Where Authors and Author Support Meet: Why This Blog Exists

Chela Hardy
Jan 1
3 min read

Welcome to a new corner of AskChela!

This blog was created with one simple but powerful idea in mind: authors don’t succeed alone. And author support professionals don’t thrive without authors.

Somewhere between writing the book and building a sustainable career is a space where collaboration happens. That space (and the name of our signature newsletter on LinkedIn) is what I call the author intersect — where authors and the people who support them learn how to work together with clarity, respect, and shared purpose.

This blog lives in that space.

Why This Blog, and Why Now?

Over the years, I’ve worked with:

Authors trying to do everything themselves
Virtual Assistants who want to work with authors but don’t know where to start
Speakers overwhelmed by logistics
Support providers unsure how their skills translate into the publishing world

What I’ve learned is this: most people want to work together —they just don’t always know how.

Authors often ask: “What could a VA actually do for me?”

Virtual Assistants often ask: “How do I position myself to work with authors?”

This blog answers both questions at the same time.

The Purpose of This Blog

Each post in this series will explore one practical way that an author and a Virtual Assistant (or author support provider) can work together.

We’ll look at over 100 tasks including:

Email management
Scheduling
Travel coordination
Project tracking
Content support
Marketing and outreach
Presentation and document formatting
Research and organization

But this isn’t just a task list. It’s a deeper conversation about:

Partnership
Trust
Systems
Professional growth
Sustainability

This blog is designed to:

Help Virtual Assistants understand how their skills translate into the author and speaker world
Help authors see what support could look like inside their business
Create shared language between both audiences

Inspired by The Author Intersect (TAI)

If you’re familiar with The Author Intersect (TAI), you already know the heart of this message:

Helping authors and author support providers explore meaningful ways to work together.

TAI exists to bring both sides of the conversation into the same room. This blog continues that mission — but in a more practical, step-by-step way.

Think of it as:

TAI, applied
TAI, in action
TAI, through real working relationships

Each post will highlight:

A specific support role
Why it matters
How a VA can perform it
What it means for the author

So that both sides can see the partnership clearly.

Who This Blog Is For

This blog is for you if you are:

An Author who wants to:

Focus more on your creative work
Build a professional support system
Stop carrying everything alone
Understand what to delegate and why

A Virtual Assistant or Author Support Provider who wants to:

Work with authors and (many of whom are also speakers)
Expand your services
Position yourself strategically
Understand the publishing and speaking ecosystem
Build long-term client relationships

This is not an “either/or” space.It’s a both/and space.

How to Use This Blog

Each post will:

Spotlight one support role
Break it down step by step
Show why it matters
End with “Author Notes” so both audiences walk away with clarity

You can use these posts as:

Conversation starters
Training tools
Service inspiration
Delegation guides
Collaboration frameworks

My hope is that this blog becomes a shared reference point —a place where authors and VAs begin to understand each other’s worlds better.

Closing Thought

Books don’t just come from writers.They come from systems.They come from support.They come from people working together behind the scenes.

This blog exists to shine a light on that work — and on the partnerships that make it possible.

Welcome to the intersection of authorship and support.Welcome to the work that happens between the pages.

I am Chela. You can ask me stuff.

Read on,

Closing Thought

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