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Phone & Communication · Media & Publishing

Phone & communication support for media & publishing professionals

By Zack Pennington, CEO Updated

Editors, publishers, and media producers spend significant time fielding calls from contributors, advertisers, publicists, and distribution partners, most of which don't require their direct involvement. A Nacho EA can own your front-line communication so you stay focused on editorial decisions and content strategy, not call routing and follow-up. Whether you're managing a busy editorial calendar or coordinating with a network of freelance contributors, we handle the communication layer that keeps things moving.

Tools we work with: Google Voice OpenPhone Calendly HubSpot

Can a Virtual Assistant handle phone & communication for media and publishing companies?

Yes. Nacho matches media and publishing companies with a vetted, 100% US-based Executive Assistant who owns phone & communication week after week, not a one-off task. Set a Talent Budget starting at $1,000 a month, begin with a $300 Delegation Strategy Plan, and expect to be matched in about a week.

See how the match works What a Talent Budget costs Book a discovery call

How it works

How your Executive Assistant owns phone & communication for media and publishing companies

A Nacho EA assigned to a media or publishing client typically manages inbound and outbound calls through tools like Google Voice, Grasshopper, or a forwarded business line, logging all interactions in a CRM such as HubSpot or Airtable so nothing falls through the cracks. Day-to-day, this looks like screening calls from publicists and PR contacts, following up with advertisers on insertion orders, coordinating interview scheduling between editors and sources, and relaying time-sensitive messages to the right internal stakeholders. The EA works from a call script and contact protocol you approve upfront, so they're representing your brand accurately without needing you on every call. Your role is to review a daily or weekly communication summary and weigh in on anything escalated, most clients find they're involved in fewer than 20% of the interactions their EA handles. The setup is managed by a dedicated Client Success Manager who builds your delegation plan during onboarding.

Off your plate

What your Executive Assistant takes off your plate

Before your EA takes their first call, document who your most frequent callers are: publicists, ad reps, contributors, and write a one-paragraph description of how each type of call should be handled. The most common mistake is handing over phone access without a contact protocol, which forces the EA to guess or over-escalate, and defeats the purpose of delegation. Even a simple tiered list of 'handle independently,' 'message me,' and 'transfer immediately' will make the first two weeks dramatically smoother.

  1. Inbound Call Screening & Routing

    Answers calls from publicists, contributors, and advertising contacts, qualifies the purpose, and routes or escalates based on your defined protocols.

  2. Advertiser & Sponsor Follow-Up Calls

    Makes outbound calls to follow up on open advertising proposals, insertion order confirmations, or renewal conversations on behalf of your sales team.

  3. Editorial Interview Scheduling

    Coordinates availability between editors, journalists, and interview subjects via phone and email, confirming details in your shared calendar tool such as Calendly or Google Calendar.

  4. Freelancer & Contributor Communication

    Handles routine check-in calls or voicemails with freelance writers, photographers, or columnists regarding deadlines, assignments, and submission status.

  5. Press & Publicist Inquiry Management

    Receives and logs incoming press inquiries and book submission pitches, filters based on your editorial focus, and prepares a summary for your review in Airtable or a shared inbox.

Your stack

Tools our team works with

We adapt to your existing stack, no forced migrations.

OpenPhone
HubSpot
Calendly
Zoom Phone
Acuity Scheduling
Google Voice

...and many more!

Client proof

Trusted by media and publishing companies

Nacho supports media and publishing companies including An Arm And a Leg, IDSCO, Susan B. Trachman, MD, handling everything from phone & communication to broader operational support.

The model

What delegating to Nacho actually looks like

This is ongoing delegation to one vetted, US-based person, not a task posted to a marketplace.

  1. Start with a Delegation Strategy Plan

    A one-time $300 onboarding fee pairs you with a Client Success Manager who maps what to hand off first. See the full process.

  2. Get matched in about a week

    We match you with a vetted, 100% US-based Executive Assistant in your time zone. If the fit is not right, the Nacho Guarantee re-matches you free.

  3. Set a monthly Talent Budget

    Budgets start at $1,000 a month and draw across Executive Assistants from $40/hr, Specialists from $65/hr, and Fractional Executives from $125/hr. Up to $200 of unused budget rolls over each month. See pricing in detail.

  4. Three months, then month to month

    The initial term is three months so the working relationship has time to compound, then it rolls month to month. Book a discovery call to size yours.

Talent Budget

What delegating phone & communication costs for media and publishing companies

Drag the sliders to build a monthly plan that fits your workload.

Executive Assistants
from $40/hour
25 hours $1,000
Specialists
from $65/hour
5 hours $325
Fractional Executives
from $125/hour
0 hours $0
Your monthly budget
$1,325

Starting at $1,000/month. One-time $300 onboarding fee includes your Delegation Strategy Plan.

Good questions

Frequently asked questions

Can an EA represent my publication professionally when speaking with publicists or media contacts?
Yes, Nacho EAs are US-based professionals who work from a call script and brand voice guide you provide during onboarding. Most media clients share a brief overview of their publication's tone and editorial focus so the EA can speak credibly about the outlet without misrepresenting editorial decisions.
How does the EA handle sensitive conversations, like a contributor disputing a kill fee or an advertiser complaint?
Your EA follows an escalation protocol set up during onboarding: anything involving contract disputes, editorial decisions, or client relationship risk gets flagged and routed to you immediately rather than handled independently. The goal is to keep routine communication off your plate while ensuring you stay in control of anything consequential.
What if my call volume is inconsistent, heavy during launch weeks and quiet otherwise?
Nacho's hourly model is well-suited to variable workloads, and up to $200 of unused budget can roll over each month to help offset a quieter period. You can also work with your Client Success Manager to shift hours toward other tasks, like inbox management or scheduling, during lower-volume periods.

Ready when you are

Put your editorial team's time back on the work that matters

Nacho's US-based EAs are ready to handle the communication layer of your media or publishing operation, starting with a Delegation Strategy Plan built around your workflow. Onboarding starts at a one-time $300 fee with monthly talent budgets from $1,000.

Not sure yet? See how it works, compare the Executive Assistant, Specialist, and Fractional Executive roles, or read why we stayed 100% US-based.