AuthorDock VIP

A concierge plan tailored to the needs of authors & publishers

A retainer is a fee lawyers and doctors (aka boutique medicine) in demand charge to help cover their fixed overhead. They can't spend their time with everyone who wants it, and this model allows them to deliver greater value to a fewer number of patients. Similarly, the concierge model provides me the time to maintain a focus on each of my client's needs without spreading myself too thin.

The majority of my clients fail to build momentum for their work. Doing something now and then rarely offers long-term benefits.

How do you build momentum? You have to commit to consistent and sustained effort. Momentum begins when we allocate sufficient time in our schedule.

Authors who work with us are among a small set of authors who believe in their work. They are willing to prioritize time each month to give their work the attention it deserves. In short, you believe your books are worth it.

Often we are too close to our work to see the larger opportunities. This is where I can help.

Pre-scheduled time on our calendar each month creates the opportunity to review and update your plan in AuthorDock. Every action item we discuss will be logged into AuthorDock and assigned a priority of Could, Should, or Must. These three priorities allow us to quickly discern what's most important.

Most importantly, VIPs get dedicated mindspace time from yours truly each month. I'll zoom out and take a high-level view of your portfolio. Then I'll zoom in and assign action items mapped to a strategic direction based on new opportunities. When needed, I'll advise on course corrections and identify potential areas to pivot. We all possess certain skills and one of mine is an eye for opportunities.

We lose sleep so you don't have to.

We'll review the health of your publishing business, metrics and discuss next actions. Typical topics include (but not limited to) contacting reviewers, updating existing marketing campaigns, optimization of your current titles, and building your online presence.

While new and existing projects will still require a scope of work and invoice, a retainer allows an allocation of time to build a strategic and creative 'think tank' - something we hardly ever carve out enough time for. In addition, AuthorDock members benefit from discounted rates (see below).

The challenge with the transactional engagement I have used in the past is that I rarely had time to look at the bigger picture with a client. This model allows me to move away from transactional-based clients and towards more meaningful long-term partner engagements.

I will be your expert eyes on the publishing aspect of your business. Like a good accountant who keeps an eye on the financial health of your business, I will keep an eye on the health of your publishing division.

Any scopes of work I create will be part of the larger strategy we've already discussed. Similar to revisiting a blueprint if you were building a house. What's been missing is an architect and a project engineer who checks the work against the blueprint.

Participation in the VIP program includes:

• Labor discounted to $125/hr (vs. my std. rate of $225/hr)
• AuthorDock Portfolio Manager access - your central hub for all things related to your books we’ll revisit when we talk. It's a collaborative, secure space to keep everything we need centralized and readily available.
• Website Hosting via PubWriter. A web-based publishing engine (template based) tool that allows us to put up call to action pages quickly (and makes pages like this one editable via dropbox).
• Prioritized support. You can expect a response typically with 24-hours (M-F). eMails and phone calls from my VIP clients are prioritized over non-VIPs.
• The opportunity for a face-to-face meeting or phone call each month we'll review your bestseller blueprint. We'll establish and analyze metrics (sales, reader engagement, reviews, marketing, etc.), create and monitor milestones, and identify the best next actions to take. option: pass on calls and allocate the additional time toward your retainer.
• Option to text me for urgent requests.

All time will be logged in AuthorDock so you can see exactly where they time was spent.

A brief status call is highly recommended each month to ensure continuity. What gets done is what we choose to focus on. If you are unable to attend a call, I still allocate the scheduled time on my calendar to work on the milestones in your AuthorDock (which will reflect items we likely discussed previously). Status updates are always reported in AuthorDock.

When you are ready to enroll in the program, I'll send you an invoice to set up your monthly auto-pay on a credit card. You will not be hassled with invoices unless there's a specific requirement we've discussed to necessitate one and I'll strive to keep the bulk of the work we do within your retainer. While there's no long-term commitment, I do request a 30-day notice if you do want to cancel. You'll retain access to your work in AuthorDock indefinitely.

Committed to Your Success,

Brian Schwartz
805-225-1251
Book a Time to Discuss Further