For independent publishers and publishing teams

Virtual assistants for publishers

Give each title a clear production record. Your assistant can track manuscript versions, request missing assets and coordinate the handoffs between authors, editors and vendors. We recruit and prepare them for your publishing operation and agreed responsibilities before handoff.

Find your assistant

A title can look ready while one approval is still missing.

The cover has a new revision, the title sheet has the old subtitle and the printer is waiting for a release instruction. A production list is useful only when it distinguishes an uploaded file from an approved one.

An assistant can maintain that distinction across your active list. Editors and production leads keep their judgment; the administrative record shows what they need to review and who is waiting.

The work to hand off

Keep the publishing list connected to the current files.

Title and milestone records

Maintain the stages, responsible people and target dates set by your production lead. Link each update to the relevant file or message and surface a changed dependency.

What you get back: A title list with current stage, next handoff and unresolved dependency

Author and contributor follow-up

Request the bios, questionnaires, permissions records and corrections identified by the editor. Log receipt separately from editorial acceptance.

What you get back: A contribution checklist with missing items and the reviewing editor

Version and approval coordination

Organize manuscript, cover and proof versions in the locations your team uses. Collect review responses and retain the approval record before distributing a release package.

What you get back: A version register that shows which files are cleared for which use

Vendor and catalog administration

Gather the fields your sales and production teams request for title sheets, vendor queries and delivery updates. Route conflicting metadata or specifications to the responsible owner.

What you get back: A prepared title-information packet with discrepancies visible

Illustrative workflow

Take a title from proof receipt to an authorized release package.

A file being present does not establish that it is the correct file to release.

A proof arrives

Assistant preparesRecord its title, edition, revision and source.

Your team decidesWho reviews the proof and which review criteria apply.

Reviews are requested

Assistant preparesSend the current version to designated reviewers and track replies.

Your team decidesWhether the content, design and metadata are approved.

A revision changes a dependency

Assistant preparesMark the earlier version as superseded in the working register and flag affected materials.

Your team decidesWhich related files require revision or another review.

The release owner approves

Assistant preparesAssemble the cleared files and their approval references.

Your team decidesWhether the package may go to the vendor or distributor.

The package is sent

Assistant preparesLog the recipient, version and acknowledgment.

Your team decidesHow to resolve a missing acknowledgment or new production issue.

Illustrative example — not a client record

A proof-to-release register

This example keeps an updated cover from being sent with an outdated title sheet.

Title and edition: Example entryIllustrative title P-04, paperback edition.; What to provide or checkUse your title identifier and edition, not only a shortened book name.
Current production files: Example entryCover revision 3 received; interior proof revision 2 approved.; What to provide or checkList each component and its own approval status.
Metadata conflict: Example entryTitle sheet still shows the subtitle from cover revision 2.; What to provide or checkRecord the exact mismatch rather than marking the whole title ready.
Required review: Example entryProduction editor to confirm the subtitle and revised title sheet.; What to provide or checkIdentify the person who can settle the discrepancy.
Release instruction: Example entryHold the vendor package until cover revision 3 and the corrected title sheet are approved for release.; What to provide or checkState what must happen before the next handoff.

Ready to hand over when: The release owner can identify the approved components, the unresolved metadata and the person responsible for resolving it.

Download the blank template (CSV)

No email required. The file includes field names and guidance, with blank spaces for your own inputs. Use it to describe the work during matching; keep private client information out of an initial inquiry.

Shape the role around the workload

Is coordination across titles the work you need covered?

A useful fit when

Several titles or issues are moving through different stages with recurring requests to authors and vendors.
Your editors know the decisions they own but need someone maintaining the administrative follow-through.

Discuss the setup first

An isolated formatting or copyediting job may call for a specialist project rather than a full-time managed assistant.
If the role includes substantive editing, rights administration or royalty work, define those skill and review requirements separately.

Managed support provides a dedicated, full-time assistant. Direct-hire responsibilities, hours and employment terms are agreed during matching.

Editorial authority stays with the publishing team.

An assistant can coordinate the production record without deciding what should be published.

Acquisitions, editing, proof acceptance and release authorization remain with designated publishing staff.
Rights interpretation, royalty calculations and permissions decisions require the appropriate specialist.
Prices, print quantities and vendor commitments follow your approval process.

Start with a title whose handoffs need clearer ownership.

01A sample title record and the stages used on your publishing list.
02Your naming conventions, approved folders and version rules.
03The editor, production lead and release approver for each handoff.
04Your title-management tools, vendor contacts and required access controls.

Recruit. Prepare. Hand over.

Recruited for you. Trained for your industry.

First, we discuss your niche and the work you want your assistant to own. Then we recruit and prepare them in depth for the industry and responsibilities agreed with you before handoff. The matching conversation defines the skills, tools and preparation time your role needs.

We assess English fluency, practical problem-solving and independent judgment, so your assistant can work through the next step and recognize when to bring you in.

Choose the support behind your hire.

Managed assistant

A dedicated, full-time assistant through our service, with ongoing support from our team. One monthly fee.

Explore managed support

Direct hire

We recruit and train an assistant for you to hire directly into your team. You manage the day-to-day. One placement fee.

Explore direct hiring

The examples on these pages are a starting point. Bring the broader range of work you want covered to the matching call. We agree responsibilities, preparation time, working hours, fees and terms before you start.

Before you bring someone on

How does this differ from an assistant for an author?: A publisher coordinates multiple titles and contributors through production and release. This role centers on that list and its handoffs. Our author page focuses on the business around an individual author, including readers and appearances.
Can the assistant update publishing metadata?: They can enter the fields your team has approved and flag conflicts between source records. Edition, rights, price or descriptive changes still need the approval your publishing process requires.
Can an assistant manage proof approvals?: They can request, collect and record approvals and make missing reviews visible. Editorial or technical acceptance is a decision for the reviewer, not a status inferred from a file arriving.
Do you provide assistants experienced in our publishing tools?: Bring your systems and the tasks to matching. Required prior experience, preparation time and permissions are part of the role we agree. We prepare the assistant for your publishing responsibilities before handoff rather than promise universal software expertise.
What are the hiring options?: Managed support provides a dedicated, full-time assistant for a monthly fee with ongoing team support. Direct hire covers recruitment and training for a placement fee before the assistant joins your team. We agree responsibilities, hours, price and terms first.

Put a clear record behind every publishing handoff.

Bring a title list and an example of a stalled approval. We will help define who tracks the work and who makes the decision.

Find your assistant

A different kind of business?

Explore other ways to organize the work around your team.

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