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Friday, December 7, 2012

Interview of Annette Stone, Owner of Author's Assistant Agency

Today it's my pleasure to present an interview of Author's Assistant Agency owner, Annette Stone.

BIO:
Annette Stone is the owner of Author’s Assistant Agency. After becoming cyber-friends with several authors and seeing how crazy life can get when juggling deadlines, interviews and family she decided to start her own business to help relieve some of the stress.

Annette has always been an avid reader of romance starting with historical and now reads anything and everything as long as there is a romantic tie to it. She became a reviewer for PNR and Fresh Fiction and after a couple years partnered with a friend and started RomFan Reviews.

Her alter ego is a wife and the mother of two grown children, one granddaughter and another grandchild on the way as well as a part-time bookkeeper and office manager.

Website: www.authors-assistant-agency.com

Q: Describe your job.
A: I handle a variety of different tasks for authors depending on what they need the most. I keep track of their calendars and appointments, schedule blog tours, manage street teams which lets the readers join in the fun of promoting their favorite author and earn some great prizes, update websites and social media, research such as searching for new blog sites for interviews or if there are any reviews posted that the author is not aware of and newsletters are just some of what I do.

Q: What motivated you to get involved in the romance industry?
A: When Adrian Phoenix’s street team manager had to step down she asked if I would be interested in taking over, so I have been the Street Team Manager or Goddess as she calls me, for a couple years now. I realized I have a knack for being organized for other people. I had seen where Shoshanna Evers had posted on her Facebook she was looking for an intern to work as her assistant so I applied and was hired.

Now I am the assistant to four authors and have scheduled blog tours for several others. I love every minute of it. Hopefully someday I can make it my full time job. With a couple of my authors “pimping” me out, as they like to say, it will happen.


 Q: What's one important thing you've learned about your job as you became more involved in it?

A: An assistant needs an assistant lol….and yes I have one. Her name is Michele and she has been a great asset to me.

Q: What’s the one most important thing a reader/author should know about your business?
A: Most authors think that they cannot afford an assistant. With that in mind, I set up my rate scale and authors are very excited about what they get for their money. I had one of my authors tell me that, in the end, it was money well spent because it gave her the freedom to write. She can concentrate on other things and not have to worry if she missed a blog interview, or someone’s birthday. She calls me her “brain”.

Q: Chats. How important do you feel it is for authors to take part in chats on loops or at other romance sites?
A: I believe it is very important; it gets their name and their books out there. I can’t tell you how many authors I discovered from loops and guest spots on other sites. It also lets readers know that the author has time for them and that they really do like to have that communication with them.

Q: Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, etc. Where do you appear?
A: Website: www.authors-assistant-agency.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AuthorsAssistantAgency
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AuthorAsstAgncy

Thank you so much, Marianne, and Romance Books '4' Us for having me here today. It has been a pleasure.

11 comments:

Sandy said...

Annette, your site is very neat, and I think some of your prices are reasonable. Others may be okay, but they're higher than I can afford. Smile. I can certainly use an assistant when I get my next book out, so I'll keep you in mind.

Nicole Morgan said...

Hi Annette! Thanks for stopping by and telling us more about what you're doing! I've followed you on twitter and Liked you on Facebook. :)

afstone3 said...

Hi Sandy,
Thank you for stopping by.
I know authors are not paid as much as people think so I try to make it as painless and affordable as I can.
I checked other sites prices and I believe because they are bigger and more popular they can charge a higher rate.
The last thing I want an author to do is worry about finances, they have enough on their plates with plotting their next story or spending time with their families and I know many of them still have day jobs.
I look forward talking to you hopefully in the near future.

afstone3 said...

Hi Nicole!!
Thank you for the following I really appreciate it. And I follow back as well so I will be stalking you LOL...

Shoshanna Evers said...

Annette is awesome. I tend to cc her on most of my interview requests and then it's one less thing for me to worry about! If you're busy with deadlines and don't have enough time to manage all the details of everything else, a good assistant is invaluable. I highly recommend her! :)

afstone3 said...

Awww...thank you Shoshanna. I love my authors <3

Loucinda McGary aka Aunty Cindy said...

Hey Annette!

Your authors LURVE you too! For sure, this one does. ;-) Can't thank you enough for your help and I was surprised and pleased at your very affordable rate.

HUGS!

afstone3 said...

Thank you Cindy, I am honored to have you as one of my authors.

Brita Addams said...

Hi Annette,

You know I love you and your service. You are the best at what you do. Great interview honey. You are way too modest thought. ANNETTE STONE AND AUTHOR'S ASSISTANT AGENCY IS THE BEST!

There I just pimped you out--again!

Love ya,
Brita

afstone3 said...

Thank you Brita!! I love when you all pimp me out.

Love you!

afstone3 said...

Thank you Brita!! I love when you all pimp me out.

Love you!

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