better. Limit your colors, shapes, patterns to just a few.
Sometimes letters are all you need. Trying to add graphics just confuses things.
Even if you never plan to put your logo on a t-shirt, make sure it works in variety of mediums.
Make sure your logo is appropriate to your target audience or at least neutral.
If you find yourself in need of some inspiration, try visiting sites like 99Designs.com or Creative Market. Take a look at what’s popular and emulate the design principles.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with using a simple wordmark. In fact, sometimes that’s the best option — just ask Coke, Microsoft, IBM and Google to name a few. Even here at Horkey HandBook, we decided on a simple, easy to read font in combination with a small accent.
6. Features Are Awesome but Benefits Are Where It’s at, Yo
It’s fine to talk about what you do — even necessary. But don’t forget that deep down, your future clients are more interested in the benefits your services provide than the features.
Wondering what the difference is?
Generally, features are factual pieces of information about your services. For example:
I’ll post twice per day on up to 2 social media accounts.
I’ll perform a complete social media audit and present you with a report
I’ll write one 800-1000 word blog post each week.
Your clients will like the fact that you manage these tasks for them but what they really love is when you tie those features to specific benefits:
Each day I’ll create two purpose driven posts for each social media account. Each post will be designed to drive targeted traffic directly to your landing page in an effort to generate new sales and improve the ROI of your social media efforts.
Put your content marketing on autopilot so you can focus on growing your business. Each week, I’ll plan draft, edit and publish SEO optimized content that attracts and engages your audience.
7. Create a Primary Value Proposition
So we talked a little in number 6 about the importance of discussing both benefits and features. We already know that both are important — no matter how impressive your features may be, what potential clients are really asking themselves is:
“What’s in this for me? How am I going to benefit from working with this VA?”
The best way I’ve seen to approach this (for the life of me, I can’t recall the source) is to create a simple value proposition that’s one of the first things a potential client sees when visiting your website. Here’s how it looks:
“I Help “X” Do “Y” so they can “Z”
Where “X” is your primary target market, “Y” is what you specialize in and “Z” is the benefit.
Here are two great examples from some of the VA’s in our group who are killing it:
>> Clearing the way for who you’re becoming. Hi, I’m Hailey, A Remote executive assistant for entrepreneurs.
>> Does reaching your target audience, generating new leads and promoting your brand awareness effortlessly sound good to you?
Once you’ve decided on a value proposition, there’s nothing that says you need to stick with it for eternity. Mix it up every now and then to see what resonates best with your audience.
8. Make It Easy for Clients to Contact You
The more times someone has to click a link on your website, the more likely it is that they are distracted and move onto something else.
One of the most important things you can do is make sure it’s dead simple for people to contact you.
Should you have a contact or “work with me” page? Absolutely! But it never hurts to place a contact form on some of the other key pages of your website as well.
For example, place a contact form at the bottom of each services page instead of requiring people to click through.
9. Your Website is Never Truly Done
The primary objective for the first version of your website is to just get the darn thing live.
Of course, you don’t want to start sending clients over to your website before it’s presentable. But at the same time, we don’t want you to get stuck in an endless loop of seeking perfection.
Fact: Your website will never truly be done.
Don’t let that worry you though. Instead, set yourself a goal to make one or two small changes or improvements each week.
After a few months, your website will be looking spectacularly spiffy.
Progress Happens One Step at a Time
We’ve covered a lot of different topics in this post and it’s by no means a complete list. If you’re just getting ready to start your website, the easiest thing to do is head over to our free tutorial and follow along.
You won’t end up with the final version of your website after just 7-days but it will certainly help to reduce your learning curve and get you out pitching clients in less time.
If by chance you’ve already launched your website then don’t despair! Point number 9 will be the most important one for you. Pick somewhere to start and begin making small weekly improvements.
Great post Daryn,
Creating any type of website, apart from that of virtual assistants also follows the same steps.
All the elements you shared here are highly critical to the success of every website, irrespective of its purpose. For example, getting a good theme is non-negotiable, except you’re blogging for the fun of it, and not as a business.
Overall, you really hit the nail on the head Daryn, thanks for sharing.
Ciao, everybody. Hope you had a great weekend. It’s Monday morning, so I thought we ought to start at the beginning.
I’m talking hooks.
