The Bookish Hour

Interview with Author Assistant: Lauren (Part One)

• Jor & Fab • Season 1 • Episode 41

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The Bookish Life of an Author Assistant...

Ever wondered what life is like for an author assistant? Meet Lauren, the dynamic force behind the success of over ten authors, and learn how her passion for reading led her to this unique career. 

Lauren's story is a charming blend of personal anecdotes and professional insights, painting a vivid picture of her journey from real estate to becoming a sought-after author assistant in the literary world. Navigate the complexities of the author assistant industry with Lauren as your guide. She unravels her path from social media marketing to landing an opportunity with author Holly Renee, highlighting the power of mentorship and the importance of seizing unexpected opportunities. 

Listen in as we explore the art of content creation, touching on the nuances of engaging with social media and the ethical considerations of book reviews. Whether you're interested in the life of an author assistant or looking for inspiration to follow your passions, this episode promises to be both educational and entertaining.

Follow Lauren;
IG: @lbcreads
TT: @lbcreads
Website: www.lbcreads.com

Cover Art by: Fabienne and Jordan
Contact email: thebookishhourpod@gmail.com
Intro/Outro music: Season Two: Ramaramaray by Aiyo via Epidemic Sound Season One: Sweet Psycho via TikTok’s Offical Sound Studio on Capcut
Follow Us:
Podcast: @thebookishhourpod
Fabienne: @oxonheart
Jordan: @sipsoffiction

Jordan:

Welcome to the bookish hour with just Jor. from bookto k to bookstagram to powerhouse author assistant this girl's unstoppable. Managing newsletters, Facebook reader groups, new releases, arcs, social media and so much more For over 10 authors, and even running her own book club. We seriously wonder when she fits in sleeping. If you're an author looking to work with her, you'll need to join her waitlist, because, yes, she is that good. She also has the cutest cover your ears, Luna and Aura kitty Tater. Don't worry, Luna and Aura, you're still cute too. Thank you so much for coming on the podcast, Lauren. Welcome Hi.

Lauren:

Oh my gosh, with that introduction you make me sound so much cooler than I actually am, and I'll give most of the props to Tater. I genuinely feel like people follow me just for him, just to see glimpses of him. He's the star of the show he really is. He thinks it's Tater's show and it's his world, and we're just here for him.

Jordan:

I mean we all are. I would say the same for Luna and Aura, so I totally get that yeah.

Lauren:

Ultimate cat moms, right, but like they're the best, they really are. I know I'm hoping he doesn't come in here. I kind of try to shut my door, but yeah, he usually loves attention, so we'll see if he makes an appearance.

Jordan:

Hopefully he does. I have both Luna and Aura in here. We extended period. Hopefully he does. I have both Luna and Oren here.

Lauren:

We like, recently moved into my mom's house, so we have like one room, so basically they're with me 24 7, so that's exciting hey, I feel that we moved last fall and we lived with my husband's mom in her basement for like three months because we bought the house, but the people that we bought it from needed to stay and, like rent it from us while their new build was being finished. So we lived in her basement and it was like it was a brutal time, but we survived.

Jordan:

So you, you guys survived. That's great. Um this is definitely longer than three months, but um we're surviving we're doing it, you got this.

Lauren:

I believe in you. I believe in you, thank you, believe in you, thank you. At least it's like your parents, like I feel. Like it's worse when it's like your significant other's parents, cause then you're like on your best behavior, like 24, seven, that is true, that is true.

Jordan:

So I am. I am happy that it's like my mom. So yeah. Props to that. Okay, so to dive in, I kind kind of so. We have a thing where we start with, like what our good this week is, so want to give me something good. That happened to you.

Lauren:

Okay. So I want to ask can it be like, does it have to be like this week, starting Sunday, or could it be last week? Because obviously I saw Sabrina Carpenter last week and yeah, it's kind of hard to like top that, like I could give you something else, but like that's still pretty much like best thing that's happened to me that totally counts, which I want to ask you how was that concert?

Lauren:

oh my gosh, amazing, which I like want to say thank you to you because I know you tried to help me get tickets.

Jordan:

You're like the sweetest sad I was. So I was like, oh, maybe it's me. And I was like, no, she's just sold out.

Lauren:

No, she was sold out, which my friend got a code. Like they sent out another code to like select people and she got a code and already had tickets and so she gave me that code and I was able to get tickets and it was, yeah, it was like I don't know know it was. I went to Olivia Rodrigo earlier this year too, so I feel like they're like kind of the same. Like the energy at Sabrina's was just so much different. I don't know if it was just like her songs, but it was. It was amazing, like it was just so good. Like I, yeah, I wish I could go see her again, like I would in a heartbeat and, um, I told my husband he went with me, which was hilarious, but he went with me and he was like, yeah, totally I would go see her again. I had the best time. Like he liked some of her songs, but afterwards he was like I'm a huge fan now, like he.

Jordan:

Yes, and now in the car you can put her on, and because he's just remembering the concert on and because he's just remembering the concert.

Lauren:

Yeah, perfect, it's a win-win situation. Yes, no, it was. It was so so good, like I just feel like I'm just like reliving it, like we were right by the screen too, so I feel like we got to see like details of her and the side of the stage she was on, like she kept waving to us like it was just the best so good. Oh my gosh.

Jordan:

I just like see the like TikToks and reels and I'm like uh-huh that's cool, wish I was there, I know, I know, I that is.

Lauren:

The great thing, though, about TikTok is like I didn't get to go to Aera's tour and I feel like I've been there because of all of the videos, like you get to see them or the live streams or whatever and like so that is true, I have to say that is really cool and like the videos.

Jordan:

These days it's almost like so clear.

Lauren:

It's like clearer than my own eyeballs, like I can see it way better exactly and like so.

Jordan:

I was lucky enough to go to the Ares tour and I mean I was like in the nosebleeds, so like she looks like a little baby aunt. So yeah, the live streams, or like the reels later. I'm like, oh, so that's what you look like so yeah, yeah, yeah, it works.

Lauren:

It does for sure, but so that's my, that's my like good of the week is I'm still flying high on that concert, oh oh, I would be too.

Jordan:

I would be too. Um my good week, I'll just say say I'm going to go out of town this weekend, so I don't know if it counts, but I'm counting it. But I'm going to go visit my best friend. She lives at like a couple towns over, so I'm super, super excited. I haven't seen her in a minute, so that'll be so fun.

