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Author Portal ​

Self-service web application for verified authors to manage their presence, view analytics, and engage with readers.

Overview ​

The Author Portal (authors.logbook.social) is a dedicated web application for verified authors. After completing the verification process, authors gain access to this dashboard to manage their profile, create promotional content, and track engagement with their audience.

Target Users: Verified authors (free and pro tier)

Platform: Web (React + Vite + Tailwind)

Authentication: Shared JWT with main Logbook API, requires author role

Architecture ​

The Author Portal is one of three frontend applications in the Logbook ecosystem:

AppDomainUsersPurpose
Main AppApp storesReadersDiscovery, library, social
Author Portalauthors.logbook.socialVerified authorsDashboard, analytics, promotions
Admin Paneladmin.logbook.socialStaffModeration, verification, collections

Features ​

Dashboard ​

Overview of key metrics and recent activity:

  • Follower Count: Total followers with growth trend
  • Profile Views: Daily/weekly/monthly views
  • Book Engagement: Adds to library, reviews, ratings
  • Recent Activity: Timeline of reader interactions
  • Quick Actions: Links to common tasks

Analytics ​

Detailed metrics for author performance:

Audience Metrics:

  • Follower count over time
  • Follower demographics (if available)
  • Profile view trends

Book Performance:

  • Books added to libraries (per book and total)
  • Ratings and review counts
  • Average rating trends
  • Most popular books by engagement

Content Performance:

  • Announcement reach and engagement
  • Event RSVP rates
  • Q&A participation

Export: Download analytics data as CSV for external analysis

Profile Management ​

Edit author presence visible to readers:

  • Bio: Rich text editor with character limit
  • Profile Photo: Upload with crop/resize
  • Social Links: Twitter/X, Instagram, TikTok, Facebook
  • Website URL: Personal website link
  • Location: Optional, displayed on profile
  • Genre Tags: Categories associated with author

New Release Announcements ​

Create promotional posts for new/upcoming releases:

  • Title: Announcement headline
  • Body: Rich text description
  • Book Selection: Link to specific book
  • Cover Display: Auto-pulled from book data
  • Release Date: For upcoming releases
  • Pre-order/Purchase Link: External link
  • Scheduling: Publish immediately or schedule

Announcements push to all followers via notification.

Review Highlights ​

Feature reader reviews on author page:

  • Browse Reviews: All reviews across author's books
  • Filter: By book, rating, date
  • Highlight: Select reviews to feature
  • Author Note: Optional comment on highlighted review
  • Reorder: Drag-drop to arrange featured reviews
  • Notify Reviewer: Option to notify when highlighted

Author's Picks ​

Curate a list of recommended reads:

  • Book Search: Find any book in catalog
  • Add to Picks: Include with optional note
  • Note: Explain why you recommend this book
  • Reorder: Drag-drop to prioritize
  • Limit: Up to 20 picks

Displayed on author page as "Books I Love" or similar.

Events ​

Announce author events to followers:

Event Types:

  • Book signings
  • Release parties
  • Virtual events / AMAs
  • Festival appearances
  • Reading groups

Event Fields:

  • Title and description
  • Date/time with timezone picker
  • Location (address or virtual link)
  • RSVP/registration link
  • Cover image

Scheduling: Publish immediately or schedule announcement

Q&A Management ​

Manage reader questions:

  • Question Inbox: View all submitted questions
  • Filter: Unanswered, answered, published
  • Answer: Write response to question
  • Publish/Hide: Control visibility of Q&A
  • Delete: Remove inappropriate questions
  • Close Q&A: Temporarily disable new submissions

Subscription & Billing ​

Manage Pro tier subscription (Pro authors only):

  • Current Plan: View plan details
  • Upgrade/Downgrade: Change subscription tier
  • Payment Method: Update credit card (Stripe)
  • Billing History: View past invoices
  • Cancel: Cancel subscription with confirmation

Integration with Stripe Customer Portal for self-service billing.

User Flows ​

Verification to Portal Access ​

Creating an Announcement ​

  1. Author logs into portal
  2. Navigates to "Announcements"
  3. Clicks "New Announcement"
  4. Selects announcement type (release, event, general)
  5. Fills in title, body, selects book if applicable
  6. Previews announcement
  7. Publishes immediately or schedules
  8. Followers receive push notification

Upgrading to Pro ​

  1. Author on free tier sees Pro features locked
  2. Clicks "Upgrade to Pro"
  3. Redirected to Stripe Checkout
  4. Completes payment
  5. Redirected back to portal with Pro access
  6. Pro features unlocked immediately

Technical Requirements ​

Authentication ​

  • Shared JWT tokens with main Logbook API
  • Token includes user role (author)
  • Middleware validates author role on all /author/* endpoints
  • Refresh token flow for session management

Deployment ​

Same pattern as landing page:

  • Azure Static Web App
  • DNS record for authors.logbook.social in the logbook.social zone
  • Existing static-site OpenTofu module from apptic/devops

Tech Stack ​

React + Vite + Tailwind, matching the landing page (logbook.so). Shares design tokens and potentially UI components via @logbook/ui package.

Screens ​

┌────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ [Logo] Author Portal    [Profile] [?]  │
├──────────┬─────────────────────────────┤
│ Dashboard│                             │
│ Analytics│        Main Content         │
│ Profile  │                             │
│ ──────── │                             │
│ Announce │                             │
│ Reviews  │                             │
│ Picks    │                             │
│ Events   │                             │
│ Q&A      │                             │
│ ──────── │                             │
│ Settings │                             │
│ Billing  │                             │
└──────────┴─────────────────────────────┘

Key Screens ​

  1. Dashboard: Stats overview, recent activity, quick actions
  2. Analytics: Charts for followers, views, book performance
  3. Profile Editor: Form with photo upload, bio editor, social links
  4. Announcements List: Table of past/scheduled announcements
  5. Announcement Editor: Rich text editor with book selector
  6. Reviews Browser: Filterable list with highlight toggle
  7. Picks Manager: Drag-drop list with book search
  8. Events Manager: Calendar view with event cards
  9. Q&A Inbox: Inbox-style list with answer editor
  10. Billing: Current plan, Stripe portal link

Open Questions ​

  1. Mobile Responsiveness: Full responsive design or desktop-focused with mobile warning?

  2. Notification Preferences: Should authors control how/when followers are notified?

  3. Team Access: Can authors grant access to assistants/publicists? Multi-user management?

  4. Analytics Depth: How much historical data to retain? Rolling window or all-time?

  5. Internationalization: Multi-language support for non-English authors?

  6. Offline Support: PWA with offline capabilities for writing drafts?

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