Everyone has strengths and weaknesses. Some people battle the messy middle, others struggle to close. Personally, I’m a person who writes and rewrites her beginnings. Sometimes dozens of times. It’s imperative that I hook the reader in the beginning, and if I’m not feeling it, I’ll do it over and over until I’m satisfied that I do.
There are plenty of ways to execute a successful hook. Today, I’m going to give you a brief rundown of six of them. Before we do that, though, let’s look at what openings should notdo.
reveal backstory (weave it in later after readers are invested)
describe a lot (it’s fine to set the scene, but don’t get readers lost in irrelevant minutiae)
introduce too many characters (let us meet the main characters first so we don’t get confused, then you can start to sprinkle in others)
Now, the good stuff…
Six Types and Examples of Hooks
In Medias Res
This isn’t one of my favorite hooks—I’ll tell you why in a minute—but I can’t deny it’s effective. “In medias res” is Latin for “in the midst of things” and this type of hook does just that. It drops a reader smack dab in the middle of a situation.
The reason it works: Action is interesting. It gets the heart beating faster.
The reason it could fail: Readers haven’t bonded with any character yet, so there’s a disconnect. In medias res beginnings focus on the action, not the character, so it’s hard to know who to root for. More importantly, why you should care.
If the action is brilliantly crafted, the reader will suspend the need to bond with a character to see how the situation is resolved. If it’s poorly executed, the reader won’t connect with the hero and may walk away from the work.
The solution? Make sure it’s well done. Introduce the hero, the POV character, as soon as possible and make it clear that the reader is rooting for the poor soul.
An example of a successful In Medias Res hook is Stephen King’s The Gunslinger.
The Man in Black fled across the desert, and the Gunslinger followed.
Yes, it’s telling, not showing. But we give Stephen King a pass on some rules because we know his books deliver. In this case, we’re in the middle of a chase. Show me or tell me, I don’t care. I just want to know what happens.
The Riddle
It’s hard to read a question and not want to discover the answer. Books that begin with questions immediately grab a person’s attention. The readers become investigators, the five Ws swirling in their minds. Who is this? What’s going on? Where are they? When did this happen? Why is it happening to this character? Pique a reader’s curiosity, and she won’t stop without an answer.
It can, but doesn’t have to, be a literal question. Sometimes it’s enough just to make a reader wonder.
An example of a great riddle hook is from Alice Sebold’s The Lovely Bones.
“My name was Salmon, like the fish; first name Susie. I was fourteen when I was murdered on December 6, 1973.”
Who murdered this young girl? And why? Readers will want to read on to find out.
The Surroundings
I know, I know. I mention setting a scene, and your mind goes to purple prose. A description of sweeping vistas as the sun sets on the horizon isn’t what I mean. That’s long out of fashion.
I’m talking about that one unique feature of a character’s surroundings that interests a reader and draws them in. This isn’t a good choice when the story could just as easily be told in New York as in Tokyo—a metropolis is a metropolis (usually). But when the scene becomes a character and is crucial to the story, it may be a powerful way to start.
When crafting a scenic hook, keep all of the five senses in mind, but don’t use them all. The visual sense is the one we rely on the most, so to craft a compelling opening by describing the setting, you might want to steer clear of that one in favor of two or three of the others. But if the visual is what is most striking, by all means, use it.
An excellent example of a scenic description as a hook is Edgar Allen Poe’s The Fall of the House of Usher.
During the whole of a dull, dark, and soundless day in the autumn of the year, when the clouds hung oppressively low in the heavens, I had been passing alone, on horseback, through a singularly dreary tract of country; and at length found myself, as the shades of the evening drew on, within view of the melancholy House of Usher.
Dialogue
I’m a big fan of witty banter. Starting a story with a clever conversation can be a great hook. It could also backfire. If the dialogue isn’t smart and snappy, people could get confused and lose interest. Remember, a reader doesn’t know the characters yet. If a back-and-forth is going to confuse rather than compel, it’s not worth doing.
A successful example of using dialogue as a hook is Orson Scott Card’s Ender’s Game.
“I’ve watched through his eyes, I’ve listened through his ears, and I tell you he’s the one.”
“That’s what you said about the brother.”
“The brother tested out impossible. For other reasons. Nothing to do with his ability.”
“Same with the sister. And there are doubts about him. He’s too malleable. Too willing to submerge himself in someone else’s will.”
“Not if the other person is his enemy.”
“So what do we do? Surround him with enemies all the time?”