Lauren:

So, that'll be so fun. That'll be so fun. Yeah, I love. I like feel like we need to get away. We're going on vacation in a few weeks, though, so I'm like just gotta make it till then. Gosh, wait, where are you guys going? We're going to Palm Springs. Ooh, wait, is that?

Lauren:

where you're going Is that? So we got married there and our anniversary is in November. So we're going for a three year wedding anniversary and I'm like to talk about work. I'm actually taking off work for the first time, like for like five days. Like I've taken off a couple of days, but like five days completely off. I've like been telling all my clients sorry. So I'm very nervous about that because I am a workaholic.

Jordan:

Well, no, that's awesome though. So it's like now it's like actually a vacation. It's not a vacation where you're still well, okay Question though, Sorry Question, but before the questions. Now, if you were taking off work, let's say you got a client where you need to like read one of her books would you still read it or do you consider that working?

Lauren:

I would. So most of my clients, which I know like we'll get into it a little bit more like I try to read at least one of their books because I want to feel like I can genuinely champion them. And if I don't vibe with their writing style or genre or whatever, I don't feel like I can do the best job like organically. So if one of my clients was like hey, here's an early copy for you, like nine out of 10 times I'm dropping everything to read that and like, most of the time what I'm reading is like work stuff. Like I'm reading a book right now for a client it's already out, but like and I'm not really doing marketing for her, but I like to try to stay up to date with my clients releases and so I like I wouldn't count that work because I like to read all my clients. Like it's not. Like I get a book from a client and I'm like I have to read that, like it's like oh, I can't wait to read that. So you're.

Jordan:

You're excited too. Yeah, okay, that makes sense. Okay, so we'll just like dive into the questions. I guess, like for everybody listening, the questions are split up into like three parts, which there's author assistanting, part one, then there's reading and personal. So we'll start with author assisting, whatever Question one what is the story of how you became an author's assistant? Wow, I'm going to struggle with that word so much. You're fine. Did you always want to help authors, or was this just like happened upon you so?

Lauren:

it's a dream. I didn't know that existed. Like obviously it's a very niche job. Like I always knew there's executive assistants. I always knew that, like you know, celebrities, famous people like CEOs they have assistants, that kind of thing. I never thought that, like being an assistant for an author was something like I had zero idea. But if we want to like take it back a little bit, I have been reading since I was like five. That was my biggest hobby as a kid. I would go to the library. I'd get like 10 or 11 books and read them in a week and then my mom would take me again and like I just read and read and read. I was a TA, so a teaching assistant for the librarian in high school. So like it's always been a part of who I am. I wanted to be a librarian and my history teacher sat me down in high school and told me like I'd never make enough money doing that, so I should do something else. I wish I hadn't listened to him.

Lauren:

After I graduated, I was bouncing around trying to figure out what I wanted to do with my life, as we all do in our 20s. I was doing real estate. That's when I fell in love with social media estate and so that's when I kind of fell in love with like social media and I enjoyed doing the more marketing newsletters, posting on social media, the reels, the TikToks, like I enjoyed doing that more than the actual like selling of homes, and I had started my book talk in January 2022. So I've been doing this for almost three years, which is crazy. And I kind of blew up the first year, which is also crazy. And I actually connected with Holly Renee. She'll love that I give her a shout out and she doesn't care Like I use her all the time as like telling the story.

Lauren:

But I connected with Holly Renee in August of 2022. And I fell in love with her books and I read like almost all of her backlist. And then in January or late December she posted she wanted a content creator for her TikTok and wanted somebody to make TikToks helping her promote the books. And I applied and it's funny because at the time I was like so, like I wanted it so badly. I'd never wanted something so badly in my life, like I wanted to work with her. I adored her, I adored her writing, like I just thought it would be such a good fit.

Lauren:

I was already like not happy with real estate and kind of wanting to do more social media for real estate agents. Like that was something I had been talking about transitioning to and like managing their social media pages and kind of assisting real estate agents. So when this opened up with Holly, I was like wow, like this is like a sign from the universe. I just hope I get it. And knowing now she told me that but this was a couple of months ago she was like as soon as you applied, I was like that's it. Nobody else Like I didn't even look. She's like I didn't even look at your resume. I didn't even look. Friend, at the time. I don't know if you know what that is. It's like permanent Snapchat, so you can like video, talk to somebody and like it's saved forever. I was Marco polling, a friend, and I got the email and I started crying and I have it on video because, like I was just so over the moon about it.

Lauren:

So I started working with Holly January 2023. By April 2023, I knew like this is what I wanted to do. Like I was creating TikToks for her and reposting them to Instagram and that was like all I was doing. But basically I mean I do a variety of things now, but it's really, you know, my face wasn't in it. I was doing like a lot of like highlighting videos and like more, just showing the covers of the books, and I was kind of good at it. I guess I don't know, like I don't like to brag about myself, but like I, we were doing numbers. So that was good. Like it was good to see that my marketing was paying off. So I felt like it was something I could do.

Lauren:

And anyway I told Holly I didn't want to do real estate anymore and I said do you have any friends who would want to need to help them to do what I do for you? And she told me if I tell my friends that you are wanting to take on more clients, you are going to have like six people email you immediately. So are you sure that's what you want to do? And I said yes and quite literally within the first 30 minutes I had six authors, friends of hers, reach out to me and by the end of the week I had three new clients. So I had four clients and I was just kind of blown away. I had no idea what I was doing at all Like I was just figuring it out and by the end of 2023, I was done with real estate.

Lauren:

I was kind of done by July of 2023, but when we moved, like I mentioned earlier, so I facilitated the buying and selling of our houses and that was the last transaction I did and I went on like referral status for real estate earlier this year and by the end of 2023, I want to say I had eight clients, so it was it. So I grew from four in April to a, and how I did that was I like slowly added people, I would figure out my workload and I had a waitlist and I would pull somebody off the waitlist and, with the exception of like one or two people this year, like I've had the same clients from January like to now. Like I haven't really grown. I do kind of some special projects here and there, but like I have like 10 clients that I've worked with now, a lot of them for over a year. Holly's coming up on two years and yeah, so sorry that very like it's very just happened. Chance, like it just happened, it's yeah.

