What does it really take to keep an author’s world running? We sit down with Erin—aka @SinfulShelves—to unpack the real work of an author PA: building Airtable databases packed with character details and settings, pulling market-ready quotes and hooks, managing launches, and keeping creative teams moving. Erin’s approach blends meticulous systems with real empathy, showing how collaboration beats lone-wolf myths and why the right boundaries can actually improve results.

The conversation travels from Bookstagram beginnings to a full-time career, where late-night deep work powers newsletters, graphics, and content libraries. Erin explains how she blocks time, schedules client updates, and balances alpha, beta, and ARC reads with a packed calendar. She also shares the hard-won lessons behind sustainable pricing, capacity, and choosing clients who value people over pace.

We also dive into Erin’s mental health journey, including years of misdiagnosis before an ADHD combined-type evaluation changed the trajectory of her life and work. Her openness about therapy, medication, and self-advocacy offers a clear path forward for listeners navigating similar terrain. Then she brings the same candor to chronic illness: living and handling flares, and adjusting workloads without losing momentum.

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Follow Erin on IG: @sinfulshelves

Cover Art by: moi

Intro/Outro Music: positive vibes by nanaacom on Capcut

Contact Email: spillthesmutpodcast@gmail.com

Podcast IG: @spillthesmutpodcast TT: @spillthesmutpodcast

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