Phone & communication support for media & publishing professionals

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 Trusty Oak 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.

Fractional phone & communication support for media and publishing companies

How Trusty Oak handles phone & communication for media and publishing companies

A Trusty Oak 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.

What your EA 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.

Inbound Call Screening & Routing

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

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.

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.

Freelancer & Contributor Communication

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

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.

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!

Trusted by media and publishing companies

Trusty Oak 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.

What phone & communication support costs for media and publishing companies

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

Executive Assistants

~$35/hour

25 hours $875

Specialists

~$50/hour

5 hours $250

Fractional Executives

~$95/hour

0 hours $0

Your monthly budget

$1,125

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

Book a Discovery Call

Frequently Asked Questions

Can an EA represent my publication professionally when speaking with publicists or media contacts?

Yes — Trusty Oak 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?

Trusty Oak's hourly model is well-suited to variable workloads because unused hours roll over each month, so a quieter period doesn't mean wasted budget. You can also work with your Client Success Manager to shift hours toward other tasks — like inbox management or scheduling — during lower-volume periods.

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

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