Jordan:

But that's like really cool and it sounds like everything happened relatively fast too, cause I feel like basically, from the beginning of 2023 to the end of 2023, it's like everything happened.

Lauren:

Yes, and I like I threw myself into it, like I wanted to do this and I wanted to do a really good job, and I didn't know what I was doing at all, like I don't know. If you know, reagan booked with Ray. She's also an author PA and I reached out to her a lot when I was starting out and I asked her like what other services can I even offer? Because at that time I was just doing strictly content creation and I knew other PAs were doing other things. Right, I knew that you could do the newsletter management and the arc team management and Facebook reader group and graphics and all of this stuff and there's even more services than beyond what I just offered. But I didn't know and so my pricing changed a lot.

Lauren:

Like that, what I offered changed a lot because I was trying to like connect with other PAs and it's kind of it, it's getting better. But like kind of people were kind of closed off, they don't want to share, because obviously you're viewed as competition, which I totally get, like they gatekeep things and I will say, like Reagan did not get keep anything and she held my hand the entire time and it's part of the reason why I was able to grow so quickly because, obviously, like Holly also helped I'm always grateful to Holly, like I will always do anything for Holly because she's the reason I'm here doing this. It it just kind of blew up and it was all word of mouth, like I, I did um reach out to authors which we can talk more about, like what that looked like, but for the most part it was like all word of mouth, like authors reaching out to me, like Kenya, I, you, I work with you, so, which is crazy.

Jordan:

That. Honestly. I want to go back to the gatekeeping though part, because I think that's very interesting. I mean, I understand, like, what you're saying, but there's so many authors out there.

Lauren:

It's not that someone could have all the authors, but you know what I mean you couldn't, like I, I could probably take on a couple more authors, but like I physically could not handle any more than what I'm doing now, and like the next step for me would be to basically hire somebody and like turn this into like a company and oh, my god, would you want to do that?

Lauren:

no, no no, I mean, the dream would be to like have my own PR company like that, I think would be the dream and that's definitely something that, like, I feel like I'm working towards. But I don't want the liability of hiring somebody, training somebody, being responsible for somebody. Like I thrive on chaos, so to have like somebody else, like their income and livelihood that I'm responsible for, you know, and my husband's, like you could hire someone and have them like pay you a split or whatever, and I'm like I could. I don't know, but yeah, the gatekeeping, it's definitely, it's better, it's a lot better. And I know like I know Reagan had posted about that the other day that like I do feel like the PA I'm in a couple group chats with amazing talented PAs and that's the thing, like we all, we can't all keep all the authors to ourselves.

Lauren:

I think part of what it some of it is is that I've not been burned, but I've been heard, like I've heard about where people will reach out and like ask you for advice, for help, and then they'll turn around and contact the authors that you work for and there's just a lot of yeah, it can be, and sometimes I get. I obviously I run author social media accounts. There will be people who are like do you have a PA, like I could do it better, or I could do this for you or what, and I don't think they realize that, like the PAs are the ones who like see that or like get those emails, or whatever. So I, yeah, it can be, like I just you know, it's a dog eat dog world and like I think people don't get that and like I don't know, so I'm always. The problem is, I feel like there are people who are going to listen to this and be like I messaged you and you never got back to me.

Lauren:

I get so many messages and emails about being a PA and I feel like I've talked about it so much on my TikTok, on my Instagram, that, like I don't have time, because I manage all these accounts, to like respond to every single thing, but I do try to help like and I'm hoping this podcast, like we can talk about things and people can, I can direct them and say like hey, just go listen to this podcast, I talk all about it. The one thing that I don't ever give advice on, and it's really just because I think it's something you have to figure out for yourself. People will always ask me about pricing how did you come up with your pricing? How do you know what to price? And my answer is always how I value my time is different than how you value your time, so you know like I go ahead, right.

Jordan:

Well, I'm sure, too, like your pricing changed as you became, like, better at creating content. So, like, how can you give someone a price, especially now that?

Lauren:

they haven't done it so like how are they supposed to?

Lauren:

And so I'll often tell people like this is what I started out at, and I'll say that's not what I'm at now. This is kind of what I started out at. I mean, like I'm a transparency girl, like I will tell people like I'm basically $25 an hour, which is not anything like crazy. Be going up soon, if any of my clients listen to this. Yes, sorry, prepare, prepare. But it's just because as you go, you figure it out right and, like you realize what your time is valued and like as I grow, my skills grow, I become more efficient, I make more connections all of this that does affect my pricing. So somebody who's starting out, sure they can start out at $25.

Jordan:

I don't care what you start out at, but like, that's for you to decide, that's not for me to decide, no, and I, I, I completely agree with you. But also too, because it's like I feel like even with when you said you started out, you were just doing content creation, so there, but there's so many services, and you even were saying too, there's so many services you don't even offer either that can be offered.

Lauren:

So it's just like I feel like that's a very and in a lot of my like, yes, I say I'm $25 an hour. Like most of my clients I have packages with and like it, you know, breaks down to whatever they need and we customize things. And, yes, I say $25 an hour, but that's very like loose, like I only have one client who I track all of my hourly time and I fill them per hour. Most of my other clients it's like packages, where I've created this package for them and like it comes down to per video, per graphic, per whatever, and like know, if somebody wants me to create an Instagram graphic for them, that's one price. If you want me to post it, caption it, hashtag it for you, that's another price.

Lauren:

So it really all just changes. And so sometimes, when somebody asks me, I'll say like, well, give me, I'll give them a range. Or I'll say like, tell me what you're thinking and I'll tell you if I think that's like fair. Um, but there may be somebody who has, you know, years and years and years of doing this and they're you know I've seen ranges online like there are some people who charge like 40 an hour. I'm like good for them.

Lauren:

I hope one day, like I can work my way up there like I feel like 25 right now is pretty good. I'm good with that and I don't, because, at the end of the day too, and I'm always the first person to discount my services and I Holly always yells at me about that because she's like your time is worth something. But I know that they're indie authors for the most part, right, and they're only making so much money and they have families and they have all this. So I don't, like I'm the first person to be like, well, I'll work with you, like I'll do a discount, I'll do this whatever. And like Holly has yelled at me because I'll do things for her and not charge her, and she's like what are you doing? Charge me for this?

