Long-Term Virtual Assistant for Author — Operations, Vendor Coordination & Social/Email

Job type: Part-time, ongoing (~10 hrs/week to start, scaling later) Experience level: Intermediate -Expert Hourly range: $7–15/hr (open — tell me your rate) I'm an author building an epic fantasy web serial project under my own publishing imprint, heading toward launch in 2027. The project is in its pre-launch build phase, and I'm looking for a reliable, organized virtual assistant to take the operational and administrative load off my plate so I can focus on writing. This is a long-term role — I want someone who can grow with the project over the coming year and into launch, not a one-off gig. What you'd be doing (roughly in order of priority): Artist & vendor commission coordination (the main task right now): sourcing and shortlisting freelance artists and illustrators against style briefs I provide (on platforms like Fiverr, Upwork, and ArtStation), managing the commission process end to end — scheduling, back-and-forth, revisions, deadlines, confirming full commercial usage rights, and keeping a clean master tracker. I make all creative decisions; you handle the logistics, follow-ups, and chasing so nothing slips. Social media management: taking art and material I provide and turning it into scheduled posts across Instagram, X, and TikTok — captions in my brand voice, simple Canva graphics, scheduling, and routine comment/DM replies. Light cadence for now (around one post a week), scaling as launch nears. Email/newsletter setup & management: building a reader-signup page on my existing domain, connecting it to an email platform, setting up an automated welcome email, and managing periodic newsletters. Inbox triage: sorting my project inbox and surfacing what needs my attention. Research: compiling target lists (reviewers, creators, communities) and light market research as the project ramps. What I'm looking for: Proven VA, operations, or social media experience — please share relevant samples or past work. Experience supporting creators, authors, publishers, or entertainment/fandom brands is a real plus over general corporate or e-commerce. Strong organization and follow-through — you keep track of moving pieces so I don't have to. Comfortable working independently and asynchronously. I'm sometimes offline for stretches (temporary situation), so I need someone who can take a clear brief, run with it without hand-holding, and batch any questions or decisions for me rather than stalling when I'm unavailable. Strong written English and a genuine feel for tone and voice. Comfortable with Canva, social scheduling tools, and email platforms (Mailchimp, Kit, MailerLite, or similar). Reliable and communicative above all — this matters to me more than being the cheapest option. An interest in fantasy/fiction, even anime/manga is a bonus. Important — please read before applying: This role involves confidential, unreleased creative material. A signed NDA is required, including a specific agreement that no project material is ever input into any AI tool, for any purpose. I'm fine with you using your own tools for your own workflow, but my material specifically never goes near AI. If you're not comfortable with that, this isn't the right role. I'm particular about creative voice and brand consistency. All work and communication stays on Upwork. (At least for the trial period.) To apply: Please don't send a generic, copy-paste proposal — I read these closely and they'll be passed over. In a few sentences, tell me: Your relevant experience, with one or two samples. Which of the tasks above you're strongest at — and, honestly, which you're weakest at. Your availability and hourly rate. And to show me a real person read this: mention your favorite book, series, or story at the top of your reply. Applications that skip this will be ignored. I'll be running a short paid trial before any ongoing commitment. Looking forward to reading yours.