“If we have to.”
Notice we don’t have anyone’s name. It’s not even clear how many people are speaking. But we’ve learned so much, and it’s all fascinating. This quick back-and-forth shows us a world where someone can look and listen through someone else’s eyes and ears. The subject comes from a family with great abilities and potential, but only one of the kids has been chosen—the last to be tested. And whatever he’s been chosen for is dangerous. He’ll be surrounded by enemies, enemies he can get lost in, which makes him a risk.
There’s a lot more we can surmise, too. But you get the idea. The point is, this opening can easily hook a reader.
Philosophy
This one has been around for a while. One of my favorite examples (and an often-touted example of a “best opening ever”) is from classic literature. Charles Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities.
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way…
The opening does more than just show the diametrically opposed items (best/worst, wisdom/foolishness, light/dark, etc.). Its use of anaphora lends a lyrical quality to the poignant text while the theme of duality (so prominent in the story) is begun here before being carried throughout. This is a powerful use of concept as an opening.
And it’s not necessarily an old-fashioned one.
Consider this opening from Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s Love in the Time of Cholera.
It was inevitable: the scent of bitter almonds always reminded him of the fate of unrequited love.
The novel goes on to explore love in its various forms, from ideal to depraved. The philosophical bent to the opening line immediately has a character, and thus the reader, pondering a nebulous concept.
Character
It’s hard to write a character hook and avoid the info dump that seems to go with character introductions. “Sally had brown hair tied up in a bow, and a dimple only in her left cheek that winked when she smiled.” Character hooks that are a laundry list of descriptions aren’t hooks at all. No one will be interested; no one will read on.
But character introductions that aren’t so much descriptions as they are puzzles? Those can reel a reader in. A good example of a successful character hook is from Herman Melville’s Moby Dick.
Call me Ishmael. Some years ago — never mind how long precisely — having little or no money in my purse, and nothing particular to interest me on shore, I thought I would sail about a little and see the watery part of the world.
(Maybe I could have stopped with “Call me Ishmael.” That alone makes me wonder about the POV character.)
I should note that I hated Moby Dick. The first page may have interested me, but the subsequent pages did not. So it might be a good time to mention this one very important, unbreakable rule:
It’s good to hook a reader in the beginning, but it’s great to reel them in with equally good middles and ends.
In other words, if you have a stellar hook but a craptastic middle, no one will bother reading to the end (even if it’s fabulous and poignant). That work, and possibly all your other works, will be judged harshly. Remember, it’s not just the beginning that’s important—it’s the entire story. And every story thereafter.
***
Do you have a preferred technique for hooking a reader? Or perhaps a favorite beginning that hasn’t been mentioned here? Let’s talk about it.
Staci Troilo writes because she has hundreds of stories in her head. She publishes because people told her she should share them. She’s a multi-genre author whose love for writing is only surpassed by her love for family and friends, and that relationship-centric focus is featured in her work.
I can’t say I have a favourite beginning for a hook. Each story is different. But when I’m reading, I prefer character or setting because I want to know the person better or where the story is taking place.
I have to admit, I’m with you on character or setting. Probably mostly character as my favorite. Of course, I prefer character-driven fiction to plot-driven, so that could have something to do with it. If I can’t bond with a character, I don’t enjoy the story, so I might as well start clicking with them right from the beginning.
Hi Staci, Your post was timely because I’m working on the opening lines (going for the hook) in two novels of distinctly different genres. When I read, I often look for a mystery lead-in, to grab my attention. Each type you discuss has its merits. I would like to try an opening first chapter with a RIDDLE. Hadn’t thought of that before.I usually go with Character, Surroundings, or Dialogue. I learned from your post there are other options to consider. Thanks so much!
I’m glad to hear this was a timely post for you, Elaine. I have to admit, I’ve never tried the riddle opening. But it is a compelling option. I’d love to hear what you come up with.
I prefer to write character or dialogue openings because it gives the reader an immediate idea (I hope) of the character. Also, I like character driven stories, so establishing how a character talks or thinks from the start is important to me. I don’t have a preference when I’m reading a book. As long as the hook is done well, I’ll keep reading. Thanks to Becke, I’ve been on a Brit mystery binge lately. Some of the books begin with detailed descriptions of the landscape, but I think it works for this particular genre.