Jordan:

Okay, fair, but I do like also want to point out I feel like they also get a bump because like I mean okay, so let me just start off with with. I don't really use TikTok that much, but I know you have a decent following on TikTok, so it's not even like what you do for, like them on, like their pages or for what they do, but like you also talk about the books on your TikTok and that gives them a boost to in itself, so it's like that also equates to something for them.

Lauren:

Yes, and they're like. I do obviously promote a lot of my clients and my TikTok, I think, is like 34,000 and my I just hit 10,000 on Instagram.

Lauren:

Oh my gosh Congrats, thank you. Yes, I was very excited, but yeah, so, like yes, I do. I do think that's part. Like you know, I had one client who told me like I wanted to work with you because you worked with big authors. Like I work with some really well-known authors in the romance space and so whenever you, I think you know you're also paying for connections and it's definitely a who you know kind of industry and so when I know all these authors and I can make connections and things like that, like they're also paying for that. So it's true though it is true, it is, it is, yeah, it's true.

Jordan:

I have to say too, because it's like, even like with this podcast, it's so helpful for the authors and people I know, like if I didn't like, I couldn't have interviewed you if I didn't know you.

Lauren:

So it's like, it's definitely like connections well, if you had reached out to me, I probably would have said yes, because I was very excited about doing podcasts. But I've known you, that's great. I mean, I probably would have said yes, because I was very excited about doing podcasts, but I've known you.

Jordan:

That's great.

Lauren:

I mean, but I feel like I've known you for a while because I remember I saw you at a Polycon 2023. And that was almost two years ago.

Jordan:

So like I've obviously wow that was a while ago, I remember. I remember seeing you too. But then I was I'm always in my head of like, oh, like they don't know me, yeah, I don't know who I am, so like I just never like say anything. But I know we made eye contact and I was like I literally was like that's Jordan.

Lauren:

I was like I'm so stupid, like I should have said hi, I remember, turning to my friend and I was like I definitely know her, that's Lauren but like I didn't say hi and yeah, well, I this past the Polycon, I was an influencer and I was so tired, like I was so on the entire time, and somebody DM'd me recently and they were like I saw you but you were like sitting on the floor, like zoned out, and I didn't want to interrupt you and say hi.

Lauren:

I'm like no, please, like say hi. Like I just like was so dead at a polycon this year. I was just like sitting on the floor, like there's like videos of me just chilling on the floor at a polycon. I the last few years I've gone so like last year and this year I did four and each like four big, four big conventions, and next year so far I've only committed to one and I'm like so happy about it because they're such, they're marathons, like they are intense oh my gosh, are you just thinking of only doing the one, or do you think you'll do more?

Lauren:

so that's I mean, that is a service that I can do is assisting at these conventions. So I do like, yeah, to tie it back to work, because everything has to do with work in my life. Like this year, I assisted at one. I was supposed to, oh no, I'm sorry, I assisted at two out of the four, and Holly and I have been talking about me possibly assisting at others next year. But for the most part, like it just depends.

Lauren:

Like I personally I'm going to a Polycon with friends and I'm you know, holly is going a lot of my authors are going and so I like to see them right and I like to hang out. But it's just that my husband's like I'd love to go on vacation with you and like I'm always traveling for work and stuff. So at this point, like I'm planning on the one, there's possibly two more I'm going to, which I'm not going to say because people always want to know which ones I'm going to. I don't know why, so we'll see, we'll see. Like nothing's confirmed yet, but I am excited if I do go to the other two. They're new ones I've not been to yet, so I'm very excited about that. Yeah, that would be exciting.

Jordan:

Um, okay, so mind you, that was all within one question.

Lauren:

I know I'm sorry, I'm such a rambler.

Jordan:

I am too like that. I like I'm just as bad, so, like that's totally fine. This is, you can cut and piece it, and no, because it's gonna be perfect, like it's gonna be a long episode, so it's great. Um, what advice do you have for people that want to be an author's assistant?

Lauren:

So my advice is to just go do it. Like if that's what I always tell people I'm like, just put yourself out there like anybody could do it. You don what I always tell people. I'm like, just put yourself out there Like anybody could do it, you don't. I always get asked do you have to have like a special qualification? I do have a biology and chemistry degree, so I have two degrees that I don't use at all. They're just pretty shelf decor.

Lauren:

I do feel like my college did a really great job preparing me. It was a liberal arts college. Like I took economics, I took all these other classes. That kind of helped me, but really life skills doing marketing for real estate really helped me, and so I don't. I think anyone can do it.

Lauren:

But my best advice is just to like make your price list and then just start putting yourself out there.

Lauren:

And you know, I have a friend who started doing it and she had asked me for advice and everything and she took on her friend author friend as a client for free, just to like get some experience and to do that. And I think, as long as you know that person's not going to take advantage of you, I think that's also like a really great way because it's very easy to get taken advantage of, especially if you're a people pleaser like me or you can't say no or whatever, and so I think that was really great because that got her exposure and like was able to kind of help her get other clients because she you know this author, friend of hers, that could recommend her and like, again, it's who you know in this industry. So I definitely think, as long as you're careful with that, that's like a really great way to get started. But it's mainly just don't be afraid to put yourself out there. The right way, the right way, fair.

Jordan:

But then I have a question, because I know you were mentioning too that like you'll handle authors, social media pages. But now, if people are reaching out, do you think there's like a right way to go about it Because, like you will probably be seeing it or like the author assistant would likely be seeing it?

Lauren:

Absolutely, and that's what I meant by like the right way, because so Holly will get those messages and obviously Holly and I are very close Like she's like one of my best friends and I'm lucky to have her that where we can like keep things like business but also be personal, because that's a really difficult balance as well. But there are people who messaged her and a lot of times I just like screenshot it and send it to her like if she wants to keep their name, information, whatever it's. You don't want to come off like I can do this better than your current PA, or like you know people be like do you have a PA? I feel like it's a little obvious I'm Holly's PA, like I'm all over her page and you you know, so it's like which I mean not to say that, like I don't want anyone to misconstrue that, but like there are authors, I think it's kind of obvious when you go on their page, they have a PA.

