Back from vacation and getting the "3 favorite reads" feature ready to launch!
I am super excited! First new format since we launched :)
Every two weeks, I share my notes on building Shepherd.com.
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September 11th to September 22nd
I am back from my summer break. :)
What am I working on?
I am in a mad scramble to get the “3 favorite reads of the year” ready for its October 1st launch with authors and the public unveiling on November 1st of the best books of the year.
What does that involve?
Testing the backend/frontend and making bug reports for the developer.
Building the process in Zendesk for how submissions will move through the publishing process.
Training the team on this new format and making sure they are ready.
Writing the template doc for this new format.
Making sure authors who want to take part know about it.
Want to see what it is looking like?
Beta frontend page of the “3 fav reads of the year” here: https://shepherd.com/bboy/2023/f/ben-fox (fake data from 2022)
Beat of the “best books of the year” category page here: https://shepherd.com/bboy/2023 (no books yet)
I am super excited to launch this! It is the first new format we’ve done since we launched, and I think it will be a big hit!
What is going on outside of Shepherd?
We had a great summer in France! My wife and son visited the grandparents, and I set off on a 1,200+ kilometers bike ride from Bordeaux to Paris to Mont Saint-Michel. I had fantastic weather and a wonderful time. I can't wait for my next big ride.
Now we are home, my son started 2nd grade, and we are back on a more regular schedule, which is always a little bit of a shock.
What am I reading?
I am reading Finder by Suzanne Palmer. This is a Hugo award-winning book, and I am about 60% in. It is about someone working to reclaim a stolen spacecraft in a remote part of space.
Thanks, Ben
P.S. From my summer :)