Something about British literature just screams “country vista” opening, doesn’t it? Honestly, scenery openings don’t bother me, as long as they’re fast. I like to know where I am. I had a writing mentor who used to complain about “white room syndrome” in people’s drafts—no scene-setting at all. Given a choice of too much or too little, I’d rather have too much. (I’d actually prefer the Goldilocks amount of “just right” though.)
Want To Spend More Time On Your Writing And Tired Of Doing It All? A Virtual Assistant Can Help
Alexandra Amor
Sometimes you need specific help for your situation
Indie authors often have an edge of control freakery … well, I do! I like being in control and I enjoy pretty much all aspects of being an author entrepreneur.
But I hit a wall about 18 months ago, and I definitely needed some help, so I started looking for a virtual assistant to help me.
I had a few varied experiences and learned some lessons, and then Alexandra Amorreached out to me with some brilliant suggestions for how she could help.
Alexandra is a children's author, but she is also a fantastic virtual assistant for me and a number of other authors. I trust her to help me with key tasks in my author business, and she even suggests things that I may not have thought of.
Alexandra Amor
Today, Alexandra explains how a VA can help authors.
Joanna has previously talked about the advantages for authors of having a Virtual Assistant (VA), most recently in her podcast episode with Chris Ducker. I've been Joanna's VA for almost a year, so I asked her if I could chime in and address some common concerns I hear from authors about working with a VA.
For those who aren't aware, VAs are independent contractors, like editors and graphic designers, who provide support from their home offices using online tools.
The rise of the internet in the 1990s made this type of career possible, and it has only become easier in the ensuing decades for VAs to share information and support their clients remotely. VAs sometimes specialize in working with a certain niche of clients (e.g., Life Coaches or Real Estate Agents) but many are generally skilled and can work with almost any type of business. VAs are always responsible for the infrastructure they use to do their work (i.e., computer, basic software programs like Word and Excel, internet connection etc.) and they almost always work for more than one client at a time, just as editors and graphic designers do.
You may not have reached the tipping point yet where you feel you need some virtual support. But I certainly hope that one day your books will be so successful that you will! Whether your need is current, or if you're envisioning what your business will look like when you're a wildly successful author, let's jump in and see if I can alleviate some of your concerns and questions about hiring this type of support.
Author Concern #1: I can't afford a VA
Joanna often says that she prefers the term ‘indie author' as opposed to ‘self-published author' because authors don't actually work in isolation. It's a team effort to get your books published, involving cover designers, editors and more. Working with a VA is a perfect example of this. At some point in your author business, it's not going to be possible, or advantageous, for you to do absolutely everything yourself. But unlike hiring a full-time, or part-time, employee, you can hire a VA for very specific tasks, within a specific budget that you set. A VA will work as few or as many hours as you need her to. It's an economical solution for many solopreneurs, including authors.
Before you start looking for a VA, I recommend you have a clear idea about what your budget is. You will find it easier to set your budget if you know what it is you want your VA to do for you. (Below I cover how to figure both these things out.)
While we're talking about your budget, let's talk about rates for virtual help. (Keep in mind that you always get what you pay for.) You'll pay from US$10 to $15/hour for general administrative or transcription help, for someone who is probably based in India or the Philippines. If you want someone experienced and technologically skilled, who has an entrepreneurial mindset themselves, and who is genuinely interested in your success, you'll pay between US$30 and $60/hour.
The belief that you have to do it all, all by yourself, is not true. And it's equally untrue that you'll need to invest thousands of dollars a month into getting some help. It's not an either-or proposition.
(I also think there's much to be said for the mental clutter that is cleaned up when you've got someone helping you, even if it's for one hour a week. By delegating some tasks, your brain is freed up to focus on your creativity.)
Author Concern #2: It's simpler to do these things myself
Delegating is tough. I get it. Your author business is precious to you and it is difficult to imagine anyone else doing things as quickly, easily and with as much care as you do them. However, as an independent author you also know that there are advantages to not being an expert at everything. You have probably recognized that you don't need to be a book cover designer, a copyeditor, or a bookkeeper in order to write and sell great books. You can outsource those specific tasks to others who are skilled in these areas.
However, even knowing this, a hurdle that authors often face when hiring a VA is this; initially, it can take longer to explain how you want something done than to just do it yourself. So the danger is remaining stuck in a form of superhero syndrome and continuing to try to do everything yourself.