Lauren:

No, obviously that's not always going to work out. I would just reach out and say like hey, I'm now offering these services. If you know you ever need them, I'd love to chat more. I think you can keep it really simple and not put anybody down, not make anybody uncomfortable. Like I said, there's services I don't even offer. So you know, if a client of mine is wanting, I'm even trying to think of what I something I don't offer? I don't. I know I do.

Lauren:

I don't do like editing. I do alpha and beta reading but I don't do editing. But I was like trying to think of something I don't do. So if like editing somebody who is an editor and they wanted to reach out like I think there's a really like you can reach out and that's fine, that's not going to like upset me. But if you were to message them and say I can do videos better than Lauren can like and cheaper, I mean that's kind of like a little icky. And that's the type of emails too. It's like I can do this better or I can do this cheaper. And I've not seen any of those. I've just heard author PA friends say that those emails happen. So that's what I just think you should say. I'm so-and-so. I love your books. This book of yours is my favorite. I now offer these services, include all your information and leave it at that.

Jordan:

I feel like that's a very good way.

Lauren:

So anybody listening that wants to be it just be nice, yeah just be nice and that's what I did and one of my clients that I have today. I cold emailed her and I said we're mutuals on TikTok, I've been following you, I love your videos. Here's all my information and she reached out to me and I mean so it's you. It does work. Like cold emailing does work, but I think you just have to do it in a really polite way and like not put the author down or like their PA down at all. So I mean you would think it's common sense, but, like with people tagging authors and negative reviews all the time, I feel like I just have to keep saying it.

Jordan:

That's a good point, that is a very good point.

Lauren:

So I'm like I feel like I say that all the time, but I'm like I'm just going to keep saying it.

Jordan:

It will stick eventually.

Lauren:

Hopefully Maybe yeah, in like 50 years.

Jordan:

Okay, so what is one thing that is the most fun, exciting about being an assistant and what is one thing that is, like, the most challenging?

Lauren:

It's the same thing. So it's that I get to know so many things early, or like read early, or you know, like I get told so many things right, like I get to know, I get to have the in, I get to know all the things. I like to joke my hair so shiny because it's full of secrets. You know, like Regina George, like it's not very full, I don't have a lot of volume, but it's shiny.

Lauren:

So that's also the challenge, because one I never try to spoil any, like I don't ruin surprises, but I get so excited that sometimes things just come out and so I've had to really zip it. Like I've had to really like learn to not open my mouth and say things like I've had clients this year who got traditionally published deals and I've known for like months and they're out now so like I can talk about it, but like I had to know and like I couldn't even tell, like my best friend, you know that this is happening because it's such a big deal. So it's it's like the most exciting and fun part, but it's also the most challenging for me, especially cause I want to like shout. I'm so excited, I want to like shout it from the rooftops. But my husband, he usually gets to hear everything. I'll tell him and he'll be excited.

Jordan:

Oh, that's the best part. They can be excited for you, but they actually have no idea what's going on.

Lauren:

No idea. No, no idea. It's so cute. I hate to keep talking about Holly, but I she just got announced for her source book steal and that like it's super exciting. They announced it in September but I've known since like the beginning of June. So that was a really hard secret and I of course told my husband because I'm like I'm married to him, like he's not going to tell anybody but we would be in Target and he would be like one day Holly's going to be here and I'm like like you can't say that too loudly, but yes, it's very exciting that she's going to be, you know, in Target and whatever. So that's the kind of thing that's really hard to keep a secret, but it's so exciting and it's like so fun, like knowing and like you know, like knowing and like you know teasing readers and all that.

Jordan:

So okay. So, having quite a few clients that you are an assistant for, how do you stay organized? How do you keep track of what author needs what done? I don't know if you cause I know you said packages too, so I don't know if you offer like the same thing for everybody, or Well, everyone's needs are different.

Lauren:

So there are obviously clients. I do content creation for that. They have somebody else that does that or they do that for themselves, and so I, you know, don't really do that. I do more of like the newsletter admin. You know arc team management, which anybody who's listening doesn't know that's. You know advanced reader copy team, so we'll send out early copies. Um, facebook management, reader group management on facebook. So it just depends.

Lauren:

I have a list. I'm I'm very organized chaos. I've tried to have like a digital planner. I've tried to have like a planner. I've tried using air table, which is a software where you can do all kinds. It's like Google on steroids. You can do all kinds of things on there. I've tried to do that Really.

Lauren:

I make to-do lists, which is so bad. I have a to-do list every week. I sit down I'm like where is my? You are the only one who could see it anyway, Cause we're not on video. Oh, it's over here. So, like I have like a week, If you can't see this and you're listening, it breaks it down by day, and so I write out the tasks I need to do each day at the beginning of the week to kind of keep on track and obviously, as a need comes up with an author, I'll write it down on there and like crossing it off, and then I have a document that has all my clients on there and everything I do for that specific client.

Lauren:

And so if I am sitting at my desk and I'm like, is there something I'm missing, I look at that and I run through every client and everything I do for them to make sure there's like nothing going on. And if I have like a release coming up, that's in my Google calendar. So I know that's coming up. But a lot of my clients are more chaotic than I am and things are constantly changing. So I've also tried giving up like having really strict schedules and organization, because things will change so much that it just it's better for me just to kind of go week by week and at the beginning of every week I reach out to certain clients that I do more like admin things for and I'm like, what do you need from me this week? And so they'll tell me and I'll write it down and just really try to stay on top of things. But I work 24 seven because I have no boundaries and if a client needs something I'll do it like instantly, as long as they don't have something else going on.

Jordan:

Oh my.

Lauren:

Yeah, it's a lot. It's very organized chaos yeah.

Jordan:

Yeah, that does sound kind of stressful. I feel like it also sounds kind of fun, but then I know too it can be hard, I think, for somebody who's starting out.

Lauren:

If they were to look at my system and how I do things, they would be like oh wow, that's so chaotic and overwhelming.

Lauren:

But you have to remember when I started out, I only had four clients and I slowly I know that's like one of the questions what does my average day look like? I pretty much know everything I need to do for each client, because it's like the same every week, right and like, unless there's a release going on, they're not much really changes. And I usually have a client. That's like because I have so many, I have a release almost every month and I just know that I do different things for my different clients regarding the releases. Like like Karina Halle is one of my clients and she released literally today as we're filming this, and so I have PR boxes to ship out and I had emails to do, and like I just know that that's usually what I do for her release. So I just have like a mental checklist of like I have to do all these things and if I know I need to do a lot of it, it goes on the to-do list like the paper to-do list.

