Hi everybody,

I've posted over on the REVA category and thought I'd branch out to other places.

I'm a newbie looking into the virtual assisting field and looking for some advice.

I've got some office admin experience but not a whole lot (about two years of running a law office for solo practitioner) and was wondering if anyone had any input based on their personal experiences within certain niches.

One field I'm considering is REVA. The #1 reason is because there are a few legitimate and trusted organizations (NAR being one) that offer certification. This makes me think I could get the credibility needed to get clients.

The other field is assisting authors. There's not a whole lot of info regarding VA's working in this niche so was wondering if it's a good avenue to pursue or merely something that's being used to cash in on the virtual assisting trend. I have a book review blog that has put me in touch with a lot of authors and I've chatted with a few. It seems like the ones who are backed by a big publisher get a lot of the administrative stuff handled by them; the smaller publishers provide some help, but not as much; and the self-published and indie publishers seem to be on their own.

I just don't know if it's a field with growth potential - mainly because it doesn't seem to be a widely-known niche.

Any REVA's or author assistants (or any others) out there able to provide any info?

Thanks,
-Marty

Well...I did a little more web research and chatted up some author friends (one with a publisher, one self-published), and I'm leaning strongly towards the 'author assistant' certification being an unwise expense.

The 'real estate virtual assistant' avenue is still looking pretty good. Off to do more research.

Feel free to chime in with thoughts, ideas, or opinions.

Thanks.

__________________
Marty
AuthorShield - your defense against the chaos

Marty,
If you have the contacts and credibility with authors through your other website, I say go for it - you don't necessarily have to get the "author assistant" certification.

IMHO, credibility in this business is built by demonstrating knowledge through networking and endeavors such as your book review site. Certifications from reputable organizations can help, but are definitely not a "must" to get started.

If you have a passion for helping authors and feel like it's something you like to do, I say go for it - put out some feelers to your author contacts and see if you can get some feedback.

Good luck!

I would love to work with author.s, as I'm an avid reader. Also, I seem to spot errors without even trying (in books, on Web sites, etc.).

I had looked at the Author VA training but can't afford the hundreds of dollars that it cost. I have a lot of admin experience...just need to find out how to reach the authors.

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Sherri Beck CPS/CAP
www.topkoalat.com

Sherri,

I've done a little more research and have decided that the virtual author's assistant certification is a few steps from being a scam. This is just my opinion, but it doesn't pop up much in web searches and no authors have heard of it....which means it doesn't carry any weight with them.

I think it's probably best to just offer services that would benefit authors (proofreading, etc) along with other VA services.

One of the best ways to reach out to authors (judging from my experience) is to start a book review site or blog. That's how I got the ball rolling. The process can be fast or slow, depending on what you review. Most reviewers won't touch e-books so including that media form got a lot of attention for me. Also, the genre you review matters. I like paranormal fantasy/urban fiction so that's what I review, but that genre is saturated so lots of people going for the pieces of that pie.

One place authors hang out is Absolute Write so you might want to check that place out.

__________________
Marty
AuthorShield - your defense against the chaos

My thought on this is, if you enjoy books and you already have a site doing book reviews....Offering assistance to authors and others in the publishing industry (Coaches for Authors for instance) might be a stronger way to go.

Mind you, if you find the Real Estate industry then there is not reason why you can't provide support in that area as well.

For me one of the reasons I started my business was to do things I totally enjoy and not do the tasks I don't enjoy. Since I am my own boss, I have control over what I do. Truthfully, there's nothing to say that you can have to distinct niches offering support to both or maybe define it even more and offer support to author's who write for real estate professionals....

Hmmmm....my two cents...

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Renee Shupe, Become a Techie Virtual Assistant
eMail Marketing & Aweber Training Starts May 15! - Save 50% using VAFAweber

And keep in mind that being certified doesn't generally hold much weight with ANYONE! I consider certifications to just be a reinforcement to myself of my capabilities. Clients want to see actual skills and talent. Being involved with networks, associations, etc. and SHOWING your knowledge through interactions with others will have more value IMHO than 'pretty pieces of paper' (certifications).

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Lily Chambers, The Virtual Office Goddess, LLC
Author "How to Do Your Own Small Business Bookkeeping"

The certification process as a general VA would be more worth your time and money. As you begin working with clients, you may find a "natural" niche that you gravitate to.

I just set out to find "at home" work, although I have over 15 years experience in administration, marketing and small business ownership. My first client (through elance.com) was a coach, speaker and author. I am still working with him and have since picked up 3 more clients in the same industry through word of mouth.

Good luck.

Kind regards,
Dawn Beauvais

Marty, thanks for the info. I will definitely check out AbsoluteWrite. I do agree that I can probably work with authors without the certification.

Sherri

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Sherri Beck CPS/CAP
www.topkoalat.com

Marty - there is definitely a market for author's assistant type of work. And with the niche being pretty small, you can demand a higher rate. I started off as a real estate VA five years ago and found out pretty quickly that wasn't the niche for me - always dependent on the market, the hours weren't to my liking, etc.

Trust me, I have ALL of the certifications, REPA, CRESS, CVA, and a degree, etc and they don't hold much weight - I get all my clients from referrals and word of mouth.

There are a few high-profile "self publishing book coaches" out there like Donna Kozik and Kristen Eckstein to name just two - contact them and let them know your services. Whenever they hold coaching programs, they have your name as a referral to their students. People sign up for these programs and want to learn how to write and self-publish, so they need help with all the admin/marketing stuff. I would put some packages together as a "done for you" service - this seems to work really well for that industry.

I think this is a perfect niche to get into right now. Good luck!

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Lisa Wells~Online Biz Manager
Free Marketing Tips, Resources, and Reports for your VA Biz