Deal with this concern by thinking about your long-term strategy. You probably want to build a business that will support you for years to come. Invest some time in showing your new VA how you like things done and from then on you won't have to even think about that task. Also, consider that even though the VA you hire may be very skilled, she still needs to figure out the way you want things done. At the beginning of the working relationship, a little patience will be required, but it will be rewarded.
Author Concern #3: What exactly should I get a VA to do for me?
It's possible you feel overwhelmed with the number of tasks involved in running your author business. It's a slippery slope where you can find that you are spending far too much time administering and not enough time writing. And yet, that overwhelm can lead to paralysis when it comes to figuring out what to delegate.
Here's my favorite tip for tackling this: For one week, keep a piece of paper on your desk in plain sight and within easy reach (or use your favorite electronic tool for making lists).
Every time you find yourself doing something you either a) don't like doing and/or consistently avoid or b) know doesn't need your direct involvement, write it down.
(Most people who do this exercise find that at the end of the week the list is far longer than they expected.)
At the end of the week, take a look at your list. Do you notice any patterns? Are the tasks mostly focused in one or two areas? (e.g., social media or behind-the-scenes technical jobs.) Or are they general administrative type chores? Armed with this information, you can now specifically look for virtual help in the area of your greatest need. Now you know both what you need help with and what kind of skills you need in the person who's going to be helping you.
(Not all VAs are created equal, so giving some thought to what kind of support you need before you go searching for help is important.)
If you're still struggling with the idea of what a VA can do for you, here are some specific examples from my own practice:
– Formatting HTML newsletters
– Formatting books for Smashwords
– Research about the business side of being an author (e.g., how Street Teams work, how to market a book in a foreign language, podcasts that might be a good fit to have you as a guest, etc.)
– Scouting for bloggers to send book review requests to
– Pitching to those bloggers and tracking responses
– Formatting (and perhaps light editing) of blog posts, or organizing content
– Managing your Street Team Facebook group (posing questions to keep the group engaged, answering questions, sharing upcoming news, etc.)
– Creating box sets in Scrivener from individual novels
– Moving works translated into a foreign language from Word into Scrivener
– Scheduling tweets and Facebook posts (ones that don't require your direct input or engagement with your audience)
– Transcribing audio interviews or notes
– For non-fiction authors, VAs can do an enormous number of tasks around webinars or other training you offer (e.g., planning and booking the event, scheduling guests, managing registration lists, dealing with the back-end technology, creating and proofing slide decks, sending out advance information packages to the trainees, and then sending out follow-up information to the trainees, etc.)
Author Concern #4: How do I find a Virtual Assistant?
As with hiring any freelancer, personal recommendations are usually the best place to start. Does anyone in your author circles have a VA they can recommend? Can you put a shout out on KBoards asking for recommendations?
There are several Virtual Assistant organizations, usually based on the country where the VAs are located. Do a Google search for “Virtual Assistant [your country]” and you'll find these organizations. Once you're there, you can then do a search by the specific skill(s) you're looking for and the site will offer a list of names, usually with links to the VAs' individual websites.
When you've got a few names that look promising, be sure to interview several potential candidates so that you can get a sense of both the skills they have on offer and how their personality is going to fit with yours. Your working relationship with the VA will hopefully be long-term so you want to make sure it's the right fit.
Bonus Tip #1: Start Small
I always recommend to authors that they begin to work with a VA by agreeing to a couple of smaller tasks or projects and then building from there. Rushing in and assigning too much, too fast, usually leads to conflict and fractures in the relationship. Starting small achieves two really important things; it begins to build trust, and it creates a testing ground to ensure the two of you are a good fit.
Ideally as the first few small projects begin and end, you'll start to trust that your VA knows what they're doing and can follow instructions and complete the project at the agreed time and in a way that makes you happy. As well, your VA will begin to learn how you work and what matters to you. It's just as important that you are a good fit for your VA, as she is with you.
Bonus Tip #2: Communication is Key
In her interview with Chris Ducker, Joanna mentions that she and I share several documents on Google Drive so that we're both always aware of what's going on and what our expectations are. You can keep a shared spreadsheet to track your VA's billable hours, so you always know exactly where you are in terms of your budget. Another great idea is to keep a document with the list of projects the VA is working on, in priority order, so that things don't get forgotten about and so that you both know what your VA is supposed to be working on at any given time. Meeting regularly on the telephone or Skype/FaceTime keeps the communication flowing and also helps to grow your relationship.
