So because I have heard that there’s some bitching and
complaining going on about my directive for AAD that I will not deal with
assistants… let me explain for the people who can’t see past their own nose.
An assistant is a LOVELY LOVELY thing. I don’t have one,
against all reports to the contrary. I think they can be a great help with
people who are busy in this industry, from handling fan mail to scheduling blog
posts to keeping their weekly online schedule in check so they don’t miss
anything. For that, an assistant is GOLD.
BUT an assistant should never, EVER deal with other authors
for you. EVER. Why? Several reasons.
1.
Respect. If an author takes the time out of
their busy schedule (one that is AS BUSY if not MORE BUSY then yours) you
should have the decency and respect to contact them back personally.
2.
Courtesy. That’s right courtesy. If you push off
someone that’s your contemporary on an underling, you are essentially saying “you
are not worth my time to deal with directly.” That is bullshit. ALL authors
should deal with their contemporaries personally.
3.
The telephone effect. This means that adding a 3rd
party into the mix can get dicey. Information either gets mistranslated or
lost, and it takes doubly long to get an answer. That is not the best way to
handle communication especially when dealing with someone like me that runs a
convention. Emails are NOT sent off to other people. I deal with them
personally. 99% of the authors attending
deal with it personally, and things get done.
4.
Inside information. While your assistant is
looking out for you, they are also looking out for themselves and MANY
assistants in this industry do other things then be at an authors beck and
call. So when said assistants see emails meant ONLY for authors, and contact
back about said emails, throwing their own two cents in for what THEY are
willing to do, it kinda defeats the purpose.
5.
Relationships. Ok so you might not wanna be
friendly with me, No problem. You still have to deal with me because of the
event we have going on, and you will probably see me at other functions. If I
have never spoken to you personally, never had that connection, you better be
damn sure that in the future I won’t consider you for anything, because all you
have proven to me is that you could care less.
Now don’t get me wrong, it’s not like I have had a large
amount of people send me to their assistants. In fact 99% of authors, including
the extremely busy ones that have 4-8 deadlines this year, who are on the con
circuit, who are on book tours and who have at least 3 releases coming out this
year CONTACT ME PERSONALLY. They understand the value of relationships in this
industry, and understand that without them, getting ahead is a no go.
Use your assistants for what you will, but leave author correspondence
out of it. Hell I have several authors including the Master of Ceremonies for
2013 and an author doing parties in both 2013 and 201 that have assistants,
that handle EVERYTHING for them, but I get contacted PERSONALLY by the authors,
because that’s how it’s done. No one in the business over 5 years lets an assistant
contact other authors for them. It smacks of disrespect and superiority. It
screams “I’m better then you" and you don’t see me as an equal. Well,
newsflash- I AM.
I have recently found
out that I was called an “egomaniac” for instituting this rule. I don’t think
the person that said it realizes the irony of that statement. Ego is not
something I personally have. So let’s say this: I am busy, just like you. While
I may not have a NY contract, I do have deadlines, I have a convention I run, a
wedding I’m planning, an art department I run, and my regular job as a graphic artist
to worry about. Yet I still deal with ALL my email personally, especially when
it has to do with authors. All I ask is the same courtesy is done for me.
It doesn’t matter how much money you sink into something,
and it doesn’t matter who you think you are (or who your assistant thinks you
are.) Relationships should always be forged between people you “work” with.
Yes, AAD is work for everyone, especially the authors because YOU are
working--- meeting readers, smoozing it up, hanging out and getting them interested
in (or giving them new reasons to like ) your work. Make no mistake, that IS
work. It is fun work, but it IS work. NO relationships with those people that
are making that work happen means you won’t be able to work like that (at least
at AAD) anymore.
Some relationships you need to forge yourself. If you don’t,
you miss out on a lot that could be beneficial for you, because you decided to
go a route that disconnects you from those that would include you.
You don’t have to agree with me on this, but this IS the way
I feel and this IS how AAD will be handled from now on.
Thank you.