Jordan:

So, but otherwise, you kind of just like, keep it in your head, like you, kind of just like wow, I give you, I, I, I'm like you. I mean, I'm not another assistant, clearly, but I like to keep to-do lists and I have like notebooks filled with to-do lists and same with, like on my phone, like that notes app is like my best friend, yeah no same.

Lauren:

Uh, we were. I was in a author PA group chat on Instagram and they were talking about all this organization and I told them that I told them I just use like the notes, like notepads or the notes app on my phone and they're all like, how do you do that? I'm I generally don't know, but I think it's because, like, I've worked up to this, like this isn't just overnight, like this has been, you know, almost two years of me doing this that I've got a good grip on things and when I've had clients that I, you know, I've been working with for over a year, like we have a routine, we have a system. I typically know what that looks like, unless they like to throw me off, which sometimes that does happen, but for the most part it's pretty, I don't know chill, I guess. I know it sounds chaotic, but sometimes it does.

Lauren:

August, I thought I wanted to die. I genuinely thought I wanted to die because Holly was releasing, I had other clients releasing I, because Holly was releasing, I had other clients releasing I was going through this massive content team. I had all this stuff going on like personally and like it was just, and going through like arc and content. Team applications is the worst because it's just so time consuming and when you have like really big teams like I have Holly's is open right now and there's like a thousand people who have applied and we get DMs every day, when are you going to let us know? And I'm like it's just me and it's a thousand of you, it's going to take me. It takes me hours to get through. Oh my gosh.

Jordan:

Because I'm assuming you have to go look at their pages. I'm not sure if this is Instagram or TikTok, or both. Both, oh my gosh, it's both. So you have to look.

Lauren:

Yeah, so when it's like for Karina's release this week, we didn't really do open signups, so we sent it out to her street team and there were, I think, like 110 signups from her street team. And then I also have a newsletter where I send out ARC opportunities that I have with my clients and so there's not very many people on that, but we had like 100 to go through. That doesn't take me very long, especially because I know what I'm looking for for ARC readers. But for the content team it's a a little different. Like it's not as like cut and dry, I guess. Like I don't know.

Lauren:

Like if I open up your goodreads and you're, you know, one starring this author, like I'm probably not going to give you an arc, but it's like I open it up and you, you know, never have read them, but you like to post fantasy or whatever. Like it's harder, like it's like, okay, do I let them on the team? Do I not let them on the team? Like to post fantasy or whatever? Like it's harder, like it's like, okay, do I let them on the team? Do I not let them on the team? Like it, just, it's a different level, it's not as cut and dry I, if that makes sense, I don't know if that makes sense.

Jordan:

Yeah, so the content team's a little harder and obviously a thousand people take more time than like a hundred is that like but it, oh, but is that like for just one, like book or series, or is that just like in general?

Lauren:

so like is it like when you do it? No, so we opened it up earlier this year and we had like 1400 applicants that I went through and that's what I'm talking about in August, like we were going to releasing and we were like that was like it was like the all of that leading up to it and I just had so much going on and so it was very stressful. I was like trying not to a mental breakdown, but we've decided to like keep it open and we just opened it and there's been like a thousand applicants the second round. But we're hoping that, like once I get through these, if it's just open all the time, we won't have these massive waves and so I can hopefully manage it a little bit better. Um, but Holly's not releasing until March. So there's, I've got time. And so in my mind I'm like, oh, I've got time to go through this content team, but everyone keeps messaging and they're like, when are we gonna find out?

Jordan:

I'm like, oh, I should get on that it's like you have, and it's one of those things that you're always like oh, I have time, I have time. And then it's like oh, no, it's here, like I don't have that anymore.

Lauren:

Yes, so after Karina's release this week I don't really have any clients releasing, I don't think until next year. So I'm hoping I can catch up pretty quickly on that. But who knows, they could surprise me and decide to release next month.

Jordan:

And have you ever wait? Okay, heart sorry. I have to do a shout out for grave matter, because that book is literally insane and everybody needs to read it. I'm obsessed with it, and so I just that one's by Karina. I feel like I just needed to shout that out For anybody listening to go read that book.

Lauren:

Book. I just finished it the other day. Yeah, no, it was. The twist was twisty too. Like I wasn't. I didn't know what to expect. I knew like Karina had a fun time writing it. Like I knew she was really, really excited about it, so I thought it like it would. I knew it would be good I mean, karina's books are always good, like I always have a good time reading them. But like I just felt like she was so passionate about creeping everybody out and like being like gross that like I just knew it was gonna be really good it was like one of those things.

Jordan:

I'm like reading it with the lights on at like midnight because like the only way out is through, so you have to finish it. I'm like don't look out the window, don't do anything, just finish the book.

Lauren:

Yeah.

Jordan:

Yeah.

Lauren:

Yeah, no, it was. I asked her. I'm a big scaredy cat so I asked her if I could read. She's like it'll be fine, it's just more creepy. It's not like really like scary. I don't know. There was definitely parts that were scary.

Jordan:

Yeah, yes, yeah yes, yeah, yeah, but no, it's good, you just gotta read it with the lights on everybody will feel fine, it'll be great.

Lauren:

Yes, no one of my. My two of my friends were begging me to read it because they had already read it and I hadn't got. I've been drowning in books so I hadn't gotten a chance to read it yet and one of them fell asleep, and so I told the other one. I was like you're not allowed to fall asleep until I finish this book.

Jordan:

Honestly, I get that. I totally understand that. I get it. Yeah, okay. So what are the different things you offer to your authors when you become their assistant? Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry. What does a typical day look like for you, from the moment you wake up to the moment you close your eyes?