I hope this helps any authors who are considering hiring a VA. If you have any questions about any of what I've mentioned above, or want more information, please leave a comment below.
Fantastic post, thank you! The timing couldn't be better, as I've grown to the point where I'll need to hire a VA soon. I appreciate all the wonderful tips!
You are so welcome, Donna! I'm happy you found it helpful. ;-)
I've worked with Alexandra for years, I can't say enough good things about her and if you ever get a chance to work with her you won't regret it. Happy Writing!
Awww, thanks Linda! Right back atcha. ;-)
Excellent information here Alexandra. I work as an author assistant (a VA for authors only) and I love what I do. Many authors though do have those questions on affordability and you are right, starting out small is hugely helpful for authors when getting used to working with a VA. It helps build trust between the author and assistant. I've added your article to my author assistant resource page, thank you so much!
Nice to meet you - virtually - Kate! I'm glad to hear the article will be helpful for you ;-)
Same! Thank you very much :)
I actually just recently gave up on finding an author assistant after having 3 potentials flake out on me - assistants that had come recommended.
Oh dear, Carla. I am sorry to hear that. It can take some time (and a few false starts) to find a good fit with a VA.
I offer a complimentary 30 minute Skype conversation with authors who are looking for support. It's a good way for both parties to get a preliminary sense of whether we think we would make a good team. If you'd like to have one of those calls with me you can use the link to my website (above) and go to the Contact page for more info.
All the best,
Alexandra
Hi, Alexandra. I've just e-mailed you.
Thanks for posting this, Joanna! And, thanks for writing it Alexandra! As a VA doing work for an author right now, it was fantastic to stumble across this post. Great examples of way someone can use a VA, too! :)
Nice to meet you virtually, Taylor! And I'm happy you found the article useful. ;-)
Great post, Joanna and Alexandria!
In my experience, once you've started working with a VA it's easier to scout others to help along the way. You get a feel for what you're looking for, how to train people; and yes, as Alexandria said, communication is key; I can't stress this enough.
But also, SPECIFICATION is key as well. Be specific with your tasks, explain them thoroughly; even using a simple screen capture program to record your own "training manual" of videos and screenshots demonstrating how you work and want things done can save a ton of time in the long run.
As I write this, I'm in the process of scouting for candidates to replace a former VA who wanted a career change. Luckily, I saved all of our previous email correspondences as well as some training vids and screenshots; this will make it easier and save time and money (since every mistake due to lack of proper training can lead to wasted funds). More importantly, it further serves as something even more important that money can't buy: peace of mind!
I have a question. What about reading, sharing, and commenting on blog posts? That, I find, is one of the most time-consuming tasks, but one that is necessary to keep building one's own blog community. Thus, continuing to build an audience for your work. But-- wouldn't it be disingenuous to have an assistant do that for you? And how would that even work? You can't share an avatar, to my knowledge... can you? All of social media can be a time-suck. It is, however, important to mingle in the writing community. I don't know. Sometimes it all seems overwhelming, juggling building a brand and still finding time to write.
100% what Joanna said! For personal brands, we write social media posts based on our clients content and curate links of interest for their audience and schedule those. We also add people that RT them a lot to Twitter lists and things like that. However, the responses for a personal brand should be done by the actual person! :)
(But for tech companies or similar, we "are" the personal touch on Twitter responding to comments - it just depends!)
The commenting on blog posts thing for traffic has mainly fallen by the wayside to be replaced by conversations on Twitter, Facebook and other social media. Many bloggers have turned off the comments on blogs altogether. I have considered it for this site - and have done it for my fiction site. In terms of social media, I think someone can schedule content posts but the individual should be doing the personal connections, replies etc.
Really? I've had a total different experience. If I don't comment on other people blogs, they don't comment or share my posts. Many, many others have told me the same thing, too. And I also spend time on Twitter and FB, but my main source of traffic comes from blogging. I only wish people would shut comments off. That would be a huge time-saver.
Probably your traffic comes from that because that's what you do :) My main traffic sources are Google organic search - from content creation - and then Twitter, StumbleUpon, Pinterest and FB.
What if you're looking to become a VA yourself? Is there an organization I should join to get training?
Thanks for the question, Celise. There are many places online that offer VA training. If you google 'virtual assistant training' you'll find loads. Be discerning if you're choosing a program - make sure you talk to people who have attended the same training to be sure it's a good fit for you.
