Does a writer need a staff?

Veronica sent me a question about working with outside help: “Do you think writers should ever hire a staff person? (And what sort of staff do you use?)”

I think it’s possible for a writer to have others helping in various ways — research, editing, design, marketing, branding, etc. But I want to encourage you to expand your vocabulary a bit… Think of the word “staff” as being defined as something like “all those people who work WITH you to help you succeed at your job.” If you do that, you’re not just “picking up a freelancer” to assist you. Instead, you are “working with your staff.” So, the way I look at it, any time you use another person to assist you, you’re hiring staff to help you get your job done. 

With that in mind, I’ve had a number of part-time staff work for me in different capacities. When I ran a writing and editing service, I would hire (on a contract basis) people to transcribe speeches, to read manuscripts and give me their evaluation, to copy-edit, to create an index, to write back-cover and marketing copy, to research, to create study questions, and (sometimes) to simply sub-contract some of the writing jobs I’d taken on. I also hired a bookkeeper to take care of checks, a tax guy to deal with Uncle Sam, and an artsy type to assist in discussions over covers, posters, web sites, etc. All were part time. And though none were official employees, they were all part of my “staff.” I paid them a fair wage, but I wasn’t interested in making anyone an employee.

Some writers who have had success and need assistance in particular areas use this sort of approach — specialists who can help in specific areas. Others use more of a generalist approach, hiring someone to assist them in whatever comes up. There’s no right way to do it — you’ll have to figure out what you need done and who is best to help you complete it.  

As an agent, I used to have an assistant who did things like set up phone appointments, handle the mail, file, and take care of travel arrangements. That individual  also served as a part-time editor and helped me evaluate manuscripts and revise proposals and chapters. Now we’re working a bit different. I work with Marie Prys, a great editor who serves as our Contracts Coordinator, dealing with the various publishing houses on language and the fine print. Mare is experienced, knows what I like to see in a contract, and isn’t afraid to tell me I’m being dumb. Most agents don’t have the luxury of having their own contracts person, so I feel incredibly blessed to have her working for me. My former assistant, Amanda Luedeke, moved into the role of agent a couple years ago, and now has her own list of authors she is assisting. (And yes, she shines every Thursday here on this blog.) I also have a person who helps with editing, research, and the slush pile, as well as coordinating foreign rights for us. And Hannah Selleck, our newest person, is our “Digital Publishing Coordinator,” helping authors who want to take their own works and make them available as e-books or print-in-demand titles. (You’ll hear more about Hannah soon.)

I’ve also worked with specialists in marketing, web design, speaking, and image consultation/branding — just to name a handful of roles we’ve had in the office. None of these folks worked for me directly, but they had their own companies and worked WITH me, so they were sort of an “extended staff.” If you broaden your understanding of the concept, you’ll find you can get more done.