Lauren:

So I mentioned I'm very chaotic. Usually, as soon as I open my eyes I'm on my phone working, which is terrible for me. I know I shouldn't do that, but I have so many clients that I manage. We've said that a few times that the first thing I'm doing is checking tagged posts, making sure that any posts that I scheduled went through, responding to comments, just checking, making sure everything's good, checking my email. Then I usually get up, get ready, make coffee, um, sometimes I actually get ready, like with hair makeup, because I have to film. Um, cause I do have one client that I do content creation for where my face is in it, so I usually prefer to have makeup on for her videos. Otherwise it's just my hands. So as long as my nails look good, I'm good to go. But I sit at my desk, I check all my emails because I have my email, I have my like work email and then I have different emails for different clients. So I check all of those, make sure everything's good and then I'm really just working on that to do list, tackling it one step at a time. So you know, certain days of the week I'm doing certain things, like Mondays. I said I always check in with my clients. Wednesdays I am usually doing like reader group stuff. Like what you're reading Wednesday is a very common reader group post, or so it just depends on the day. So I'm doing things like little tasks like that. I have a client who I answer emails for, so I'll always go through those and then usually it's making content. Like 70% of my job is making content. So this morning I was working on Instagram graphics and I have TikTok as a film and editing all of those, and then I'll grab lunch at some point. Maybe I'll go do Pilates.

Lauren:

I've been trying to like get out of the house. I got in a really bad habit where I would not leave the house at all not for groceries, nothing. So I've been trying to get out of the house more and then usually my husband comes home around like 536. And I will wrap up work and make us dinner. At this point, like when we're eating dinner, I'm back on my clients social media. Usually I post for clients around dinnertime and then I like on TikTok and I don't schedule those because you can only do it on the website but I have to repost them to Instagram. So I just do it from my phone every single day, because I'm already having to redo it to Instagram. I'm like I might as well just like hit post. So I do that every single day.

Lauren:

I post for three clients. Yeah, saturdays and Sundays. So that's why I'm so excited to have five days off, because I never I rarely you I really take off days off like I. The last day I took off was my birthday. I did take my birthday off, um, but that's good. You took off that one day and then labor day before that. So, like this year last year I didn't take off any holidays. This year I like implemented I was taking off certain holidays. So I'm getting better about the boundaries and, like I said, I'm taking a vacation for the first time and who knows how long.

Lauren:

But yes, I post around dinner time and then I'll be back on social media doing tagged posts, responding to messages, comments, all of that. And then yeah, that's when I get to read usually is at night. If my husband and I are watching a show or whatever usually he puts on YouTube. He like loves YouTube. I don't know somebody who watches more YouTube than him. Like it's very strange to me, but I'm like, whatever I get to read while you watch your YouTube, so we're good. And then I stay up really late and he goes to bed at like 930. And I'm usually up until midnight or one and then I'll. Yeah, just the whole day goes all over again.

Jordan:

So well, so, okay. So if you make like a ton of content, are you like batch creating?

Lauren:

Okay so if you make like a ton of content. Are you like batch, creating content? Yes, so usually I am batching and I do it by author. So I do it by author or types of videos, if that makes sense. So I feel like I'm very well known for my highlighting videos.

Lauren:

Like, a lot of people recognize my hands. They know I do the highlighting videos where I'm literally holding the book open highlighting lines. So I will set that all up and I will do. I do that for two clients, so I will do that for them and then I will go and do the other types of videos I filmed for them and I usually filmed them at the same time. Um, for my other client where my face is in it, if I've done my makeup and hair that day, I usually try to film two to three videos. So I have like a backlog of videos and if I'm really on top of my job, I will like edit them, caption them, hashtag them so they're ready to go and all I have to do is hit post. If I'm not on top of it, I just have the videos and I edit them the day of.

Jordan:

But that kind of makes sense too. But then how do you fit in your own social media?

Lauren:

I'm very chaotic with it. Like people ask me all the time, how do I plan this all out? Like I'm one of those people that I have to be creative. Like I have to be feeling creative to make content and if I'm not inspired or feeling creative then it's not happening. And that was a really hard process with my own content Last year. I really struggled. I felt like I was slacking. I felt better about my content recently, my own personal content recently, but I do feel like I was like okay, because there was a question you had asked. We'll talk. I'll talk about it later.

Lauren:

I was trying to go back and think of the exact part of this book. I was trying to go back and think of the exact part of this book and I was scrolling past all my old content and I'm like I used to do such a better job. Like I feel like I was just so much more on top of it and now I'm so chaotic Like I, literally right before we filmed, started filming that doing this, I posted a video and it was me just showing my current read and my outfit in my kitchen while my lunch was cooking Before, like hopping on this and I and it was me just showing my current read and my outfit in my kitchen while my lunch was cooking before, like hopping on this and I post it, like I just like edited and posted it really quickly, Like I just it's very I don't plan anything out, Like if I get an idea I will write it down in my notes up on my phone and I'll make a little list. But for the most part it's like day of I'm thinking what can I post today?

Lauren:

And there's a lifestyle influencer who's kind of local to me and I've admired her for so, so, so long and we actually connected earlier this year or last year on Instagram because she knew some of my friends locally and they told her to follow me because she was getting back into reading. And so we've connected and I asked her about doing I've wanted to do more than just book content for a while, Cause obviously, like I post about my outfits of the day and my cat and my husband and all the things, and she said everything is content. That's what she told me when I asked her for advice. So I really feel like lately that's been true for me like everything is content, like if I my outfit or if I'm in the car doing something like that's everything's content. So that's kind of been my chaotic mindset recently.

Jordan:

I I have to say like even for myself too, because I was like struggling, but like I know, I started my bookstagram and it was strictly reviews. It was just like a book that I finished reading and I wanted to talk about it. But then that became stressful because I wasn't like either a like reading as much or no. I just wasn't reading as much.

Lauren:

I think what also shifted for me with my own content, besides becoming this author assistant Well, it's part of it I was also doing reviews, right, like I would get on there and I would talk about a book and I would recommend things and, being on this side of it, it's so much harder for me to do that Because, even if it's a positive review, if you just say one sentence wrong, you could totally destroy the author's mental health that day. You know what I mean. Like recently there was a book I read and I really liked it. I thought it was too long and the author follows me on social media and I had people asking me about it and like I posted my review of this book but I like cut that part out and I like linked my full review and I'm like, if you really want to know my feelings, like you can click on this link. But I didn't even want there to be a chance of her seeing that and thinking, oh wow. Like I thought she liked it but she said it was too long. Like should I have cut things out? Like I didn't want to even have that cross that author's mind and like, because people do tag authors and negative reviews. I just didn't want to feed into that and I never really posted negative reviews, but I would post the four star reviews, right and like sometimes I think those are the ones that cut the most. And so I just that's where my content kind of shifted.