Many countries have a VA association where you'll find information about the field and community support. In Canada, for example, we have the Canadian Association of Virtual Assistants. Google the country you're in + virtual assistant and you'll find those organizations.
The real challenge, as with any small business, is marketing yourself once you know how to do the work. The national organizations can help with that and there are VAs who also coach those new to the business about how to grow their client roster.
Good luck!
This information will be really helpful for many.Before even I had a mindset that virtual assistants will not be affordable.But my virtual personal assistant in India has helped me a lot in my works with a very reasonable price.
Alexandra,
Am I correct in that you focus on children's books? I write Christian Murder Mysteries. Would you spend a few minutes perusing my site (www (dot) michaelthompsonauthor (dot) com and let me know if you'd be interested in further discussions about helping me as a VA?
I need help with Facebook, twitter, tumblr, Pinterest!, and other social media messaging. Plus a new newsletter design that I can use for my double opt-in subscribers. Oh, I need more subscribers to my "Stay Up With Mystery" newsletter.
Hi Michael,
Unfortunately, my VA plate is full at the moment. You could try the yellow pages section of the Writers' Cafe at KBoards - I believe there are some ads for VAs there.
Good luck!
Alexandra
Have you an edited, finished manuscript that you now want to turn into a paperback, but don’t know how?
Preparing and formatting of your manuscript, ready for printing using CreateSpace or a printer of your choice
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eBook Conversions
With the Kindle, Nook and iPad readers becoming more and more popular it is important to have a digital version of your book.
I can help convert your original Word document into a number of formats so it can be distributed to a wide range of retailers including Barnes & Noble, Kobo (WH Smith in the UK), Apple, Sony, Amazon.
You could also sell direct from your website by providing ePub versions that viewers can download to their eBook readers.
Building a website or blog to match the look and feel of your book
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Would you like a 3D image of your book cover for your website? It looks so much more interesting than a flat image and will really lift the look of your site. For just £15 you could have a fabulous looking 3D image of your paperback to display online anywhere you wish. You’ll even get some …
Business Women: Write a Book and Grow Your Business BOOK READY BOOTCAMP Online Book Coaching Programme starting soon. Email me for details justwrite@vaforauthors.com
Resources for Writers Some helpful books, blogs and other tools we recommend. These are tools we use and have found helpful for new writers. Alas, we don’t have time to vet new companies to add to the list, so please don’t ask us to do that. This list is simply a helpful, free offering to our readers–as is all the content of this blog. Unfortunately, we don’t have time to offer any more free services than we already offer with this blog. We need to spend some of our time writing books so we don’t starve–and we also need to sleep and see our families and go outside and breathe like other earth creatures. Thanks. Recommended Books Social Media Smart Social Media by Chris Syme Blog It! By Molly Greene Rise of the Machines by Kristen Lamb Blogging for Writers by Robin Houghton (Only in paper. Extensively illustrated.) The Author’s Platform by Barb Drozdowich. Barb also provides one-on-one social media help at Bakerview Consulting . She’s great!) For Self-Pub
How to Create Your Own Social Media Icons Posted by Ashley 26th June, 2014 Design Bitchin' Book Blog , Graphics , Graphics Tutorials & Freebies , Icons , Social Media I’m going to walk you through how to create your own social media icons for your blog. You can create icons that match your design, even if just by using the colours in your palette. Requirements Photoshop : I suppose this isn’t really required but my tutorial will be using Photoshop. However, similar results can always be achieved in different programs. But you may not be able to follow my instructions exactly . Internet access : Good news! If you’re reading this, you have it! Step #1: Collect your icons The first step is to collect the basic, raw, social media icons. By that I mean only the site logo without any background or design elements. Decide which sites you want to make icons for, then download the icons. I personally use IconFinder for all my icon searches. You ca
In our private Facebook group for virtual assistants, it’s rare for a week to go by when someone doesn’t ask for feedback on their soon to be launched website.
When deciding on a WordPress theme you’ll find that there are thousands to pick from — some “free” and some paid.
Ciao, everybody. Hope you had a great weekend. It’s Monday morning, so I thought we ought to start at the beginning.
Preparing/formatting your paperback 
eBook Conversions
Creating any type of website, apart from that of virtual assistants also follows the same steps.