Lauren:

And then I was also making content for so many other people that it kind of burned my creativity a little bit and I just it just kind of shifted everything Like it. Just I just stopped doing that as much. And then I feel like that's why my content changed to what it is now is because I don't really do what I used to do. It's hard to go back to that.

Jordan:

Yeah, I know when I get that I guess too, it's like you don't even like think about like the reviews, because it's like I try I feel like there's I've seen like mixed things of like people like wanting like bookstagram to like where did the reviews go?

Lauren:

and then.

Jordan:

I've seen people being like I don't want to post negative reviews, which I think everybody's bookstagram. You can do like whatever you want to do right yeah and don't tag authors and negative reviews. But I feel like I've always kind of like struggled with where I fit in, because I feel like I don't necessarily, because if I do tag like an author in, like what I would consider a review, but not I don't say it's a review, I'm only like saying the good things, like whether I absolutely love the book or there's like books that like might not have been my favorite, but I know the author doesn't follow me, but then I can also see that like being like, not the best for even authors that do follow me.

Jordan:

Well, and it's it's.

Lauren:

The other thing I think people don't get is that, even if you use that hashtag, a lot of the authors are following that, or like the algorithms are so good that it pushes that content to them and they'll just stumble upon it. But it's. Yeah, so it's. You know, it is really, really tricky and yeah, I try. I was never that person who posted negative reviews. I never posted negative reviews to begin with. I don't care if you do. I just think, like you can be mindful of it and like, not tag the author. I think that's. I mean, if they stumble upon it, they stumble upon it. It's up to them to decide how they want to protect their piece, but I want to play my part in not doing it. And I I still do reviews, but, like, I don't even really give star ratings anymore. Like I used to do monthly wrap ups. I stopped doing those. The only star ratings are on my Goodreads and I try to make sure, like, like I feel like authors know Goodreads is not for them, it's for the readers, but I don't really give star ratings. Like, even if I post a review on my page, I don't like, I'm just like yeah, I really loved this. Like this is great. And the other thing to me is reading is so subjective and, for example, I absolutely love Ice Planet Barbarians. Like I love that, that series. I love that series so much, it's one of my favorite series. I love Ruby Dixon.

Lauren:

I rated like all of them three stars because they're not literary masterpieces, they're not anything that's like mind-blowing, but you're gonna have a really great, freaking time reading them. Like you're gonna have so much fun. But so I don't, like I'm not gonna post that. You know what I mean. Like I'm not gonna post that and say that I recommend them all the time. But they were three stars, like somebody else could give them a one star and somebody else give them a five star. Like reading is so subjective that it's hard. Stars are even harder, like just hard for me in general because everyone is so loosey-goosey with it which is fine, everyone should be but I, just, I, just I, just I'm like I recommend this book. It's great, or like, if I don't recommend which I used to during my reading, like wrap I would always say like this wasn't for me but you might like it if you like XYZ, you know.

Jordan:

Yeah, and I get. I totally agree with the star ratings. Like I don't put those, especially on Instagram. Stars are only on Goodreads. But and I want to point out to what you said like Goodreads is definitely for the reader.

Jordan:

I as a reader, felt so uncomfortable because I gave a two-star rating to a first book in a duology from this like author and I was completely honest in my review on Goodreads, didn't post it anywhere on social media, but the author found it and commented on my review on Goodreads and I felt so uncomfortable and I know this author was just trying to make a joke but like I understand, like you have the right to like look at your reviews if that's like what you want to do, but like I'm giving like my honest feedback for your book that wasn't for me, but I finished and I wanted to like talk about it, and now I feel uncomfortable because you saw that I clearly didn't have the book.

Lauren:

It's so hard. Yeah, that would make me really uncomfortable too, and I think I think people have to remember that Goodreads really is. We're recommending books to other readers, yes, we're giving honest feedback, but ultimately it's not for the author and like, yes, authors can look at it. But you know, I also get people who are like, well, wouldn't an author want to know that? I, you know, they have criticism on their book. Like they need a thicker skin. I'm like a lot of them have alpha readers, beta readers, line editors, developmental editors, like they have an arc team reading it. That's the time for feedback. That's when they get to be told hey, this doesn't work or hey, this is problematic or whatever.

Lauren:

I do think there are some things that slip through the cracks and if there is something that's ultimately problematic, you should absolutely tell the author. Like you know, a lot of them don't want anything problematic. They're happy to fix it immediately if something comes up. But ultimately reviews are for readers, they are not for authors and that's why, like even saying this, like you know to take it back to being an author assistant we obviously collect reviews.

Lauren:

Most of the time my authors don't look at them. Most of the time I don't look at them. Most of the time I don't even look at the reviews If the only time I look at them is when it's for the next book. The only time I look at them is when it's for the next book. And so if I'm the next book in a series or by the author or whatever, and I see you're an arc reader and you, you know, crapped all over the book, I do take that in, like some things I take into consideration.

Lauren:

Right, maybe the story wasn't for them, whatever. But if they're like the writing style is not for me or I don't like the way this author does xyz, it's, she's probably not the author for you, like it's and that's fine. You know there's so many authors out there, um, and so it's just that's really the only time I even look at reviews, because I also get really protective of my authors and my clients. And if you're like crapping all over a book and a lot of times I've alpha or beta read that book, so I'm even feeling a little attacked I like even that's hard for me, like even it's hard for me with the reviews, but I get that they're not like it's so subjective, and so that's why when I collect reviews, half the time I don't even look at them because I just unless they're saying horrible, awful personal things about the like my author I really like, don't, I don't care.

Jordan:

Fair. I feel like that's good too, Cause I feel like I would get really protective. I'd be like you're wrong.

Lauren:

I know yeah.

Jordan:

I hope you have been enjoying this episode so far. I had so much fun interviewing Lauren that the episode ended up being fairly long, so we broke it up into two parts. So this is part one. Don't worry, we ended where she finished answering the question and tune in in two weeks to get part two, where we pick up on the next question. So don't worry, you're not missing anything. I hope you really enjoyed part one and you come back for part two. Thanks, thank you so much for listening. I hope you enjoyed this episode. Please feel free to rate and review us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen, and if there's any interviews or conversations you would like me to have with someone specific, please reach out either email or through our Instagram available in the show notes and happy reading.